When I was filming an unboxing reel for the copies of A Mean Piece of Water (out Dec 9th), it became apparent very quickly that I had a box full of cowboy novels that I most certainly did not write. Don’t get me wrong, all of my books so far take place in Oklahoma and there’s a fair share of country life, but the scruffy, chiseled face of a gentleman cowboy tipping his hat was not my cover. (And I don’t think there are any portals at all.)
After flailing my arms about for a bit, I looked up the author, Rosie Bosse, so I could give her a heads up that I had her books and she may have mine.
Because I was feeling bold and this darling grandma had her cell phone listed on her website, I went ahead and called her. Bless the older generations who answer their phones.
Turned out she had indeed gotten my books (along with like 300 of her own because the lady hustles), and a back and forth ensued between us, our two different distributors, etc.
It wasn’t long before I realized there was no way I would get replacement copies in time from D2D and while I would LOVE to sell out at my book launch, I REALLY don’t want it to be because I only have 20 copies.
So, we decided to meet up and swap boxes. This was possible because LUCKILY she lives on a ranch in the middle of north east Kansas, and I happen to adore weekend trips to KC. My mom drove and we spent the night with my bestie before meeting up with Mrs. Bosse at a bar and grill outside of Topeka. She and her husband at lunch with us and this powerhouse of an indie author chatted with me about her experiences and growth and it was such a silver lining to a pain in the booty situation.
As indie authors, we rely heavily on author copies for consignment, in person sales, tabling events, giveaways, etc. And they’re not cheap to order. I have already stretched my budget to the point where it basically no longer exists, so I was super grateful she was willing to take an afternoon to meet up with me.
I hope we get to run into each other again, and if cowboy wester series are your jam, check her out. https://shopkansasfarms.com/post-rock-publishing-rosie-bosse/ . She also has a really cute series of children’s books!
Anyway, as the holidays get closer, mail services get bogged down, and the publishing pipeline remains in dire need of some drain-o, be nice to everyone, especially your fellow indie authors.