[blparent] OT: Question About Public Appearances
Jo Elizabeth Pinto
jopinto at msn.com
Thu Dec 17 17:35:18 UTC 2015
I'll look both of those over anyway, thanks. I might as well not re-invent
the wheel.
Jo Elizabeth
"The Bright Side of Darkness"
is my newly published novel,
available on Kindle, audio, and paperback formats at Amazon.com.
-----Original Message-----
From: Judy Jones via BlParent
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2015 8:27 AM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Cc: Judy Jones
Subject: Re: [blparent] OT: Question About Public Appearances
Nope, not as detailed. What I was thinking of is the thing on the NOPBC
site, questions kids, ask, but is lengthier than a faq sheet.
I was thinking we also had a brochure like that, but maybe not.
Judy
-----Original Message-----
From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Melissa
Riccobono via BlParent
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2015 7:54 AM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Cc: melissa at riccobono.us
Subject: Re: [blparent] OT: Question About Public Appearances
I think the document you might be thinking about is The Curtesy Rules of
Blindness. This is a nice document, but I don't think it really answers the
questions at hand. It deals much more with how you should act when you meet
a blind person--and how not to act. Certainly this could be a nice resource
as well.
Melissa
-----Original Message-----
From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Judy Jones
via BlParent
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 11:00 AM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Cc: Judy Jones
Subject: Re: [blparent] OT: Question About Public Appearances
I believe the NFB also has a document as you describe, but am not recalling
the name at present.
Judy
-----Original Message-----
From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Melissa
Riccobono via BlParent
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 8:56 AM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Cc: melissa at riccobono.us
Subject: Re: [blparent] OT: Question About Public Appearances
I love all of the suggestions so far. The only one I might add is possibly
to create an FAQ document with simple basic info about how you use your
computer, or any other questions you often get asked. You could then give
them the document saying something like, "A lot of people have asked me
these questions. Here's a little more information for you to take away with
you and read later... Now, what what can I tell you about my book?"
I have often felt like creating such a document and handing it to the random
people who think it is perfectly all right to ask me tons of questions when
I just want to be doing something else!
The best of luck at future book signings! I have always wanted to write
books. Congratulations on accomplishing this! I have some iTunes gift cards
coming my way for Christmas... Your book is on my list of things I will
purchase!
Melissa
-----Original Message-----
From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jo
Elizabeth Pinto via BlParent
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2015 7:33 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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