Well, That Didn't Pan Out

While I have ceased all my marketing efforts, I did still have one thing in the pipeline, a feature in a literary magazine, for which I penned an article (originally intended for the publisher's book blog). The publisher's reply to my submission was, "It is so good, I was thinking of featuring it in the magazine instead. Would this interest you?"

Well, you bet!

But today I received an email, telling me that the fall edition is now available. I'm aware that magazines need some lead time to prepare for publication, but I was really counting on this feature to help me sell a few copies of my novel. Since it's a quarterly magazine, another three months? If at all? 

I'm disappointed.

If she ultimately includes my article in the winter edition, fine. But a little late. My book's momentum (LOL) has already reached its expiration date. 

I also finally remembered to check in on the other book blogger who'd agreed to review Running From Herself (way back on May 11). Well, as of June 1, according to Goodreads, she's "currently reading" it. Sure, the novel is longer than my standard word count, but four months long? 

 

Maybe she just didn't like it, so she abandoned it. But if so, she should take it off her website.

 

I guess I don't care all that much, but I would appreciate some honesty in business communications. If she's the type of person who has a hard time saying no (I can relate), just say you've got too much of a backlog to take on any more reviews. It's not as if a slew of other book bloggers haven't turned me down. I'm used to it.

All this leaves me with nothing to do but to try to rework my blurb. I've been avoiding it, because I know that whatever I come up with will be crap, just like the ten other blurbs I wrote that were crap. I subscribed to a blurb writer's mailing list, the person whose article I found on Written Word Media. I have no doubt she's great at writing blurbs (for a fee of $295!) and that she's not going to just give away her expertise, but I've been hoping to glean at least a tip or two from her emails. She's also got a (limited) podcast and I found a few YouTube videos in which she's featured. But I'm someone who learns from examples, and I sure haven't found any decent ones yet.

I will say that she's a very savvy businessperson, though. She sends out "personalized" emails and always includes a question. She claims to read all the responses she receives, and I'm sure she does scan them--all the better to improve her business presentations. I get it; she's not interested in me, per se, and why would she be? I'm nobody but a potential customer, like every other potential customer. But as jaded as I am, I still find myself responding. I think it's her friendly, approachable manner. No, I'm not about to fork over $295 just because she's friendly and approachable. In the first place, I don't have that kind of money. But I do admire her MO; I'm sure she's refined it over the years. If only I could market like that.

Like all things I dread, I've been putting off the inevitable. I think I need to listen to a few podcasts and watch a few videos first, instead of diving in blind. 

I don't even have a catchy closing line for this post....a bad harbinger.