Monday 28 September 2009

Book signing - and story flopping

My signing at Waterstone's on Saturday went well - I sold about a dozen books, which was a definite improvement on another occasion some time ago when I sold one! Several of my customers were lovely friends and acquaintances who had turned up to support me, but I did also manage to chat to lots of people who were browsing in the shop, gave them handouts about my books and websites, and a couple of sales resulted from this. (I've tried four times to insert a picture here, but it keeps crashing the site and I've now lost my patience as well as the will to live, so this will have to go out picture-less!).


Sadly, the good writing news stops there, as today I came home to the news of THREE rejected short stories in one e-mail - a bit harsh, I thought, although would it have been any less disappointing if they'd all been rejected separately? Probably not!

But family news is more promising, with the wedding now only days away, and the bride-to-be has had the plaster cast taken off her wrist today so she's very happy!

I promise to write more on the blog after the wedding!

13 comments:

  1. That rejection email sucks and I doubt 3 seperate emails would have been easier to take.
    Good news about the plaster cast. Enjoy the wedding.

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  2. That sounds like a very successful book signing - I wish I could have got there.
    I had one of those emails too - hope you can send yours somewhere else.
    All systems go for the wedding - thank goodness the plaster cast is gone. Have fun!
    And big hugs for little Noah - he must be nearly a month old, where does the time go?

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  3. Horrible email, Sheila, but hope selling all those books more than compensated. Hope the wedding is wonderful and a pic is possible with your next post!

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  4. Colette - thanks for your commiserations. We all know how it feels, don't we!

    Teresa - sorry to hear you got one of 'those' e-mails too. Magazine editors seem to get sudden fits of rejection-itis, don't they! Noah was 3 weeks old yesterday and is adorable!

    Helen - you're right, selling the books was really good. And yes, I'll definitely be trying to post wedding photos next time!

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  5. I'm glad your book signing well, Olivia. But I commiserate with you about the three rejections in one e-mail. That was not nice! I'm just waiting for mine to come through now after you and Teresa got them - there's no hope for me!!

    Still - it's character building stuff, so they tell me!

    Julie xx

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  6. So sorry.It goes with the territory and do remember that it's very tough out there at the moment.

    But think of the positives. The book signing was successful. You have wedding and little Noah.

    Keep strong!

    warm wishes

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  7. Thank you, Julie. Yes, it's definitely character building and, after all these years, I think I have got my character well and truly built!! I hope you don't get one of the dreaded triples, too. xx

    And thank you Bluestocking. I know, it seems to get tougher all the time! But the wedding and baby Noah are definitely what matter most. I don't have any trouble with priorities there! xx

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  8. I think one rejection email is slightly better than three separate ones - still stings though :o(

    Glad the book-signing went well, and hope the wedding is wonderful!

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  9. Ouch on the rejections but well done on the book signing. Glad you got some sales there.

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  10. Thank you Karen. And I think you're probably right that getting the three rejections over with on one e-mail might be better in the long run!

    And thanks Sue.It's all swings and roundabouts in this business, isn't it!

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  11. Great news on the book signing, and hugs on the email - that's harsh. But next time round you might get 3 acceptances. (And, as Bluestocking says, the market's incredibly tough right now - with advertising dropping, magazines are in the shakiest positions they've been in for years.) Don't let it get you down - chalk it down to experience, and keep going!

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  12. PS - meant to say, hope you get great weather for the wedding, and have a fabulous day!

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  13. Thank you Kate - for both messages! Believe it or not I've had another e-mail since, from the same mag, saying they liked another of the stories I've got out with them but would like some changes made before reconsidering. So that's cheered me up - and given me a task for next week! Wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses are hanging around the house now - and the cat is banned from the bedrooms!! x

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