[stylist] Request for advice

Wed Jan 22 05:14:29 UTC 2014

Okay, I didn't realize they are not offering any compensation. I agree
with Lynda, this doesn't seem to follow the normal routine for campus
speakers.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lynda
Lambert
Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2014 5:38 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] Request for advice

Donna,
As a retired tenured faculty member of a private college, I can tell you

there is always a budget for any speakers we bring to campus.  This is
hard 
to believe they would ask you to come for FREE, give of your time, give
them 
a free book, and expect a blind person to get there on their own
initiative 
with no offer of payment at all.  It just does not "fit" with anything I

have ever known as a professor.

This reminds me of a call I had a little while back asking me to come to
a 
conference and be a speaker - nearly 1/2 way across PA, with no offer of
any 
compensation nor even a room for the night. Do you think I even returned

that call?  NOT!
That is my take on what they proposed to you. I think it is insulting,
at 
the least.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2014 3:34 PM
Subject: [stylist] Request for advice

> 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/>
>
>
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