New Year, New Book
The manager of the outdoor center was disappointed in the turnout for MLK day. They planned on more. They said this was the lightest crowd they’d ever had on MLK day. Normally there were lines at all the venues, food service slammed. But not this year. Why? They have no idea, but since they count on this as their biggest day of the winter, they were understandably disappointed, and perhaps a bit worried. I sold four books in four hours, far less than I’d hoped.
Using the spread sheet I’d created with addresses of arenas across the country I planned a mailing, and printed out the address labels. The glossy postcards look great. On the back I suggested ice skating parties, author skype visits, books in their arena shop, signings at rinks (this side of the Mississippi.) I’m embarrassed to tell you how much I spent on these 2500 postcards. Then I had the sudden realization how much the postage would be. I decided to send them out in small batches instead of all at once, to see how the response is. Nearly every card was returned to me with the address marked out by the postal service. Either the rinks all went out of business, or the actual addresses on their websites isn’t where they get their mail. It was an expensive error. This was my first huge mistake in the two-year journey to sell books. The postcards really are pretty; too bad no one will see them. I researched magazines and with $2500 I could put an ad in Girls Life, which might pay off. But, that won’t happen. I need to come up with a better marketing plan for Cracks in the Ice. So far, my good ideas for this book weren’t panning out. Like the proprietors of the outdoor center, I can only wonder why it isn't working this time.