when worlds collide (a more poetic way of saying...)

....that schedules are overlapping.

The TL;DR of this love note is that you can be certain that there's no slick marketing campaign for Still Moving, my memoir about my first 3 years of Long Covid.
PLUS some thoughts about various options for purchasing books.
(If you haven't thought about the latter for a while, or not in relation to independent authors, you can know more about how your book choices impact both authors and booksellers.)

So, it looks like the release date of my book is this Saturday.
"Looks like" because I'm not 100% clear of this part of the process.

I mean, I knew that this part of self-publishing would be more complicated than the breezy blog posts titled "5 Steps to Publishing Your Book!"
But this part of the process—waiting for systems and automations to sync and register and update all the listings on all the platforms—has been slower than my expectations of complications.

So, it's convenient right now that there's no big plan for a release party.
( #LOL )

But wait, there's MORE!
Because that's not even the strongest proof of the lack of a marketing campaign.

This Saturday, 11/11 is my last outdoor sound journey in Atlanta.
(If you're local and want to attend, there are still some spaces left! Register here.)

So, it's even MORE convenient right now that there's no big plan for a release party.
( #LOLOLOL )

I don't know exactly what's happening, but I do know that I'm relieved for some flexibility with this book, which is the biggest project I've ever managed on my own.

In the meantime, while I'm waiting out the absurd timing, I want to share some considerations about book purchases.

If you figured that Still Moving would be listed on Barnes & Noble and Amazon, you're right! (Already, in fact.)

But I specifically arranged distribution of Still Moving so that it can be procured anywhere.
In other words: any bookstore can order my book for you.

You have options, because I like for everyone to have options.

If you're thinking that certain platforms are "better" for me as an author, I'm here to clarify that any and all purchases of this book are GREAT for me. No matter the platform.

Here's why:

~ Purchasing the book through a major retailer gives the option for reviews. I'm a nobody in the author world. I never sought a publishing deal; there's no slick promotional campaign for this memoir. (As you know.) If you get the book and want to share your thoughts, reviews are a tremendous help. I read reviews for nearly all the books that interest me, especially if I'm not familiar with the author.

~ Purchasing the book through an independent bookstore brings their attention to my memoir! Indie bookstores provide more than just books; they are hubs for education and community. I would be delighted for these booksellers to know about me.
AND purchasing through an independent bookseller gives them a portion of the revenue. (Retail to you is the same.)

~ If you want to support local bookstores but don't have a specific one in mind, a great option is Bookshop.org. It's a platform that sends revenue directly to indie bookstores.

If you haven't read an excerpt from Still Moving, you can find options on my site.

Hopefully my next love note will be soon, with all the details for Still Moving. In the meantime, there's music on the site if you need some sonic magic.

Excitedly,
S.

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skyeris.art
she / they
IG

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