Saturday, February 11, 2006
Successful Failure?
At my reading last night, it was a flop as far as attendance, but as far as friendships shared and meeting a few wonderful people who have been fans of my show, it was a success. There was a young couple there that had been fans for a long time. The young woman and I talked a while and she bought two books, one for her brother. Another woman had been a fan of the show for a while. I wish I could have gotten to know these people better. Maybe they'll be volunteers down her at the BOO soon.
It was great seeing David there. I didn't recognize him without his glasses at first. My friend Janice was there. It was only the second time I've seen her in many years. Julie showed up for a bit, then headed off to have many other journeys. Of course, Leas and Brian where there. Not only are they my friends, but Leas is my publisher. Mike, one of the cameramen from the TV show I host came. It was good to see him.
I enjoyed the time with my friends and hung out with Cynthia for a while after the show. It was so much fun. Cynthia makes me laugh so hard. She is so charming and sweet and fun to hang out with.
If I learned one thing from yesterday it's this: alleged interest is not actual interest. The lack of attendance makes me worry about the book going into book stores. If it doesn't sell, then my publisher is out a good amount of money. I think it's great he believes so much in what I have to say, but I don't want him to lose money on this thing. Lots of people have alleged interest in the book, but I don't think that many people are actually interested in it.
There were two women I thought were interested in me that said they were going to be there that never showed. I'm glad I didn't embarass myself by asking them out. I would have felt like a fool...but then again...I'm good at that and sometimes it can be fun. Alleged interest? I must have been lying to myself. Oh well.
The funniest thing is that Leas wanted to do this event in order to get a bunch of BOO heads there because so many expressed disappointment in missing the first one. However, a board meeting got scheduled for the same time as my reading at Grendel's. After the board meeting was over, only one of the attendees came over and complimented my work. Alleged interest and actual interest are two different things. At least those people compliment my work and accomplishment at getting published, but their actual interest in the work is minimal at best.
What did hurt was the fact that so many people told me they were definitely going to be there and then didn't show. Were they lying? Again, alleged interest and actual interest are two different things.
But then again, I feel successful. I got to see a few of the faces I never get to see. I got to express my perspective to Eric, the owner of Grendel's, who really enjoyed my work. His barista of the evening, Marie, really enjoyed it as well. I was really hoping to have a larger audience and make it worth while for Eric. He told me he did fine. Still.
My favorite thing, however, was some 4 or 5 people who came, I believe not knowing what the event was about. But once they started hearing my words, it was time to leave. One woman was visibly grimacing. It was great! Those are the people I want to reach. The people who are more offended by my words than they are by the genocides we all benefit from. Not thinking about it isn't going to make it go away, and I think the creator sent them there for a reason and what they heard is going to be something that will effect their lives in one form or another.
My only worry now is that Leas will lose money if we take this to stores. Like I said, alleged interest and actual interest are two different things. I seriously question the idea of doing a second project, as well. If we do take this to stores and no one buys it, a second project is out of the question, in my opinion. Why try to sell something people don't want.
I feel like this was a successful failure. It was a great and intimate reading, but if there is so little interest in the work, it will be harmful to the man who is publishing it, left sitting on a run of books nobody wants to buy. Alleged interest? Actual interest?
I don't know where we are supposed to go from here.
I started with the story of Isaac Asimov watching a man throwing starfish into the ocean. The man told him it was because the tide was going out, and the sun was shining, so all those starfish were going to be stranded and die dried out in the sun. So he was throwing them back in. Seeing the thousands of starfish being stranded, Asimov told the man that he wasn't making much of a difference. The man bent over, picked up a starfish, and threw it into the ocean. "I made a difference to that one," he told him. Asimov spent the rest of the day throwing starfish into the ocean.
I think I may have tossed a couple of starfish into the ocean last night.
It was great seeing David there. I didn't recognize him without his glasses at first. My friend Janice was there. It was only the second time I've seen her in many years. Julie showed up for a bit, then headed off to have many other journeys. Of course, Leas and Brian where there. Not only are they my friends, but Leas is my publisher. Mike, one of the cameramen from the TV show I host came. It was good to see him.
I enjoyed the time with my friends and hung out with Cynthia for a while after the show. It was so much fun. Cynthia makes me laugh so hard. She is so charming and sweet and fun to hang out with.
If I learned one thing from yesterday it's this: alleged interest is not actual interest. The lack of attendance makes me worry about the book going into book stores. If it doesn't sell, then my publisher is out a good amount of money. I think it's great he believes so much in what I have to say, but I don't want him to lose money on this thing. Lots of people have alleged interest in the book, but I don't think that many people are actually interested in it.
There were two women I thought were interested in me that said they were going to be there that never showed. I'm glad I didn't embarass myself by asking them out. I would have felt like a fool...but then again...I'm good at that and sometimes it can be fun. Alleged interest? I must have been lying to myself. Oh well.
The funniest thing is that Leas wanted to do this event in order to get a bunch of BOO heads there because so many expressed disappointment in missing the first one. However, a board meeting got scheduled for the same time as my reading at Grendel's. After the board meeting was over, only one of the attendees came over and complimented my work. Alleged interest and actual interest are two different things. At least those people compliment my work and accomplishment at getting published, but their actual interest in the work is minimal at best.
What did hurt was the fact that so many people told me they were definitely going to be there and then didn't show. Were they lying? Again, alleged interest and actual interest are two different things.
But then again, I feel successful. I got to see a few of the faces I never get to see. I got to express my perspective to Eric, the owner of Grendel's, who really enjoyed my work. His barista of the evening, Marie, really enjoyed it as well. I was really hoping to have a larger audience and make it worth while for Eric. He told me he did fine. Still.
My favorite thing, however, was some 4 or 5 people who came, I believe not knowing what the event was about. But once they started hearing my words, it was time to leave. One woman was visibly grimacing. It was great! Those are the people I want to reach. The people who are more offended by my words than they are by the genocides we all benefit from. Not thinking about it isn't going to make it go away, and I think the creator sent them there for a reason and what they heard is going to be something that will effect their lives in one form or another.
My only worry now is that Leas will lose money if we take this to stores. Like I said, alleged interest and actual interest are two different things. I seriously question the idea of doing a second project, as well. If we do take this to stores and no one buys it, a second project is out of the question, in my opinion. Why try to sell something people don't want.
I feel like this was a successful failure. It was a great and intimate reading, but if there is so little interest in the work, it will be harmful to the man who is publishing it, left sitting on a run of books nobody wants to buy. Alleged interest? Actual interest?
I don't know where we are supposed to go from here.
I started with the story of Isaac Asimov watching a man throwing starfish into the ocean. The man told him it was because the tide was going out, and the sun was shining, so all those starfish were going to be stranded and die dried out in the sun. So he was throwing them back in. Seeing the thousands of starfish being stranded, Asimov told the man that he wasn't making much of a difference. The man bent over, picked up a starfish, and threw it into the ocean. "I made a difference to that one," he told him. Asimov spent the rest of the day throwing starfish into the ocean.
I think I may have tossed a couple of starfish into the ocean last night.
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