May the NEW YEAR bring you something NEW!
May the NEW YEAR find you Healthy and Happy!
May you have NO trouble dropping the negative thoughts,
feelings and ideas from the past! I'm trying.
Started working on my income tax so I can take the stuff to the accountant in a few weeks.The reality of a second year of book sales as reflected in dollars and cents stared accusingly up at me from the final totals. It became the cause of some reflection, it has not been a successful year. I am still working on “my platform” which reminds me that I need to buy another issue of Writers Digest to find out what to try next.
Book sales have been real interesting. I tend to imagine who and why might be interested in reading the message in NEQUA. The tax figures show I am about 99% wrong in my assumptions.
I’ve placed notes on a bunch of Facebook pages of organizations that I have joined. Most of them are groups with an interest in politics , Science Fiction or books.
I’ve sent review copies to feminist publications, science fiction magazines, and several miscellaneous magazines. This endeavor has been a complete failure.
I personally contacted the public libraries in the Kansas city area. Mid-continent Library system was very precise. It costs to much to accept a self published book and they are not interested in being an archive for books with a historical background.
Kansas City Public Library took a copy for their archives.
I emailed a list of professors and libraries at academic institutions that have departments with specific emphasis in feminism, mid-west American history, political history, or science fiction as literature. I’ve had some sales generated from this list which requires constant upgrading and additions. The copies seem to find their way to archives in the individual institutions.
I sent emails to a list of Kansas Public Libraries and public education institutions, which provided some very sporadic sales.
The questions from buyers are very revealing. "Is this a YA book? Young Adult? Is it part of a series? Is it real science fiction?" "When you say, “It presents a social system” do you mean like Socialism or Commu...IS this a subversive book?" "No, It is a book of imagination and IDEAS." IDEAS ??
The look on one face reminded me of Cheech and Chong "IDEAS?" “We don’t need NO stinking IDEAS.”
Over all there seems to be NO readership. Instead of being treated like a book, NEQUA is treated as an anomaly, not as a book to read. Well that is not really a surprise. With NO sex, and NO violence why would anyone of today be interested.
So with all that depressing information I must say that I am still glad I found NEQUA or it found me. I especially have enjoyed learning HOW to get something into print. The lack of success has not slowed me up from my next project which was written and illustrated by a woman named COLUMBA.
