At least once a week, someone on Facebook will ask me when I'm going to come to their town for a book signing.
When the Booktown Mysteries started to do well, my agent asked me about doing a book tour. Knowing what that entails (FLYING -- and usually on little regional carriers, you know--puddle jumpers), I told her up front that I am a CHICKEN. I do not fly. I always was a nervous flyer and during 911 I was across the pond in Scotland. The next ten days were nerve wracking. I don't even know how they got me on that plane because I was not sedated.
I have never flown since.
But, book tours mean flying. No can do. Not negotiable.
She said if my publisher really wanted me to tour, they'd hire me a bus. (I'm so gullible, I didn't realize she was kidding.)
I mentioned it to my editor. He laughed.
Well, I don't drive anywhere that takes more than an hour to get there. Why? I fall asleep at the wheel. My designated driver (Mr. L) is not enthusiastic about leaving the cats for an extended period of time.
And still people ask me over and over again: "When are you going to come my city?"
Here's the answer. Convince my editor that I need a tour bus. Like Willie Nelson has. (Sans pot. And I guess I don't need one quite that big. How about a Winnebago?)
Go on, I dare you!
Lorraine-
ReplyDeleteThats an interesting problem that I never thought of in terms of book tours. I'm not a big fan of flying or driving, but I can do it. (If I have to!)
Have you thought of going with another author-seems like I remember a couple of authors, (maybe more) getting together for a book tour. Maybe it was just for a signing.
I have a friend who has a similar problem driving. Sometimes we go on trips together and I drive and she navigates and buys snacks. That works out pretty well for us.
I love how authors team up together to do blogs- it would make sense to do book tours together.
Kelly, I'm having a hard enough time getting more than one local author to join me on a group signing, let alone a book tour. I think it would be great to do a book tour with Ellery Adams. She lives in Virginia, I live in New York. I don't see that in our futures.
ReplyDeleteI hate to fly because I don't like being squished into a plane like a sardine. However, I love to travel. I'll go anywhere any time, as long as I can go by train or car. Unfortunately, my husband doesn't like to travel anymore so I'm stuck at home. :-(
ReplyDeleteChildren's author/illustrator Jan Brett has her own bus - I have a picture of it somewhere from when she visited Colorado Springs last spring. If she can have one, you should have one, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm leery of flying... so a book tour any place I can't drive (or be driven... I don't actually drive)is out. I'm such a home body. But someday, if I'm so fortunate as to be in a position to be asked to do one, I'd love to work it into a long vacation traveling around the US amd Canada in a Winnebago!!
ReplyDeleteLOL, Booklady. All I can say is she must be making a heck of a lot more money at her writing gig than I'm making on mine. (My minivan is already five years old, and I'm hoping to squeeze another 10 years of life out of it before I have to buy a new one.)
ReplyDeleteLOL. Too funny.
ReplyDeleteShiloh
I am claustrophobic and would never fly. Ny now husband wanted to get the family together for our wedding. So he proposed with the carrot being getting married in Las Vegas. I had to do some tall talking to myself, but I got on the plane, there and back. But I haven't flown since.
ReplyDeleteI cannot blame you for not flying. But all of your fans, including me would love to meet you. I think we should start a petition to your editor for a bus. By the wat, I love the new book, "Crafty Killing"
Can't wait for the next one.
I'm with you -- I refuse to get on an airplane, but trains are lovely, at least out here in the Pacific Northwest. I do wish I were closer to the east coast, though, for hopping the QM2. I took a ship to England many many years ago and loved it.
ReplyDeleteI don't like driving that much, either. Trains rule. And at least out here, Amtrak doesn't pat you down!