Food of Thoughts
By Bethany Maines
Last weekend, I participated in a local author program
called Food for Thought. Put on by the local
business district in partnership with a local literary group, CreativeColloquy, the program hosts different authors each week at a farmer’s market
for a minimal fee ($5). These type of
events are great ways to connect with readers, brush up on my “elevator pitch”
for books, and see what’s resonating with the public. The elevator pitch is essentially a one to
two sentence synopsis of a book. And
with that many people visiting the booth, I can try out different versions and
wording to see what pitch makes people look interested in a book. For my Carrie Mae Mysteries, slightly older
ladies resonate with “It’s the story of what would happen if Mary Kay ran an
international espionage organization.” But
the younger women and men do better with “If James Bond was a woman.” Even if I didn’t end up selling a good amount
of books, that kind of market research is pretty invaluable. But, of course, being out in the public is
also a way to connect with the… um… unique individuals that walk among us.
called Food for Thought. Put on by the local
business district in partnership with a local literary group, CreativeColloquy, the program hosts different authors each week at a farmer’s market
for a minimal fee ($5). These type of
events are great ways to connect with readers, brush up on my “elevator pitch”
for books, and see what’s resonating with the public. The elevator pitch is essentially a one to
two sentence synopsis of a book. And
with that many people visiting the booth, I can try out different versions and
wording to see what pitch makes people look interested in a book. For my Carrie Mae Mysteries, slightly older
ladies resonate with “It’s the story of what would happen if Mary Kay ran an
international espionage organization.” But
the younger women and men do better with “If James Bond was a woman.” Even if I didn’t end up selling a good amount
of books, that kind of market research is pretty invaluable. But, of course, being out in the public is
also a way to connect with the… um… unique individuals that walk among us.
My favorite unique person this last weekend was the
gentlemen who told us a series of stories about his experiences with ghosts
including some “Indians” because he had been staying at a house built on an “Indian
Burial Ground.” The problem was that as
he meandered on about his experiences, the Native Americans he described
sounded straight on out of the movies, and lacked any resemblance to the actual
tribes that populate the area. Not all
tribes wear “leathers” crazy face. Our
tribes used capes woven from cedar bark and a type of fabric woven from the
hair of a now extinct type of dog. <LEARN MORE HERE> So…
try being more educated before doing drugs. Also, and not for nothing, if a
housing developer were to find human remains, archaeologists and police would
have to be called and the local tribes would claim the bodies. Nobody wants to build on top of human remains
– they disintegrate, leaving cavities in the ground and make foundations
unstable. It’s unsound construction, OK,
nut job? And also, also, you’re scaring
people away from my booth.
gentlemen who told us a series of stories about his experiences with ghosts
including some “Indians” because he had been staying at a house built on an “Indian
Burial Ground.” The problem was that as
he meandered on about his experiences, the Native Americans he described
sounded straight on out of the movies, and lacked any resemblance to the actual
tribes that populate the area. Not all
tribes wear “leathers” crazy face. Our
tribes used capes woven from cedar bark and a type of fabric woven from the
hair of a now extinct type of dog. <LEARN MORE HERE> So…
try being more educated before doing drugs. Also, and not for nothing, if a
housing developer were to find human remains, archaeologists and police would
have to be called and the local tribes would claim the bodies. Nobody wants to build on top of human remains
– they disintegrate, leaving cavities in the ground and make foundations
unstable. It’s unsound construction, OK,
nut job? And also, also, you’re scaring
people away from my booth.
But he’s just the tiny fly in the ointment. The majority of
people at such events are at minimum polite and usually excited about talking
to an actual author. And in the end, talking to such enthusiastic readers and writers are what keep me coming back to
these type of events. So if you see me
out and about, stop by to say hi. Just
don’t tell me about your ghost experience… unless it’s historically accurate.
people at such events are at minimum polite and usually excited about talking
to an actual author. And in the end, talking to such enthusiastic readers and writers are what keep me coming back to
these type of events. So if you see me
out and about, stop by to say hi. Just
don’t tell me about your ghost experience… unless it’s historically accurate.
***
Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie
Mae Mysteries, Wild Waters, Tales
from the City of Destiny and An
Unseen Current. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video
or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.
Mae Mysteries, Wild Waters, Tales
from the City of Destiny and An
Unseen Current. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video
or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.
