Christmas in September

Write Book, check. Publish Book, check. Promote Book…I have been amazed at what it takes to do all of these things. People have asked me ”What’s it like to be an author?” I say “It’s like building a house, all the decisions, and then you have to furnish it!” By that I mean promoting, promoting is probably the most difficult yet rewarding part of it. When I published Rhinestone Cowgirl, A Different Kind of Addiction, my marketing representative said I needed to go to book festivals. I didn’t know anything about book festivals. I read information all day long by trade, I’m an insurance agent. Reading for pleasure comes when I fly for work or go on vacation. And the book normally comes from Amazon. I searched for a book festival close to me and found one in Oklahoma City, it was one week away. I emailed the coordinator and asked if by chance I could still get a booth and she said they did still have a space and to come on up, I could pay when I got there. I quickly gathered up some items, decorations for the table, an easel to hold the framed poster, book markers, business cards etc.

I arrived in my 2019 green Mustang with the State Farm logo on the side, parked in the reserved Author’s parking, and went to find my booth. I couldn’t find it and went to the registration building to inquire about it. A representative went out to help me look for the booth and couldn’t find it either. Then she asked another rep. and they said I was being placed in the Vender’s section (books aren’t sold there). I said “that’s Okay, no problem, I’m new to this anyway.” I went to my car and got some of my things to set up my booth, an authority came over and said I would have to move my vehicle because it was reserved for authors. I said “I am an Author!” I admit I had gotten a little frustrated at this point. And without further explanation proceeded to go back and forth until I was done. In his defense I guess the car gave him a different impression since another State Farm agent was actually there and had a booth of their own in the “vendor section”.

I set up between a cartoonist/comic book writer and two high class female book publishers. I wrote a non-fiction Christian book, we had nothing in common, so I thought.

Then came a downpour of rain! Upon securing my table with my car cover, I started visiting with my neighbors while trying to help them secure their booths as well. The cartoonist was a prior youth minister and said he had quit due to burnout and lack of help. The girls on the opposite side were all about social media promotion, taking selfies and Instagram videos. They had written a fictional book to self-promote the book publishing company they worked for. I felt they looked down on this boot wearing country girl until I helped them rig up a sign they couldn’t keep up due to the wind. The better-known authors at the festival were in a covered tent and were having a round table discussion. I was unable to go because I opted to watch the neighbor’s booths while they went, the weather had sum what subsided but hadn’t completely dispersed, and an occasional wind gust would blow over items from our tables.

After lunch the sun came out and the neighbors came back. People started coming to our booths and we interacted with the people. One of the larger known authors came by my booth and said “You are very brave!” I was a little surprised at that comment. I gave my sch-peal to several people (you have to have a sch-peal) I talked about how I had had an out of body experience, in body. I handed out book marks and business cards. I had on a hat that day because the weather had done a number on my hair. It had a rhinestone cross on it and a few people took one look at it and turned away. That was interesting.

Then a neatly kept long gray headed man with a neatly kept long beard stepped toward my booth with a quiz-a-tiv look in his eye. He was a large built man and had on a blue linen suit with sandals. He mentioned he was getting ideas because he had written a book. He handed me his business card while he read the back of my book. His card had his new book on it, The Santa Claus Chronicles. Then he gave me another card, it said “Santa loves you” with a check next to the nice box. It also said Jesus, God’s gift to the world. On the back it said he read the Christmas story at the North Pole City store in Oklahoma City. I snatched up a copy of my book, wrote “Thank you for your service” on the inside cover, signed it and pushed it in front of him. He was startled and asked how much he owed me. I felt compelled to say “Nothing.” A tear welled up in his eye and he said “Thank you!” I said “thank you as well.” I guess it’s unusual to give “Santa” a present.

At the close of the day my neighbors came over. They humbly thanked me and gave me free copies of their books, I gave them signed copies of my book as well. They had tears in their eyes. I don’t think I sold 10 copies that day but the rewards were priceless.