By Kristy Tate //
I picked this book up mostly because its title reflects my own philosophy on book sales. But here’s the thing… have you ever tried to give candy to strangers? It’s not that easy. In fact, once when my daughters participated in a scavenger hunt where they had to complete a series of tasks, giving away a candy bar was one of the hardest. (They weren’t allowed to give it to children.) It made me write what I called the cookie parable, which is simply this: If someone you know and loves hands you a cookie, you’ll joyfully eat that cookie. But if a stranger hands you a cookie, you’ll be naturally suspicious.
I think the same thing can be said for book selling (or any selling, really). If we know and love the author, or vender, we’re excited and curious to see what they have to share. If we don’t know them, we’re hesitant, maybe even a little suspicious.
That’s my theory, and it contradicts Stan Holden’s, but I still really enjoyed this book. Here are a few of my favorite lines:
If you’re trying to sell something, say so. Don’t try and catch people off guard.
Have a clever business card.
Use humor whenever possible.
Strike up conversations with strangers.
Do what’s right when no one is looking.
Be kind to everyone.
See every encounter as an opportunity to give.
You have to move people to move business.
Be genuine.
Make it a policy to never travel without seeing an old friend and making a new one.
I know extroverts will greet Stan Holden’s advice with much more enthusiasm than introverts. You don’t have to change your nature to sell books, but you do have to understand your why. There isn’t a right or wrong answer to the why question. One reason isn’t nobler or more worthy than another. But when you understand your why, it’ll make it a lot easier to do what might—at first—go against your nature.
So, why do you want to sell books? (I’m not asking why you want to write books—that’s a totally different discussion. I’m asking why you want to sell your books.)
My friend Greta Boris loves twisty murder mysteries but has a hard time finding clean and uplifting thrillers—so now she writes them.
A group of women I admire couldn’t find romances reflecting their values and standards so they created the Clean and Wholesome Amazon category and filled it with Hallmarky type books.
A group of friends and I realized that it is hard to find romances featuring older protagonists, so we formed the Better Late Romance series.
Your why might not have anything to do with filling a hole in the market. It might be nobler than wanting financial gain (although, that’s a perfectly valid reason for wanting to sell books). Maybe you have something to prove to your snarky sister-in-law or the high school bullies (not quite as valid of a reason).
It’s sometimes easy to forget that I’m not writing just for my own guilty pleasure. By putting my writing “out there,” I’m including others—inviting others to my private party. Not acknowledging the subscribers and readers is sort of like inviting people to my barbecue where there’s a ton of food because I like to cook but not hanging around to chat.
This is my why. (And this is where I divert into a very personal backstory that may or may not help you discover your why.)
When I was a child, my mom left me in the children’s section of the library, and I’d scout out Dr. Suess. My mom hated the good doctor and refused to check-out his books. He was my secret, guilty pleasure. Eventually, I read about Narnia, Oz, and Green Gables.
When my mom grew too sick to visit the library, a lady from our church brought her a stash of romances, which she kept in a big box beside her bed. Weekly, this good friend replenished the box. My mom didn’t know I read her books; it was like the Seuss affair, only sexier. Reading became my escape from a horrific and scary situation. Immersed in a story, I didn’t have to think about the life and death drama taking place on the other side of my bedroom wall. Books were my hallucinogenic drug of choice. In college, I studied literature and fell in love with Elliot, Willa, and too many others to mention. (This had no similarity to my dating life.)
I’m no longer a child living with a grieving father and a dying mother, nor am I the co-ed in search of something or someone real, nonfictional. I’m an adult blessed with an abundance of love. I love my God, my husband and our children, my dog, my friends, my neighbors, my writing group, the birds outside my window.
Because I’m a writer, I also love my characters. I adore their pluck, courage, and mettle. I admire the way they face and overcome hardships. But, as in any relationship, I sometimes get angry with them and think that they are too stupid to live. At those times, I have to remind myself that they exist only in my imagination unless I share. Writing for me is all about sharing—giving back to the world that has so generously blessed me.
I learned a long time ago that the world is full of life and death dramas. Sometimes we need a story to help us escape. And most of us won’t be fortunate enough to have a church lady deliver us a big box of romance. We have to seek out our own entertainment, and in today’s world we are bombarded with so many ways to fill our time and divert our attention. But books never run out of batteries. We can go to the library—or if you have a tablet, online—and there are thousands of stories to choose from, and they’re free. Books introduce us to unknown worlds, courageous thinking, different point of views.
Sometimes I get caught up in the creation of a story, and the pleasure is all mine. But when the slogging is hard, when the words won’t come, when the characters are wooden and boring, I remember my younger self, my dying mother, my grieving father, and I write. Not because I enjoy it, but because someone, somewhere, might need to escape into a story.
Your book is your candy to share. Marketing is the way to make sharing possible.
KRISTY TATE is the Social Media Director for O.C. Writers and a USA Today bestselling author. To date, her newsletter subscriber list is edging toward 15,000. www.KristyTate.com.