Tag: Arcadia Publishing

The Wrinkled Egg

After my cousin suggested that The Wrinkled Egg in Flat Rock, North Carolina would be a good place for my book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to sell, I passed that information on to Arcadia Publishing. The sales department followed up with Virginia and she ordered a dozen copies for her store! I dropped by The Wrinkled Egg on Tuesday afternoon, although the fog was getting thicker by the mile and I hesitated to leave the interstate. Virginia was not in but I enjoyed talking to Patty. My book had not arrived, but I hope it will be available there before Christmas.

The Wrinkled Egg on a foggy December day in Flat Rock, North Carolina.
The Wrinkled Egg on a foggy December day in Flat Rock, North Carolina.

The Wrinkled Egg is a quaint gift shop in lovely Flat Rock. Across the street from the famous Flat Rock Playhouse of North Carolina, the shop is in a perfect location for the convenience of shoppers and visitors to this village that is tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Flat Rock. Carl Sandburg and his wife bought a farm there and lived out the last years of their lives there. Their home, “Cannemara” is a State Historic Site and is open for tours. Plan a trip to Flat Rock, where you can visit Cannemara, take in a play at the Playhouse, and shop at The Wrinkled Egg!

My two-day trip to Tryon, Hendersonville, Canton, Asheville, and Flat Rock was an energy booster for me. It was my first opportunity to visit the area covered by my vintage postcard book and see my book on store shelves there. I enjoyed meeting bookstore owners and employees and it was indeed a thrill to see my book on the shelf at several stores!

Canton Public Library Author Event

On Monday afternoon, December 1, I had the pleasure of talking to people who had participated throughout the month of November in National Novel Writing Month “write-ins” at the Canton Branch of the Haywood County, North Carolina, Public Library about my experience while writing a book for Arcadia Publishing. This was different from all my earlier speaking engagements about by vintage postcard book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

The audience members were attentive and asked some good questions at the end of my presentation. I enjoyed my time with them. I felt like we were kindred spirits since I, too, hope to get a novel published someday.

In addition to talking about my experience in writing a book for Arcadia Publishing, I told them about Judith H. Simpson’s book, Foundations in Fiction and recommended that they look for it. It is a good “nuts and bolts” how-to book about writing good fiction. Judy was my teacher fall semester 2001 at Queens University in Charlotte. Her Fiction Writing course was a life-changing experience, and one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. Judy is no longer with us physically, but she is a very real presence every time I sit down to write. Judy was a gifted teacher.

Each time I have a speaking engagement, I feel a little more at ease than the previous time. I hope that means I’m getting better at it, too!

Marketing my book

In an attempt to get the word out about the availability of my vintage postcard book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, I have written letters to 30 bookstores, pharmacies, and gift shops around the state this week and enclosed a marketing postcard from Arcadia Publishing.

Today I was thrilled to hear from Allen Eskens, author of The Life We Bury. He saw my blog about his book, and dropped me a note of thanks.

I was supposed to participate in the Downtown Christmas Festival in downtown Lenoir, NC tomorrow in a tent with several other authors. Circumstances prevent my going, so I had to cancel at the last minute. I hope to schedule some author events in some stores or public libraries in that area after the first of the year.

Scheduling author events continues to be the most challenging part of the writing process for me.

Invitation to Malaprop’s Bookstore

Tonight I received an e-mail from Malaprop’s Bookstore — a wonderful independent bookstore — to drop by the next time I’m in Asheville to autograph some of my books. I hope to do that in December.

Today I had copies of my writing pamphlet printed to send to the president of the North Carolina Society of Historians for inclusion in the packets for the people attending this year’s awards luncheon. I was pleased with what I was able to create using Microsoft Excel for the first time. If I can do it, anyone can do it!

I visited Books-a-Million at Concord Mills Mall today and was disappointed that The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina was not on the Arcadia Publishing shelf in the “Regional Books” section of the store. That needs to be rectified tomorrow.

Grateful

I am grateful to the sales and marketing staff of Arcadia Publishing for getting my book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, on the shelves of a good number and variety of stores in the mountains last week. As I write thank you letters to the store owners to express my appreciation for their agreeing to sell the book, I am reminded of just how many people it takes to get a book from an author’s hands and into the hands of the reader.

Where you can purchase my book

The sales and marketing people at Arcadia Publishing have been hard at work getting my book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, on store shelves. The book is available at the following locations in the North Carolina mountains:

Smoky Mountain Host Visitors Center in Franklin

Books Unlimited in Franklin

Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville

The Gilded Lily by Patra in Blowing Rock

Village Pharmacy in Blowing Rock

University Bookstore at Appalachian State University in Boone

Boone Drug – King Street and New Market in Boone

Lake Junaluska Assembly at Lake Junaluska

Walgreens on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville

Walgreens on S. Tunnel Road in Asheville

Malaprop’s Books and Cafe in Asheville

Asheville Chamber of Commerce

Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar in Asheville

Christa’s Country Corner in Newland

Mystery Hill in Blowing Rock

Town Hardware and General Store in Black Mountain

I am thrilled to know my book is being sold at all those locations in the North Carolina mountains! Soon it will be available at Second Look Books in Harrisburg, NC.

A Possible Piedmont NC Postcard Book?

With my deadline met with Arcadia Publishing on Thursday, I breathed a little easier over the weekend. I shopped for some postcards with a couple of future books in mind. Today I organized 230+ postcards for possible inclusion in a book of vintage postcards from the piedmont region of North Carolina.

I also searched the 2014 “Writer’s Market” book for magazines to submit articles to about several history topics I have in mind. It’s not easy to break into the magazine market. It’s discouraging when you pitch a story idea to an in-state magazine, it gets rejected, and then a few months later a regular contributing writer gets an article published on the very subject you pitched. That’s happened to me twice with the same magazine. That makes me a little hesitant to pitch story ideas to magazines.

Another deadline met!

This has been an exciting week! On Tuesday I went for my first head shot. I do not enjoy having my picture made, but Joanna Rogers of Memories by JoannaR put me at ease and made me look pretty good. The session was relatively painless. Thanks, Joanna!

Today I had a sales and marketing (along with head shot) deadline with Arcadia Publishing. It was with great relief and pleasure that I clicked on the “send” button at 4:59 p.m. yesterday. Deadline met!

With that deadline met, I’m one step closer to the August 25 publication of The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Only 38 days, but who’s counting?

Notice for anyone wanting to order any of my three Rocky River Presbyterian Church history booklets: My costs have gone up dramatically since I set the prices listed on my website. Those prices include shipping, so I am now losing money on photocopying, binding, and shipping. Stay tuned for some necessary price increases. I hate to do it, but I can’t afford to lose money on every sale. In the mean time, if you wish to order one of those books, please contact me at Janet@JanetMorrisonBooks.com for pricing information. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Next deadline approaching

The deadline is fast approaching for me to complete the sales and marketing information update form for Arcadia Publishing. I’m still searching the internet for more stores that might sell my book, The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Each day brings me one day closer to the August 25 publication date!

The final proofreading on mountain book

The final proofreading has been done, and The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina has been sent to the printer! I will be working with the sales and marketing staff of Arcadia Publishing to get publicity for this book of vintage postcards and get it on the shelves of strategic stores throughout the mountains and foothills of North Carolina. Publication is scheduled for August 25, 2014!