Ginger Blog Shutting Down

Here we go.  I started this book blog with those words; I might as well finish with them.  This blog began with friends nagging--uh, suggesting I should blog about my first book, Ginger Snaps: Photos & Stories about redheaded Queers.  As with almost everything about my book, I said okay, why not?  I'll learn about blogging.  Maybe it will sell books.  I have but it hasn't.

What have I learned thru blogging?  You should have a focus.  I decided mine was to share the experience of self publishing a book and what I learned along the way.  You have to post frequently.  Two weeks separated my first and second blogs.  Not good.  It's like friends: if you're not there for them, they won't be there for you.  You should make your blog interesting to read and look at.  I've tried my best on the first and failed utterly on the second.  You have to be patient and grateful for small things.  There are almost as many blogs as humans on the planet (not really but close).  How are people going to find yours?  It takes time and word of mouth/social media to build readership.  Be happy with your blog; it may have to be enough.  The odds of writing a widely read blog must be worse than those for writing a best selling novel.  Make sure your blog pleases you.  

With my short stories, I write for myself.  If other people like them, it's icing.  I'm not trying to communicate anything to you.  There's a story in my brain; I want to get the words out.  That sounds a little whacko but it's not.  It's the creative process.  You make the art you see, not the art you think others will like or buy.  Of course, it does help to have a day job or an independent income.

But blogging is different, at least it was for me.  You are communicating.  It's like giving a party: you want people to come.  Not many of you came to this one but I appreciated every hit, let me tell you.

Life moves on.  I'm working on my next book with an excellent gay artist, Michael Broderick.  My friend the painter Yelena Karanovich and I will meet in the new year to start planning a project.  David and I are set to start snapping photos and interviewing people for our next book.  Nonfiction, which I don't do--except for this blog, I guess--hmm--but he pitched an idea to me which started telling me stories immediately.

Some year I'll do a website and maybe you'll track me down.  Hey, there's always Facebook.  Anyhoo, thank you for reading what I've written.  A writer is always grateful, even if they write first for themselves.


Don't forget our Ginger stuff:
     Ginger Snaps the Book at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3577527
     ginger & gingerphile t-shirts & hoodies at http://gingergingerphiletee.logosoftwear.com

Au Revoir (Almost)

This blog is now of legal age to drink: it's 21.  Yep, post #21 this are it, and the days are dwindling down, folks.  Our last book party is TOMORROW!  Oh, gawd.  I'm ready.  We do have three succeeding events--a panel and a store gig in December and the Noe Valley Authors Festival in March--but I think you all get the idea about events by now.  What more is there to say about more?

So, the next post will be the last post for the Ginger Snaps: Photos & Stories blog.  But, no tears yet, this being only the penultimate.  Moving on is good or, at least, it's life.

David and I are moving on to our book #2, which we'll start working on in January.  We've been cheating a little, thinking and talking.  How can you not talk when you're roommates?  Okay, I withdraw that question.  You may have a question to replace it, like, what's the new book going to be about?  We have a theme and a structure and a plan but, having done Ginger Snaps, we know that plans and structure and even theme have a way of changing so no sneak peeks I'm afraid.  You might be peeking at something that will look substantially different in a year when we're done.  Hope it suffices to say that it will involve equal parts visuals and text and be hot.

I have already moved on to my individual second book.  It will be similar to Ginger Snaps, a combination of art and fiction: artist Michael Broderick's gay erotic line drawings and the short stories they tell me.  We've got a great theme/s and have talked thru a format.  I can't wait for his drawings so I can begin writing!  Check out Michael's art at www.hottlead.com.

Michael has done several books, two of his own and two as an illustrator.  On ours we are co-authors of course.  Check out G Is for GROUNDSKEEPER for the high heat level you can expect from our book together.

I'm also going to shift to a more general literary blog sometime next year but more about that in my Very Last Ginger Snaps Blog Post!

Your friend
Rick

Tis the Season to Be Ginger

David and I were talking about money today.  (No, it's not a matter of making the rent.)  We've received requests from people who can't come to an event but want an autographed copy of Ginger Snaps: Photos & Stories.  (Gosh!  Blush!)  We decided we'll pass along our smart shopper discounts from blurb.com to them--and you if you want.

You know we raised money to print the book and in the middle of our vc campaign blurb raised its prices.  You also know we looked for discount coupons all over the place and found 20%, 25%, and 30% discounts to use when ordering books so we still wound up getting the same number of copies as we'd planned before the price rise.

On average, our copies cost us 30 bucks so we're gonna sell them to you at 30 bucks, plus postage.  No tax.  No charge for our autographs either.  haha.  You wind up saving $8 and you don't have to swill ginger beer or gobble very fattening gingersnaps at one of our parties.  Check the bottom of this post for payment and shipping details.  PayPal, baby.

This set me to musing about book pricing.  When I was a book editor, we had a formula.  X + Y + Z = $$.  Not that actually, but it was a formula which took into account what we paid the author (minimal), what it cost to print the book (lots), and some profit (not much).  Publishing had a profit margin similar to grocery stores: 3%, at least in the olden days.  For contrast, when I worked part-time in retail during college, Weinstock's profit margin was 300%.  Yowza!

But David and I aren't in this for the money.  This has been an adventure, not a profit making enterprise.  However, it is the gift giving season in America so give the gift of Ginger.  Check out our stores at blurb.com and Logosportwear below--and if'n y'all want an autographed copy.

Ginger Gifts O the Season:
     Ginger Snaps the book at http://blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3577527
     Ginger & Gingerphile t-shirts at http://gingergingerphiletee.logosoftwear.com
     Autographed copies of the book, pay $30 + $5.15 postage at PayPal.  Our PayPal address is gingersnapsphotosstories@yahoo.com.  When we get the PayPal notification, we ship your book!

Ginger Hair Out for a Walk

Took my Ginger hair for a walk this morning along 24th Street for the first time since my return from New York.  Looked pretty good in the mirror before I left and must have looked good to passersby because I got lengthy looks and lovely smiles from men and women.  Either that or they recognized me from the newspaper.

We snagged our first interview in the Noe Valley Voice (November 2012 issue)--and I didn't even have to send a news release. Okay, it's not the New York Times but in our village of 20,000 it's big time.  We were two of seven local authors interviewed for a lengthy article on new books from Noe Valley authors.  Surprisingly, the neighborhood heavyweights--Cara Black and Bill Yenne--were not included.

People may not be reading print media as much elsewhere but in our neighborhood, which is full of tech-employed 20-somethings, they/we do read the Voice.  Photos of the book cover and our main author photo were included, in black and white in print but glorious color online, which you know already if you clicked on the Voice link above.

Although the article did not drive hordes into Phoenix Books, the local bookstore carrying Ginger Snaps, it has resulted in more looks of recognition and some lovely smiles.  Some of the LORs seem to be Gay as well.  That's promising.

Obtaining press for your book is part of the selling and promoting process.  At least it's writing.  I admit to being a little lackadaisical about accomplishing this.  But you should send your book out to online and print media reviewers.  Usually, all they need is a pdf but check first.  There are lots of online Queer lit bloggers.  They take some finding but their readers are your target market if your book is  Queer.  If it's not, believe me, there are bloggers out there somewhere reviewing your kind of book.  You just have to find them.

You should also send press releases to online and print media.  And use social media.  (I'm blogging, aren't I?)  And contact radio and TV if you think you have a chance.  Hopefully, everything you do will help you sell more books.  If it doesn't, well, it may at least give you 15 minutes of fame--like my hair and me.

Speaking of selling, check out our Ginger stuff:
     Ginger Snaps the Book at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3577527
     ginger/gingerphile t-shirts at http://gingergingerphiletee.logosoftwear.com

Ruminative, not Remunerative

Feeling ruminative today.  Why?  Because I just finished reading Damned by Chuck Palahniuk?  Is the book really going to be continued or is that another Chuck joke?  Will Maddy really fight the devil and win?  What kind of story would it be if she lost?  Or won?  No, I like the to-be-continued non-ending, Chuck.  Can't wait for the movie though.  I see Maddy with red hair, a revved up Harry Potter fighting demons thru seven, count em, seven screen installments.

Or maybe I'm still jetlagged.  Got back to San Francisco Tuesday four hours late from New York.  Not New York's fault.  SF was foggy so SFO authorities closed a runway.  Yesterday was spent in my own personal fog.

Still, I had to meet with the designer for the poster and card for our panel gig in two weeks.  We were already late bkz head shots and book illustrations were not received in enough time before Adrian went to Europe for three weeks.  But what is is, in life and books; learn to make lemonade--or cranberry apple juice.  (It's red, see?)

As I trudged my way to Martha's Coffee on Church, the first three people I met were gingers.  In total, I passed six gingers before walking in Martha's door.  What a relief after New York.  Not that I'm against being different.  What can you do about it when you are?

Or maybe it's because it's Thanksgiving in the U.S.  (If we were Canadian, it would be all over, even the turkey carcass soup.)  Not that I reserve just one day for thanks.  Life is too full of interesting activities and intriguing people and amazing accidents of fate not to feel thankful every day.  Okay, now I've come out.  Yes, I am an optimist.

I'm going to a family dinner at which I'll be the only ginger, only Queer, only person living in a city of more than 100,000 inhabitants.  Also the ONLY political liberal.  But we love each other just the same.  Besides, there will be turkey and I've made an excellent pasta salad for the vegetarian attending.  Maybe she/he will have red hair.

Buy our ginger stuff!

    Ginger Snaps the Book at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3577527

    ginger and/or gingerphile red t-shirts at http://gingergingerphiletee.logosoftwear.com

P.S.:  Thanksgiving Ginger fact: Captain Miles Standish was a redhead.

Ginger Dreams Great and Small

Our New York soiree was about what I expected it to be.  We had the smallest attendance of any book tour event so far but we had exactly the number of people I expected so that's a wash.  I met new people and reunited with old friends, which were twin hopes.  We were in the elegant apartment of Eugene Jen, and he was a handsome and gracious host.  He exceeded my expectations.

Publishing a book is about dreams and expectations as well as the creation and production of it.  You can't help but hope, but you need to get a handle right away on your expectations.  Is your dream of writing the great American novel realistic?  Can you really expect your book to be a best seller?

On the other hand, you don't want not to dream.  If you didn't dream, would you be an artist in the first place?  Would you ever create a book at all?

I feel David and I have had realistic dreams and reasonable expectations all along.  I thought we'd print a few copies for family and friends but then sales opportunites came rolling along and 50 seemed more reasonable.  But I didn't want to pay for 50 copies upfront so we raised money.  Our goal was $1500 and we netted $3500.  If our goal had been $5000, we would have been disappointed.  $1500 was all we needed.

Raising money meant 30 copies immediately were committed to backers so 50 didn't seem like much any more, especially since we now had an 8-stop book tour, not the one party we expected.  So we raised our print run and our ultimate sales goal.

Our first event had two-thirds the people we expected so we decided we were being unrealistic.  We revised our attendance goals for the next four and we have been happy each time instead of disappointed.  The numbers have been about what we expected.

Publishing a book is work, whether you do it on your own or thru a major publisher.  You don't just create the thing and never lift a finger until you open the royalty check.  It's work so have fun with it.  Being disappointed is not fun.  Dream big, dream small, but dream realistically and you'll want more.  If the gingersnap meets or exceeds your expectation, you'll want another.  And another and another and another.

Have sweet dreams with our ginger book and tees!
     Buy Ginger Snaps at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3577527
     Buy ginger &/or gingerphile t-shirts at http://gingergingerphiletee.logosoftwear.com

Tall Ginger in New York

I'm in New York for four days, motivated by our book party tomorrow night.  I lived here for many years, until family obligations took me back to California.  You know, you can live without something and not know how much you miss it until you get it back and then have it taken away again.  That's the way being in New York is for me.

Haven't done too much Gingerish so far.  Oh, yeah.  I've walked around.  Gingers are in the minority here so I've turned heads.  I take the turning as a compliment.  When I do see other Gingers I want to reach out to them with my arms wide open and yell, "Compadre!"  I don't of course.  There are enough crazy people on the streets of New York already.  But it is visual how few G-people there are in New York compared to SF--and I am staying in the East 50s where there are multiple Irish pubs.  Whole blocks of bartenders who know how to pour a Guinness but not a lot of redheads walking around.

There has been one other exceptional experience.  I had breakfast with my friends Greg Newton and Donnie Jochum in Soho at Brown Cafe and the place was full of Gingers.  For starters, all three of us were/are Gingers and our peeps kept pouring into the place.  I am going to suggest they change the name to Rouge.

Greg and Donnie have opened the new Queer bookstore in Manhattan, BGSQD, 27 Orchard (between Canal and Hester) in Soho.  Right now it's a pop-up for two months but, with a little help from their friends, they want to rent space nearby.  I will let you know when I get info on their venture capital campaign.  There are so few Queer bookstores any more, they deserve our support.  Plus, they want to do more than be a bookstore.  They want to be a Queer hangout, a safe place for Queer kids, Queers with kids of their own, and the unattached.  What better way to hook up than over good books?  Cool tshirts too.  Back in SF I'll take a pic of myself so you can see.  Preview: it's orange, which btw is a Ginger color.

Good news!: BGSQD will stock Ginger Snaps: Photos & Stories.  Rush on down and buy a copy!

Here's a bit of nonGinger good news too.  I have another book partner.  Michael Broderick, an excellent Gay line artist, has agreed to collaborate: his drawings and the stories they tell me.  EXCITED!!  Of course now I have three book projects and a new blog to start in January but, dudes and dudettes I am up for it all and you know I will make sure there are some Gingers in my stories.  Check out Michael's work on www.hottlead.com.  His current book is G Is for Groundskeeper, an alphabet book like you've never seen before.

Tuesday, I'll be back in SF and will let you know how our Nueva York book party went.  I bought the prizes for the game.  Next: think of the game.

Check out our Ginger stuff:
   Preview our book at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3577527
   Buy your ginger or gingerphile tshirt at http://gingergingerphiletee.logosoftwear.com