2015 Kentucky Book Fair (Part Two)

I survived the 34th annual Kentucky Book Fair. 

I sold some books, made some new friends, saw some old friends, learned a few things, and made a several connections during the course of the day.

My table mates were William Heath, a retired professor of American Literature from Frederick, Md., and Ron Gambrell, a public school teacher and contractor from Louisville. 

Heath, a novelist and historian, had a very good day as he sold out of his "William Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest." Gambrell also sold quite a few copies of his young adult novel, "Grayson Springs." My latest novel, "Old Ways and New Days," was my best seller.

Frankfort Convention Center

There were more than 200 authors and illustrators participating in this year's fair. And more than 2,600 people showed up to buy books ($116,000 worth) and attend panel discussions and symposiums.

The top non-fiction seller was "Postcards from Historic Frankfort" by Russ Hatter and Gene Burch. Sharyn McCrumb headed the fiction list with "Nora Bonesteel's Christmas Past." The overall sales leader was photographer James Archambeault with his 2016 Kentucky Calendar.

Besides chatting with Heath and Gambrell during the day, it was nice talking to Cheryl Della Pietra ("Gonzo Girl") and Jason Mott ("The Wonder of All Things"), during a drive to and from Blue Grass Airport in Lexington. Among the friends I hadn't seen in a while were Lowell H. Press ("The Kingdom of the Sun and Moon"), Ed Ford ("The Plot") and Sharon Reynolds ("Walking Air").

Robyn Peterman and Tonya Kappes

I attended a lively Kentucky Book Fair Kick-Off event at the Paul Sawyier Public Library on Thursday evening featuring Robyn Peterman and Tonya Kappes. Besides talking about their bestselling novels, they stressed to aspiring authors they would be where they're at now without the help of folks along the way and that they try to pay it forward. 

I also had some folks come to my table and ask if I would be available to talk to their book clubs. Of course! And that goes to others out there. With today's technology, practically anything is possible. So keep that in mind if you want to work out something with authors in your reading groups. 

Bill Goodman, one of this year's KBF authors and a newsman at Kentucky Educational Television, conducted Skype interviews with Della Pietra and John Temple in the days leading up to the book fair.  That's also something authors should consider in promoting their books.

Now to take a few days off and get some needed rest.

Until the next time...

2015 Kentucky Book Fair (Part One)

One of my favorite events of the year will be on Saturday -- the Kentucky Book Fair.

Frankfort Convention Center sign

This year marks the 34th edition of the book fair, founded by former Frankfort State Journal editor Carl West back in the days before the Internet and e-books. He's still the inspirational force and guiding light behind the event that will be held Nov. 14, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at the Frankfort Convention Center.

I've been fortunate to participate as an author, patron and volunteer through the years. And I've participated at the three venues -- Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (1981-1993), Exum Center at Kentucky State University (1994-2001), and the Frankfort Convention Center (2002-present). 

I believe my first KBF as an author was in 1984 with "Basketball in the Bluegrass State: The Championship Teams." I'll be at this year's fair with my 11th book and seventh novel, "Old Ways and New Days."

I've attended as a customer because I like the wide variety of books that can be purchased as well as activities held during the day such as panel discussions and readings. And it's nice to chat with the authors and get signed books (and vice versa from the other side of the table in my author role). 

As I've mentioned numerous times, it's also a great time, with Christmas just around the corner, to buy gifts for friends and family. 

For the past six years I've been a volunteer, serving as marketing chair on the executive board. It's a lot of work but satisfying to be part of a dedicated team focused on putting all the pieces together in making it the state's foremost literary event for readers of all ages.

Proceeds from the event are used to benefit public and school libraries across the state. To date, more than $375,000 has been awarded.

This year's book fair will have nearly 225 authors and illustrators to discuss and sign their books as well as participate in other activities. By the way, the fifth annual Kids and Teens Day will be on Friday, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., at the convention center.

More importantly, organizers hope that several thousand patrons (it generally averages 3,000 to 4,000) will be there to show their support in this annual celebration of reading, writing and everything literary.

There will be a record number of authors, so why not a record number of patrons! 

Check out the KBF's website as well as Facebook page (and "like") for more information. 

Until the next time....

 

Book Promotion and More

It's been a busy past few days for me as I've been involved with various and sundry book-related activities. As I've mentioned in previous posts, writing a book is just one part of the process. There is also the rewriting and editing phase, and then, promotion.

My Goodreads promotion for "Old Ways and New Days" is over. There were 443 entries for the five books, with winners from South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Florida, Mississippi and Alabama. I hope they enjoy the novel and take time to leave a review in Amazon or some other review site. Or, better yet, tell their friends about it. Nothing helps promote a book better than word of mouth.

And I might add that authors appreciate reviews and or ratings and word-of-mouth recommendations. Those online ratings are visible so please do me and other writers a favor with a rating, and if you have the time, a short review. 


I've also produced a trailer for the novel. It's pretty basic stuff as I only wanted to include the essentials. I've been guilty in the past of having trailers that ran a bit long. Lots of viewers don't want to spend that much time on something like that so this one clocks in at about one minute, 30 seconds. 

Next on my agenda is the Kentucky Book Fair on Nov. 14 at the Frankfort Convention Center. About 225 authors and illustrators will be taking part, signing and talking about their books with patrons, taking part in symposiums and panel discussions. You can download the catalog at the website.

This marks the 34th year of the state's premier literary event, and proceeds benefit public and school libraries. If you're in Frankfort, drop by my table for a visit. A lot of effort has been put forth by some dedicated small army of  volunteers. 

I also hosted a "Meet Kentucky Book Fair Authors" program on the local FPB-TV cable station. I've included them here as well for your viewing pleasure.

Well, I need to go address some postcards and mail a few more books. 

Until the next time....

Back to the Manuscript -- Part 20 (Promote, Promote, Promote)

My novel, "Old Ways and New Days," has been out in the marketplace for about three weeks. But that doesn't mean the publishing process is over for the novel.

While I wish it was over, to some extent, it's not exactly on cruise control at this point. Now the focus has turned to marketing and promotion.

Simply trying to get the word out about my most amazing, inspirational, nail-biting, grand, sparkling and awesome coming-of-old-age novel (how's that for hyperbole!) is occupying a lot of my time. 

Since publication, I've mailed (yes, snail mailed) postcards to various libraries, book stores, friends and others), set up a promotion on Goodreads.com (see widget at bottom of page), used Facebook and Twitter to tell the world about the book, provided the novel to reviewers, and did some old-fashioned, word-of-mouth promotion. 

I'll also be attending the 34th annual Kentucky Book Fair on Nov. 14, in Frankfort. I've also be going to the Authors Fair in Madison, Ind., on April 2-3, 2016. Between November and April, I hope to line up a few more events and speaking engagements. 

I've also provided my publisher with some keywords for my novels that are offered on Amazon, hoping to boost sales on all seven titles. 

Have I started on a new novel? Well, yes and no.

My next novel is a sequel to "Old Ways and New Days," and I've already written about 30k words. I'll get back to that task after the book fair, if not sooner. I'm on the book fair's executive committee so that takes up a lot of my time with compiling the catalog, TV interviews, news releases, and more. 

So, as you can tell, I've been a busy writer the past three weeks. I think I'll need a vacation very soon. 

Until the next time...

Back to the Manuscript: Part 19 (It's Alive!)

My manuscript is now a published work -- "Old Ways and New Days" was released on Oct. 1 by Wings ePress. 

It took a day for it to show up on Amazon.com and other websites for downloads. The print version is available from the publisher now and will be on other sites in the next day or so.

Although this is my 11th book, it is still an exhilarating experience to see the finished product. And that's a reason I'll start working on the sequel in the next few weeks (I owe myself a little break to catch my breath and re-energize the tired gray matter and flimsy fingers).

But as all authors will attest, it takes more than words to cross the finish line. It took a great team at Wings -- editors, proofreaders, graphic artist -- to make it happen. I am grateful for their assistance.

I'll be promoting the novel the next few weeks,  mailing postcards to libraries, bookstores and friends, handing out book marks, participating in the Kentucky Book Fair, and various and sundry other things that come along.

What's the novel about? Here's the teaser: "John Ross is retiring after many years working as a journalist. He contemplates about what he wants to do with the rest of his life. But along the way he finds out that there are some things you simply can't control. Life simply happens."

That's what I'm going to do the next few weeks -- let life happen. 

Until the next time...

Back to the Manuscript: Part 17 (Fini)

The countdown begins.

I've completed the proofread of the galley proofs and the cover has been approved. Now to wait for the Oct. 1 release date of "Old Days and New Ways."

Thankfully, that light at the end of the tunnel I've seen the past few weeks wasn't an incoming train.  I've made it to the other side; a bit weary and worn around the edges but still standing. 

I must admit that I'm tired of reading the manuscript. I believe it was a minimum of 16 times. I almost feel I could recite the novel by memory but that would be stretching it quite a bit. 

I gave the publisher four pages of corrections to be made; most were typos. There were a few word changes but that was about it. 

The graphic artist also presented me with several covers. I'll share it on my next post. 

Now I move on promotion. I'll have postcards and bookmarks made, something I've done with every book, and doing lots of stuff on the Internet. One thing I'll do is a giveaway on Goodreads. 

My first appearance with the novel with be at the Kentucky Book Fair on Nov. 14 in Frankfort. It's a great event that I would encourage folks to attend, whether they buy my book or not.

My next writing project will be a sequel as I intend for this novel to be the beginning of a series. But I'm taking a brief break to catch my breath and rev up my energy level.

Until the next time...

Post NaNoWriMo Part II

Although National Novel Writing Month ended 22 days ago, I'm still working on my manuscript.

I've written nearly 64,000 words and the end is still not in sight. As the manuscript develops and expands, it's beginning to look more like a two- or three-book serial. That's fine with me because I like my characters and their story lines. 

An author at the Kentucky Book Fair in November told me that many writers are moving toward series. I know authors such as Nora Roberts have been very successful with them.

Several readers have asked me if I had planned to do that with my previous titles. It was never my intention to do that but that is certainly a possibility if the muse inspires me to go back to those stories. 

And I must confess that I broke my string of writing every day at 50. You can blame my wife because of some honey-do's connected with Christmas shopping. I'll keep those in my memory bank for future stories.

I'll be writing through the holidays and beyond because that's the only way to reach the end. And that's the ultimate goal.

Until the next time....

A Relative Beatle -- Louise Harrison

This past weekend I attended the 33rd annual Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort. It's one of my favorite events of the year. 

I've participated as an author on more than 10 occasions, and I've been a patron as many times. This year nearly 200 authors were in attendance, signing and reading from their works as well as taking part in various symposiums.

Louise Harrison at Kentucky Book Fair

The highlight of this year's fair for me was meeting Louise Harrison, the 83-year-old sister of the late Beatle George Harrison. 

She spent an hour talking about her brother, the closeness of her family, and of course, the other Beatles -- John, Paul and Ringo. 

She recalled a time when George came to visit her in Illinois in 1963, several months before Beatlemania swept America. She took him to a dance where there was a live music from a band.

She said that most of the people were dancing or talking, not paying much attention to the band. That changed when George was asked to play a few tunes. Remember, probably 99.9 percent of Americans hadn't heard of the Fab Four in the summer of 1963.

Practically everyone in the audience stopped what they were doing and paid attention to this guitar virtuoso on the stage. When it was over, some folks suggested that the band members ask George to stay in America and be part of the band. 

She offered several other stories, such as the family dealing with World War II and the German bombing of London, helping the band get airplay on U.S. radio stations, George's Concert for Bangladesh, and her final meeting with him in New York two weeks before he died in 2001.


By the way, Louise has written a book titled, "My Kid Brother's Band a.k.a. The Beatles!" I purchased the book and so far it's been a fun read, especially after talking to her. Her voice really comes through on the pages. And she has a perspective on the Beatles that only a loving and caring sister could provide.

Me and Louise Harrison

Louise is going to be promoting her book at other venues in the coming months. Be sure and visit her. You might even get a hug from  this sweet and delightful woman.

Until the next time...

A Day at the Library

This past weekend I attended the third annual Author Faire at the Ridgway Memorial Library, one of the branches of the Bullitt County Public Library system, in Shepherdsville, Ky.

About 35 other authors were in attendance during the six-hour event, talking to readers about their books, reading passages from their works, and spending time chatting with fellow authors.

While we didn't sell many books to library patrons -- it's kinda difficult at a place where there are thousands of free books -- it was a good opportunity to show support for reading and literacy.  

Hey, without readers, there's hardly a reason for books. I believe it's imperative for those involved in the print media to encourage the joy of reading, be it books, newspapers, magazines, newsletters, etc. 

The library staff was courteous, friendly and gracious, and several told me that this was the one day of the year that they really look forward to -- being able to talk to those folks who help populate their book shelves. I was honored to be invited.

This coming weekend I'll be involved in another literary effort -- the 33rd annual Kentucky Book Fair. Nearly 200 authors will participate in this event and more than 4,000 people be there to purchase books, talk to authors, and attend symposiums and readings.

Proceeds from the KBF benefit school and public libraries and literacy programs across the state -- a win-win for everyone involved.

Until the next time...

Post Kentucky Book Fair

The 2013 Kentucky Book Fair is over, and it was a tremendous success.

Last year's fair generated only $110,000. This time it was $145,000, one of the highest in the 32 years of the event. 

A lot of work went into the book fair. It's primarily a volunteer effort with only a couple of folks on the payroll -- the manager and bookkeeper. It's a labor of love for everyone involved.

There are a lot of folks who donate time, expertise and effort into making this Kentucky's, and one of the nation's, top book fairs. And it helps to have authors such as Sue Grafton, Rick Pitino, Ann Ross, Eleanor Clift, Rick Pitino (coach and author) as well as the other talented writers, illustrators and photographers who provide the books that people want to have signed, and I hope, to read. 

I always enjoy the book fair. As an author, it's great being around other authors and meeting readers (more than 4,000 in attendance, but not all to see me). As a volunteer, I love giving back to my community and state. And I like the idea that what I'm doing is helping public libraries and literacy programs across Kentucky. The ripple effect is simply amazing with all the lives that are touched. 

If you love to read and write, I urge you to get involved in community and state programs that promote literacy. Perhaps work to organize a book fair -- local, state or regional -- where you live. And go to your local library and set up author readings and discussion groups. We have an excellent library where I live -- Paul Sawyier Public Library.

Now that the Kentucky Book Fair is over for another year, I'll turn my attention to writing. I have several ideas swirling about in my head that I hope to develop. 

Until the next time...

Kentucky Book Fair Eve

In less than 12 hours I'll be heading to the 32nd annual Kentucky Book Fair. Nearly 200 authors and illustrators will be at the Frankfort Convention Center, signing books and talking to 4,000 or so patrons during the day.

This is a wonderful event for my state. In fact, I consider it one of the top attractions in the Bluegrass State. It's a time when the state focuses on reading and writing, readers and writers, and the good that comes from it.

Proceeds from the fair benefit public and school libraries and literacy programs. The fair has raised more than $350,000, and this year distributed $7,500 to seven school libraries. That may not sound like much, but with libraries under siege in my state, librarians are very thankful to have these grants to purchase books. 

Tonight I attended an authors reception at the Paul Sawyier Public Library in Frankfort. All the authors are looking forward to the grand event.

There are bigger book fairs -- but not that many --  but the one we have in Kentucky is one of the oldest in the nation. 

This year's fair will feature mystery writer Sue Grafton, two-time national college championship basketball coach Rick Pitino, and the nationally respected essayist-poet-novelist Wendell Berry. Other luminaries include Eleanor Clift, Ann B. Ross, Bobbie Ann Mason, George Ella Lyon, and....well, many, many more.

Check out the Kentucky Book Fair website or visit the Facebook page and you'll see what I'm writing about. I hope to see you there. 

Until the next time....

Busy Time of Year

My apologies for not posting anything in more than a week. I know everyone out there has been wondering, "Where in the heck is Mike?" 

Well, I don't believe that. If I did, I'd be fooling myself. 

I've been busy with the Kentucky Book Fair. I'm the marketing

chair so I try to spread the word throughout the state and region about the state's premier literary event. We're heading into our 32nd fair on Nov. 16 at the Frankfort Convention Center, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

I've participated as a patron, author, and board member. I find it very satisfying to be involved in this worthwhile literary endeavor that benefits school and public libraries as well as literacy programs in my state.

The Kentucky Book Fair is on Facebook so drop by there and give it a "like" and you'll receive updates, photos, author info,  and more. You can give me a "like" as well under Kentucky author Michael Embry. 

I recently conducted a Goodreads giveaway for my latest novel -- "The Bully List" -- and mailed a copies to the five winners (out of more than 400 entries) this morning. They're from Texas, Washington, New Jersey, Michigan and Illinois. If you're a Goodreads member, and I highly recommend it, feel free to connect with me. 

I'll be back in the writing mode once the dust settles in a  week or so. 

I've included three videos with authors that I interviewed for the Kentucky Book Fair -- for your viewing pleasure. If you want to see part two of each episode, you can find them on YouTube (they run about four minutes each). The fourth and final program will be uploaded on Nov. 14. 

Until the next time....

31st Kentucky Book Fair Memories

The 31st Kentucky Book Fair is history.

 

I had a wonderful time signing books, talking to KBF patrons, and chatting with other authors. My wife spent time purchasing books for Christmas gifts and attending most of the symposiums. She had a great time as well. 

Sales were down, according to the Frankfort State Journal, from $157,000 last year to $110,000. I'm not sure what accounted for the decline other than the beautiful weather (temps in the 70s) and other activities going on during the Frankfort's annual Candlight event.

The SJ listed the best-selling authors/artists as Mary McDonough, James Archambeault, Ryan Clark and Joe Cox, Stephan Pastis, Al Smith, Silas House, James Higdon, James B. Goode, Duffy Brown, and Wendell Berry. Nope, you don't see my name. Maybe next year.

I got to talk to McDonough for a few minutes. Her name doesn't ring a bell? She played Erin on widely popular TV show "The Waltons" back in the 1970s. Her book is "Lessons From the Mountain: What I Learned from Erin Walton."  Mary had a great time in Kentucky, selling tons of books from Augusta to Lexington to Frankfort. She's a a lovely and inspiring person and I recommend her book, especially to girls and young women.

Proceeds from the KBF go to school and public libraries as well as literacy programs across Kentucky. In the meantime, support your local library!

Until the next time…

A Colorful Time of the Year

This is a colorful time of the year – fall, football, fairs and festivals.

       

According to Book TV, there are eight major book fairs being held across the United States in October and November. It’s a time when readers get to meet some of their favorite authors. It’s also an opportunity for authors to connect with readers on a personal level.

Where I live in Frankfort, Ky., we’re preparing for the 31^st annual Kentucky Book Fair, which will be held Nov. 9-10 at the Frankfort Convention Center.  And now for the disclaimer: I serve as the marketing chair on the executive board, and in that capacity, try to spread the word about this wonderful event. 

I personally believe authors and writers should participate in events such as book fairs -- national, regional, statewide, or local. Anything to promote reading and writing is a win-win situation for writers, readers, and communities. And I must add that we have authors who go to bat for the KBF.

Over the next few weeks leading up to the fair, KBF board members and volunteers will be sending out news releases, making TV and radio appearances, working on the catalog, and  doing other things (be sure to “like” us on Facebook) to publicize the event. This year we plan to have author interviews posted on YouTube as well so stayed tuned for that.

Nearly 200 authors will participate in this year’s fair, signing books, giving readings, and talking to readers. Proceeds from the fair are used to provide grants to public schools and libraries, and literacy programs across the state.  

Until the next time…