So, Tuesday I have a meeting with my marketer to see how I can achieve more of my goals for the launch. The book seems to be sustaining sales but I’m not satisfied with the visibility with respect to reviews and general profile. As I’ve mentioned I’m going to find out just how large a giveaway I can expect to perform. Now, I have no idea whether this makes any sense at all. After all, as a tactic giving something away for free seems to be defeating the purpose of sales. But my whole reason for writing this book, is to get other people to read it too. And if you’re competing with literally millions of other books and some of them have multi-billion-dollar companies marketing them then it may take extreme methods to break out of obscurity and catch the public’s eye. And then again, I may just be kidding myself. But I think I’m very close to making a decision on the path forward.
And there’s not much time left before I’ll be overtaken by other responsibilities and projects. First Selectman Cthulhu has selected me as his personal spokesman with responsibilities for communicating his agenda to both the human population of Dunwich and also the trans-dimensional realm of the Great Old Ones. That’s right I’ll be updating his LinkedIn and TikTok pages. Currently he’s asked me to edit out the use of words like crush, dismember, maim and devour in his recent communications. He’s up for re-election and he needs to finesse his image quite a bit. I’ve suggested he watch several of the recent Godzilla movies and figure out how to mimic the joie de vivre of that radioactive reptile who has managed to cultivate a laid back and avuncular style in the last few years. I told him he might want to think about a facelift. But then he reminded me that technically he really doesn’t have a face. It’s more of a foot with eyes, mouth and tentacles. Well, a rose by any other name.
On the home front, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard have returned to dismal puddle and seemed very satisfied with whatever slop has run into the swamp. Also, a pair of wood ducks have also appeared but I notice they are much more skittish than the mallards. Well, it takes all kinds. So far, we haven’t seen any ducklings. Time will tell.
And I’ve cut down all of the raspberry canes and put about five pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer on the bed in anticipation of a bumper crop this year. I’m hoping it will expand significantly beyond the current patch and eventually triple into the whole garden. This is a matter of turning necessity into a virtue since nothing else seems to flourish besides raspberries in that soggy area.
The southern ice sheet has retreated back to the massive driveway pile which is now only three feet high. At the current rate of retreat, I calculate it will disappear completely by Memorial Day. At which point the last of it will end up in my drink cooler for that barbecue event.
Well, things are moving apace. Excelsior!