Even Introverted Writers Need to Build Relationships
After writing last month’s blog and being out and about in town, doing the clichéd things writers do—like writing over a steaming mug of hot chocolate in a coffee shop—I stopped by the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Rogers, Arkansas. Research, right? Absolutely. That is what I tell the spousal unit each time she calls to ask where I am and when I will be home.
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. When I started at the University of Arkansas during my 20th year of life, I declared my major as English with a Creative Writing Emphasis. Over the course of my studies, I never wavered. I never changed. Many of my friends changed several times. But I never did.
With my haul in hand—a process I would like to say took me only a few minutes, but I cannot because so many titles deserve to receive my attention—I stopped at the information kiosk in the center of the store. The beating heart. My own words filled my head: “It takes an army, and we’re going off to war.”
My two purchases in the always researching vein.
But what does that really mean to me? As a frequent visitor to bookstores, I see all these names on the shelves. What will it take to see mine up there? Remember, this is a battle. A fight against obscurity. A challenge to find opportunity. I have heard a saying I have always agreed completely with: Chance favors the prepared mind.
Many of the store employees know me. The store manager and assistant even know me by name—and this surprised me. I have published by various means, both through a traditional publisher and in 2020 I started my own label. Three titles available as of this writing.
So, there I stood with my intended purchases. What have I got to lose other than my pride and dignity and obscurity? I thought. Absolutely nothing. It wasn’t too dissimilar to asking my wife for that first dance when I first saw her at a nightclub so many years ago. I jumped in with both feet.
I told the store manager I had a book of poetry coming out soon. Even though I know poetry doesn’t often find itself on many general bestselling lists, I asked him, “What would it take to see my book on your shelves?” He started typing, asking, “Can we order it?” Before I could even collect my thoughts and fashion a response, telling him Carter Vaye Production [website forthcoming] is distributed by Ingram, a company with publishing industry’s largest active book inventory, he said, “Yep. I see it right here.”
Those words did something to me. They elated me. The largest bookseller in the United States—at least the store in my little corner of the world—would be carrying my book of poems. But the thrills didn’t stop there. The store manager asked me, “What about an author signing?”
What? I’ve had signings at special events, libraries, and independent bookstores, but never the largest book chain in the US. He asked me if November 11th worked? It did not. Oh, no. Was I going to lose the opportunity? I told him I was available the next weekend. The date is set. On November 18, 2023, I will be signing copies of my poetry collection Newspaper Reading and re-releases of previously published material.
The weekend of November 11th, I will be in Joplin, Missouri at the independent bookstore Always Buying Books with fellow Bumbershoot Writers Society member Gil Miller. To get known by the reading public, we are going to have to make many appearances.
My poetry collection of what I call accessible poetry.
It doesn’t stop there. This journey—this war—is not going to be one battle and done. I will need to fight it on several fronts and all the time. In today’s fickle world, even an introverted writer like me will need to step out of my comfort zone and foster relationships.
A few years ago, fellow Bumbershoots Writers Society member Venessa Cerasale and I were driving through downtown Rogers and saw a bookstore we had never seen before. Of course, we stopped. Brick Lane Books & Gifts turned out only to be open to accommodate the fire department inspector so they could open officially the next week. Beth has carried my books ever since opening.
The garden behind Brick Lane Books & Gifts.
One wall of Brick Lane Books & Gifts.
Nothing will happen in my writing career without me being involved. Either directly or with the assistance of others. I am in a war whose greatest enemy is lack of action on my part. Not only do I need to write and produce material, but I also have to build relationships to give my product a venue where it can be seen.
One-on-one relationships are vitally important as well. Recently, I was in the Dallas, Texas area on a market visit with my day job. After dinner at Mi Cocina, we had to wait for the torrential rainstorm to blow through. While we waited, I spoke with the host about her aerial silk tattoo. Turned out that she likes westerns. Oh…here’s a card. I gave her a card for my e-book novella Blood in the Light.
I must remember this war will never end. Even should I have the good fortune of becoming the best-selling novelist in the history of writing, I cannot rest on my laurels. I thought this was supposed to be relaxing. But it is my passion. Chance favors the prepared mind.
