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Sandra E. Graham (846) Blue Level Author Verified Account
Sandra E. Graham
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Your First Book Signing?--How to Make it Work

Posted Friday, May 02, 2008 (13 days 22 hours ago.) Viewed 507 times.

Having your first book published can be a writer's dream-it can also be a nightmare. Some writers think that once their book is out in print, that their work is done. Sadly this is just the beginning of the really hard work. If you had thought you were through the toughest part by getting your piece finished, edited, re-edited again and again, book cover selected and approved, and finally cradling your first printed copy in your hands; well, think again. Now come the mailing of galleys, or book copies, for review-and I'm talking not just four or five copies, which you have had to purchase yourself, but hundreds. Some publishers require their authors to mail out at least five hundred copies which could mean tens of thousands of dollars expenditure to a first-time-new author.

You have created a Book Marketing Plan which must then be approved by the promotions department of your book publisher. Then there is the scheduling of events-radio interviews, group talks, television interviews (if you have the right connections), creating websites, sending out thousands of emails, requesting reviews from Aunt Tillie to Ex-president Clinton-all in the name of getting your book out in the public eye. And last, but not least, is the Book Signings.

But don't let all this terrify you beyond redemption, however. You can always hire a publicist who, for a certain fee, will do some of the work for you. But, bottom line is, the author has to do more work now than they would ever have dreamed possible. You have traveled around the immediate area, the county, the state, the country and made your book known to as much of the buying public as you can cover without going broke from gasoline and hotel expenditures. You will want to donate copies of your book to different school and public libraries as a way of getting your book into the public eye. Of the five hundred copies you have given away or mailed out for reviews, you will probably have received approximately twenty five or fewer acknowledgements. If you have survived all this, then you are probably ready to schedule your first book signing.

First of all, you will want to evaluate your options. Most publishers will tell you that bookstore book signings are not profitable for the newly published author, as bookstores collect a hefty forty percent of the sale on each book sold. If you feel confident in yourself and your book, which well you should, you will probably want to purchase a short-run of your book, approximately 300 to 500 copies, at a reduced price for resale at your book signing.

Since bookstores aren't a viable option, you may want to consider restaurants. Most restaurants are more than happy to have an author (even new authors) grace their establishment by scheduling a book signing. It not only draws customers to their restaurant, it draws attention to the author's book just by the advertising, whether a book is sold or not. Class reunions are another good source of advertising through book signings, as are department stores, malls and libraries.

After you have chosen the place for your first book signing, you will have to plan the advertising of the event. Check the internet for sign making establishments in your area and get quotes for large outside banners and, at least, 20 inch by 30 inch posters to place in the establishment's entrance and maybe one to hang behind the table where you will be seated. Pick a good location to set yourself up in the store where you will not interfere with business, but will be visible to the patrons.

Make good use of your computer by designing your own banner and posters and emailing them to the sign maker to get a more accurate quote. Also, you may want to make little tent-shaped business cards with your picture, your book cover picture, and your website name and information as to what bookstores carry your book, to place on all the tables before the establishment opens if you are having your signing in an eating establishment or class reunion. Patrons can take these with them if they prefer to wait until a later date to purchase a book or would just like more information about you and your writing. Banners and posters should be put up at least a week prior to the scheduled signing.

While waiting for your banners to be made, you will want to touch base with local media who will advertise the upcoming book signing as a community event. Here again, the internet will come in handy. Most radio, television, and newspapers have a website where you can list community events at no charge. They also list contacts that can answer any questions you have about listing your event or scheduling a remote broadcast from the establishment that is sponsoring your book signing. They are, usually, just looking for special interest programs to run at no expense to you.

You will want to send out emails to everyone on your email list. Invite everyone, even those who already have a copy of your book. Their support will be greatly appreciated in the end. You can also pass along a little of the discount that you received when you made your short-run purchase; because, in the long run, the advertising will do more good than the book sales. And for all those who don't have email, call them. Call everyone you know and have them call or email everyone they know and so on and so on. Do whatever it takes to get the word out, and as they say---"build it, and they will come."

Now, picture yourself seated behind a table with a stack of your books on each side and maybe a stack of bookmarkers that you have made up yourself on your computer advertising your books and website, your pen is poised to make that first signature and your cheeks are pink with excitement. Your very first book signing has begun. Now would be a good time to have a family member or friend discretely snap a photo to send to your publisher. You are on your way. Good luck!

Sandra E. Graham, author , Amos Jakeyand Nicolinathru American Book Publishing. Visit my website: http://www.sandragraham-articles-books.com


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Best Mother’s Day Gift Ever—Answered Prayers

Posted Saturday, April 26, 2008 (20 days 1 hour ago.) Viewed 131 times.

They were the most beautiful babies she had every seen; and of course, she was their mother. Two beautiful baby girls, so tiny and so pink. The nurse placed the tiny bundles in her arms for the first time and the new mother couldn't stop the flow of tears that ran down her cheeks. Almost two months premature, she had feared that they would have to stay in the hospital and she wouldn't be able to take them home right away. But the doctor had informed her that they were perfectly healthy and developed well for such an early arrival. Less than two weeks before Mother's Day. The young mother glowed through her tears-this year she would be a mother.

Caring for twins can be a handful for any mother and even more so for a first-time mother. Would she be good enough? As she looked down at the babies, she worried that she couldn't handle it. So much to do, so many special needs. Where would she find the help that she would have to have to be the good mother that she would have to be?

"Please, God. Give me strength. Help me to do all the right things. Help me to make their lives become a credit to my faith in You." She prayed and the tears came again.

_ _ _ _

The months had flown by and the babies had thrived under her nurturing care. She had done it all alone. She sat alone in the waiting room exactly one year to the day in the same hospital where her babies had been born. Although her body was tired, her mind was still lively and focused entirely on the task at hand. God had answered her prayers over that past year and her beautiful babies were happy and healthy. But today was a true test of her faith in Him and she was asking for just one more prayer to be answered.

"Please, God, watch over my babies and bring them through this ordeal safely. If it be your will." She prayed again and again. And she cried again as she had that same day they had been born.

Today her babies would be separated. Co-joined at the tops of their heads, they could not go through life end to end. They could both live or they could both die or one could live and the other die. The doctors had explained everything to her so that she would have a thorough understanding of what lay ahead for little Maude Amiee and May Emily.

They gave her no false promises; they were only doctors and could only do what they could do. The rest, they said, was out of their hands. So she prayed and waited. And thought about her tiny daughters and how they smiled and their dark eyes sparkled up at her as she talked to them. Telling them bible stories and reading to them her favorite scriptures from the Bible. She wanted them to grow up with a strength that she knew would be required of them.

She thought only of her babies; she never thought again of the husband who never returned after seeing his baby daughters for the first time. Without bitterness she watched him walk away and knew his weakness had no place with them. She had never thought to question, why her? Why her children? Nature made mistakes just like humans. It happened, without plan, without prejudice.

Looking up at the clock again. Two hours had passed and the hand ticked one more minute with a loud click. She tried to picture the operating room and how far the procedure had progressed-she couldn't. She couldn't let her mind dwell on her babies suffering. They had been through so much. The series of surgeries that preceded this final phase. If her prayers were answered as she had faith that they would be, her babies would be two separate individuals-separate but sharing.

Startled from her revere she looked up at the doctor. "Mrs. Jameson." More a statement than a question-she knew him well.

"Yes?" Her question however was in her eyes.

"Your babies are fine. You will be able to see them shortly. I'll send the nurse for you." The doctor smiled and walked back down the hall.

She gasped, not realizing she had been holding her breath. Then she laughed and cried and laughed some more. "Thank you, God. Thank you God."

More answered prayers. And she would celebrate another Mother's Day for she had received-the best Mother's Day gift ever.

Sandra E. Graham, author, AMOS JAKEY and NICOLINA, published by American Book Publishing. Also writes book reviews for Bookpleasures.com Visit my website for more info on my books and writings: http:www.sandragraham-articles-books.com


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Hornet’s Nest or Piñata…?

Posted Sunday, April 20, 2008 (26 days 9 hours ago.) Viewed 815 times.

From our experiences with the Korean Conflict to the Iraq War on Terror and all the conflicts in between, anyone would think we had learned to recognize the difference between a hornet's nest and a pinata. We haven't-maybe it's because we aren't predominately Mexican by heritage. But wouldn't the recurring and painful stings give us pause????

Whatever the shortsightedness, with our involvement in Iraq , we have broken open another nest and we can't very well just walk away saying, "Oops. Our mistake. Sure thought that was a pinata." Troop withdrawal at this point may be a pipedream. Of course, we all want our men and women to come home-the sooner, the better. But reality Bites! We are no longer in just a fight to save face; we are in a fight that has more repercussions than any conflict ever to have been engaged in since man first learned to use violence to settle a dispute.

Iraq doesn't seem to be any closer to straightening out their own government now than they were when the war first began in 2001. Sure we may be told that new and more competent leaders are being put into place every day; but what are we really seeing?

Mostly we see a national army and police force that may be willing but are not capable of protecting the new nation's fragmented political leadership. Who can say how long this will take to correct and strengthen? Setting exact timelines for withdrawal of troops will be a monumental task.

If the United States and what few allies that are left in Iraq pull out too soon, we may be leaving ourselves open to an even bigger danger in the form of Iran and its nuclear extravaganza. We could also give Iran and the world the impression that as a collective whole, we would never enter into any conflict with intentions of staying for the long haul.

We all, too well, know that it's all about the oil. Countries that control the world's most significant oil reserves are the countries holding the trump cards in this winner takes all' table. And we also know, all too well, that if this country of ours doesn't use its outstanding technologies to alleviate the pressing need for foreign oil and get ourselves from under the strangle-hold that the East has on us, our economy will be devastated within a few years-or maybe months. The United States alone has poured billions of dollars into Iraq to help reconstruct the devastated infra structure. The wolves are knocking on our doors already.

Gasoline and heating fuel have become unaffordable by anyone that doesn't own stock in an oil Cartel-and we all know who does! And since gas and heating fuel have gone up, every other produce necessary for living has had to raise their prices to cover their own backsides. Taxes (real estate, personal property, sales, etc., etc.,) have gone up for the same reasons which will render this new tax refund coming to the work-weary Americans next month null and void. Our government is the Beetle' and our system is the Dung' that is being rolled down the heap and we are all standing open-mouthed and too terrified to move at the bottom! We all see it coming, but we just don't know what to do about it. We have got to save our country, but where do we start? If we are going to break open a hornet's nest, let's be prepared to fight hornets, not pre-wrapped hard candies. It's time to pay the piper and our brave leaders need to show their worth throughout the battles, not just in the primaries. The clock is ticking- Iran and India are not sitting on their laurels while our leaders and candidates are preoccupied with who has dodged the most bullets and done the most to rid the country of racism.

May God save us all.

Sandra E. Graham, author, AMOS JAKEY and NICOLINA, published by American book publishing. Also book reviewer for Bookpleasures. Visit my website for more info; http://www.sandragraham-articles-books.com


        Comments (5)


 


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