Monday, July 17, 2017
On With Promoting My Books!
7/17/2017
Hello, Everyone!
I have mentioned it before, but I do believe I have reached a new stage in what might be called my "publishing career." With the aid and support of a few like my friend, Nancy Shaw, in the last few years, I have succeeded to publish not one - but six - works commenting in essay, song, and story about my vision of life - including a rather controversial "untraditional" new look at one who many of us have considered a friend - Jesus. In fact, the most recent work I have managed to publish is directly on Jesus. That one is called JESUS - ACCORDING TO THOMAS & MARY - AND ME.
Be that as it may, that is behind me now. My main books are done - and it is time to get on with sharing them. First one thing, then another. Right? First you have to publish your views; then you have to find a way to share them - if you want to share them in the first place. One cannot share what one has not provided. Right?
It was only a few years ago that I asked all of you on my email list if you could suggest a publisher that I might reasonably pursue. Wayne Karberg, a friend here in Laramie, answered that email by suggesting a publisher called CREATE SPACE. Wow, did that suggestion ever turn out to be a great one! Thanks, Wayne! Following Wayne's lead, I looked into CREATE SPACE - an online demand publisher; and the result is that in just 3 short years from an introduction to CREATE SPACE, "we" have gone forward to publish 6 books and I am planning on one more that I intend to publish in early 2019 called IT'S A NEW DAY.
For what it's worth, I am calling it IT'S A NEW DAY because I am seeing all of my works as extending to a new look at life. In the end, I am hoping to suggest that humans look at life in a "new way." Thus, I am planning on finishing my list of books with one suggesting a "new day." Ambitious perhaps, but why not?
The key, I believe, to accomplishing anything is to start with a step - and then just proceed forward with more steps. Makes sense, right? No one has to do everything in one day, but each day is important if progress is continuous. Before you know it, you can claim to have published a "brief library" of works - all because you started with one small step.
Of course, I have not done it alone. If Wayne Karberg had not given me the idea of looking into CREATE SPACE, I might still be looking for a publisher, but thanks to Wayne and his "fine idea," we have come a long way in just 3 years - though admittedly most of what I have published in 3 years was written long ago. In fact, I did not start writing 3 years ago. I have been writing since the '60s - and basically sitting on the eggs. It is just that a few years ago, I decided to let those eggs hatch; but like an old mother hen, I have been sitting on them for a long time.
Also, if ones like my dear friend, Nancy Shaw, had not encouraged me to publish in the first place, I might not have even pursued trying to publish; but thanks to ones like Wayne and Nancy, "we" have done a lot. Thanks, Wayne & Nancy! I appreciate what you have done for me - and hopefully for the world - and I appreciate all the encouragement I have received in life - from Mom & Dad onward!
So, let us continue. OK? Feel welcome to suggest ways that I can share my now finished "brief library" of 6 books - with a 7th book on the way soon. I know it will be somewhat difficult to do this process - partly because of my unfamiliarity with it. I have been one to live my life according to my principle of believing that all existence is holy because an Infinite God must be IN it, not outside of it to warrant having to appease Him (or Her or It), but have yet to share that with others - for the most part. So I am not used to sharing with the public; and that is why I am asking for suggestions.
One thing I know for sure, though - I KNOW I do not have to do it alone. Even if I just begin the process of sharing my views through books I have written today - and then die tomorrow - I KNOW that others can continue with the process the day after tomorrow, know what I mean? Hey, the books are done - and are available. Having done that, what can be hard about finding ways to share them?
I do not know where it will go, but I have begun this "sharing process" with a small book store here in Laramie called SECOND STORY BOOKS. They have agreed to let me put a one foot by foot and a half poster in the front of their store advertising my books. Maybe that will amount to something - and maybe not - but it is a beginning. I am "stepping along" - so to speak; and maybe soon I can step some more here in my home town of Laramie - and get along more with the process.
Speaking of that poster I had made, by a Laramie friend named Kevin McDermott, if any of you want to approach a book store in your area and supply a copy of that poster, just let me know. I can email you an attachment of that poster; and then if you find that acceptable, I will mail you a copy of the poster - again one foot wide by one foot and a half long. The top of the poster says AVAILABLE HERE. That is not to say a book is "in the store," but rather available upon request. Then a book store - or perhaps any store - can order a requested book online wholesale and sell it retail - either according to suggested price or price of their own. That is my plan for that. It may work - and it may not - but again, it is a beginning. Right? By the way, Kevin, who did the poster for me, works for a print shop here in Laramie called "Digital Blues." Thanks, Kevin, for a job well done!
If you have other ideas, feel welcome to forward a suggestion. OK? And I will be stepping along on my own and seeing what I can do. Tomorrow (or maybe even Today), I plan to call my publisher, CREATE SPACE, and see what they may have in mind in terms of a normal process of promoting books they publish. Time will tell how it all goes!
Good Luck to us All! Be in touch as you wish!
Thanks so much!
Gently,
Francis William Bessler
www.una-bella-vita.com
P.S. By the way, if you want to review what my 6 books are, go to my writings website mentioned above and there are links to them there - or enter Francis William Bessler in the search bar of Amazon.com. There they are! AVAILABLE NOW! My books are also available via Kindle. You can check out one of my books online if you wish, pay a very minimal price, and check out a book online via Kindle. Then if you like it, you can order your own hard copy. It is certainly an option. Consider it if you will. OK?
P.S. 2: It just so happens that I had a dream last night and wrote about it today too. I was going to call CREATE SPACE and chat with them about ways of promoting my books, but like it so often happens, I got distracted - in this case by wanting to record my dream. If you wish, you can review the essay I wrote about it today in my next blog.