A New Variation of Me

SELLING MY BOOKS ON A VERY HOT DAY

       I am trying to be better at marketing my books. But it’s not easy for me so my website is withering on the internet vine, as it were. I have decided it will be easier if I let someone else do the hard part. And a writer friend of mine suggested a friend of his.

The first version of my website was designed and managed by someone who knew what she was doing. So, I happily submitted to her what I wanted to write in my monthly newsletter. With the help of her employees, she would send out my missives. But the designer decided she wanted to do something else with her life and I was left doing it all myself. Since computer stuff is not really my strong suit, the website has withered.

Now, after years of trying to keep up with my website, I am back to having someone else run the darn thing. She is actually in Canada and has the delightful name of Virginie. It is early days of working together, but she’s been quite patient with me and very helpful.

Glory be! I can send Virginie what I want to put on my website and she will see that’s it done properly and speedily. She’ll even mail out my monthly newsletter. I’m sure she won’t yell at her computer as much as I yell at mine. And the people who have asked to keep in touch to hear what I’m writing at the moment will get a monthly update. Whew. And if you don’t want to hear about me, feel free to unsubscribe. I promise not to bother you.

I’m hoping to write my blog more regularly and again include my reviews of books.  

At the moment I am finishing my Early Reader book, Space Junk, about a seven-year-old girl, Keandra Maria Ortiz, who wants to build spacecraft as her Pap does. She soon learns that there might be a better way to explore the universe so that we Earthlings don’t continue to pollute Space.

I am also finishing a young adult novel titled Bad Hair Day, about a teen girl who learns that having your hair not be perfect for school is not really a big deal compared to the other things that others endure.

And I just released a collection of short stories titled Little Bits: A Collection of Short Stories. I also answered writers’ prompts for the Carteret Writers Summer Doldrums series.  Sixteen days’ worth of challenges. Such fun. And, who knows, maybe I’ll get another collection of short stories out of the challenges. One of the stories will be part of a chapter in Bad Hair Day.

Those will be my last two children’s books because I’m too old to write the language of young English speakers today. It makes me shudder to read or write me or they when I should read I or he/she/it. I have reviewed children’s books for the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database since 2008, but I find it increasingly hard to relate to the characters. Snobbish and intolerant of me I know, but at 82, I’m entitled; I guess.

My next project is a grown-up’s murder mystery titled Serendipity’s Conundrum. Now I don’t have to feel the least bit guilty if I read lots of mysteries. I’ll just call it research.

For my website, I’m renaming it to something like: https://sarahmauryswan.com because I was told that my current website name is too cumbersome. Please vote on whether you prefer the newer version or the old version: https://sarahmauryswanlovesbooks.com.