Giving it Away For Free

In anticipation of launching my third novel, I have been thinking a lot about marketing. I find myself very attuned to businesses lately, and how they conduct advertising. For example, yesterday when buying lollipops for my nephews, I realized that Sees Candy 'gives it away for free' to every single customer who enters their store. (The double-fudge number that they practically insisted I ingest went down oh so smooth)  I noticed this at my yoga studio, too, where they *practically* 'give it away for free' to new students, offering uber cheap prices for a month, helping the student determine if he wants to join. Farmers markets all over the world (at least in the parts of the world I've been) offer free samples of their produce, and even my car wash place gives you a freebie (when you purchase 9).

Last month I gave away the ebook version of my novel "Imperfect" for free - a service Amazon offers to authors. I was shocked and delighted that it was downloaded over 5,000 times - in one day! My first novel sold that amount in over two years. The day after the free promotion, my book sold over 50 times, and I garnered a handful of new reviews on various sites.

It's hard for me to reconcile 'giving it away for free'. I can't help but do the "what if..." math. What if those 5,000 people each paid a dollar per book? But the thing I'm learning, the thing I'm seeing everywhere, is that it is simply part of the gig, part of building a brand, part of making the connections that you know you were put on this earth to make.

Unusually Wonderful Pairings

1. Hard boiled eggs and a grater:

Lately, I've taken to shredding my hard boiled eggs. They make for a delicious topping over salads, toast and anything else that can use a crumbly, protein topping.

2. Gold glitter nail polish and my hand:

I've been channeling my inner 5-year old princess girlie side lately. Beyond being insanely into wearing pink, I've warmed to glittery, shimmery totally gaudy manicures.

3. Paul Simon and Sting:

What? WHAT? When I heard these two were touring together I hopped on tickets. Truly one of the best concerts I've been to. It was so good that it was almost too much goodness to bear, especially when these two duetted. 

4. Emerson College and modern architecture:

One of the things I loved most about attending Emerson College was attending classes in beautiful, old Back Bay buildings. Emerson's L.A. campus recently moved in to this startlingly, stunning contemporary building. 

5. And tonight, I'll be seeing trumpeter Hugh Masekela at Disney Hall. Another wonderfully unusual pairing.

Tears (of a Clown)

The Winter Olympics are in full swing, which means it's weepy season around here.  I'm always reduced to tears during the Olympics, mostly tears of joy. I love watching people accomplish their goals and being the best they can be.

I was on the phone with my mom the other night as an ice skating event was airing. She screamed every time someone fumbled or fell, and even though I made fun of her, last night I did the same thing: I screamed so loud when the German couple fell that my cat bolted out of the room.

But mostly I'm wiping away happy tears.

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom at the college where I teach. Afterwards, Claudia Lennear, one of the backup singers that was featured (The Stones "Brown Sugar" was written for her!) came and spoke, sharing stories and memories. God love the student who asked her to sing...

I was weepy during the movie, too. So much talent, so many amazing voices, so much heartbreak.

Hmm, maybe I just have PMS?

FREE Today

"Imperfect" is free on Kindle today. Grab your copy now by clicking the link below! 

IMPERFECT

Zzzzzzzzzzz's (Or Lack of Them)

Lately, I have been feeling totally out of whack. 

I can't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep. These past few nights have been like a bad dream, a dream without even sleeping. I fall asleep with ease but the next thing I know I'm awake, even manic, and unable to coax myself back to sleep. I took half a sleeping pill the other night, hoping to get back on track, but it didn't work. The next night I took a whole one and it didn't work, either.  Last night, pill-free AND with a migraine, I didn't sleep, either. Surprise, surprise.

In speaking with a friend this morning I told her of my Zzzz's woes.

"Are you stressed about anything?" she asked.
"No," I said. "Only that school is starting next week and I'm about 24 hours away from finishing my novel that I've been working on for almost five years."

Oh yeah...

THAT.

I know this manic phase is connected to the completion of this novel - one that has been with me for over 15 years, when I first pitched it as a television show to a certain company. At the time, we just couldn't break the story, but 15 years later and now a novel, I have found it, bonded with the characters, created twists and turns that hurt my brain to figure out, and have struggled through every, single word. 

But now...

Now I'm in that phase that I think all writers strive for - what I call the Sliding-Down-the-Hill phase. The novel is its own beast now with legs and arms and a body and heart, and together we are sprinting toward the finish line. It is thrilling, and it is exhausting.

And perhaps once I type those final words and send it out into the world...maybe then the keepers of sleep will pay me a visit, will sprinkle me with their magic dust. Until then, I will toss and turn and stare at my ceiling, pester my cat, chew my nails, fluff my pillows and wonder what the hell I was thinking taking on this novel idea, this wordy commitment of the imagination.

PS - Happy New Year.

PPS - How do you combat insomnia?

Mobiles and Stabiles and Books, Oh My

The other night, I had the pleasure of seeing the Calder exhibit at LACMA with a friend. It is a beautifully curated show. We enjoyed reading about his process and seeing the final products - the mobiles dancing in the air and the stabiles proudly standing their ground. At first glance, the mobiles look like simplistic childlike designs, but upon closer inspection the artistry really stands out. Geometric, colorful shapes are attached with delicate wire structures, allowing for balance and movement. The pieces are thoughtful, vibrant and even funny

Mobile

Stabile

The exhibit made me think of my own writing, or rather, writing in general. There is an illusion of simplicity and ease when reading a page-turner, when really the author most likely struggled with the same sense of balance, only with words instead of shapes.

I teach a class called "In Their Own Words: Artists Speak About Living a Creative Life" and in that class we talk a lot about process - the part of art that isn't really shown in museums, isn't necessarily talked about. To me, the process is the art - the art of discipline, of showing up every day to navigate some mysterious inner-compass, the art of failing, or missing your target, your vision not in line with what's coming out on the page or the canvas.

Book

As I aim to complete the upteenth draft of my novel, years in the making, scenes written and then scrapped, characters born and then killed off, plot points determined and then eradicated, I'm counting on that ineffable feeling to let me know when it's 'done'. The final product - the mobile, the stabile, the book - well, that's just icing on the cake.