 Relief editor Lisa Ohlen Harris and Coach’s Midnight Diner author Melody Graves met recently to discuss Melody’s upcoming reading at a Dallas area Barnes & Noble. This is the first time an author has taken on a major publicity effort highlighting one of our publications, and we are very excited about Melody’s enthusiasm and abilities—as a writer and now as a publicity guru! Lisa reports from Texas that Melody is a well-spoken, thoughtful writer … with a definite glint in her eye. Here’s the interview. Relief: First off, Melody, welcome to the editorial team here at ccPublishing, NFP, where you’re the new layout editor for Coach’s Midnight Diner. How did you get yourself tangled up in Coach’s evil web in the first place?
Melody: Thanks Lisa. Glad to be a part of the “evil web.” It was one of those off-hand remarks I made to Coach in an email, saying that I was a graphic designer. Then, a few weeks later, he approached me about joining the editorial team because of my design skills. I’ve always wanted to learn more about the inner workings of small press publishing, so I thought it would be a great opportunity.
Relief: I read your short story, “The Looking Glass,” from the Diner on Christmas morning. I bought a copy of volume 1 for my husband, so I had to wait until he unwrapped it before I could dive in! Your story felt like something I might read in a college literature course along with “The Telltale Heart.” Very freakish and Gothic. Do you think that your particular genre is more appropriate for a bookstore reading than another genre might be?
Melody: Well, I don’t really think it’s the “genre” as much as the entertainment factor that makes a good selection for a book reading. I’ve attended several readings by well-known authors, and inevitably the most memorable ones are pieces that are very funny with a lot of dialogue, or jam-packed with a lot of emotion and soul. More internalized pieces don’t go over very well unless they have a certain dramatic quality about them. Ultimately, a reading is a performance, and you have to capture the audience’s attention with a piece that is entertaining—and usually, fairly short.
Relief: You’ve published a couple of short stories and you’ve done a reading and signing at Barnes & Noble and have another one scheduled at an independent bookseller in Austin, Texas, this spring. Wow, Melody! Either you are very gutsy or something is wrong with you! How did you come to schedule these events successfully?
Melody: Actually, “The Looking Glass” is my first and only story in print so far. But hopefully, those publication credits will start coming in soon! I have several stories under consideration at literary journals, and I’m at the point where I’m making it to the final editorial rounds at many of the journals. I’m at the stage where I have to be persistent, even though the rejections can be very discouraging.
I don’t really consider myself gutsy. I’m simply a survivor at heart. I’ve spent the greater part of a decade battling a debilitating case of severe fibromyalgia. My doctors told me I’d be confined to a wheelchair by now, but I’ve proven them wrong. I’ve made incredible progress with therapy, and now I’m getting into urban and road cycling, working a couple of different freelance jobs, and getting stronger every day. For me, being fearless and tenacious is essential. I have to choose to be fearless every single day. Self-doubt is the most crippling disease that afflicts most writers. At some point, you have to decide whether you you’re committed to doing this for a living. If you are, then you sharpen your skills and do whatever it takes until you’ve accomplished your goal.
Relief: Wait a second, Melody. Your doctors said you’d end up in a wheelchair … talk about a hook! Have you written any nonfiction about your experience with fibromyalgia?
Melody: I’m writing a book with the occupational therapist responsible for my great results, and we’re working to develop an online training course in conjunction with a live seminar tour in the next year or so. For more information, you can visit my website at www.melodygraves.com.
Relief: It’s great to know about your website. I personally think that even emerging writers should have an online presence. It sounds to me like you’ve presented yourself professionally for a long time now, in anticipation of one day having published work. Was the bookstore event something you planned ahead of time, or did this all happen unexpectedly?
Melody: I suppose I had a basic plan in my head for what I wanted to do, but the truth is, I simply prayed that God would open doors for me if He wanted to do something amazing with this book. I didn’t “plan” on paper to do a regional book signing tour, but after I got a really generous Christmas bonus from one of my other jobs, I decided to use that money to go promote the anthology and see what happens. I’ve been preparing for this moment for many years, reading books on publishing and marketing and accumulating all kinds of random work experience. I believe everything happens for a reason, and I feel like all the pieces are finally coming together. I’m not at the helm here. It’s more like I’m water-skiing behind the Boeing 747 of God’s sovereignty. I’m just hanging on for the ride!
Relief: The few times I’ve attended book signings I haven’t seen great galloping sales. But bookstores keep hosting these events. Is the purpose of a reading and signing to sell books or something else?
Melody: I think book signings are more for the community rather than actual book sales. People want to connect with the authors that inspire them. And for me, that’s really the goal of doing a reading and signing tour. To spread the word about my work, but also to show my appreciation for all the people who have believed in me and supported me emotionally over the years. It’s also a great opportunity to meet new friends and fans and stir up interest in the faith-based fiction concept we’re trying to promote.
I’m not going to judge whether the event was successful by the number of books we sell. It’s a personal milestone for me, and I just hope everyone who comes has a great time.
Relief: How much publicity did the bookseller do and how much fell to you?
Melody: Barnes and Noble does in-store signage, a front-of-store display of your book, and will hand out your promotional bookmarks to customers who buy the same type of book as yours. Other than that, everything else I’ve produced and distributed on my time and out of my own pocket.
Other bookstores seem to have varying degrees of publicity they will provide for an author, but if they spend time on promoting your book, they usually charge a fee for their services, which is only fair.
Relief: What kind of publicity materials did you produce? What were the steps involved?
Melody: I have a distinct advantage over the typical author because of my graphic design and printing skills. I created bookmarks with the time, date, place, and standard artwork (headshot and book cover photo), and postcard-size invitations with a snappy graphic on front and personal invitation on the back, with a brief description and marketing tagline for CMD’s mission. My goal with the postcards is to stir up interest in the concept of hard-hitting, faith-based fiction. I want people to understand why this is different from everything else they’ll have seen before in a bookstore.
I’ve also printed up a few 11x17 posters to try to get placed in strategic locations at university campuses, other highly trafficked public places, and some 8.5x11 flyers to hang on community bulletin boards at public libraries, coffee shops, anywhere I think readers might gather, along with free bookmarks to have available wherever people will let me.
Oh, and I’ve printed up a couple of souvenir mugs with the Coach’s Midnight Diner cover on it, to give away as “door prizes” as a value-added incentive for people to stay until the end of the reading. They also make good gifts for the bookstore manager or library director who hosts the event.
[Editor’s note: If you’re interested in having similar publicity materials printed for your own event, please contact Melody via her website www.melodygraves.com ]
 Relief: I love the idea of a gift for the bookstore or library event coordinator. Here’s something I’m wondering about, Melody. How will your reading—from an anthology, where you are one author of many—differ from that of an author working with a book that’s exclusively her own title?
Melody: Obviously I only have one story in the anthology, so I’ll be reading that and a new literary piece from my current work-in-progress, a short story collection about the light and dark natures of transformative love. The story I’ve chosen is also dark and atmospheric, so I think the pieces will complement each other in tone and mood.
Relief: What would you say to your fellow authors from Coach’s Midnight Diner—or for that matter, writers in any anthology or literary journal—who might be interested in doing a reading? Are there some how-to steps you could list about how to plan and accomplish something like this?
Melody: There needs to be a big round of applause for Coach Culbertson in getting the book into the Baker & Taylor and Ingram distribution databases. This is a key factor in getting a signing. If the bookstore can’t order it to sell for themselves, it’s not really very beneficial to them to host a signing. After all, they are booksellers!
So if you don’t have good distribution for your book or journal, I’d say the chances are much less likely the bookstore will host your event. If you have a stash of books you can consign to them, they might be convinced to do it. But that means you have to keep your own inventory of books.
Beyond that, it’s pretty basic. Find out who the community events coordinator (Community Relations Manager at Barnes & Noble) is at the bookstore you’re targeting, and go in person to meet them. It may take a couple of visits until you hit the right time, but don’t be afraid to ask the staff what the manager’s schedule will be, because there is no substitute for face-to-face contact.
I can’t stress this enough. Go in person and look and act like a professional. Give them your pitch (a concise description of who you are and what you’re asking for), and then smile and wait for them to say yes! Don’t act apologetic for asking them to waste their time with you. You have to be the most passionate advocate of your project, or no one else will champion it. So just fill your heart, know your worth, step into that place of power, and ask. If they say no, you haven’t lost anything except a little bit of your time.
So, to recap: Do your homework. Find out who you need to talk to and go in person. Dress professionally. Be prepared with your pitch and your sell sheet. Follow up by phone or in person if you don’t get a firm date and commitment. These people are busy, and if you meet them in person, they usually won’t be near their desk, where the actual scheduling takes place. Have your business cards with you.
Relief: You just used the terms “pitch” and “sell sheet.” You told us earlier what a pitch is, but what is a sell sheet?
Melody: A sell sheet is a piece of paper with all the information a bookseller needs to know in a nutshell what your book is and how to order it. Coach prepared a sell sheet for Coach’s Midnight Diner, and authors can download it from my website . It includes pricing, ISBN number, distributor information, and of course an image of the anthology’s cover. A sell sheet might also include endorsements or a list of awards the book has received. Bookseller won’t stock your book if they don’t know how to order it.
Relief: What’s one piece of advice you’d like to give to your writing peers who are wondering whether or not to pursue a bookstore event like this—is it ever “too soon” in your career to begin marketing yourself?
Melody: I think every author has to take personal responsibility for marketing his or her work. The world of publishing is extremely competitive. Publishers and agents are looking for people who can prove that they have the ability to market and sell their own work. In order to be successful, you have to hone and practice those skills even if you’re not naturally inclined that way. So, no, I don’t think it’s ever too early to market yourself. Everything you do before you have a big novel to sell is valuable experience that will help you learn to balance the demands of writing new work and promoting your existing work at the same time.
Relief: What has the hardest part been in the planning of this event?
Melody: The biggest challenge was the short lead time. I had just under a month to plan the event. Most bookstore events are planned 2-4 months in advance. I actually got a slot from a previous author who canceled, and it was difficult to produce and distribute marketing materials during the Christmas and New Year holidays. So we’ll see how this one goes and learn from it for future dates. The easiest part for me was booking the signing. After that, I went into planning mode and realized I had a lot of work to do!
Relief: Melody, thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I’m very excited about seeing you again at Barnes & Noble on Friday, January 11th at 6:00 p.m. This is going to be great fun!
Friday, January 11th at 6:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers 3909 S. Cooper Street Arlington, TX 76015
Please note: This is not a family event for young children. Melody’s short stories deal with mature subject matter.
To keep up with Melody, watch www.melodygraves.com
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