I've spent the past few days looking at the photos so many of my author friends have been posting on Facebook from Left Coast Crime, one of the major conferences for mystery writers, which this year was held in gorgeous Vancouver, BC.
I did not go. I am eaten up with envy, and maybe a little grief. I did not sign up to go this year because I'm afraid to travel, especially to such a distant location, because of my husband's iffy health. He has suffered a host of problems over the last decade, and I've had to cancel out of so many things at the last minute that I've become gun-shy. I keep thinking I shouldn't anticipate trouble, but just go ahead and sign up for everything I want to do and let the chips fall where they may. However, once you've had to abort a couple of non-refundable several-hundred-dollar conferences you tend to lose confidence in the future.
As it turned out, if I had made arrangements to go to Vancouver this year, I would indeed have had to cancel at the last minute. Don's eyes are going bad. On March 21, his one good eye went all fuzzy and a trip to the eye doctor resulted in emergency eye surgery the next day. Since the surgery, he has not been able to see clearly out of the operated-upon eye, which means he can't drive or read. Things were getting worse instead of better, and of course the surgeon is on vacation. So we called his office and they referred us to another glaucoma specialist who did some voodoo and told us that if things don't improve soon he'll have to have another operation. He had an appointment with the surgeon today (Wednesday), and we did indeed have to drive up to Phoenix for another emergency surgery. Finally got home about suppertime and we're now sitting in the living room staring at the walls, one of us sore and the other tired out. Thursday morning we'll be having a post op exam, and Friday the first surgeon will be back from vacation and we get to see him.
I can't think beyond that. I hope his eye problems will be over, and I expect they will at least be improved. But it's hard not to worry about the worst-case scenario. What if he loses his independence? The very idea kills my heart. Not to mention any idea of a writing career.
Don and I have only one another out here in the wilds of Arizona. We have friends, of course, but no relatives we'd feel comfortable taking advantage of. Don needs me, and I'd do anything for him. So my priority is always him, which means that any thoughts of doing what is necessary to promote my writing tend to go by the wayside. Time to learn effective ways of online promotion. Any suggestions?
8 comments:
Donis, I'm sending you prayers and good thoughts. I just want to hug you right now! You're writing and reading friends may not be in close proximity, but we have you in our hearts.
Doris, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Dealing with ill health, whether it's your own or a spouse's, is all-consuming, I know from experience. Instead of "the dog ate my homework," it's "my health issue ate my life." Doctor appointments become your new part-time or full-time job, one you didn't sign up for. Wishing your husband a speedy recovery.
Sending you hugs and good thoughts as well. Regarding online promotion. I write cozies so doing things like a Facebook launch seems to have worked out well for my last book. I'm not sure about the non cozy world for that, but it's worth considering. What about BookBub ads? Not sure about those, either, but some authors I know have done them and they've seen results.
Donis, I continue to enjoy your posts about writing and the various life issues you choose to tackle. My thoughts and prayers are with you and Don during this stressful time.
Several authors I know feel that Jane Friedman offers good advice on the business side of writing, including online promotion. Hope this might be of help to you:
https://www.janefriedman.com/
Tanya
Donis,
Sending good wishes to the two of you.
I've found virtual book tours really useful when I've launched books. I can't travel a lot because of school, and the cost of signing up with a company to do a package including eblasts, guest posts, and reviews is affordable.
Thanks so much, everybody. I may be contacting some of you for details.
Checkout the Bellingwood Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pollygiller. Diane Greenwood Muir engages her readers with comments and frequent posts. She hosts a trivia party from time to time and gives away merchandise related to her books. Key chains, mugs, that type of thing, with logos from the businesses mentioned in her books. (and she encourages cheating on the trivia answers - if someone else posted it first, go ahead and copy
She has asked readers if they want a Christmas postcard from her to privately give her their address. I got one a couple of years ago but didn't ask this past Christmas (just didn't get around to it).
Recently, she asked readers to submit ideas for a new business in the fictional town of Bellingwood, Iowa (where the main character lives). She also gives hints at what is happening in the next book. So she gets lots of engagement on her Facebook page.
You and Don are always in my thoughts, Donis. If you ever need anything, let me know.
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