On getting a gig to talk about my new book

Well, today I was at the Gawler Poets at the Pub Poetry Reading, which I help to run. My co-cordinator and I worked out what we’ll be doing for the next two months, October and November. Gawler Poets at the Pub is on from 2 pm – 4 pm on the last Sunday of every month except December, at the Prince Albert Hotel. I’m thrilled to be able to announce that for the October session, I will be the guest poet, talking about my just released book, Yay!

My book is a memoir, written in verse and with some poems included. It deals with my new life, living as well as I can with MS. Multiple Sclerosis is many things to many people. For some people, it is a huge problem, but I’m one of the lucky ones. Yes, MS brings me challenges, but I’m doing my best to meet those challenges, and continue living a life that works well for me.

People have told me I inspire them, and I’m glad they feel like that. I don’t feel that special, but if others think I am, then who am I to argue! 🙂 If reading my book can encourage others to live a better life, a happier life, a more positive life, then I am happy, my role in life is working. I am here to help others, and writing and sharing my words is my favourite way of helping.

If you would like to hear more about my lived experiences in life, feel free to contact me. I am keen on furthering my public speaking appointments.

 

 

On Contemplating Another Print Run

When one is a self-publisher, one is in charge of making all of the decisions regarding the published book. My most recent book, the one this blog is all about, has been launched and bought by others. It’s been sent to libraries, and now my job is to sell or find new homes for copies of my book. 

The selling is going well, as far as I know. I have copies out in various places, available for purchase, and I am yet to check up on how those sales are going. That will be a task for next week. I plan to visit most of the MS Peer Support groups in South Australia (the ones that aren’t too far away). Another task for next week then is to contact all of the groups I want to visit, and arrange things…

This is fun stuff, and I’m very much looking forward to meeting up with friends, both ones I already have and others who will become friends once we meet! One of my big decisions to make soon, is when or whether to order another print run of my book. The initial print run was for 100 copies, and I now personally have about twenty copies left in my possession.

The MS Society SA & NT will have an article about my book in its next issue of Network Magazine. I expect I will receive some enquiries from people about getting hold of their own copy, well, that’s what I HOPE for anyway! 

This is fun, and I’m being careful about the money received from book sales, so I can pay for the next print run. I was fortunate, and was the recipient of a ‘Choice’ award from the MS Society SA & NT. My award went to having 100 copies of my verse memoir about my new life with MS, printed for free. The printer was the Society’s printer, and I’m thrilled with the great job they did printing this book.

For my next print run though, I will have to pay for the printing. At this stage I don’t know what it will cost. So another task for next week, or the week after, is to ring the printer, and talk costs with them. I’m looking forward to getting it all going…

The photo here is me making a point at my book launch. 

 

photo by Martin Christmas

After the launch comes the selling

So, my book of memoir in verse (or not) is launched, with photographs taken and words spoken. Many thanks to the photographer and the various speakers on the day. Lovely words were said, and photographs snapped, and then we all trailed back to our own homes.

I sold a goodly number of books at my book launch last week, and I’m happy about that – the sharing of my words, after all, was the main reason for writing them and publishing them. I have a way to go still though, with the selling – I have some books in my house, some in my car and some in my back which comes with me wherever potential book buyers may be…

This is the role of the author who chooses to self-publish. I knew it would come to this, and I welcome this opportunity to get out and about, talking about my chronic illness. The more I talk to other people, the more the correct word about what multiple sclerosis is all about is spread out in the broader community.

Sometimes I really do wonder if my head is on right!

What did I just do? I just wrote a blog post about this book I’ve self-published, talking about my book launch and about my selling of the book. That’s the kind of thing you should do, when you’re a self-published author. The only problem is, I posted it to the wrong blog…

If you’d like to read about my book launch of “Mick, Jane and Me – Living Well With MS” come along to this blog, where I’ve written about it. I don’t always do silly things like this, and I’m working to fix it up anyway. Nobody got hurt, and the link will take you to the right place – go along and read all about it!