Howdy folks! You came to find me, but I’ve been over talking with the good people over at Chosen By You Book Club, where I gave a little interview and where you can enter to win a giveaway of my novel Portrait of Woman in Ink: A Tattoo Storybook.
Leave a CommentThis post is long overdue, but you’ll have to forgive me on account of my long holiday (and honeymoon) trip to Europe.
The day before we left for Europe, I got to cross one big item off of my bucket list. I got to walk into a bookstore and see the book that I wrote – my baby, my life’s work (up to this point) – on a shelf in a bookstore. Maybe it’s a little silly, but there’s nothing that can make you feel like you’ve “made it” more than this little action.
My book’s now in two independent bookstores in the Austin area. The first to pick it up (after I politely yet persistently introduced myself to the store owner) was BookWoman, a feminist bookstore I figured would be a good fit for the book, even though it kind of reminds me of the Women & Women First bookstore on the IFC show Portlandia. Side note: If you’re unfamiliar, I highly recommend you check it out. I did my research and tried to do all the right things: I actually bought some stuff from the bookstore, I went to a couple events, and – most importantly – I worked up the courage to talk to the store owner about my book and how their programs support local authors.
The second bookstore to pick it up was BookPeople, which is consistently named one of the best independent bookstores in the country. They have a consignment program for local authors, which means I provide them with a few copies of my book, they shelve them, they feature them, and they get me in for a local author night (mine’s in May). Luckily for me, my publisher Book Brain Publishing paid the associated fees and they want me to do more of these programs.
I have a goal for 2014 to get Portrait of Woman in Ink into three more bookstores, so I can have even more shelves to ogle over. Don’t get me wrong, I love ebooks and I think they are crucial to the future success of the publishing industry. But seeing my smooth, glossy cover full of recycled printed pages face out on an old wooden bookshelf is a feeling I won’t soon forget.
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I’m still finding it difficult to accept the truth of the Julian calendar, but it tells me that it is, in fact, November. Part of the reason I find this so shocking is because the month of September was such a whirlwind for me. We took a road trip to my hometown for a camping trip on Labor Day weekend, and a couple weekends later, I found myself flying to the town where I was born for my grandmother’s funeral. Being to three of the places you’ve called “home” in your life in less than 30 days can really mess with your head and stir up a lot of emotions, and that’s what inspired my latest poem.
It’s called Home, and you can read it HERE.
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My newest book Portrait of Woman in Ink: A Tattoo Storybook got some review love from fellow author and book blogger Andrea Blackstone over at The Reader’s and Author’s Nook. While you’re over there checking out the wonderful review, take a look at all the great content they have over there and find the next book to add to your TBR list!
A huge thanks to book bloggers like these ladies who spread the word about lesser known books like mine. Check out the review here:
http://thereadersandauthorsnook.blogspot.com/2013/10/im-still-here-kelly-hitchcocks-portrait_20.html
1 CommentI’ve blogged several times about the issue of Clackamas Literary Review that I was recently published in – a publication timeline that looked a lot like this:
October 2009: I submit 3 poems via snail mail with a good ole SASE.
February 2010: Clackamas accepts 2 of my poems for publication in their 2010 issue.
November 2011: I receive word the issue is going to drop publication any day.
February 2012: I once again receive word the issue is going to be published soon, and that I will receive 7 contributor copies instead of 2, and that I can purchase copies for $5.
March 2013: 2010 issue is published, with promise of shipment for 7 contributor copies, which I do not receive.
September 2013: Tired of waiting, I order my own copy for about $10. Thanks, Amazon Prime!
As publication timelines go, this is a crappy one. Despite the long bouts of miscommunication and having to buy my own copy for full price, there truly is n substitute for the feeling you get when you see your work printed on the pages of what has historically been a very highly acclaimed publication, even if the publication management leaves a thing or two to be desired.
Was it worth it? To be honest, had I known it would take more than 3 years to publish, I might have pulled my poems from consideration after the first unanswered email from the Editor in Chief. Sometimes, though, you just have to stick it out and hope that things eventually pay off. And, even though I had to buy my own copy, I can look on the bright side knowing that my money is going to a graduate writing program that is probably suffering the same kind of fate graduate writing programs are facing all over the country.
And if I do eventually receive my 7 contributors copies, you can bet I’ll be sending a copy to the guy who told me one of the poems in it was “desperate and whiny”.
2 CommentsThe Kindle-first launch of PORTRAIT OF WOMAN IN INK: A TATTOO STORYBOOK has gone so swimmingly (but busily) I haven’t even had time to tell y’all how swimmingly it’s gone before the launch of the paperback editions, which coincidentally happens today! The 6×9 paperback is now available for purchase in both Amazon and Barnes & Noble, so justify the killing of trees (or the practice of recycling) for the good of human knowledge. It’s also available in Nook from the Barnes & Noble online retail dwarf.
So, now that the important news is out of the way, here’s the not-so important list of facts on how the book launch has gone:
The big day is finally here! It is a grand book birthday for PORTRAIT OF WOMAN IN INK, courtesy of Bird Brain Publishing. It’s launching in the Amazon Kindle store first, where you can nab it for the special introductory price of $5.99. Next will be Nook, other e-readers, and paperback.
This book comes to fruition (banana flavored) after a near 2-year labor of love. I began writing it in October 2011, sent my first query letter July 2012, and signed a book deal with Bird Brain Publishing January 2013. Today, August 5, 2013, it’s launching in all its glory!
Nab your Kindle copy now by going HERE
1 CommentHere it is – in all its grace, amazement, badassness, and glory.
I absolutely cannot wait for this book to hit the shelves, which it will, super mega soon. Pretty much as soon as we can put all these finishing touches on it, which will be early in August. And hey, it has its own page now, so go check it out HERE.
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Last week, I did another one of those silly book giveaways with the KDP Select program to prepare for the impending release of Portrait of Woman in Ink: A Tattoo Storybook. In total, I gave away 1048 copies of The Redheaded Stepchild around the globe.
Because I am a word nerd who totally geeks out over statistics, here are my geektastic findings from the latest giveaway:
-As you may have drawn from the sharp line on the graph (picture me with one of those presentation wands pointing to the chart HERE), giveaways are most successful on the first day. Why? Because people don’t like spending money, so they will grab up all the free books they can get their hands on, which in the Kindle universe, changes daily.
– In the free book rankings, The Redheaded Stepchild topped out at #14 in the Coming of Age category, and #18 in the Literary category.
– To my surprise, Friday was a good day to give away a book. Saturday was surprising, too. I figured people would be increasingly ignoring their computers the first 3 days of the giveaway (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) and I would see a spike on Monday, but if you’ll refer to the chart HERE (picture me with magic wand again), my hypothesis proved to be wildly incorrect.
– I got a predictable 1-star review out of the giveaway. Am I surprised? Not really. Literary fiction’s not for everyone. The person who negatively reviewed my book would probably do the same to Jane Austen or Charles Dickens for lack of action. Not that I would dare compare myself to Austen or Dickens. I’m far younger and better looking.
Now, I just need to get ready for my next big promotional craziness – the release of PORTRAIT OF WOMAN IN INK!
Leave a CommentMy newest book, PORTRAIT OF WOMAN IN INK hits the shelves soon! As a little ramp up, I am giving away my first book, The Redheaded Stepchild, which includes a preview chapter of PORTRAIT OF WOMAN IN INK, on Amazon.
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