Stevie Szabad, Author

Marketing is not my favourite activity. But as a self-published author, there are chores to be done. Readers don’t just wake up one morning and decide to find and buy and read my book – I must make it available for them to find! Most days those marketing chores are tedious : emails, follow-up emails, social media posts, bookstore visits, interviews to set up and do; and all done with a boldness that may or may not come naturally to one’s disposition. Setting things up, checking on them, rechecking, resetting – like a fur trapper of old, setting lines, I am filled daily with anticipation : will I have caught anything today? I’m starting in this business with no previous experience, which works both for and against me. You can’t be disappointed with your marketing failures when you don’t know what a marketing success looks like!

But recently, I experienced not one, but two such successes, and the thrill of those is another reason I love my writing vocation! Here they are :

1. As my book is a memoir about growing up military, and because I attend military childhood reunions myself, I sought out other such reunions online. I found one for the Shilo brats (an army base in Manitoba where, coincidentally,  my husband was born, and near to where my retired army father now lives). I volunteered my book as a door prize to the reunion, and was contacted to provide a copy for the organizer’s perusal. To my delight, he not only accepted my book for a prize, but he wrote a nice review and link on the website and offered me a table to sell my books at the reunion! Not just a marketing success, but a great one! Thanks Shilo brat reunion! :  https://cfb204.wixsite.com/mysite-3/twisting-the-night-away
2. I recently visited London, Ontario, about 7 hours drive away from where I live. I’ve been slowly getting my books in on consignment to local bookstores, but didn’t hold much hope to do a drop-in at a Chapters store that far away. To my surprise, because I was already in the national system, the manager agreed on the spot to take some books, and then within the hour sent the above picture to show they were already on the shelf! I’ve worked longer and harder to get them into the local store across the street from where I live! Thank you London South Chapters!

These successes inspire me. My new life as a writer is full of surprises and the lows just make the highs feel that much better. I shall perservere in getting my book available for those readers I am sure will enjoy it. Yes, that’s marketing!