Constant Vigilance
Nothing can ever go completely smoothly, can it? For example, a couple weeks ago I felt like the queen of the small but lovely kingdom of Batavia, Illinois. Three Daves was on the shelves at the public library, an article about the book was to be published in one of the local papers, and I had a reading scheduled at a downtown coffee shop. I was on the cusp of ruling the world, right? Well...
I went on-line to gaze at my book title in the library's catalog (yeah, I do that sometimes) and it's not there! Turns out the one and only copy was either lost or damaged and so had to be removed. No problem, a new book would be purchased and I could soon return to my gazing, right? Right!?! Not so easy. Or so I was told by the women at every single desk in the building. Apparently there are some highly reclusive and protected individuals that make that decision and I was completely denied any access to them or comfort of any sort.
Ah, but I had that article to look forward to. Except I went on-line on publication date and...and...no article. So I waited patiently, certain that the next week it would be in there, and...nope.
That's okay, though, because I had a reading scheduled at the local coffee shop and they surely had it listed on their website with a nice little blurb and a link. That would make me feel better...er, it would've made me feel better if I'd even been mentioned on their upcoming events.
Grrrr...
But here's the thing---my book is not the center of anyone else's universe. Life is busy, people've got things to do. They can't be bothered with looking out for the things that are important to me. So I have to. Constantly, it seems. And when I see something amiss, I'd better point it out, cuz no one else is going to notice. I've had to get a lot more bold about asking for what I want. Sometimes I get it; sometimes I don't.
I asked for my event to be listed at the coffee shop with a link to my site, and...it didn't happen. But that's okay, the event was successful regardless. I followed up with the reporter. Apparently it was a matter of a small glitch, and the article is now on-line. Success. And as far as the library goes...it remains to be seen. But I have people, and they are on it. All I had to do was ask. ;)
I went on-line to gaze at my book title in the library's catalog (yeah, I do that sometimes) and it's not there! Turns out the one and only copy was either lost or damaged and so had to be removed. No problem, a new book would be purchased and I could soon return to my gazing, right? Right!?! Not so easy. Or so I was told by the women at every single desk in the building. Apparently there are some highly reclusive and protected individuals that make that decision and I was completely denied any access to them or comfort of any sort.
Ah, but I had that article to look forward to. Except I went on-line on publication date and...and...no article. So I waited patiently, certain that the next week it would be in there, and...nope.
That's okay, though, because I had a reading scheduled at the local coffee shop and they surely had it listed on their website with a nice little blurb and a link. That would make me feel better...er, it would've made me feel better if I'd even been mentioned on their upcoming events.
Grrrr...
But here's the thing---my book is not the center of anyone else's universe. Life is busy, people've got things to do. They can't be bothered with looking out for the things that are important to me. So I have to. Constantly, it seems. And when I see something amiss, I'd better point it out, cuz no one else is going to notice. I've had to get a lot more bold about asking for what I want. Sometimes I get it; sometimes I don't.
I asked for my event to be listed at the coffee shop with a link to my site, and...it didn't happen. But that's okay, the event was successful regardless. I followed up with the reporter. Apparently it was a matter of a small glitch, and the article is now on-line. Success. And as far as the library goes...it remains to be seen. But I have people, and they are on it. All I had to do was ask. ;)
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