In this post, I will discuss how I adapted a form for my new book, Barrier Island Suite. I’ve been thinking about this a lot because my book is just out and because I am teaching a Forms in Poetry …
Source: CRAFT OF LITERARY 2.3: Featuring Kendall Dunkelberg – “Adapting a Traditional Form”
Awhile back I tried out the Giveaway feature of Goodreads. My event to give away 5 copies of Barrier Island Suite just ended with great success. More than 5 people requested the book! Many more, in fact…
A week ago, I saw that I had 98 requests, which I thought was pretty good. So I put out a call on my Facebook and Twitter, asking for people to put me over 100. I don’t know if that request made the difference (I had mentioned it on social media when I set up the giveaway) or if people like to wait until the last minute—kind of like sniping on eBay, though it doesn’t matter when you sign up. It would be interesting, though, to see some statistics on when people join giveaways. Does Goodreads promote the ones that are about to expire? Or do people have a psychological push to sign up close to the deadline? It’s hard to tell.
This morning, Goodreads informed me that 438 people requested my book. That means in the last week, 340 people joined in, up from 98 in the previous 3 weeks. That’s a pretty interesting trend. Maybe it just takes that long to get on people’s radar as exposure grows exponentially, or maybe putting the reminder out on social media really did help. My publisher Texas Review Press also retweeted and shared my posts, so that probably made a big difference.
I’m impressed. If everyone who signed up for the book went out and bought one, we might have to go into a second printing soon! I doubt that will happen, but given that the price is only $8.95, it’s not much of a stretch to think some of you will actually buy a copy.
Or if you really want to read it for free, either wait until I do another giveaway—I’m thinking of doing one in conjunction with the Mississippi Book Festival—or request it from your local library. If they don’t have a copy, they might get it through interlibrary loan, and the more requests there are, the more libraries might want to order it. So it all comes around to more sales in the end.
But let’s face it, with poetry, the main goal isn’t making money (maybe doing better than breaking even, but certainly no one expects to get rich), it’s about getting the poems in people’s hands and with this book especially, it’s about getting Walter Anderson’s story out there so more people will be interested in his art.
So if you didn’t win a copy of my book, you should a least take a moment to visit the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Realizations, or Walter Anderson Everyday to learn more about the artist I write about in my book. Maybe it will inspire you to take a trip to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and while you’re there you can pick up a copy of Barrier Island Suite…
It was nice recently to have an email conversation with fellow writer and translator Zack Rogow in which we discussed (among other things) the ways writers track their submissions. He had recently written a blog post about this, and when updating, kindly quoted me discussing the program I created in the late 1980s to track my submissions. I thought I’d add a little more detail here, but you can follow the link above to see what others have to say on the topic. Many use Word or Excel files to keep track of their work. Admittedly, my system is overly complex, but that is the result of many years of tweaking and of the power of Apple’s Hypercard program that I initially used to create it.
The program began relatively simply as a pair of databases to keep track of submissions. Hypercard worked on a model of index cards, so I could create a set of index cards with all of my poem titles and a list of every magazine where they were sent. Then I had another set of virtual index cards that listed the address information, submissions guidelines, etc. for all the magazines I had sent to.
Because I like to mess around with some basic programming, I wrote scripts that would allow me to search one set of cards from the other, and then I wrote scripts that allowed me to enter information in one place and send it to the other set of cards. I’ve usually started with the publisher card, added a list of titles (I’m a poet, so sending 4-5 poems at once is common), then I can highlight those titles and click a button that adds the publisher to the title card for each. I keep track of the date sent and the response.
Incidentally, I long ago decided to use the term “returned” when a poem is sent back to me. “Rejected” is just too depressing, and often isn’t really accurate. I have a comments field where I can add any personal comments I get, so I know what has been said.
Eventually life got more complicated as I sent out more and more poems, so I added a series of scripts to read the two sets of cards and generate reports. Then I added a script to generate a cover letter file for each submission — it exported the address and titles sent so I could write a cover letter. (I don’t use this feature too much any more, now that there are electronic submissions). When I started applying for grants and contests, I created a different set of cards for these (since the submission process is a bit different).
Once I published a book, I added more records for book sales, reading engagements, invoices, income and expenses (for tax purposes), etc. If I weren’t a bit of a geek, I wouldn’t have ever gotten this complex with it all.
The one drawback to my system is that it was written in Hypercard and then ported to SuperCard once Apple discontinued Hypercard. It relies on this program to run, so I have to keep a working copy and getting the data out is an interesting proposition. Someday, I might like to export it all to a PhP database and use open source software to access it, though that would involve reprogramming everything, so it’s probably a job for my retirement or for when the need arises. For now, I keep working with my clunky but powerful system.
Once upon a time, I had a dream of marketing the program as shareware, but the reality of that is I would have to write a really good help system to allow others to use it. There are so many things about it that I just know how to do, and that would be nearly impossible to explain to anyone else. But the basic concept could be ported to just about any relational database.
It might seem like an odd question, but it’s one I’ve been thinking about as I drive around Mississippi to readings and signings. Bookstores would seem like the logical choice — and they are, though I’ve also read at colleges, libraries, etc. Recently I heard a talk by a publicist who said she tried to get her authors speaking engagements anywhere but in bookstores, and maybe with good reason. Bookstores usually don’t pay an honorarium, and books sold at other events are often sold by the author directly, so there’s a bigger profit margin. So I get her point, but…
I’m still more than happy to drive a few hours to a bookstore at my own expense, give a reading and sign books for awhile, all without seeing any direct profit, only that eventual royalty check. So why do it?
First, I’m a poet, so if I were in this for the money, you ought to question my sanity. Of course, I want my books to break even and even garner a profit, but my expectations in that regard are fairly low. So if it’s not about the money, what is it about?
One answer is that it’s about getting books into people’s hands. We write to be read (and we hope to earn enough through writing to make it more than just an expensive hobby). Bookstores are where people who love books hang out. It seems like a logical place to find people who might want to buy your book!
Another answer (still thinking about the economics of it) is that sales in the store during a reading/signing are just the tip of the iceberg. A bookstore reading does a number of things. It gets the store to order your books and gets them to put up a notice about your reading. Your book is featured for a time. More people will see it, pick it up, and maybe buy a copy. Often by the time I get to a store, someone has already made a purchase.
You can post on social media about every signing, and usually the stores do, too. People see you as an active, interesting writer who goes to bookstores. And finally, when you’re at the store signing books, if the store will allow it, sign some more so they can sell signed copies later. These can’t be returned to the publisher, so they are books the store is essentially committing to sell. Even if only a few people show up to a reading or only a few buy a book while you’re there, you’ve likely sold several more copies through that store.
Which brings me to the main reason I’m happy to give a signing or reading in a bookstore: to support the store. Whether I sell a book or not, people will come into a store when there’s a reading, and they will buy books. Hosting readings, bringing authors to their public, is one of the roles a brick and mortar store can fulfill that the online megastores can’t. Having an author in their store promotes the store, and having live authors around helps promote reading. When I’m doing a signing, I talk to people about my book, but I also talk about books in general and about writing. Does it matter if they buy my book, if they are more likely to read a book?
In creative writing circles, we call this literary citizenship. It is part of taking part in the culture of writing and keeping that culture going by buying books, reading books, and writing about books. So if one person shows up or 100, connecting with each person, whether they buy my book or not, is important. So is reading at libraries, book clubs, universities, book festivals, and anywhere else you can find. Some may earn you more money than others, and hopefully that all balances out in the end. But I will always be happy reading to an intimate crowd in a bookstore or signing books and talking to a few people about what I write.
Someone at yesterday’s book launch for Barrier Island Suite asked me what the pay-off is for publishing a book of poetry. I didn’t have to think about that much! My first thought was “events like this.” Writing a book in isolation is one thing, getting poems in magazines and working with your publisher to put the book together is another, but having a reason to get together with friends and colleagues — even strangers — is the best part. It is what keeps you going through all the other stages.
Most poets don’t expect to make a fortune selling books, though I was thrilled yesterday that we sold quite a few and I signed for over an hour straight, except for when I was reading. But even that thrill is less about the financial rewards than it is about getting the book in the hands of others. Poetry lives and breathes when it is read aloud in public. It thrives when books pass from one hand to another, when it sparks discussions, when someone reads it late at night or early in the morning. A book is never finished until it is read. Writing a book is that long process of honing language until it is ready to go out in the world. Publishing a book is the long process of making a product that can do the job of taking those poems out into the world. Both are rewarding. But the pay-off is when the poems are in the ears and hands of others. Talking to people and signing their books as you pass the poems on is the greatest reward.
Oh yes, and if you’re lucky there’s also cake…
To celebrate the launch of Barrier Island Suite, I’m trying the giveaway feature on Goodreads. 5 lucky winners will each receive a copy free — but it will take you longer to get yours, so why not buy one today! Books have started shipping from Texas A&M University Press Consortium.
Giveaway ends May 04, 2016.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Yesterday, I received advance copies of my new book, Barrier Island Suite: poems inspired by the life and art of Walter Inglis Anderson. What I nice thing to discover on my return from spring break in Chicago. While we were there, I read a couple of poems at the Green Mill Lounge, and talked to Marc Smith and Cin Salach about possibly coming back for the 30 year poetry slam reunion Marc is planning this summer. At the Mill, I could only read from my typed manuscript, but having hard copies of the book is just that much more satisfying!
While I was waiting for it to arrive, I’ve been busy planning a few events to celebrate its arrival. March 29, we will mark the official book launch on campus with a reading and signing in Puckett House from 5:00-6:30, and on April 1 (no fool), I will join alumnae authors at The W’s Homecoming Author Garden Party in the patio behind The W Room of Hogarth. I also have bookstore appearances lined up for Bay Books on April 9 and Square Books on April 25. See my new Calendar page for details on these and other events as I confirm those arrangements!
As I gear up for the release of Barrier Island Suite, it has been fun to make closer contact with his son John Anderson of Realizations Gallery in Ocean Springs. Today, as I was looking at their site, I noticed some new video footage has been posted, including a great 36-minute tour of Walter Anderson’s cottage that was filmed in 1988.
Agnes “Sissy” Grinstead Anderson gave the tour to a group of Norwegians who were visiting the area, and someone videoed it. The cottage can be seen, along with several works of art, including “The Swimmer,” a sculpture made from the branch of a water oak that used to stand on the property. Sissy takes the group through the cottage and into the little room where Anderson painted the murals that would only be discovered after his death, and she narrates how they found the room when they first opened the padlocked door.
While you’re there, be sure to check out the other videos and the artwork at the gallery. It’s enough to inspire a visit to the lovely little town of Ocean Springs.
Dear (expletive) Amazon: Sometimes I’m just searching for information. I don’t want to buy your $#%^!
Have you ever noticed that the search terms you use in a web search reappear in marketing emails from Amazon.com? How they think this is a good strategy is beyond me. If I wanted to buy a product, I would search for that product on a shopping site (and probably not Amazon, esp. after their emails). If I need information, I don’t want to be bombarded with ads about related products. And when I’ve just bought a product from Amazon or somewhere else, odds are that I don’t want another one, nor will I appreciate the company that keeps trying to sell me more.
Enough said! (I did promise a short rant…)
And here’s the press coverage in the Commercial Dispatch: Columbus poet Kendall Dunkelberg will publish his third collection, titled Barrier Island Suite
Kendall Dunkelberg