Sometimes when I’m doing my book sales, my reaction sometimes has to be ‘aren’t people funny?’ It’s part of that shell you need to ward off the comments and reviews that hurt your ego.
This is my Insecure Writers Support Group post, in which we share our successes and failures as writers, our insecurities, in fact. Anyone can join in, just sign up at the IWSG Sign-up page, write a blog post on the first Wednesday of the month, and go back to that sign up page to link with everyone else–or a goodly sample. Our host is Alex J Cavanaugh, and cohosting this month are:
JS Pailly, Rebecca Douglass, Pat Garcia, Louise-Fundy Blue, and Natalie Aguirre
People are funny
I’ve just done a two-day book fair, reasonably successfully. It’s fun people-watching, let alone talking books, recommending books, being recommended books, and finding out what people’s relatives did on the war.
That last one comes up because I sell my father’s memoirs, which I edited and produced. These are about his involvement with flying boats in Africa in the 1930s and early 40s. White Water Landings is my best seller, slightly outstripping the first Princelings of the East book. Many people find out what WWL is about, and take a look at it, and start talking about what their father/grandfather (and occasionally mother) did or did not do in the war. (‘The war’ in the Uk is still world war 2, although increasingly people have to specify the one they mean, sadly.) For most, they have little idea bar the most basic facts, because their relative didn’t talk about it, or nobody asked.
But the lighter side of these events are the responses to my question to anyone pausing by (not passing by, I don’t bother if they don’t notice the books) ‘what sort of books do you like reading?’
what people like
I may have said before that the greatest response is crime and thrillers. Or a shrug. Or ‘everything’. Sometimes I get people leaning in and whispering… usually ‘hot romance’ or ‘sex’, but this weekend several whispered ‘murder’ gleefully! I laughed with the third person who did this, because crime and especially murder mystery seems to be the number one … around here, anyway. Actually, I should keep a tally over the rest of the year.
But quite often, people who say ‘anything’ really mean ‘very little’. And some people are happy to let fly. ‘Not yours’ was one, ‘proper books’ mystified me, since they didn’t strike me as classicists. The one I remember most, from early last month was the man who half turned back when he’d thought of a response and said ‘not that kind of rubbish.’
Sigh. How does he know whether it’s rubbish? It’s like a bad review, isn’t it? Shrug the shoulders and move on. But he’s in my book for posterity. I must write him into a short story some time.
The other interesting thing is favourite authors. There’s a great range, lots of household names, but suddenly, out of the blue, comes someone else. Last weekend for the first time someone cited Colleen Hoover. Then another…then another! Was there a convention nearby, do you think?
Question of the month
What are your favorite writing processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and tools? Why do you recommend them? And which one is your all time favorite that you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write?
iwsg july24
Hello. Jemima has handed this to me to answer for her. I’m called JI and I’m a piece of software.
Actually I’m more of a BioWare than software, but given this web program gave that capitals, maybe it has other connotations. I must check. That, in essence, is my role in Jemima’s writing. Convert thoughts into coherent sentences, delve into experiences, draw out long forgotten memories of people, places, things and overheard conversations. Suggest she makes lists and spreadsheets to look up her organised thoughts later. Draw on her education to ensure grammar, spelling, places, climates, events, and logical developments all work smoothly. Source information for which she has no personal experience (like flying through the rings of Saturn). Reminding her of things she has, like the Paris subway map, or amateur radio.
I’m very versatile, and very much superior to the AI rubbish currently all the rage. She finds me pretty useful. But I let her take all the credit, of course.
Hi Jemima – it must be interesting to listen to/interact with people who visit – and people don’t think do they … and yes, most definitely, write that chap into a story -short or long winded!! Cheers and happy summer – great that your father’s book is doing so well. Many of ‘our era’ are looking back and thinking of others’ lives; while your comment about WW2 – I usually will note it, and not fuss … I’d rather educate those who may be unsure. cheers Hilary
There are all sorts of things these days that remind me I am part of an older generation. I suspect part of my misfitting in was going back to Uni in my forties. I have so many younger friends!
Yeah, people are funny, in so many ways. I think you’re very brave going out among people IRL so much and selling your books.
Ronel visiting for IWSG day A Round-Up of Resources For Writers
It used to feel brave, but these days, because I use the same organisation, it’s just going to the venue and meeting up with friends. I’ve even met a couple in the week for fun.
Yes, people are funny. And like you say, it’s a good way to look at things to stay positive. It’s great you still get out there and go to some book and other fairs.
I do enjoy them, especially talking about what books people are reading.
Glad that book is selling so well.
You’re right, when they say anything, they mean nothing.
Of course, it may be their mind goes blank with the shock of me talking to them!
People are funny–and can be amazingly rude and unkind, as well as amazingly kind. I will always love the woman at the event I did last year who actually took the deal to buy all 5 paperbacks of my Pismawallops PTA series. She had no idea if she’d love the books, she was just a person who wanted to support a writer and it made my day, the more so as she was my first customer!
You’re right!
How rude some people are! I wonder if it’s getting worse with social media where people say terrible things anonymously and then maybe grow like that in real life?
I think there maybe a trend in this, but this guy looked like he just said what he thought, regardless. Of course some people don’t realise I’m the writer. And other stall holders have similar anecdotes about people dissing their jewellery and handicrafts.
Hi,
People are funny and malicious at times. If we based what we write on their feelings and reactions then we as writers are lost.
Happy for your increased sales.
Shalom shalom
But of course, it’s also useful to store up for use in our work!
Congrats on selling books! I’ve met my fair share of oddballs while I’ve been selling – but none were aggressive! Just funny.
I have looked at various writing programs but still just do my writing in Word – for my latest I tried writing scenes to piece together into a book (obviously NOT am mystery) and found I enjoyed it. The piecing is challenging though.