Bookcast Episode 37- That Time I Lost My @ss in New Orleans

for the writing content, hang in there. That train is pulling into the station very, very soon. a seasoned listener, a bibliophile, or just looking for a good read. I hope you'll enjoy today's show. I'm honored to have your ears for this time and I can't wait to share my love of reading with you. Today is Saturday, April 1st. How is it April already? Time keeps on slipping. It is 1030 a.m. It is a rainy, thunderous day in Atlanta. The thunder woke me up actually

out of a dead sleep. Then I got up and I have my coffee and this microphone. So let's talk books. the story of how I lost my ass at Essence Fest 2018. It's been a minute since this happened. I never, I didn't really have the platform to talk about it, kind of download about it and tell folks what had happened. So Casey, Casey R. Kelly, who runs Black Book of the Day on TikTok and Instagram. I was on a

live with her this week. I think Thursday night we were doing our book, Black Book Talk Book Club Tyree's Fly Girl. And as it does, the conversation wandered to different subjects and we got to talking about New Orleans and Essence Fest and someone had made a mention of the bookstore down there and I was like, y'all, I got a story. I'm going to put it on my podcast this weekend. So I'm going to talk about that today. It's a little bit juicy. I mean, it's not traumatic or anything.

But will I be doing Essence Fest ever again? Probably no. Probably no. And I'll tell you why. But first, two things. I am back from vacation. It was glorious. It was uneventful. And that's all I can hope for for vacation. I am not the type of person that be ripping and running up and down some strange streets. I might go to a museum. I might do some sort of adventure. But for the most part, if I go on vacation, I am booking a beachfront

room. I want to watch the ocean. I want to I want to sit on my patio and enjoy drinks and snacks and just be at peace. And I was, I did a five day, it was Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, I left Monday. I got a beachfront room. I was down at North Reddington Beach on the East coast of Florida. Listen, can't beat the sugar white sand, the blue green water. I love a private beach. I don't like Clearwater Beach at all. It's hated it. So I always book a room

with a private beach. I always book a beach front room. I am not getting on a plane if I can't be looking at the beach. I have relaxed that rule somewhat in recent years but for the most part I'm getting a beach front room. I'll pay for it especially for my birthday. My birthday was glorious. I spent it relaxing. I had a fabulous day. Then I went to dinner with my good friend, Twice Sifted. She is on Twitter as Twice Sifted. She is a

a waffle connoisseur. She just closed her shop making custom premier waffles and sold the waffle truck and everything. Sad to say goodbye to Blossom the waffle truck and going out on her events when I'm down there and slinging waffles. But to everything, there's a season and that season is over. So we had a celebratory, hey, welcome back to real life with my friend. I just had a great time. I got a lot of books read. We'll talk about those in the books section of the podcast.

I just had a really great time. I got some relaxing in. I got a lot of books read. I got about 1,200 words in on a new project. So that's exciting. The plan this week is to really think through the plot and just write, try not to worry so much about, is this good? Does because it sounds stupid. So I think I'm just a person that needs to work through it, work through it, work through it. The idea has been in my head for a little

while and I'm concerned. I haven't thought about it enough, but I'm just going to put my fingers to the keyboard and see what I come up with and fix it later. The other thing I want to tell you is that I was on the Black Romance podcast this week. If you know me, you know that I absolutely revere this podcast. hosted by Julie Moody Freeman with the DePaul Center for Black Diaspora. She is a professor of black studies. I mean, it was a dream when I got the email that she wanted

me to appear on the podcast. I mean, every time I get an email like that, I double check to make sure I'm not being punked. I was not being punked. We met in December, had such a good time, that podcast episode, it was over an hour. I think it's like an hour and a half. I talked Julie is such a delight. I had an excellent time. That's one of the podcasts where when I'm bored, I go through and listen to old episodes like the Brenda Jackson

episode is two episodes long. The Beverly Jenkins episode, her most recent episode was Serezia Glass. The AC Arthur episode was great. The Sandra Kitt episode, the episode with what's her name? She started RWA. What the heck? Vivian Stevens. My heart. My heart. So when I got wanted me to appear on the show. Are you kidding? Absolutely. Yes, I do. So that episode aired this week. It is fantastic. It was recorded in December before I even finished.

Hey lover. So I am happy that I actually finished and it's out there and I wasn't just talking out of my butt. Um, it's a great episode. Look it up. It's a black romance podcast hosted by Julie Moody Freeman. I'll pop of course, the link in the show notes. Hope you adore it. I had a ball. So let's get to the books. While I was on vacation, I did get some reading in and I can't remember where I left off on my last book report. So I know I talked about Kill Night

on the last episode. I also read Kiss Me by Sharon C. Cooper and Marry Me by Delaney Diamond. That's part of the three-part Irresistible Husbands series that came out. I have not read the third one by Cheryl Lister yet. It's on the list. It's just so many books. I have so many, so many books to read. both of those enjoyed them. I also finished The Buildup by Tati Richardson and I attended her book launch, her local book launch here at Eagle Eye Books in Decatur, Georgia

on Tuesday. Such a fun time. That room was packed out. I think bookstores underestimate the amount of black girl magic that can fit in a room. If it's black women and it's romance books, we're going to be there. Congratulations, Tati. It was such a good time and it was her birthday. Happy birthday. It was a really good book. I enjoyed it. Then I read Not So Perfect Strangers by L.S. Stratton. I read that on my birthday. It was a reread. Actually, I had read a very early copy. Still a fantastic

read. Five-star read. It's a really good book. And Barnes and Noble just named that book like their mystery read of the month or something for April. So congratulations, Shelly. I am so, so excited for you. This is a woman that has been grinding for a minute, to see her finally getting her flowers, getting the recognition that she deserves. So I'm so excited. Congratulations, happy release day and all of that. And then I read or I listened to Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donnelly. This book

comes out on Tuesday, March 28th. No, that book comes out. I don't see it. I believe it came out Tuesday, March 28th. This one is a suspense novel. It is not a black author, but I have already read everything Charlie Donnelly has released. So he's one of those auto-buy authors for me. Speaking of auto-buy authors, John Grisham has a new book coming in October. It is a follow-up to The Firm. We're

catching up with Mitchell McDear. Listen, I've got to tell you I'm scared because John Grisham hasn't had a really fantastic book out in a very long time. Do I buy it anyway? Yes. Do I read it Anyway, yes, have I read everything Grisham has released in the legal thriller genre? I haven't read any of his nonfiction. I haven't read any of his young adult novels. Yes, if it's Grisham, I'm going to buy it. I can't help it. I think I need therapy, but I'm just, I got my fingers crossed.

It's a good book. There is, there's a dude at work. We have our own little book club where we recommend kind of like, like thriller suspense, of books to each other. We are both big Grisham fans, but we have this deal where if a new Grisham book comes out, I read it and then I let him know if it's worth him picking up because, you know, people are just tired of wasting their time on books that aren't good. It's a Grisham book. I'm going to read it whether, I mean, I can't

help it. I'm going to read it. So I'll read it first. I'll let you know if it's worth your time. So the last book that came out was Boys from told him, hey, I didn't enjoy it. I think you should skip it. He's like, yeah, okay, good, good, good. You know, good looking out. Why this man go ahead and read it? And then he messaged me like, oh my God, I don't think I can get through this book. I'm like, Brian, I told you. I told you. I read Grisham books so you don't have to. Why are you reading

it? I told you not to read. He's like, I know, but I had it and I had to read it. So I said, okay, I don't want to hear you complaining. I told you not to read it. So those were were the books that I got through on my vacation. This week I am reading Lone Women by Victor Laval. The cover of this book absolutely got me. I don't even think I read the synopsis. I don't know what it was about. I maybe read a sentence or two but a little did I know Victor Laval writes horror. I'm not reading the

changeling. I can tell you that I am not reading the changeling but Lone Women so far doesn't seem scary. It's more along the speculative fiction end and I'll tell fiction. And this one's very slow going. I might actually switch from the audio book to the print, because the voice of the audio book just doesn't sound right to me. It doesn't sound horror, speculative fiction to me. It's a little too like, I don't know, the voice isn't right.

The voice, the voice is really more suited toward like, you know, your romance, your late 20s, early 30s, stick it out. I might just page read it. Don't know. I'm also going to listen to Vivid. I'm also going to read Vivid by Beverly Jenkins. I'm actually about 50% through that. I started that on my vacation. She's such a great author. I just love the way she weaves words and brings stories to life. I'm a big fan. So I'm still on my unofficial Beverly Jenkins

reread. And then I got Black on Black, Our Resilience and Brilliance in America by Dr. Daniel Black. started this, I did get it from the library, so I feel like I'm going to have to return it and borrow it again. So many books. Books are very, very tempting looking. They're very shiny. So that's what I am getting through this week. Hopefully I know I have an advanced copy of Sally, a Sally Hepworth book that comes out on Tuesday. I don't think I'm going to get to it. I don't

arc. So I really should try to get to it. But it's the soulmate by Sally Hepworth. So it comes out April 4th. I'm probably going to try to get to it. And then Blind Spots by Thomas Mullen also comes out April 4th. I did try to start reading this, but it's like, it is just, it's a book where at some point in history, everybody goes blind and then they make these special visor things for people to be able to see. And some people are against the visors and some for the Visors and some crime happens

and something, I don't know. It's felt to me like the story was happening at some level above the text and I just couldn't grasp it. And so maybe I just was not in the mood to read this. I do love Thomas Mullin's work. He has a live event coming up April 11th and I might try to read that book before his live event and then go meet him in person. But I might try to bring copies of Darktown and Black Police Officers on the Atlanta Police Force. Those are really, really great

books. Did not really enjoy Blindspots as much as I read it. Perhaps I was not in the mood, but I may go back and finish it and then try to attend his live event in Atlanta. He is an Atlanta-based author. That's what's going on in the book world. So let's get to the tea, shall we? I do want to say it's probably not all that salacious, but it's a story that I have it. a whole lot of people. So something to say, something, a story to tell on the podcast. I'm going to have a sip of coffee

and then we will begin. Alrighty. So picture at Atlanta, 2018. Yeah. So it was 2018 and I don't remember how many books I had out at this point, maybe three or four. It was, it was a few years ago. I don't know, three, four, five. I saw a posting on Facebook where you could have your books on showcase and for sale at Essence Fest, which happens, which occurs in July. I think I saw this maybe late May or June. So I was real like, you know, I mean, I was jumping into this like

way, way late to the game. I sent in my application and a couple of days later, maybe a week or so later, I got an email back and they're like, yeah, we'd love to have you showcase your books. think it's Garden Avenue District or Garden Something Library in New Orleans. That is the official bookstore of Essence Festival. Your books will be on sale in the bookstore. And then if you will be in person, you can actually schedule a signing. You can sign your books. And I was like, oh, Essence

Fest? Okay. I'm excited. I'm really excited about this. I rounded up my troops and said, hey, who wants to go to New Orleans with me for Essence Fest? And the people that would normally come with me were like all busy. It was an omen. I should have heeded the sign. One person that would normally come with me had foot surgery, so she wasn't going to be able to fly or walk around New Orleans. The other had to work. And then my best friend who was going to come with me just wasn't able

to attend. I was like, fine, I'll do it myself. It's Essence Fest. I have to be there. I have to be there. So I am a self-published author. So I don't have like gobs of books sitting around. I don't have a publisher that can just shoot over a box of books to this bookstore in New Orleans. So at that time I was with Lulu. This is how I know it was super early in my career because I was not having my books printed by Drafted Digital or KDP or anything. I'm like, I feel like I wasn't. I

had paperbacks. Lulu, so I wasn't even on KDP. And I hop onto Lulu and I have them print and ship like 50 books, which is expensive. And I had to have them rush ordered and shipped direct to the bookstore. So I spent a few hundred dollars printing 50 books to have them shipped to this bookstore in time I bought a flight, I got a hotel room, and I made plans to travel on

over to Essence. So when they assign your book signing, you can appear Friday night, Saturday night, you can, well, you can appear Friday afternoon, Friday night, Saturday morning, afternoon or night, or Sunday morning, night slot, but I guess there was somebody more important online too. They put me on Sunday. Little did I know Sunday morning is not a jam-packed Essence Fest audience. It's gospel day basically. Nobody is coming out to Essence Fest on Sunday morning.

I did not know Hey, I'm going to be at Essence Fest. I'm so excited. I'm going to sign so many books and sell so many books. So I spent the weekend actually in Houston to visit my best friend down there. She wasn't feeling well, which is why she couldn't go to New Orleans with me. So of course, got myself a beach front room on Galveston and had a great weekend and then hopped on over to New Orleans on Saturday night. thing to come out of that weekend. I got to meet Farah in person. We had some

gumbo. We had some book chat. It was delightful. So that was Saturday night. Got to my hotel. It's a beautiful hotel room. Really, really loved it. And then on Sunday morning, I head over to the bookstore at the convention center. And I'm like, there's not a lot of people around. What's happening? that it's gospel day and there's not a whole lot of people around but I had promoted this on my Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram. I'm gonna be at EssenceFest. If you're in,

come stop by. You don't have to buy a book but come give me a hug and let me know that you're here. The book signing was in like slots of 15 minutes and I think I was slated for 11 to like 1120. So my books are there. I snag a book. I set

myself up. There's somewhere best with you know my my books and stuff and I look all happy and you know joyful etc but I'm nervous because there's like there's no line there's not been any messages popping back people like hey I'm here I'll come see you nothing absolute crickets so my signing starts and there's one person in line and we chat for a minute I sign her book she gives me a hug we take a picture not a single person. I got, I think I had, I had Brunch at Ruby's is the book that

I sold at the festival. And then I bought a copy of Beach Thing to also display that like, you know, you can buy this on my website or whatever. No people. I signed one, maybe two books. So I had shipped 50 books to this bookstore to be sold. They went on the, so they were on sale the whole weekend and with like, Hey, this author is going to be here on Sunday for a signing, et cetera. y'all I sold like maybe four or five books

out of 50. And then if you show up for a signing, they don't ship your books back to you. You have to take them with you. So I had like 40 some books in a big box that I had to cart out of the convention center as soon as my signing was over. And then I was flying back home. So like, what am I, I mean, what am I supposed to do with these books? So thankfully there is a FedEx from the convention center.

So I packed up all those books that I spent hundreds of dollars to ship and carted it over to that FedEx and shipped them out. Y'all, the deal when you sell your books at the Essence Fest bookstore is you split the profit with the bookstore. It's 50-50. I made $72. Now I've spent, I booked a flight. I booked a hotel room for two nights. I spent 200 and some dollars having my books printed and shipped rush to this bookstore for my signing. Two people showed up, packed up the rest of

my books. I shipped those out. I made $72 and I spent most of that shipping my books back home. Can I tell you I still have a box of those books in my garage? Because they're the old cover, so I don't sell them. They're the old cover. have been putting books in little free libraries everywhere, sitting it out so people can take it, like trying to get rid of these books because I mean, I can't sell them. They're the old cover. They're the six by nine size, which I hate. I hate

a six by nine book. I'm sorry if you book a six by nine, but I hate that size. It's five and a half by eight and a half is the largest I want to go. Y'all, it was such a bust. It was such an absolute bust. And then I was writing back from I was flying out of Houston with my friend Nikki, who was doing makeup for an act that had performed on Saturday. She's a professional makeup artist and she's like, hey, she sent me a text at

like, I don't know, 12, 1230 on Sunday. And she said, hey, me and hubby are heading out this afternoon around three. We were going to stay another night, but we didn't extend our hotel room. So we're going to go ahead and head out. If you're riding with us, come along, come on. So I didn't even stay the second night in New Orleans because we were going to drive back on Monday instead of Sunday. So we ended up driving back on Sunday. I stayed the night at her house in Houston, flew out

of Houston on that Monday. Would I do Essence Fest again? My first thought is no, because it was such a trash experience. It was a waste of my money. But on second thought, it was mostly because I didn't know what I was doing. and I was late in the game and I wouldn't do it alone. I would apply well ahead of time. I would send a book that was already selling gangbusters. I would not be there in person if I didn't get a Friday or Saturday night slot.

And I would go with my friends. I would definitely take my friends for a weekend at Essence Fest, but I wouldn't do it again the way that I did it. learned. But that's also why I get so afraid to do a live signing like in Atlanta. Like I feel like, you know, Tati doing a book launch in a live book launch in Atlanta at a bookstore is so brave because you could you could throw that and nobody could

show up. I see so many authors on Twitter talking about how they had a book launch at a bookstore and nobody showed up or their books didn't show up. So they didn't have any books to sell. That's and nobody shows up if I put a book on sale and nobody buys it. That's embarrassing to me. So I don't know if I'm brave enough to venture, like to go through that again. It's expensive. Like I don't do, I really don't do book events outside of Atlanta anymore because I cannot,

I can't afford it. I can't afford the loss. I don't, we don't make money at book signings. It costs, especially indie authors, because we don't have a publisher I mean, it comes off of the author's bottom line, but it comes out of the pay that they're going to get weeks, months down the line. I have to pay to print my books and pay to ship my books. And then when I don't sell those books, I've got 25, 30, 45 books sitting in my garage doing

nothing but collecting dust. I don't do paperback sales because I feel like people won't buy them. I don't do book signings outside of Atlanta because I cannot afford airfare and hotels and shipping books here and there for nobody to buy them. And not any shade to anybody who is way more popular than I am, but I'm not signing up to do Indie Love in New Orleans or LA because I'm going to be there with my books and the line's going to be out the door for Alexandria House. Ain't nobody

coming to my table. And I'm not even saying that to like poo poo me, pour me, I know me, I know my lane, I know my popularity and I know where I can and can't swim. There's some places I just can't swim. I don't sell like that. I don't have that kind of popularity. I don't have that kind of following. So I'm the type of person that I like to live where I am. And here's where I live. Here's where I am. swim in a big ocean. I can't

survive there. I will lose so much money trying to pretend I am as popular as somebody else out here. It's just a reality. So I do what I can do with the best I can do it, but I don't have it to risk, so I don't risk it. That is the story of how I lost my ass in New Orleans. It is currently 11 o'clock, 1059. Yeah, it I have got a mug of hot coffee here. I have a cinnamon roll that I saved from, I bought it at lunch yesterday and

I don't have the capacity to eat it. So I'm going to drink my coffee and eat my cinnamon roll. I'm going to open up a book and enjoy this gloomy weather from the comfort of my bed. Thank you for joining me for another episode of the Book Cast. I will be back next week with a reading update and I hope a writing update. Oh Lord. Please enjoy this weekend. Have a superlative week and we will chat again next weekend. Bye bye.