When I was 6-years old, I was in Girl Scouts. It was cookie season, and I had to earn my cookie badge by selling boxes of those delicious treats. I was an extremely shy child, the thought of going house-to-house knocking on doors was super scary for me. My mom pointed to a neighbor’s house who lived diagonally across the street from us and told me to start there. As she stood at the door, I nervously crossed the street. An elderly couple lived in the house. Their white ranch with burnt red shutters was always closed up tight with very few lights glowing in the windows. I walked up to the door, knocked, and waited. When the older woman answered, I asked her if she would like to buy some Girl Scout cookies. She said, ‘NO,’ and closed the door in my face.
Do you remember that scene in The Wizard of Oz when the Lion gets scared by the Wizard and goes running down the hallway and jumps out of the glass window, well that was me running across the street back to my house and through my front door bawling my eyes out. Who thought it was a good idea to have children be door-to-door salesmen anyways?
Flash forward to 44 years later, I find myself knocking on metaphorical doors asking the world to buy my book. It’s so uncomfortable for me. I could market and sell the hell out of anybody else, but myself, no thank you.
Just like what happens to Claire in The Flannigan Girls when her husband has to travel for work and she is left by herself to care for their family, my childhood insecurities snuck up on me even when I thought I’d let go of them. That little girl who was nervous to approach her neighbor’s house came out. Like the cookies, I asked myself “Do I have to sell them? Can’t I just give them all away?”
I love this book so much I just want to share it with everyone. I love the sisters, their bond, and the love they share for each other. I love that these fictional characters from my own imagination held my hand as I wrote their story, my first novel. As an indie author, if it weren’t for my credit card bill (sshh…don’t tell my husband), I’d gladly hand my books out to everyone.
So, I’ve spent the last couple of weeks learning about marketing. I signed up for a workshop, been emailing local papers, booked a few author signings. I’m learning to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
I’m holding hands with that little 6-year-old in me, and we are knocking on doors together. Here we are asking all of you if you could please…
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We’d be ever so grateful. From what I learned in my workshop, the best way for authors to get their work out there is through word of mouth. And frankly, I’m kind of tired of myself. Just like when I was a teacher, there were some days I was tired of hearing my own voice as I’d been talking so much that day. Especially at the beginning of a new school year when you have to explain all the rules and routines over and over again!
With that said, I appreciate you all, hope you enjoy the last bits of summer and wish you luck with the start of the school year if it applies to you!
Last week, I shared what a magical experience I had at the Nantucket Book Festival. Being included in the Local Author Showcase was such an honor, and I wanted to make sure the organizer knew how grat
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