My book about my mom’s complicated life, “Surviving Sue” is turning one!
Wowza. Just wowza. The past year has been full of ‘firsts’ – things I never imagined doing and I’m grateful, grateful.
One of those little gems arrived this morning when I noticed the Kindle version of “Surviving Sue” popped back up in the Amazon rankings to #25 in my category. I don’t check every day, but it’s a fabulous bright spot when I know readers are reading thanks to the nearly real-time stats. I checked a few minutes ago and I’m now at #30, but it’s all good. The bobbing and weaving might drive you mad if you tune in too often.
Even so, I love seeing the rankings because it means fresh feedback MIGHT be coming from a reader. The two-way interaction has been the most unexpected delight over the past year. Listening to readers share the common ground experiences they’ve found with my book. Hearing the praise and the acknowledgement that it was/is a story worth reading…knowing.
And yet…the process of book promotion is unlike anything I’ve ever done.
I don’t know what I thought a year ago. I’d written a textbook, a doctoral dissertation but never a memoir. I never needed to promote the things I’d written before. Textbooks sorta sell themselves and I had a partner, my dear friend Linda working with me and our publisher who was terrific. And the dissertation? Yah. It’s in the Library of Congress and I’ve been cited a time or two for my work, but doctoral dissertations are like private “coming of age” milestone projects. When you cross the finish line and you’re done, you get a hearty pat on the back but rarely do readers pop up and say, “Hey, I’d love to talk to you about your theoretical approach and how you ran your stats in your study.” Nope. You just get the extra regalia to wear at graduation and the distinction of adding “Dr.” to your name here and there, but largely once it’s done – that big, hefty five-year long writing project? It’s done-done. Finito.
Memoirs, though? They live on and you receive generous feedback. Readers who pick up on themes and threads that you thought were unremarkable. You revel in the knowledge that your book wasn’t just ‘skim-worthy’. It was read. Absorbed. So much so that readers’ questions followed. Queries about ‘what happened next’ and the ‘how did you?’ or ‘tell me more about…”. Amazing.
I’ve enjoyed all of this – most of all connecting with people I might never meet in person. Folks who saw aspects of my story, Sue’s life, reflected in their own journey. I understood what you were saying, Vicki. I’m not alone with my struggles.
Even so, there are disappointments and frustrations in the book promotion process. I don’t mind the hard work. I thrive on it, but the bravery it takes to keep going…continuing the conversation is tough.
Case in point? I was thrilled about my upcoming class, Writing for Resiliency that I thought I’d be teaching this summer. The course outline, syllabus and session details were in place, ready to go. I just needed students. Enrollment. Here’s where the self-doubt looms. The class was withdrawn for low enrollment.
Was it the timing (an evening class)? The modality (in-person vs. virtual)? The fact that the 4th of July holiday fell ½ way through the course? I dunno. But here’s the hard stuff. Maybe it was me? The pitch and promotion were insufficient? Or worse? It was ME, me. The professor, her book, her background?
I dunno, but it’s a disappointment. I wallowed about it for a day, but I’m letting it go because that’s what I do. Dust myself off, consider other ways to promote – not just the book, but the underlying purpose, the mission I’m on to honor the themes of resiliency and intergenerational healing. Themes which give me purpose and, I hope, inspiration to others.
I’ve got two more events scheduled this summer and that’s exciting…but what comes next? I don’t know. If you’ve read this far and you haven’t picked up a copy of “Surviving Sue” and are interested, please know that your support means a lot. It’s a way of knowing I’ve been heard and even a year later (or a lifetime later) it still matters and I’m not ashamed to say so. If you’ve read and wouldn’t mind passing along your positivity to another reader, I’d be honored.
Vicki 😊
P.S. Check out this link for more “Peek Inside” content about “Surviving Sue”.
Victoria Ponders 
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