I've said it before and I'll say it again. Writing the damn book was the easiest thing about
River Bottom Blues. The book rolled out "live" on Amazon Monday and I've been as busy as my Australian Sheppard chasing squirrels around the yard. Just as I get one problem treed, another scurries into view and needs my attention.
I've overwhelmed myself by visiting sites aimed at book promotion, authors, crime novelists, blues fans and any other spot on the internet that will help me spread the joy of
RBB hitting the market. Of course, Facebook and Twitter are "must do" social networking sites, according to the marketing gurus, so I
must stay on top of posting there, which can turn into a total time suck sometimes.
Visited with a printer about promo posters, bookmarks, banners and the like. My publisher clued me into the fact that I have no clue as to what I'm doing in regards to their pixels, dpis, RGB, bleed sizes, etc...I just finished setting up a Paypal Buy Now button here and at
Richard Bush Books so I can offer signed copies for folks that may want such, and create links to Amazon and Barking Rain Press for other buying options. Eventually, an e-book version will be offered online at various an sundry other sites, such as Barnes and Noble, so I'll have to revamp when that happens.
I just happened to spot the local radio station owner and his sports director broke down on the side of the road. I've known 'em for quite sometime and promised to drop a book by the station for each of them, and the Sports Doc reciprocated with an offer to run a press release. So, that was serendipity doo.
I've got a box of books due from UPS tomorrow so I can mail off copies to my relatives, who all have offered to buy copies, but I'll just have them promise to tell at least 100 potential readers that they need my book. I'm going to hand a few copies around the high school where I bent the minds of students for 29 years and see if some of the department heads will help GET the word out.
Gonna head back over to Navasota to deliver some books and maybe jam with the fine folks at Blues Alley. I crashed (unintentionally) The Blues Alley Blues Band's reheasal for their Chamber of Commerce dinner gig, but they graciously invited me to sit in with them. They play some great blues. The Blues Alley store just might host a book signing event with me.
Am I complaining? No, not really. I expected the work load to increase on the promotional end of things once the book was released and it's tiring already, but it's a good kind of tired. I wrote
River Bottom Blues because the story was in me and had to come out. If I can share that tale with one other person, then I've succeeded. Never had intentions of making much money out of this gig. I've got another book, that I call
Soldiers of Satan, ready to roll and now that I know what to expect, I'm ready to roll with it. Ex-reporter/blues harp blower, Mitty Andersen, and his partner in chime, Pete Bolden are back, battling evil in the world. I've started a third book in the series that I've set in Belize (maybe). So, I'm in this for awhile.
I've never intended this blog to be a promo page for my novels, but they do have a strong enough blues element that they do fit the theme here. I do promise, though, that my promo posts will be kept to a minimum and that the focus will be on sharing stuff I love about that nasty ol' blues music. So, expect a
Junior Wells Live In Boston w/The Aces review real soon. In the meantime,
River Bottom Blues is available at the links provided in the sidebar to the right. I'll send you a signed copy if you click on the Pay Pal link. You don't need an account.
Okay. That's more than 'nuff for now.
