The Simplest Thing Really

I wanted to be with you alone
And talk about the weather
But traditions I can trace
Against the child in your face
Won’t escape my attention
You keep your distance
With a system of touch
And gentle persuasion
Tears For Fears ~ Head Over Heels

A really good friend of mine sent me a bag of goodies from a Romantic Times convention a while back. Her comment was to tell her what stood out in all the doodads and various and sundry promotional items.

Now bookmarks, I swear are those writers business cards or what?
Do you have information where I can get in touch with you?
Oh here, have my bookmark.

Out of all the pens and coffee cups and postcards and bookmarks and and and.
Well, do you really want to know what stood out? What cried out… READ MY STORY? What said… I am proud of my talent and really want to share it with you?

You sure? Because this is probably gonna be a real let down for some of you.

This…

Well OK, maybe not exactly that pamphlet but the same idea.

A handmade pamphlet that had the first chapter of this writers new eBook lovingly formatted and printed out page by page and folded and slaved over by hand. This was the only one I saw in the whole bag.

It just so stands out still in my mind that she obviously was proud of her writing and that she wanted to present her latest book to share and sign and would work that hard to make it happen even if she did not have an actual book to give away.

And that my friends worked for me more than anything else I pulled out of that pile.

Could I have glitzed it up a bit more and made it prettier? Sure, I am Gay you know. I just love these handmade papers that not only look great but work in inkjet printers.

The point is I know times are tough and it looks like things are going to get tougher and authors will be pinching pennies just to get to the conferences this coming year. But please, the pens and the pen lights, and the coffee cups, and the cards, and the forty fucking thousand different styles of bookmarks. The branding, the blaring, the slick gimmick.

I myself am far more interested in what you do so well.
Tell me a story.

*PS I also liked the Hershey’s Kisses. Who ever gave those got bonus extra piggy points.