Unexpected

Gotta admit, I didn't expect a whole lot of orders for Matrix.  I mean, it's summer, I didn't get a lot of chance to do pre-publication promotion so the word hasn't gotten out yet.  No reviews had appeared.  Very few people have had a chance to read it.

But suddenly, orders have begun coming in and when I added up the 'official' pre-pub requests, my courtesy list, plus the two for the National Library, plus, oh yeah, my own copy...I didn't have enough books coming!

So late last night I ordered 20 more.

Now, books ordered from me are going to be more expensive than ordering directly from blurb because I don't get the kind of shipping discounts blurb does.  But if you want a signed copy, you'll have to order it directly from me.  

One of the things about using an on-line on demand print service like blurb is that they also act as a retailer for people like me.  They accept the orders, process the payments, collect/remit the appropriate taxes, ship the orders out, then pay me my share at the end of the month.  Win-win!  Plus, they have printing facilities in other countries so people in, say, Europe or Down Under don't have to pay international shipping rates.

Yesterday Digits and Threads published a book review and interview with me by Michelle Boyd.  We had had a great time chatting for two hours(!) and she wrote a lovely article and review.  Once I have the books in hand, one of the print copies will be sent to Handwoven in hopes of a review (or at least a mention) in their magazine.  I'm hoping someone will do a review for the Guild of Canadian Weavers Bulletin (anyone?) and maybe a mention in other publications.  (Complex Weavers???)

But marketing is a slow steady repetition of the information sent out, repeatedly, in order to get the word out.  Especially for a niche topic for a niche market.

I have not yet taken down the entry in my ko-fi shop for the pre-pub payments.  So you know, just in case anyone is interested, they could, like, slide on over to ko-fi and pay for one?