Should I accept a talented friend’s offer to help me develop a website, at little or no cost to me? They say that’s a good way to attract attention and maybe sales. I have never been very good at intentionally attracting attention to myself, perhaps because my height does that for me fairly automatically. But my height doesn’t help in getting my book sold. Besides, I am not so tall as I used to be.
I did place small classified ads in Presbyterians Today and Presbyterian Outlook just in time for holiday gifting. We will see. Advertising costs, and since I am taking no profits from any sales, I absorb all costs myself…well, Maxine and I absorb them ourselves, to be perfectly honest.
I sent my first gift from sales to Ghost Ranch. I was happy to do that, although I must say communication with the ranch about my book has been a challenge. (Communication with Ghost Ranch about almost anything is famously difficult.) I have been assured that copies of Ghosts and Gold are now on the shelves of the Trading Post, and am waiting to see if they decide to publicize it. I hope they do, since there are few visitors there these days, but I can only wait and see. I have no idea when I will be able to go there again, which is very distressing. I love the place.
Something caused me to check with online retailers to make sure Ghosts and Gold is still available to a worldwide readership. bookshop.org and Barnes and Noble are carrying it, as is Amazon. The first source is my preference because sales through it support local independent book stores. That’s very good. But honesty compels me to tell you that Amazon has cut the price substantially, WITHOUT EVEN ASKING ME! IMAGINE!
Amazon also reveals that Ghosts and Gold has been numerically reviewed by two readers, one of whom gave it a 5, and the other, a 1, resulting in an average rating of 3. Which is…average.
I am not sure what to make of that, except that you might want to consider giving a pretty good book about ghosts in a desert as a holiday gift. What could be more representative of 2020?
Thanks in advance.
