Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Houston Bound

Exciting News!! The BookBub promotion for Max's Wild Night was a huge success and led to enough sales for it to hit #1 in it's category for children's dog books. Yay, Max!! You now have a best-selling book!


That promotion and the sales/ranking boost have also lead to a huge increase in the "pages read" through Kindle Unlimited and some additional sales beyond the bargain price. Definitely a promotion that was well worth the cost and covered its costs. I hope to run one for Why Kimba Saved The World when Book 4 comes out in April.

After some quick packing this evening, I head to Houston to spend some time with my mom, visit other family, and attend the Houston Authors Bash, 2016. Scott is prepared to hold down the fort (aka clean all the litter boxes) until I get back.

Wednesday will involve around 12 hours of drive time alone in the car with nothing but my iPod and the scenery to entertain me. It's a drive I've made over a dozen times from when we lived in Houston and took our daughters to camp in Missouri, not to mention the trips back and forth before we moved to Arkansas. There's not a lot to look at most of the way, so I'm glad my iPod is fully loaded. Adele, Bruno Mars, Michael Jackson, and an assortment of '70s and '80s bands will keep me going. I have Twizzlers and Chex Mix, so I'm ready to roll.

I really don't know what to expect from the Houston Authors Bash. I think it would have been a large and well-attended event, but the school cancelled on the group a few days ago. Organizers managed to find a new venue, but not everyone will fit and it's a totally different atmosphere -- one I wouldn't have signed up for in the first place -- at a wine bar. It's sure to be a big party for the Houston authors who are friends. How many books will sell is a totally different matter. I'll have to get back to you on how a kid's book series does at an event at a wine bar. Let's hope the parents and grandparents there like to buy gifts for the kids in their lives. Maybe At the Corner of Magnetic and Main will do better.

Houston Authors Bash, 2016
Katy, TX
Saturday, February 20
10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Hope to see you there!

We did have a great time at the Cocktails for a Cause event in support of the Eureka Springs Library. I sold several sets of books, including a set to my daughter's English teacher. Her daughter is already enjoying Max's Wild Night, which includes "Leia's" illustrations.

Kimba and Hiro were quite impressed by this bottle. The mojitos were not quite that large.
There was not as much success at the Kimberling Library Author Event. It's a wonderful place, and we love supporting it, but there wasn't much traffic. It was too nice a day, I guess.

When authors get bored, light saber bookmark battling goes on.
Okay, that was more Scott than me.

Kimba and I just want someone to talk to.

Library events are often like this. The one in Kimberling is the only one I will do this year because it's just such a great, volunteer-run place. I never heard a total, but I hope they raised some money.

March is free of actual book events. Between spring break bookings at the guest house and starting back up with docent work at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, there's enough going on. But I will be at the Northwest Arkansas Writers Workshop in Fayetteville on March 19th. I also start teaching a class for the Story Circle Network about self-editing on March 14th. That's a new venture for me, so I hope I get some students signed up. I'll be talking and promoting that more once I'm back from Houston.

Besides catching up with family, I'm sure there will be a stop at Bucees (because this is the law when traveling in Texas). I also need to wrangle a stop at the Disney Store Outlet around the corner from Mom's house. My mini-plush collection is missing several Star Wars characters. That makes all the other toys sad.

Have a great week, and I hope to see you on Saturday!








2 comments:

  1. Good to hear how your Bookbub went. I've been contemplating giving it a go for one of my books. You may have convinced me 😃

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    Replies
    1. It is not terribly expensive for kid books, and I've always had them do well. Adult books are a different matter. Women's Fiction runs $500 for a 99 cent promo. Still may be worth it, though.

      You may well have to apply more than once. I hear that from many people. Leaving your dates open helps.

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