So no sooner had I typed The End on my NaNo book Saturday morning, than I quickly got ready to head down to my local bookstore, Chapter 2 Books. I am not a salesperson. I suck at selling things in general. I've never even been very good at bake sales, where delicious things should be able to sell themselves. But on Saturday, I shoved aside the introvert, determined to help sell some books.
Chapter 2 is a cozy store on the main street of downtown Hudson, Wisconsin, a town on the St. Croix river, just over the bridge from the Twin Cities. Their shelves are full, with as much selection as the space allows. When I left nearly four hours later, I had experienced many persuasive moments:
-A mother wanted books for her 12 year old daughter : left with a hardcover of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, she also ordered a hardcover Cinder, and bought copies of The Compound and The Raft.
-A woman wanted a good book for Xmas break: left with a hardcover of Gone Girl
-A woman wanted Xmas presents for her parents: left with two books for her mom (forgot what I talked her into)and ordered Dr. Sleep for her dad.
-Talked my friend Bobbi into Cutting for Stone
-Talked a lady into The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls.
-A mom wanted books for her 10 year old boy: left with two copies of The Compound, one for her son, one for his class
-A mom wanted books for her two sons: left with The Compound, The Fallout, and two other YA's I convinced her to buy
-A mom trying to buy her daughter a book. Daughter is 14, reads everything, I kept handing her book after book. No luck. Finally, handed her Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo. She wanted it and they ordered Shadow and Bone. Her mom took The Compound for her brother. Then, the girl asked for The Fault in our Stars. They were sold out, but I said, "Wait!" I grabbed The F**k It List by Julie Halpern. Girl read the back. Score!
-Older guy has read everything. Was leaving empty-handed when I saw Larry Watson's brilliant Let Him Go. I grabbed it and waved it in the air. "You read Montana 1948?" Guy turned around. I said,"This is his new one. It is so good." He said, " I gotta have that."
So yay! I was not dead weight. I talked a lot of people into a lot of books,and even shamelessly sent every copy of my books out the door. Maybe I missed my calling...