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There's been a delay from the printer with Lessons In Stalking.  The book was supposed to be in this week but they have 2 huge book runs of 20,000 and 22,000 copies to run, so my itty-bitty book run of 2,000 has been pushed back. 

I sent not a nasty e-mail but a "I am not pleased with the situation" e-mail to my contact at the printer.  She wrote back that she was trying to sneak my book in between the two print runs and hoped to have it to me by next Thursday, which would be October 6th.

I was disappointed but then got a grip.  People are in crisis the world over.  The fact that I have to wait an extra week or two for my book is pretty damn minor in comparison.  I always like to ask myself, when I feel blood temperature rising, is this a problem or an inconvenience?   99% of the time, it's an inconvenience.

I have my first radio interview tomorrow - WGOS AM radio at 9:05 am.  The station is in Greensboro so I'm actually going into the station to do the interview live instead of over the phone.  It's a small world - the D.J. who's interviewing me has an office next to a man whose newspaper I used to write for.  They are good friends and have known each other for years.  So maybe he'll be extra nice to me since I'm friends with a friend.

I'm a little nervous as this is my first radio interview and I have no idea what will be asked.  The interview is for the Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul book but I'm hoping to plug my book as well. I'll post tomorrow how the interview went.

To Do List - Very Boring, Feel Free to Skip

This entry is for my own peace of mind.  I'm getting that shallow breath "too much to do--can't process correctly" feeling and so feel the need to regurgitate for all to see the tasks I need to remember "to do."  As I type these words I'm literally thinking, "I'll forget something.  Oh no, make a list of things not to forget to put on the to do list."  Time for drugs.

So this is more of my "calm down, it's all here list."  Pretty mundane stuff so try again tomorrow.  I've got a cute story about how my Saturn station wagon became possessed and trapped Blair inside.  Good stuff.

Here we go!

Dena's To Do List:

Decorating

• Have Blair look at lamps one more time for bedroom and decide yes/no.  I lean toward yes.
• Call Steve and see if we can order tile from Cabinet Lady but have him install.  If yes, call Cabinet Lady and order tile.  If no, see if he will install heated floor and then if C.L. will install tile.
• Call Marty and get on his schedule to contract all this.
• Take 2 days and scrape wallpaper off bathroom walls - asap! 
• Order bathroom faucets (for shower) - get same ones as in guest bath?
• Order sheets for bed (Someone recommended overstock.com)

Conference - Charlotte, all weekend

• Print out the first 15 pages of both "Millicent" and "Sam" - 2 copies of each.
• Remember to bring: handouts/postcards/business cards/camera
• Extras: water/sunglasses/extra contacts/healthy snacks/tea bags
• Pack tonight. What wearing for speech tomorrow?  Will last 2 hour car drive or change once there?
• Go over intro to speech several more times - Remember to bring my notes!!!
• Make self exercise before leave tomorrow - get up early!
• Review conference brochure so can talk semi-intelligently to other faculty w/out embarrassing self by not knowing who they are

News & Record Auto Articles

• Next week - schedule next 4 appointments
• Find antique car clubs / motorcycle clubs / RV clubs - any interesting care for "Tire Tracks"
• Follow-up with Brian for woman who just bought Hummer
• Compose e-mail and send to all dealerships explaining what Tire Tracks is so they may give me referrals
• Delete photos off camera

College PreView Magazine Article

• While at conference this weekend, write 3 profiles AND rough draft of entire article
• Call student back and set time for interview EARLY next week
• Need to interview a female African-American or Hispanic high school or college student who runs her own business.  Call Drena's son, e-mail Robbyn, call Universities.

Website Updates

• New blog page- Readers Cats (need better name). Add in couple of photos/stories I have
• New blog or LIS page - organizations I donate book sales to
• New Blog or LIS media page - media appearances - when and where
• Add NSA confernce info to sites
• Lessons In Stalking Website - need to add e-commerce options that can track codes.  Review bids, award project and move work forward.  Must be done by end of next week!!!
• Dena Harris website - MUST ADD IN BOOK COVER AND LINKS FOR Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul.  I have no idea how to do this.  Call Melody.
• Netfirms - are stats tracked just for DH site or also for LIS site?  How can I track separately?
• Need to better promote all sites - submit to search engines, etc.
• UPDATE site so says the book is here instead of "coming soon"

Lessons In Stalking  Book

• Call Borders about book launch - NOW NOW NOW!!!
• Book Orders for pre-orders need to go out SAME DAY book comes in
• Follow-up with Shana on time frame for second printing
• Need sign for book signings - one for book and one for "Tell Me About Your Cat" for blog page
• Find balloons with cats on them?
• Guest book for contact list?
• Contact every cat site under the sun and see what media exposure I can drum up - need to devote at least a full day to get this cranked up
• Send out review copies of book - but first need to make a list of where exactly those copies would be set out
• Meet w/Michael & Pam re: sales
• Go through media folder and GET ORGANIZED - track where when I pursue media and results - avoid duplication and annoying people!
• Send copies out to everyone who blurbed the book with note of thanks.
• Press Releases to local media
• Send to Amazon ASAP
• Write note to mail out with book, asking readers to review on Amazon?
• Stock up on shipping supplies - need to be ready to roll...
• Much, much more that I know I'm missing....

Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul Book

• Remember to take camera to radio interview next week - go prepared with notes and favorite quote
• Follow up on morning TV show interview
• Make sure Dusty Dunn has received copy of book
• Post on blog and website
• e-mail friends - I can get 50% discount but need to factor in time/shipping costs
• Order additional copies to sell or use as give aways at my book signings

Novel & Short Story Article

• Compose outline and questions
• Call Katherine and interview her
• Get 3 contacts and interview
• Need rough draft done by end of October! This one needs work and should have time to sit!!

Public Speaking Book

• Simply must make time for this, starting 1st week in October, back on writing schedule
• Get my sections written then add in stories/anecdotes - pull from contact list
• Find stories/anecdotes - obtain permissions

Teaching

• E-mail and find out curriculum and begin preparing
• Creative Writing Class - need course outline and exercises / syllabus
• Find new exercises for standard P.S. workshop - it's feeling a bit stale, needs new energy

Miscellaneous

• Figure out how to work the stupid cell phone - delete or save in middle of message, get rid of pics and go back to text
• Exercise schedule
• New filing system that will probably have to wait until less pressed for time
• Time spent with Blair and the cats would be lovely

Swamped!

The wind must have changed direction in the last 24 hours or something is up because I suddenly find myself swamped.

My auto assignments from the News & Record came in so I spent a good chunk of yesterday afternoon NOT making appointments as I'd planned, but rather leaving increasingly desperate voice mail messages for auto dealer managers to please, pretty please, call me back.

I have a big article due for a college magazine and have had trouble lining up a time to interview a primary source so that finally got scheduled for today (Saturday) at 10:30 am. 

The big thing though, is book promotion for Lessons In Stalking.  I have GOT to plan my launch party.  I'd like to have it at a bookstore but I may have waited so late in the game that I can't get in before X-Mas.  I'm going to tie it in with Hurricane Katrina animal relief and a local shelter, donating a portion of my proceeds.  I'm hoping I'll be allowed to bring in a few kittens from the shelter and have them at my authors table.  Not sure if a bookstore will got for that.  But it would be wonderful to find some homes for cats during my book launch.  (Or they could just come home with me!!!)

I'm kicking myself for a stupid, stupid, stupid mistake I made.  My friend Pam offered to stuff Lessons In Stalking postcards into a "grab bag" for publishers and book sellers at this Fall's SEBA (South Eastern Book Sellers) Association) convention.  So if you read the Kinko post, you know all about the hassle of getting the flyer done.  It ended up looking pretty good.  Until, I realized last night after Pam had already handed them out, I forgot to put the ISBN on the card as well as the name of my publishing company.  The effect of such an error is that my postcard will look extremely amateur.  Sort of like handing out a business card with no telephone number on it.  Just one great big DUH.

So I'm a little bummed about that but lesson learned and it will never happen again. 

The good news is that Pam said as they were stuffing bags a publisher came by and saw the LIS postcard and said, "This is so cute.  Can I have this?"  So I still hold out hope of thousands of orders coming in.  It would be stressful but in a good way if I went into my second printing only months after my first!

Dena

Publisher's Association of the South (PAS)

I attended a PAS conference yesterday in Winston-Salem (sans stilettos, for those of you concerned out there).  Learned a few interesting tidbits:

• Now with POD and other arenas, over 10,000 books a month are printed
• It usually only takes selling 8,000 books to have it considered a success.  When we hear about books selling 100,000 copies that doesn't take into account all the returned books. (If bookstores don't sell your books after a certain time period, they return them to the publisher and you have to give them back their money).
• Resale use is hitting authors and publishers deeper.  Resale is when you see a brand new book for sale on Amazon or E-Bay for 1/2 price.  There was also mention of an airport bookstore where a customer can pick up a book in one airport, fly to another airport, and return the book for a credit for his next purchase. The book is then sold at a discounted price to the next traveller.  Almost like a low-priced library system.  Great for readers, not so good for publishers.  Systems such as this are expected to cut into how many copies of a book are printed (which affect author advances).

There was also a discussion panel with independant bookstore owners, which was fascinating.  I came away with thinking the answer to everything is "it depends."  For example, one guy said the best way to reach a bookstore owner is to just call and talk about your book.  A woman on the panel said she refuses to answer the phone and prefers mail.  Both said avoid e-mail...they get so much they can't even begin to find the time to sort through it.

Other tips: Oddly shaped packages or small gifts included with the book help get their attention.  They can't stand authors who just sit behind their table with a cup of coffee - approach them with a plan or presentation for how you'll draw customers to your signing.  Don't send them huge posters with your book cover - they have nowhere to put it.  Small posters that fit in store windows are welcome, however.  Also, be available for book group discussions via phone.  Doesn't cost you the author anything and is a big treat for book club members who get to talk to an author.

What I found most heartening was the bookstore owners attitude.  "Remember," said one man on the panel, "those of us in the book store profession are there because we love books.  We're excited about new books.  We like to find and meet authors.  Take advantage of that."

I gave my card and a promo piece to each of the panelists and will send them my book when it comes in.  Now I just need to come up with a fun "presentation" type idea to do at a book signing.