Marketing Books & Gardening

Hi People. I'm writing here about two things I sometimes do that I find quite difficult, for a variety of different reasons. The book marketing reasons mostly relate to me being a disorganised person who is unsure of the best way to go about 'selling myself' well enough. I fear irritating others, yeah - as if that's the worst thing in this troubled world ... I am somewhat known, in some books and writing related circles, so I'm not completely hopeless at this though, so I won't lose hope in the chance of getting better at this 'Book Marketing' thing. So this one is a Mental thing.

The Gardening thing, that's related physical reasons. I'll never be as strong or physically able as someone would need to be to keep all of our place tidy and under control. I can do little things, sometimes, but none of the big things. Some things I can't do, others I don't do. I've never started a mower in my life, for instance, and can see no reason why I should start doing it now. I can't cut down big branches, or heft heavy things. My husband is able to do these things, and I support him in this by keeping out of his way.

Both of these things have benefits of course. If I can find a book reader who would like to buy one of my books, I'm more than happy in signing a copy for them and selling them a copy! If someone wanted me to talk to a group of people who may be interested in my books, I am always happy to talk about the stuff I've written, whatever it is. Speaking in public is scary to many people and used to be scary to me too, but fortunately I'm over that now. (So if you need someone to talk, give me a call!)

The benefits of gardening are quite different. A garden gives beautiful things to look at, sniff, and eat. A garden brings birds and other creatures along, and I love watching the birds that visit our garden! I love the strawberries we have growing at the moment, I loved the capsicums we had until hubby pulled up the spent plants, I love the herbs that go into meals or cups of herbal tea. We have lots of garlic growing at the moment, and I love that we're going to keep up with our 'garlic' needs for a good few months (I hope). I love the fact that very soon, our tomato plants will have little cherry tomatoes that are red not green, as they ripen, yum!

The garden is blooming, but most of that is thanks to my husband's work, not mine. He is my carer as well as my husband, and he's doing a superb job of caring for me! He doesn't help with the book marketing side of my life though. He recognises that I'm the one who knows more about that stuff, even if I don't do lots and lots of it. I do have lots of books in my car, ready to sell to others, at any time though ... It would be lovely if it were as simple as just driving somewhere and opening the back of my car to sell books to hordes of desperate book buyers waiting for me ...

Buster the Dog, who is always with me, even if I don't acknowledge his presence at every moment of my life, he would do these things differently, I suspect. Buster is more of an excitable type, more Me, Me, Me! than I am. I'm quieter, more subdued. Of course I'm real and Buster is a figment of my imagination, so life is easy for him ...

So that's it for now, if you'd like to know more about me and my writing, get in touch! Woof!

Third Book in the Buster the Dog series is Launched

The dog in this photo is not Buster the Dog. Buster the Dog is an imaginary dog who lives inside the head of Carolyn Cordon, the person whose blog this is. Carolyn knows the full parentage of Buster the Dog, because he came out her life and out of her imagination. Carolyn also know all about the dog n this photo.

This is Missy, who is a beautiful Pharaoh Hound, and a lovely pet (in almost every way you might imagine). Missy is relatively obedient, and even the bad points about Missy are not too terrible. The reason for this photo on this page is to draw attention. Carolyn has books to sell, Missy is being used, because she is beautiful, and because Missy is also sort of Buster the Dog's half-sister. Confused yet?

If Buster the Dog isn't real, how can he be Missy's brother? it's like this, Buster the Dog is based on puppies that happened that were never supposed to happen. One of Carolyn's Schnauzers (Nena) got far too friendly with the Pharaoh Hound she had (Kharis), when the schnauzer was having her first season, around thirteen years ago. Nature did its things, and yes, Nena had cute little puppies she should never have had ... The illustrator of the Buster the Dogs books is a friend of Carolyn's and she saw those puppies, so knew exactly what such a dog would look like.

 A step has been missed here, hasn't it? The step is that Carolyn gave her friend (Ally Hean), some funny words about gardening, written as if she was a dog. The dog at the time of the words first being written was Carolyn's first Schnauzer and the piece was printed in the Schnauzer club newsletter years before Carolyn and Ally even knew each other. Ally took the  words and used those puppies as the model for her drawing. They both enjoyed the results, so they decided to take this idea further.

More words were written, more illustrations created and so the pair decided to take this idea to a local printer, Grandeur Press and so the book, "Dig It! Gardening Tips for Dogs" was created! The first print run and all subsequent print runs have been small, and certainly book sales are in the hundreds, rather than thousands. But many people who have read the book have enjoyed it. Carolyn was happy to sign copies of her book, and chat to others about dogs, and gardening, as well as getting some money to cover the costs for bringing the book out into the world!

It seems that one book wasn't enough though, and even though there were no initial thoughts of a 'series' of books for Buster the Dog, Carolyn eventually had another idea for another book by Buster the Dog. She wrote the new book, gave a copy of the text to Ally, and so the process began again. This new book was taken to a different printer, even closer to Carolyn, Bunyip Print & Copy in Gawler. This business had done copies of the first book over the years, when copies ran out. So after this second book "Doggone It! Mindfulness from a Dog's Point of View", had its first print run, Carolyn had an idea, and realised she had a trilogy on its way. This is how and why the new book, "Dog Buddha's Thoughts" which had its first launch during the recent Adelaide Plains Festival of Words, came into being.

Follow-up Book getting Bigger & Better!

"Dig It!" has been a fun book, and a learning experience for sure. Even though I will probably never see sales in the thousands with this book, I've enjoyed the process, and the friendships made and/or strengthened in the whole process. Every signed copy sold, every smile on the face of a new reader, these all bring a welcome warmth to my heart and me confidence as a writer!

This follow-up book, "Doggone It! Mindfulness from a Dog's Point of View" is another learning experience, and oh my, is the book looking like being something super special! The illustrations for the book arrived in the mail this morning, and I took them with me to Poetic Justice Cafe Gallery, to share around with my friends meeting there.

We had a wonderful time, and all agreed that my illustrator, Allyson Hean, has done an even better job with her pictures of 'Buster' my fellow 'writer' for this book. Ally seems to have got into Buster's head and seen the mindful things happening in his mind, with excellent results.

I also asked one of my friends whether she is interested in writing a foreword for "Doggone It!" and I am thrilled and humbled at her enthusiastic response! So, with pictures here, the foreword on its way and the rest of the text almost done, it was time to think about more details.

One of the things a new book needs is a book launch. And given my wonderful friends from Poetic Justice who have played a part in the making of this book, it was obviously the best place, where I have books on display for sale, to consider for the book launch. I have signed copies of "Dig It!" (and my two my other books here). I am the Writer-in-Residence here, and I feel so comfortable here!

So, I've given Cathy, who is working on the foreword, a deadline, and I am sure both Cathy and I will have this book ready well in time for a book launch some time in May! My next job is to speak to a possible printer about cost and a timeline for completion of the book copies, and get the final book finished off and ready to go.

Exciting times for sure, and I am finding it difficult to calm down about it. I will therefore sit still, look into the inner depths of my mind and see infinity, and see nothingness. Omm, omm, omm ...

Done!

This Time I Mean It!

I really am going to do that new print run for this book, that I've been promising for the past two years. Honestly I am. I have at least two people who will buy a copy of the book, and surely after those two people, there will be many more!

I'd really love to add a new, unseen by others picture to the book, but I seem to have put it away in that safe place where things go to, and disappear for days/months/years ...

Oh well, I've changed the format slightly, improving it, and making it a slightly longer book. And that's a good thing, more pages, more words, more fun! I'll look into putting the book online too, but not today, I'm not sure I'm up to doing that. I'll copy the doc to a memory stick though, and visit the printer tomorrow, to get the printing going.

So this means that very, very soon there will be more copies of this humourous little book wending their way around the world, sharing love of gardening, dogs and funny stuff. This is a good thing, in our world that seems to be going nuts about war and being horrible to people. When we pay attention to our pets and our gardens, life becomes something worth doing again.

Be like a dog, or a tree perhaps. Be in the moment, whatever that moment is - eating, resting, playing, waving in the breeze. Just be in the moment, and the moment will be with you. This way lies serenity.

Time For A New Print Run?

When a person self-publishes a book, it's up to them to decide when and whether it's time for a new print run. My book, 'Dig It, Gardening Tips for Dogs' had its first print run in late 2009/early 2010. I've sold or given away almost all of those books, and now that my name is out there, I feel it could be time to have more of this lovely funny little books for people to have.

I'm a writer, covering a range of genre, from this book of humour, to my first poetry collection that is serious and sad/to positive, and my current work in progress which is a memoir in verse, about my new life with my new chronic illness of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

I've written a lot about dogs, and have various articles online at this site, some serious, some funny. I also have another blog, focussed on dogs and family here.

Having this broad range of books, will give something for everyone, at least that's the way I'm thinking. If someone has suffered as a child, I have the poetry book to help them to find hope. If someone thinks dogs are hilarious or if they're being driven mad by their own digging dog, I have the book to help them find the funny side. And if they have MS, or know someone who has it, I have a book that tells them how living with MS has been for me.

So, decision time - obviously, I need to get the money for another print run, these things aren't free. I need to suss out the market for such a book - I know a couple of people who would probably buy a copy of the book, but I need more than just a couple of buyers to make it worthwhile.

So this post is to see if anyone out there thinks they's like to have a copy of my little book. I think it's funny, and the pictures done by my talented artist friend Ally Hean are wonderful, and well worth looking at. The cover picture on this website gives you an idea of her talent, and the illustrations inside the book are terrific. This book would appeal to anyone who's ever known a dog, or had a garden. 

Dogs don't do gardening the way people do gardening, and the chapters in the book should give you a giggle! And if you'd like to know more about me and my writing, click on the links and read what I've written!

If you think this book is one you might like to see, let me know! If I get enough of a response, I'll get the second print run happening. It's all up to my readers!