[blparent] OT: Question About Public Appearances

Wed Dec 16 04:43:13 UTC 2015

I would be glad to write to you off list, but my e-mail program is not 
letting me click on your address, for some reason.  You can contact me at 
jopinto at msn.com and we will chat about publishing.

Jo Elizabeth

"The Bright Side of Darkness"
is my newly published novel,
available in Kindle, audio, and paperback formats at Amazon.com.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Judy Jones via BlParent
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2015 9:20 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Cc: Judy Jones
Subject: Re: [blparent] OT: Question About Public Appearances

O you are so right in your observations!  I really like the other comment
about directing people's conversations about themselves.  People like to
talk about themselves.

I would like you to write me off-list, because I would like advice on how
you published.

Thanks very much.

Judy
-----Original Messge----- 
From: Jo Elizabeth Pinto via BlParent
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2015 9:09 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Cc: Jo Elizabeth Pinto
Subject: Re: [blparent] OT: Question About Public Appearances

Thanks for those ideas, Judy.  They're good ones.  I might even look for
some business cards from the NFB so I can give them out as necessary and
then move on.  Some of the members in my writers' group encouraged me to be
an "ambassador" for people who are visually impaired, and I assured them
that I've been one for my entire life.  I, like most of us, have no problem
with educating the public, but as you said, that was not the time or the
place.

Jo Elizabeth

"The Bright Side of Darkness"
is my newly published novel,
available in Kindle, audio, and paperback formats at Amazon.com.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Judy Jones via BlParent
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2015 8:12 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Cc: Judy Jones
Subject: Re: [blparent] OT: Question About Public Appearances

I just had another thought.  You could say something like, "I'm really here
to promote and talk about my book, but if you would like more information on
blindness skills, I would be glad to give you other resources."  Then be
prepared with a phone number of your local office serving the blind.  Then
follow up with, "Any book questions?"

Like a teacher, you can keep the "class" on topic that way.

Judy

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jo Elizabeth Pinto via BlParent
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2015 5:32 PM
Cc: Jo Elizabeth Pinto
Subject: [blparent] OT: Question About Public Appearances

I’m sorry for the off topic post, but I not sure where else I can ask this
question, and I know a lot of you have had experience with public speaking
in various settings over the years.  I’m hoping to pick your collective
brains and learn from your hard-won wisdom.  *Smile.*  I had a  book signing
on Saturday for the novel I published last summer.  The novel has done
reasonably well in Kindle, audio, and paperback formats, selling locally and
online, but the book signing was a bust.  Part of the problem was the snowy,
windy weather, and part of it was the fact that the bookstore that was
hosting the event didn’t advertise well and the location was out of the way.
The event was a book fair with over sixty authors present, so my table was
only one of many.  I had done a local book signing in my home town that went
very well.  I advertised it in the local paper, passed out  fliers, the
whole bit.  It was a fun event, and I talked to a lot of people.  So I
thought I knew what to expect.  I was wrong.
Once I got out of my home town where people were at least somewhat familiar
with me as a whole person and not a blind person, nobody could get past my
disability.  Practically everyone who came up to my table asked me how I
could write a book.  Not about the creative process, not about the story,
but how I could type as a blind person, or how I could use a computer, or
even how I got to the book signing.  I found myself explaining that I had
learned to type when I was in the fourth grade, and that my computer was
equipped with text-to-speech (screen-reading) software, and that my dad had
brought me to the book signing, and we had gone out to breakfast on the way
there—I barely managed not to add that I had even found my mouth with my
fork and put the scrambled eggs in and chewed them up all by myself.  Sorry
for the sarcasm, but I felt frustrated and humiliated by the end of the day.
My dad, who I had brought along because he would usually be very outgoing
and good at working the crowd and steering people to my table, either didn’t
notice what was going on or wanted no part of it because he disengaged and
wandered around talking to other authors about their books.  When the friend
who had agreed to do the afternoon shift with me got there, she was better
than my dad had been about directing people to my table, but I still couldn’t
get them past their amazement over the mundane so they would chat with me
about what I was really there for.  So my question is, if public appearances
are going to be worthwhile, I need to think of a way to redirect the
conversation toward where it needs to go.  Maybe a humorous one-liner?
Since I can’t scream at people, you know.  I realize they mean well and it’s
a matter of education, I suppose, but man, does it get old!  It wasn’t that
I didn’t have a nice display.  I had visuals for the sighted people to look
at with printed copies of the book reviews, I had copies of the book, I had
bookmarks and business cards for them to take away.  I have assurances from
people that my display looked professional, so that isn’t the issue.

To be fair, it wasn’t all in vain.  I met some interesting authors and found
out about some good resources.  But overall, as with  most ventures, there
are hurdles to overcome.

Thanks for letting me pick your brains!
Jo Elizabeth

"The Bright Side of Darkness"
is my newly published novel,
available in Kindle, audio, and paperback formats at Amazon.com.
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