A short story
Photo by Joey Nicotra on Unsplash
Traditional publishers aim to publish hundreds of thousands of copies of a few books, self-publishing companies make money by publishing 100 copies of hundreds of thousands of books.- David Carnoy
Organic Gain (The Conclusion)
2023, Henery X ©
“Oh yeah. And I’m putting the finishing touches on my autobiography,” Eddie said in a matter-of-factly manner.
This revelation had all eyes on him.
“And we’re just hearing about this now?” A woman said. Eddie smiled at the woman, who was seated across from him.
“I wanted it to be a surprise, Mother,” Eddie said cheerfully, his smile returned.
“Well, mission accomplished,” Seventy-eight-year-old Jean Wilson-Thomas uttered. “So now I know what all the sudden interest in your childhood was about.” She smiled.
“That’s right, Mother. Only Nandi knew of my plan, and this was because she helped me thanks to her editing and formatting skills gained during our high school days.”
“Didn’t want to bother your journalist mother with such details, huh son?” Jean said playfully.
Eddie chuckled, “Involving you wouldn’t have made it a surprise, beloved.”
“If only your father would have lived to see how successful you became. He would have been so proud.” Jean said somberly.
Everyone raised a glass in honor of Eddie’s father, Doctor Marcus Thomas, who died when Eddie was twenty-five-years old and of a massive heart attack. Because of the life he created for himself and his family, he was rarely home, but when he was, they had created memorable moments. Though his wife had been more understanding of her husband’s absence, the same hadn’t held true for their only child. Eddie resented the fact that his father chose his work over his family, and therefore, his bond with his grandfather was so strong. But a week before he died and because of the distance between him and his son, Marcus decided he would retire at fifty-four. This revelation made Eddie happy. He loved his father and wanted nothing more than to spend time with him. It took him some time to get over the death of his father, but with the help of his family, especially his grandfather, the transition wasn’t as difficult as it could have been.
“I know he would have been, Mother.”
“So, when can we expect the book to be complete?” An older looking gentleman sitting next to his mother said.
“We’ll be self-publishing it next week, Uncle C. I just had to wait until this moment occurred, seeing it will be the next-to-last thing added.”
“Well congratulations, Nephew. And be sure to save me an autographed copy.” Charles “C” Wilson Junior said. He winked at his nephew, who smiled at him.
“I got you, Unc’. And you’ll be able to pick it up yourself during the book signing. You will be there, right?”
“But of course. There’s no other place I’d rather be. I’m just saying, I know how they are going to be moving, seeing how popular you are.”
“Again, I got you, Unc’.”
Now the topic of discussion was Eddie’s forthcoming autobiography. Some were talking about the best place to have the book signing, while others were giving their opinions on why he should self-publish, as well as why he should go the traditional route. Eddie and Nandi stared at one another, smiling. They already knew exactly what they were going to do, and why it was going to be done.
The primary reason they decided to self-publish was because they wanted to maintain as much control as possible. Anything a traditional publishing house could offer, they could do themselves and what they couldn’t, they knew people who could. Eddie’s popularity eliminated a need for pricey promotion. His Facebook and Instagram pages for Immortal Moments Art Studio/Gallery had just over 50,000 and 75,000 followers, respectively. And on average, both had a combined 8,000 people liking his post and 1,900 people commenting daily. So fliers on his social media pages, word of mouth, and mentioning of the upcoming event by local news outlets would do just fine. People just really needed to know when the book was available for purchase and where they could buy it. And certain connections had ensured that the book would be available in Barnes & Noble, and other bookstores, in due time.
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Four months later
The plan had been to have Eddie’s book signing at the main library on Woodward Avenue, but after they made the announcement, a larger venue was definitely in order. You see, it just wasn’t just about the signing of books. Eddie and Nandi wanted the moment to be unforgettable. So they would have food, drinks, music, and a raffle. Their favorite soul food restaurant would cater the food. The drinks would range from healthy smoothies to the best champagne. A popular radio disc jockey would provide the music. And the raffle would ensure three people received a portrait by the man of the hour himself.
Family, friends, clients, and countless admirers throughout the country all wanted a copy of…. “Eddie: A Life Well Lived.” And these folks brought folks, who brought folks along with them, which made the moment even more memorable. He and Nandi ordered ten thousand books from Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, and thanks to his author copy option. The goal was to sell what they would sell at the book signing and then sell the rest via the website they had set up. When it was said and done, they had sold seven thousand books, and the only reason they hadn’t sold more was because they ran out of time. They made arrangements to do it all again the next day and ended up selling the rest of the books. The moment had exceeded both their expectations. And to top it all off, local news outlets covered both events, seeing several of the reporters had portraits by Eddie.
One moment that really touched Eddie and Nandi is when several of their high school teachers showed up with their children and grandchildren. They all purchased a copy of his book and talked about past and present times. It was truly a moment none of them would soon forget.
Two months later Eddie, Nandi, and their team would embark on a national book tour. And of course everyone involved took time to explore every city they arrived in, making the moment even more memorable.
The End.
Every person we know knows at least twenty people. So, we have potential access to twenty people per person. Whether we gain access to those twenty people will depend on our relationship with the initial person. If our relationship is good, then the person will more than likely want to introduce us to people they feel will like us, and who they pray we will like as well. If the relationship is not so good, well, need I say more? Gaining access to the other people offers perpetual possibilities, ones more than likely the initial person couldn’t provide. And the beautiful thing about these secondary relationships is that they have the potential to become equal to or greater than the ones responsible for them.
The point I’m out to make is this: never underestimate the power of the relationships you have established throughout life’s journey. People who truly love you will support you to no end, and this will have a lot to do with the love they have for you. But no one can support what they don’t know about. So don’t be afraid or ashamed to promote yourself diligently. Because if you don’t, no one else will.
Promotion of self leads to promotion outside of self. If we’re not willing to promote ourselves, why should we expect anyone else to?-Henery X
Thank you for taking the time to acknowledge my offering. May all you deserve and desire flow abundantly into your life, as a river does into a sea.
Remember. I’m not here to convince you to believe. I’m here to offer you something else to consider.
Continue to be a lighthouse for all those who feel lost in the sea of life.
May we never lose our desire to outdo what we’ve already done.
Peace, Love, and the utmost Respect.