[stylist] Request for advice

[Donna Hill]

Hi Friends,
As most of you know, I have been trying to promote my new novel The Heart of
Applebutter Hill. I recently had an article in the Wilkes-Barre
Times-Leader, and I used the occasion to contact professors in that area in
education departments and those heading up disability services departments.
I told them about the article, the book and the recommendations it has
received from professionals in education, rehabilitation and the arts as a
classroom resource for diversity-inclusivity and anti-bullying initiatives.
I offered them a free copy of an electronic version of the book (I have 7
e-book versions, which covers about everything including reading it on a
computer).
 
My question is how to handle a response I received today. It's from a
married couple, both of whom are Ph.D.s and on the faculty of a university
in Wilkes-Barre. They don't use e-readers, and didn't address the
possibility of using their computer to read it.
 
Block quote
Thank you for your e-mail. I would love a copy of your book, but I would
like a print version.  I don't use a kindle or e-reader of any kind. We have
a Forum Series at (name of university) and would like you to present if you
are available sometime in the fall between 4 and 6 PM Mon.-Thurs.
 
You could talk about your book and even have a book signing and/or, you
might discuss your experiences in education and inclusion. Unfortunately, we
do not have a budget, so we cannot offer you an honorarium, but we do hope
that you will agree to speak anyway.
 Block quote end
 
They go on to invite me to call them and give their home and work numbers.
 
Here's the situation. E-books are free for me to give away; print books are
not. At my author price and shipping, it costs about what Amazon charges. At
this point, I have been restricting give-aways of the print copies to the
press, contest entries, online give-aways (like GoodReads), for the people
who either critiqued the book prior to publication and those who wrote
recommendations. I also am giving some to local community leaders to help
generate local interest, and I have set some aside for Learning Ally and our
state NLS and so forth. 
 
So, they want me to send them a book and also to show up and do a program
for nothing other than the possibility of selling a few books. This is an
hour each way. Rich has been ill for 7 months and has severe (and possibly
unreversable) nerve damage in his arms and legs.
 
If I were to go anyway, I would have to hire a driver; the person would have
to set aside about 4 hours of their time in addition to the milage. The last
time I did something similar, one professor promised me a letter of
recommendation. That was last February. I also never got the advance release
copy back. The school liked it enough to make a Power Point display that
they showed at some meeting, but for whatever reason that promise was never
kept.
 
There's no way I'm going over there without even a token honorarium; even if
I found a free ride, Rich would kill me on general principles. *grin* If I
send them a book, then I'm letting the door open for others to request print
copies. I could suggest that they ask their school's library to order one
from Baker and Taylor and borrow it. 
 
So, what do you think? How should I handle this? 
Thanks,
Donna

-- The Heart of Applebutter Hill - a novel on a mission:

http://DonnaWHill.com <http://donnawhill.com/>