I suppose it depends on what one calls success. It’s not like Neil Gaiman came to the little town called Sand Springs for Halloween. There were not hundreds of books sold. If that is one’s definition of success, this was not it.
This was setting up a table in a lovely shop owned and operated by dear friends, and having a day-long parade of friends and family show up and shower me with affection. That, my lovelies is my definition of success. It may sound like stardom, and I have to admit they made me feel amazing. To put it in perspective I am pretty much a complete unknown. I am a small-town girl, and my newsletter e-mail list (until saturday) consisted of 4 people, of whom I was one. I don’t say this to garner sympathy, but to highlight the surprise and gratitude I felt at the idea of selling a book before I ever got there, and then selling twenty-two through the course of the afternoon. Most of the sales were to people who had been watching my progress on Facebook, friends and family, but a few were new to me.
Still it wasn’t the sales that floored me. It was that each of these people, many of whom I didn’t expect, took a few moments to come and see ME. ME?! The level of amazement had me in happy tears off and on for the next three days. It still gets me. If you went to the Book launch and you are reading this blog post, know that you are one of the most precious people on the planet, and you have my eternal gratitude. I love you.
If you didn’t get to come but wanted to, You also have my gratitude, and I love you too. You are just as precious because you feel it. Thank you.
Of course I over prepared as usual, but it went better than I could have dreamed. To everyone at Earth and Soul and everyone who made the day amazing, Thank you. You make it all worthwhile.
~D~
