Don't Worry Be Savvy!!

Okay, I’m going into Mama Deep mode this morning,
I know when I do that I get lots of drive-bys…
But I want to talk about worry versus action...
I’m always taken aback by people who seem to thrive on worrying,
My philosophy is that worry and a dollar gets you a newspaper…maybe…
There are folks who take pride in writhing around worrying about things they can do nothing, nada about…they wear it like a badge of honor…Come On People…
Take care of those things you can, pray about those you can’t and keep it moving…
The new worry in the book industry is about bookstore closings and takeovers…
That is indeed tragic, I love nothing more than to browse a bookstore, especially a local, AA owned one, but the mega ones will do in a pinch,
But worrying will not change any of that, either we are going to have to take to the streets or go in droves to these stores to support them…in the meantime those of us who sell books are going to have to stop worrying and get savvy,
I learned that early on,
When I published my first book, I took to the bookstores,
Cafes and people in my community,
They bought my work,
However, when I got online,
It wasn’t working for me, who can say why, but I didn’t bemoan the fact,
I kept on doing what I was doing baby,
Because what I knew is that if my intent was to sell books,
And have people read them, I needed to get my books in folks hands,
And in a town of over a million people,
The math is simple,
It is hard work mind you, but mama said, “There is more than one way to skin a cat” and The same has to apply to selling a book…
But it is what it is and we have to do what we have to do,
To get what we want…
What I know about much of this could probably fill a thimble,
But what I know about getting my work on and getting what I need from what I do,
Could fill one of those closed bookstores…
Next month, I am doing a Business Expo at a church with thousands of members,
The following month, two African-American festivals with thousands of attendees,
The month after that a fashion show with women who spend money…
You feel me…
So to make this work, we are all going to have to do what I learned to do,
Close our ears to the negatives, open our hearts to the possibilities, handle our business and sell some books!

Blessings,
angelia