A Little Help
I’m in an odd spot. I write this blog almost every day. And it’s free. And I feel like I know almost all of my readers, and I consider them to be my friends. This happened because the first posts were basically Facebook posts. Then Facebook decided to add a blog feature, and I started using it. Then they cancelled it, and I moved to an independent website, GatewoodPress.com, set up a business page on Facebook, and voila, the blog continued to appear on Facebook. I did this to facilitate the publication of my book in 2021, The Caregiver’s Tales: The Long Goodbye, about my wife’s dementia.
As a publishing house, however, Gatewood Press needs revenue. It has my book, but sales have tailed off so we’re exploring other avenues. We started a line of Gatewood Press paraphernalia, but it was met with a yawn. Now we’re offering some new stuff, postcards and a mug, which is a tongue in cheek celebration of my two-city spring music tour. But the bottom line is we need to sell a thing or two if I’m to get a new book out, and this is where it gets embarrassing because it feels as though I’m asking friends for money.
The bottom line is simple. I need more readers. And the best way to get them is to take advantage of social media and get my work shared. Normally, this would happen organically, but I don’t see a lot of shares, which might be a comment on the work, although my readers are really loyal and supportive, and the work feels good. So, maybe this is just the way it’s meant to be. I’ve found it never hurts to ask for help, however, and I’m fairly certain my readers care about me as much as I care about them. So, if y’all feel like it, I could use a little promotional help. A boost. A share. A kind word. Anything to bring more readers to the table and maybe have someone buy a cup or even a book.