The Radio Interview

If you missed the radio interview, you listen to it on my new website!

http://debrahaagen.tateauthor.com/

Book Signings

We have done the radio interview and two book signings, and they all have gone great.  There were people waiting for me when I arrived at Cups-N-Cones to sign books last Saturday!  I took a couple weekends off the book signings after just having gotten started, because my grandmother is very ill and I went to see her.  I need to jump back in and get some more scheduled, however.

The whole family has been very supportive.  My kids loaned some stuffed animals to decorate my table, and there is my dear husband with me.  :)

Watch the blog here for more information on:
--upcoming book signings
--my new website
--a recording of my radio interview
--upcoming book reviews.

In the meantime, have a great weekend!

Hear Me On the Radio!

Tomorrow morning, Wednesday, February 29, 2012, I will be interviewed for a few minutes on the radio about Amazing Animals by Design and my upcoming Book Signing.  My children will be with me, and you never know, they may even get to say a few words!

Listen to the Coastal Daybreak show with Ben Ball on The Talk Station.  I will be on at 7:15 am, EST.  You may tune in at 107.1 FM or 1240 AM.  You may also listen to the live stream on the website here.  Turn on the web stream a few minutes early, as there will be some advertisements first.

I hope you are listening in, and if you are local, I hope to see you at Cups-N-Cones in Havelock, NC, from 10-2 on Saturday, March 3!

Book Signing Open House & Homeschool Writers' Seminar

Last Saturday, as a warm-up to my public book-signings, I held an Open House at my home and invited local friends, church members, and my homeschool group.  It seems that most people, when they find out I've had a book published, do not say, "Oh, I'd love to read your book!" Many of them instead say, "Really?  How did you do that?  I'd like to publish a book!"  And so I decided it would be a good idea to offer a Homeschool Writers' Seminar that afternoon for the homeschool group, sharing what I've learned over the past few months in this process.

I'd have to say it went well.  I had some wonderful friends come for moral support, and a few new people.  I sold a few books.  The real success came, however, in the number of people who said, "I can't attend your open house, but I would really love to buy a book."  Those people may not have known the books were for sale otherwise (unless they read my relentless self-promotion on Facebook!).   I do not want to push anyone to buy my book because they know me and they feel like they should, or I have put them on the spot.  I do, however, want to make sure that everyone who knows me knows the book is available, because you never know who might like it as a gift for grandchildren or as an addition to their personal library.  I like to find ways of marketing that effectively get the word out without being a "pushy" salesperson.  I believe this one worked well.  Hopefully no one reading this will say, "Um, no, she was pretty pushy!"  :)

When my husband and I placed our first order for some of these books to sell on our own, I considered ordering 100.  It seemed like a lot to me and I was afraid I may be stuck with some inventory.  Then the publishing company suggested we start with 300.  Three hundred books!!  Are you kidding me?  That's a lot!  But we decided to believe that I would be successful and ordered the 300.

It's a good thing, because after 3 weeks, I have already sold 101.  That original hundred would not have lasted me long!  I still haven't had an official Book Signing, so that is all friends, family, my Facebook & blog, and the Open House from Saturday.  This coming Saturday, as I may have mentioned (smirk :), I will have my first public Book Signing at Cups & Cones in Havelock, NC.  The press release has gone out, and tomorrow morning I will be interviewed on the local talk radio station!

Stay tuned!  :)