Thoughts for The Day

JoAnn Arnold



This painting of a little boy finding the courage to climb on a horse at least 5 times his size, reminds me of doing a book signing. Ya gotta prove you can do it. Ya gotta get those boots in the stirrups. If ya fall, partner, ya just climb right back up on that horse and hang on. Ya gotta try not to let the pain show when people walk into the bookstore, give you a quick glance and avoid walking in your direction. Ya just gotta give them one of your best smiles.

as Les Brown puts it, "You have to shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars."

Book signings are like living life. It's a form of not being sure, not knowing what will happen next or how. We just do our best. We guess. we hope, and we take our chances, and we eat the chocolate goodies we brought for the customers who are supposed to buy our book.

One thing I have found is that I meet some really nice people at book signings. We talk and sometimes even laugh. Sometimes they buy the book and sometimes they don't but we get to know each other. In fact I did a book signing and Seagull B&T, and a woman stopped by my table. We talked for a minute then I told her about my book. She thanked me and went on to do her shopping in the store. But before she left she came back to my table and said she had decided to buy my book. A year later, I was doing another book signing at the same store. that same woman came into the store, took one look in my direction and hurried over to give me a hug and bought my book. she remembered me.

Book signings are like doing missionary work. You have to sell yourself and the book in your hand. Sometimes people like what they hear. sometimes they don't. My sons tell me that once you've overcome the feeling of rejection, you become a better missionary. I think it works the same way as we do book signings. Not everyone is converted to our book, and once we can overcome the feeling of rejection, we relax and simply do our best.

Have a great day
JoAnn