Almost every day, a package arrives in our mailbox or Post Office Box (P.O.Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816) with some letters for me, and some vintage hankies or old fabric for Maria, these are treasures and she has her own community of people who fuel her art and her imagination. I didn’t even see the elephant hankies she got, this morning, she brought this pattern in to show me, I told her it looked like a work of stained glass, a potholder stained glass. I am mesmerized at the way in which Maria has transformed the humble potholder into a work of art, and she resists everyone’s efforts to get her to raise her prices. I understand this, she loves the humility of the potholder, and the idea that almost everyone can afford to buy them.
This one was very different, so striking and colorful and inventive, I did have this feeling, “oh, it shouldn’t just be a potholder,” but that is the point really, that Maria is turning the everyday potholder into a work of art, one that can hold pots and pizza pans. She hasn’t put it up on her blog yet, I’ve scooped her again. I can’t really help myself, I admire her work so much.
The very businesslike Red was stymied at the pasture gate this morning when confronted by Minnie, our three-legged barn cats, who planted herself at the gate and didn’t seem inclined to move. Red could have run right through her, of course, but he seemed unnerved at this imperious and entitled creature, who glowered at him for a few minutes before moving on at her own place. Red was relieved, he wanted no trouble from this cat.
In the cold, I am drawn to seeing how the animals stay warm, there are lessons for me there, and inspirations. The donkeys stand with their sides to the sun, soaking up the heat, the sheep seem oblivious to the cold, they lie down, conserve their energy. The cats are sun worshipers, they follow the sun, move with it, soak it up. Flo has lived outside for all of her three years, and she is a living sundial, on the steps to the porch in the early morning, on her rocking chair in the afternoon, she closes her eyes and meditates, as all animals do. This portrait is restful to me, and it reminds me to center and be still, and make time for quiet and warmth.
Yesterday marked the end of the first phase of the new book tour for “Second Chance Dog: A Love Story.” It was very successful. My collaboration with Battenkill Books has been a runaway success if the exhausted staff there survives it. More than 600 copies of the book were pre-ordered through Battenkill. The blog also pushed sales elsewhere, thousands of copies of the book were pre-ordered online and at other bookstores, the book is in it’s second printing, seems to be rising on the online animal bestseller lists, it is drawing some good publicity and very generous reviews.
I am pushing for 1,000 copies sold this week at Battenkill Books, my local bookstore, I would have thought it impossible last week, I think it’s likely now. You can order the book online or call the store at 518 677-2515. Maria and I will sign and personalize any book bought there.
The new book tour is shifting focus today. I have my sights set on Plaid Friday and then on Christmas ( I’m excited to announce that Maria is going to offer a special Frieda potholder to give-away to one of the people who buy books at Battenkill from now until Plaid Friday, the human answer to the corporate theft of Thanksgiving.) I now have a daily book-give-away on Facebook for people who post comments on topics relating to the book – more than 300 posted yesterday – and Battenkill has been given additional dog food vouchers from Fromm Family Foods to give people who order books from the store.
This book tour is very different, I’m not traveling the country to visit bookstores, much as I loved that, I am acceding to the new reality of publishing and taking responsibility for my marketing myself using the blog as the foundation of the new tour. My readers are online, I’m going where they are, my digital platform is strong and vibrant and the tour will rise or fall on bedlamfarm.com, my own imagination, my posts, photos, videos, podcasts and new kinds of book promotions. There is something wonderful about taking responsibility for your work. A little scary too. The lines here are not clear, although I’m doing most of the tour online, people seem very willing to buy paper books from a bookstore, they want to buy local and support individuality and creativity against the corporate onslaught.
Today, I’m launching something different, something exciting, something truly interactive, something even Amazon doesn’t offer and no bookstore does that I know of. Each day I’m putting up a topic on Facebook where people can react to the book as they read it, in real-time. The pub date was yesterday, many people already have the e-book version of “Second Chance Dog,” many others are getting their paper versions today.
A few people have already posted comments about it, so I’m giving them a chance to comment on the book as they read it, to say what they like about it, (also what they don’t), to ask me any questions they might have. I am fascinated to see people’s reactions to a book as they read it, and to offer them a chance to have a real-time conversation with the author as their questions and comments and thoughts and responses occur. This is a truly interactive idea, and an exciting one to me. I hope everyone loves the book, but if there is something they would like to see more of, or learn more about, now they can ask.
If you look at most publishing websites, they are about as interactive as concrete pillars. Interactivity is the foundation of the new book tour, it engages the reader in a completely new and different way. Readers are no longer just passive recipients of finished books, they have a role to play, they are involved in a different way, the relationship is changing, as my blog demonstrates every day, I have a powerful community that is working with me to make this book work, and isn’t that an astonishing thing for any writer or artist to have? I offer my photos, my words, my search for a meaningful life, they offer me support, comments, ideas and ideas (and lots of unwanted advice) in return. They and I are in a great conversation, why not have it about my book? So if you are reading the book, in e-book or paper form, feel free to post your thoughts and feelings about it as you experience them, I will come on my Facebook page during the day to answer your questions, respond to your comments as often as I can.
I have a good feeling about this idea, it is a natural extension of the fusion between traditional book writing and the Internet. Last night I had a wonderful and very traditional reading at Battenkill Books, this morning I will take interactivity a step further and let’s have a conversation about this book as you read it and think about it and react to it. Very valuable to me, hopefully to you. Let’s see what happens.
