Another win and more to learn.

I thought of this first year after publication as the year for promotion. So, I got busy: commissioned this author's website; had good luck at the Wooden Boat Festival; pitched Shanghaied at the booksellers’ tradeshow; did a few author talks; submitted for reviews and awards. But maybe it’s time to relax. To walk the talk that I didn’t write it for money. Time to trust that the readers who want what Shanghaied offers will find it. Now and, if there’s more than one printing, in the future.

I hoped that awards might garner attention, that they might lead to “best seller” status. Time will tell, but it turns out there are “6000” awards out there (besides the big ones, Pulitzer, etc…). And total sales in three months? Hopefully, the numbers don’t include what I bought for promotion: 278. 15 were eBooks and there were 4 returns.

Write because you have a story to tell. Because you like finding the “right” words, and you find communication to be one of life’s thrills. Learn what the story and the writing have to teach. Be grateful for the experience (which, itself, may be another story). It’s a lot of work but enjoy it. Then do what doesn’t cost much to promote the book. You have copies left over, hand ‘em out. And pay only slight attention to sales.