Book Tours: The good, the bad, and the … unexpected

A Brief History

In 1882, after publishing his first poetry book, Oscar Wilde was asked to do a book tour in America. The tour, scheduled for four months in length, began in New York City. Due to popularity, he extended it to nearly an entire year.

Ten years later, in the 1890s, Mark Twain’s writing career was collapsing, and his masterpieces falling into obscurity. Twain set up an international speaking / reading tour. It restored his fame and fortune.

Such are the tales of the power of a book tour.

The reality of book tours today for most authors – those of us who are not rich and famous – is very different. The amount of competition for people’s attention is astronomical. Every hour of every day there’s a very crowded field of events taking place. Advertising is prohibitively expensive. And book readings – while some people enjoy them – aren’t the most tantalizing of events. Really, who can compete with Netflix?

Roads can be bad, weather menacing, small towns long distances apart, and the crowd sizes are always unpredictable.

Most authors have disastrous tales to tell of book events where not one person showed up. And if you’ve paid for gas to get there and a hotel to stay in, well, you’ll be delighted if at some point you merely break even.

Authors still persist in doing book tours and the reasons vary. Perhaps a friend asked. Or your mother asked.

You love that library where you grew up. Your grandmother lives at that nursing home.

The person who cares for your dog has a friend whose sister owns a bookstore.

My book tour across North Dakota

included the Cando Community Library

I’m doing a book tour because The Clean Daughter was chosen by the Library of Congress as a Great Reads Book. As part of the award, I was invited to speak at four libraries in my home state and I’d be paid to do it! What a winning opportunity. I could introduce my book to new readers, talk about and promote libraries, meet new people, sell a few books, and not lose money.

And then, there’s something about authors. We’re always dreaming. Always believing. And every once in a while, people do show up and the results are magical and make it all worthwhile.

Setting up for the evening with the lovely banner NDSU Press made for *The Clean Daughter!*

The day of my book reading at Cando Community Library was blustery. Due to some late snow showers (I like to think so anyway) the turnout at Cando was limited … to four people. That’s if you include the two wonderful part-time Cando librarians and the librarian representing the Center for the Book who’d driven over from Bismarck. They’d done a wonderful job of promotion, but the weather didn’t play along very nicely.

Normally, a group of four is very difficult to talk to, but these four were engaged, interested, and asked good questions. There was something sweet about the informality of the event. And the cookies were great, too! The library purchased a nice number of books, and we got back to our Airbnb just as dusk was setting in.

The next day, I spent much of the day hanging around, knitting, made supper at our Airbnb, and took a nap. It might sound dull, but with my recovery from brain injury still ongoing, it was just what I needed. A little time to rest before speaking again.

That evening when I arrived at the Paul Hoghaug Library on the campus of the Lake Region State College, it was all decked out. Blue and silver star-shaped balloons, chocolates dotting the eight large square tables, and an enormous spread of snacks, cookies, veggies, and fruits. My book trailer was up on the large screen waiting to be shown.

The room looked lovely. And empty.

I wondered if anyone would come. Every author’s nightmare

I shouldn’t have worried.

The very enthusiastic librarian, Jolie, had done a great job promoting the event!

A student had designed posters and put them around town and on campus. The event was on the website of the city event calendar. She was obviously excited about their first in-person author visit since before Covid.

The tables filled up, a mixture of both students from the college and people from the community.

Jolie showed the book trailer and introduced me. I spoke about my book, did a Q&A, and then we gave away two door prizes: A box of Dutch cookies called stroopwafels that I had donated and a copy of my book, The Clean Daughter, donated by the library. The evening was full of laughter and good conversation. I enjoyed it all very much.

I signed books until I sold out!

Now that was unexpected!

Later, I talked with a student who wanted to become a writer. What fun to talk with her about writing, editing, and publishing! You never know who you are going to meet. I even talked to a friend of a friend who' I’d gone to college with a million years ago!

And what does an author do after she returns home?

She speaks at a local book club with a dozen great women who had all read and enjoyed her book!

Then she comes home, turns off her phone, shuts her door, and sits down at her computer to continue writing her next book.

And maybe, she might just have written page 250 in that book.

Have you ever been to a book reading?

Written an author and told her you loved her book?

Left a review on Amazon or Goodreads?

If not, well, please know that most of us aren’t in it for the money, and your enthusiasm, reviews, comments, and word-of-mouth promotions mean the world and really do make a difference in our lives and in the lives of our books.

Thanks for reading along!

Love always,

Jill

Book Tours: The good, the bad, and the … unexpected

Three Dimensional!