IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

The time where the leaves begin to change and the stores have started putting out the Christmas decorations.

For authors, new and old, it is the time to either, dust off their old novels and begin selling them again or publishing their first novel and getting it into the hands of readers.

Either way, it is an authors most busy time of the year.

We want to make sells for Christmas, just like Wal-Mart and Target. 

We don't have the million dollar budget that those stores have. Instead we have friends and readers to spread the word.

BUT how do we get to those people?

It's called networking.

Although 2020 put a lot of authors in a bind, it also made us sit down and write or come up with marketing plans for the time when outside was open again.

I decided that I will no longer wait for people to ask what I do. 

When I am introduced to someone, I immediately tell them I am an author. 

It leads to many more questions and just this summer, led to 6 book sales while I was camping.

Side note: I am the toast of the campground now because those that read the book just can't help seeking me out to ask more questions.

So if you are an author, be like Wal-Mart and Target; start your Christmas sales now. Start promoting a buy one get one sale. Promote your novels like that is your ONLY job!

After all, its the most wonderful time of the year, right?

8 MINUTES AND 46 SECONDS

No one knew exactly how long that was until George Floyd was murdered.

Eight minutes and 46 seconds. 

Have you sat for that long? Have you timed it?

I did.

It's a helluva a long time.

It is almost 4 commercial radio songs. 

It is 8 commercials on TV. 

It is 16  thirty second commercials on TV.  

It is half of a quarter of football. 

It is almost a full quarter in basketball.

It is microwaving 3 bags of popcorn. 

It is how long pasta needs to cook to be al dente.

That is a long time to kneel.

I tried that as well. I could barely get up after kneeling for that long.

If you haven't sat still and timed it; I challenge you to do it now.

Eight minutes and 46 seconds it how long it took for someone to take a life.

Think about that the next time we are standing in line for two minutes. Think about that when we are waiting for that latte at Starbucks. Think about that when that red light catches us.

Eight minutes and 46 seconds is how long it took for George Floyd to lose his life.

Everything else doesn't seem that important now, does it?