Book Ends

Someone once told me that the life-expectancy of marketing and promotion for a self-published book was potentially much longer than for a trade-pub whose handlers pulled it as soon as they thought it had gotten stale. And from hence, to the remainders deep-discount table, and oblivion.

It’s been a year and a half since Slow Road Home arrived on Goose Creek. And that’s a pretty good long-distance jog, but I think I’m about done for now. Other things are taking center stage. But even as I focus less of my attention on SRH, more and more have found it–which is very gratifying. And it means good things happen passively now. I appreciate the two invitations that have come along, resulting in these events:

Book Signing / Pulaski (VA) Library / Thursday Dec 6 / 4 – 8:00 pm
Book Signing / Notebooks / Floyd, VA / Friday Dec 7 6 – 9:00 pm

And very much appreciated, the kind and unexpected review of the book by John Leonard in the New River Voice. You can read that at the website or archived at Nameless Creek.

So. I’m about done with this round of Note Cards (there are some of each set left but not many! If you’re planning to order, do it soon!) SRH is simmering, the fire not quite gone out of it. And other pots need stirring. Heck, I need to create some recipes for what goes in them first. Then stir.

And that is what January thru March will be all about on these early mornings. Perhaps we’ll have some tastings along the way. Might be I’ll ask your opinions on what’s cooking, just like I did when SRH was brewing two years ago this month.

I find it impossible to be secretely creative, and really enjoy and appreciate the sense (or illusion) that others are walking the walk with me. So thanks, secret readers, editors, critics and friends for being there for whatever comes next.

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fred
fred

Fred First holds masters degrees in Vertebrate Zoology and physical therapy, and has been a biology teacher and physical therapist by profession. He moved to southwest Virginia in 1975 and to Floyd County in 1997. He maintains a daily photo-blog, broadcasts essays on the Roanoke NPR station, and contributes regular columns for the Floyd Press and Roanoke's Star Sentinel. His two non-fiction books, Slow Road Home and his recent What We Hold in Our Hands, celebrate the riches that we possess in our families and communities, our natural bounty, social capital and Appalachian cultures old and new. He has served on the Jacksonville Center Board of Directors and is newly active in the Sustain Floyd organization. He lives in northeastern Floyd County on the headwaters of the Roanoke River.

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  1. i tried to leave a comment earlier today, but slashes came up instead of letters…. wierd!
    nice to hear that the embers of your book are still burning…. i have a feeling they’ll last quite a while longer……