Overcoming Fear

I'm not afraid of public speaking. I feel totally at ease standing giving a speech at the front of a room filled with strangers. I'm not afraid to pick up the phone to call an editor I've never met, a source I'd like to interview or a writer I'd like to meet. So, I was very surprised to discover that the idea of picking up the phone to call bookstores about scheduling readings gave me a terrible case of the jitters. I've put it off for weeks. I have a list of the bookstores I want to call, I have a page in my notebook filled with talking points and an e-mail inbox filled with words of wisdom from other authors but I haven't been able to force myself to pick up the phone. I decided that today was the day: My goal was to make two phone calls. 

The first call was to a small bookstore just outside of Charlotte. The town hosts a Christmas event in December that coincides with the release of The Green Year and the bookstore is in the center of the action. I talked to the owner who explained that the bookstore only hosted authors who were well-known in the community - which I am not. I understand but I'm still disappointed. The second call was to a chain bookstore near my hometown. The manager promised to find out if he was allowed to schedule events in December. (During the holidays, he explained, shoppers want to get in and out; the store is often to crowded to accommodate author events). He asked me to call back later this afternoon.

My conversation with the second bookstore owner got me thinking: Will it be difficult to schedule signings in December? Setting up for a reading takes up precious space that could be used for extra sales tables. Plus, the stores are crowded, shoppers are frazzled and store clerks are overworked. In a few hours, I'll have a response from the manager. In the meantime, I'm attempting to work up the courage to make a few more calls. I know the success of The Green Year depends, at least in part, on my ability to promote the book - and bookstore signings are part of that. So, I'll continue to make a few calls a day. My goal: to schedule two signings in Charlotte and one in Toronto in December.