Once Again, Bringing Books To Readers

Pumpkin people, in case you couldn't tell.

It's been a while since I've featured a children's author or a children's book or, I think, any kind of in-person author appearance here. You all know how I love Zoom. But I was at Pumpkintown USA today, which in this part of Connecticut is a big deal. I'm not being sarcastic. We love Pumpkintown in these parts. While I was walking around, I was reminded of a blog post I did around nine years ago, Getting Books Out Into The World, about Connecticut author Sandra Horning, who did a signing at Pumpkintown, as well as two other nontraditional sites, to promote a pumpkin picture book. No sooner did I start thinking about her, then what did I see but another author doing a book signing!

Peggy Schaedler, author, not pumpkin person

Author Peggy Schaedler was there supporting a series of books she's written about characters based on Pumpkintown characters. She's doing a number of weekend appearances there. Now, given that her books involve Pumpkintown it makes a great deal of sense that she should be making appearances there. Nonetheless, years ago you wouldn't have seen someone like her at a place like this, just as you wouldn't have seen someone like Sandra Horning there. They would have been at a bookstore or library.

Times have changed.

In large part, this is due to self-publishing. There are far more books being self-published than bookstores can absorb, the main reason why few self-published books are featured there. All writers, but particularly those who self-publish, are becoming more and more creative and working harder and harder to find ways to take their books to readers, since readers can't come to their books in bookstores 

Last year, for instance, I saw author Jo Ann Burgh at a porchfest. Many thanks to her. She promoted her appearance at a Facebook group I belong to, which brought me to the porchfest. Turns out, I love porchfests. Really, many thanks. I went back this year.

I am now a member of another Facebook group, Connecticut Authors and Their Readers Meeting Place, where I see authors posting about appearances at bars, vineyards, and breweries, among other places. These are often group appearances, meaning someone has not only approached these places about bringing their books in, but done some administrative work so a number of authors could come in. One Connecticut author who posts there and has had quite a bit of attention for her first book and has written a second says the bulk of her sales are made through these kinds of appearances.

These people, like Peggy Schaedler, are spending enormous amounts of time on marketing in a very real boots on the ground way.  Best wishes to all of them. But as I told Peggy today when I met her at Pumpkintown, I just don't want to work this hard. Yes, I am a little bit ashamed. But not enough to make the effort she and all these people are making.