Tag: Hurricane Baby

New Bookstore Visit!

Bob and I went to peruse the offerings at the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival in Fairhope, Alabama this past weekend. We saw many, many unique arts pieces and gift items and couldn’t resist buying a few of them to give as gifts or keep for ourselves.

Our most unusual finds this time were acoustic gramophone speakers made out of various boxes–a slot holds your phone and whatever song you are streaming spills out of a gramophone bell. They’re just amazing-looking and -sounding! So we got his-and-hers–Bob’s is made out of a repurposed The Empire Strikes Back lunchbox, and mine is made from a decorative replica of my original Peanuts lunchbox! Very gratifying find.

Then after looking at all the crafts and artwork and jewelry, we made our way to the venerable Page and Palette Bookstore, now in its fourth generation of ownership in the same family since 1962. The building also boasts a coffeeshop (Latte Da), a Yoga Studio (Plot Twist Yoga), and a bar (The Book Cellar).

We went in and looked around and then I decided to pitch Hurricane Baby: Stories to them to stock in their store. I left my bookmark and told them it was available through Ingram, and the girl said they’d probably order a few and see how they did. Which made e feel good. She brought up a signing, and I asked if I’d have to bring the books, and she said yes. So I’m not doing that.

If I’d been thinking, I should have stopped at every booth offering book-related items and pitched my book to them. I did hand out a few that I talked to, but not many. Live and learn.

Next weekend our family goes back to Natchez for a little R&R with my youngest daughter this time. So we’re going to enjoy that. The next Friday I go to my hometown, then the weekend after that is the Southern Literary Festival that I do a workshop at for undergraduate students. Wish me well!

Moving Right Along

So I have finished all the podcasts I was scheduled to interview for. One is supposed to come out this Tuesday–day after tomorrow. Another one, the podcaster said it would be out in June. I thought one other was supposed to have come out already, and the one I interviewed for last Thursday, I’m not sure when it’s coming out. I have three others I have reached out to that have not responded, but I think I’ve done enough in enough places to suit myself.

So now I move back into appearances. I go to my old high school in a couple of weeks, then the Southern Literary Festival at Blue Mountain Christian University in north Mississippi the first weekend in April. Two events in May, one in June, a Zoom appearance in July, and two events in August.

I have three other possibilities for August–they’re set but we need to nail down the exact dates. One in Starkville, another in Jackson, and another by Zoom. And I may get picked up by another book club. But that one is very iffy. And then there’s the banquet for the MIAL awards in July at Mississippi University for Women.

Y’all.

Just typing all of this out is unbelievable. I never thought I’d get to promote my work in so many different places. I had a lot of help to get here; people have been so receptive when I’ve just called them up or hit them up by email to see if I can do a program. It’s just been amazing. I don’t think I can emphasize that enough. Just amazing.

Riding the crest of the wave and seeing where the current takes me next! Happy writing!

Networking is Your Superpower! Event

So I went to this event on Thursday and spoke to a good number of ladies about setting goals and meeting them. I was very shaky and thought maybe it was nerves–but when it continued after I got home, along with chills and sweats and aches, I went to the doctor. Diagnosis: Flu.

But it was a good event. Less turnout than they typically have, but I just threw myself into the talk and Q&A with all I had–talking about the system I set up for accomplishing my goal of writing and getting a book published. I also provided examples from my freelance career and getting my MFA.

But it boosted my own resolve to say all those words out loud and be a living testimony that yes, you can do what you set your mind to, just like my mama always told me. I talked about setting realistic goals, setting mini-goals that bring you closer to your big goal, etc. I think it was a good talk, and the ladies who came thanked me for sharing with them.

And then they gave away two copies of my book that I signed for them. That was fun. They asked me to pick two numbers–the girl who organized the event had written names down and numbered them as each person came in–and the names that corresponded with the numbers won the books.

I was going to go back to the Mississippi Philological Association this coming weekend, this time in Ole Miss, but I’m not going to risk getting anyone else sick with this flu. So that’s sad. But more opportunities are on the way anyway, so I think it’s going to be okay.

Happy writing to all!

The Numbers

I’m going to sound vague on exact numbers in this post. But I do want to talk about was and was not in my first royalty statement for 2024.

First off, my publisher believes that the wholesaler, Ingram, has not paid for any books sold in October, November, and December. By my publisher’s calculations, the figures for late August and September account for half the units shipped so far, and the other half of the units should be recorded as completed sales after the fourth quarter payments come in.

Number two, even with the wonky sales numbers, I sold enough to earn out my publishing costs–the publisher paying for editorial, design, shipping, and other fees. So that was great news that the publisher has broken even on me.

Next, the statement shows only two books being returned to the publisher. Returns come from either a consumer who returned the book for a refund or from bookstores with stock they did not sell. So for me it looks like the gamble of having bookstores order my books for events is not backfiring on me. That’s a great feeling!

And finally, the publisher has only five books on hand, which means I’m coming close to having another print run if people continue buying the book. Not printing too few but not printing too many is a delicate balance for a publisher, and I’m looking good on that front.

Now–the money for the publishing costs comes out of net sales. I barely crossed that boundary with books sold listed in my royalty statement. Then I’m entitled to a portion of the sales left over, which rendered my payout nearly invisible to the human eye–low enough that the publisher can’t cut a check for it so it will carry over into the next year.

But you know what? That’s up to God. That’s his money, and he knows best how it can be used and when he needs it. All I know is that I am a debut author whose publisher is not in the hole for having taken a chance on me. That makes me feel GOOD!

Trying to Give Back

I recently called the principal of my hometown high school before Christmas. I told him who I was and that I was a former student, and that I would like to give a talk to the students about finding their dreams. I said I had succeeded somewhat in my field, mentioned the book, but told him I wouldn’t be selling anything with the talk. Just said I wanted to tell them I’m from where you are, I went out with this vision, and this is how I put in the work to make it happen. He told me to call back after Christmas and we would plan something.

So I did. Mid-January. I think he was surprised to hear back from me. He looked at the school calendar, and he found me a Friday morning where he could arrange for me to speak to the graduating seniors and tell my story.

Why am I bothering? I’m not even going to hand out my bookmarks unless someone asks me directly how to buy the book. I’m not going to make any money. So why?

The only inspirational speakers I ever remember coming to my school when I was there were trusties from the state penitentiary. They told us how they wound up in jail and to not do what they did or we would, too. (The 80s were a very strange time in lots of ways) We all pretty well got that message.

But what if someone had ever come and said, “It’s okay to have big dreams! It’s okay to want more for yourself that what you see around you! You can do it!” That would have lifted my heart immensely. Especially someone I could identify with, like me.

So that’s what I want to do for these kids. I have no illusions that they’ll be excited or if they’ll even listen. But maybe I can plant that spark in somebody. I’m going to try.

MORE GOOD NEWS!

I found out this week that Hurricane Baby: Stories has been nominated for a Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters 2025 Fiction Award! I had heard of this award but didn’t know much about it; you can look up more information about it here.

I asked who the other nominees in my category were, and I was blown away. Only a few small press books were on the list–the rest were all with the big New York presses. Almost all of them I had heard of except two that were debut authors like me. To be included in such company with my first fiction work was astounding to me. It’s still blowing my mind.

So that was that.

In other news, I have podcasts, interviews, talks, and conferences to get going on in the rest of the month and in February. I need to write out my talks to present them, and that’s going to be interesting. One is a talk on how to go after your goals and dreams, and the other is how I figured out why I write and what I write. I have the basics of that one already typed out–it will just need a good bit of tweaking.

Aaaand I finished revising the first section of my work-in-progress, aaaand I realized I had too many fight scenes in it. Four one right after the other and one in the next to the last chapter. %$#@#$%. I don’t want the character in that many fights. So I’m definitely going to cut one scene and rearrange the others so it’s not one right after the other. I still can’t believe I did that.

So a really really high high, a middling low, and the rest business as usual. Except a year ago I could not imagine such a life for myself. Praise be!

Book Club Meeting

I went to Ridgeland to a meeting for the What Would Cathy Read? Book Club at a nice restaurant in a mixed-use development, featuring shopping, hotels, offices, townhomes, and restaurants. My very good writing friend Marlo was a member of this club and host for the night, so everyone read Hurricane Baby, and I came to discuss it with them–eighteen people including me and Marlo.

I talked about how I wrote the book, then Marlo asked me to share how I got it published. Another lady asked if the stories were based off of real people I knew or read about. I get that question a lot, and I think it’s because I’ve tried to hew to the humanity of the characters and so readers feel like they have to be real people. I took another craft question, then since I had talked about my experience of Hurricane Katrina, everyone else felt safe to share theirs.

Then Marlo asked what I was working on now, and I talked a bit about Looking For Home, the book I’m still revising on. I didn’t give away many details about it, so that was good.

I think for my next book club event, I’m going to have people write questions and put them in a container, and I’ll draw from it and answer. I possibly do have another upcoming one that a childhood friend is a member of–they put all in titles in a hat and whichever one they draw is what they read. I look forward to possibly going to that one if it happens.

Really looking forward to the writing life this week–more podcasts, interviews, events, and writing. We will see how it all goes! Until next time!

Pontotoc County Library

(Picture above courtesy of Mary Jane Williams)

So my big event last week was going up to north Mississippi to Pontotoc and doing a reading, talk, and Q&A with almost thirty ladies that came out. I passed out my bookmarks and hope a few of them buy it. It was a very nice library, with books and seating and computer desks as well as a nice meeting room. The Garden Club arranged a lunch for the group with three delicious soups, cornbread muffins, and a tray of assorted cookies. So that was lovely.

I had typed notes to guide my talk into my note app on my phone, and that worked really well to keep me on track and keep me moving. Only a few of the ladies had already read it, and the library’s copy was checked out when I asked if I could take a picture of it. So that was fine. I talked about its publishing journey, I read part of the second story, and I opened the floor for questions. Mostly people wanted to ask about either Hurricane Katrina or how I wound up being published. So those were fine to talk about. I took up the whole hour, so I think it was a successful talk. My friend MJ took pictures that I need to get out of my phone and into my folder.

I was kind of stressed about it. All my other appearances had other authors involved, and this was really my first solo event. But I prepared well and think that paid off. We drove right back after it, trying to beat the snow home. But we did!

Thanks to all of you who read and support my website. I’m trying to be as candid as possible in writing these pieces, and I hope I’m succeeding. Seeing all of you reading the site makes me feel supported in this crazy journey called the writing life! Thanks again!

Happy Surprise

We get together and exchange gifts with my husband’s mother, his sister, her husband, and their sons every Christmas Day. This year I was opening a small present from my sister-in-law’s family and saw that it looked like a Christmas ornament, a porcelain star. I pulled it out of the package and turned it over.

This was the inscription:

“The year I was published. Julie Whitehead 2024.”

I was so stunned. I never knew there was even such a thing in the world as a personalized commemorative ornament like that. I went and gave my sister-in-law a hug and told her I loved it.

And they are not bookish people. But they understood what Hurricane Baby meant to me and that was enough. (Picture above courtesy of Bob Whitehead.)

Hidden Costs for Authors

Some recent conversations have got me thinking. Most people do not understand the economics of a literary career. I’m going to talk about that for a bit.

First, let’s talk about the costs of shopping a book. Many debut authors get an in into the book world by being selected as the winner of a manuscript contest. Many presses hold these once or twice a year, where you send in a submission and your work is judged anonymously. But often there’s a catch–an entry fee. I entered many contests with Hurricane Baby and racked up a considerable amount of money since fees were typically $20 a pop. The press that bought Hurricane Baby was free to send to, as were many others.I could have made a principled decision to not participate in paid contests, but I knew that it could limit my options.

I got a traditionally published contract through a royalty-paying publisher. I did not get an advance against royalties and this house offered generous royalties. What I am having to keep in mind with my contract is that I don’t get any royalties until the cost to produce my books has been made. It’s not uncommon for that to be the case with a small press. University presses and larger publishers rarely make that stipulation. So I could sell a good many books without seeing any royalties (my percentage of the book’s price) at all.

Once the book came out in August, I started promoting it. I did not do paid promotions, like ads, etc. None of my media appearances cost me anything. Likewise, I never had to pay a fee to appear anywhere, although I have heard of authors being charged booth fees or table fees to appear at a festival. But I resolved not to do that. But with traveling, expenses can pile up–gas, lodging, food. My husband has said he’s not sure we can afford for me to get another book published. 🙂 But it is a consideration I have to keep in mind, as do many authors in the tier I’m publishing in.

Another fee I have decided to forgo is buying my own books at the wholesale price and selling them myself at library and other events. That route brings with it tax implications that I’m not prepared to handle. So I always ask if there’s going to be a bookseller at the event, If there isn’t, I just have to hope people there will remember me long enough to buy the book afterwards. I’ve also held a library event where guests came book-equipped and I signed them.

One expense I did go for was setting up an account with Vistaprint and buying promotional mailings for my events. My publisher had a social media person who designed the graphics for me, and I just downloaded it and printed postcards that I then mailed out for different events. Vistaprint helped design a bookmark that I’ve been able to hand out all over town, and Canva is another free resource to design your own graphics.

As you can see, I am currently operating a non-profitable outfit. But each sale brings with it a chance to improve my track record, which I can then use for the next deal. Hope springs eternal.