As I sit at my computer and begin typing a new blog I am aware that it is the first day of Advent. That is important to me for two reasons. Spiritually I am reminded that it is time to prepare my heart and mind for the arrival of Baby Jesus in twenty-five days. As an author of a children’s book titled “The First Advent” I am wondering how my marketing scheme to encourage book sales has worked out this past few months.
The most difficult part of being a self-published author is the marketing of the book. Facebook is a perfect place to advertise and this year I decided I would have an Advent countdown on Facebook. So for nineteen consecutive days I posted a picture and added a comment as I announced the number of days remaining before Advent would arrive.
The plan was that the comments along with a picture of a variety of my artist Janine’s beautiful illustrations would inspire my Facebook friends to do a little Amazon book shopping. I’m not sure how much shopping was done but one thing I’m sure of is if any of my Facebook friends shopped at Amazon they got side tracked and missed the eight million books that are available there. For sure they missed “The First Advent”.
But such is the life of a self-published author.
I have never expected to make the best seller’s list. I’m just content to sell a few books and enjoy the release of endorphins when a book buyer gushes about how they and their children enjoyed the book. 🙂
Today my daughter snapchatted me a message. (I bet you didn’t think an old guy like me was into that kind of technology did you?) The message contained a picture of the cover of “The First Advent” with a note from her friend whom my daughter had gifted the book to.
Her friend commented how excited she was to ‘enjoy the wait’ as she and her children prepared to complete the daily readings and/or activities for each day of Advent. You see when I autograph the books I always write ‘enjoy the wait’ and sign my name below.
After reading that snapchat a few endorphins leaked out and pandemic or not I would have given that young lady a great big hug! 🙂 But being that she was eighty miles away that didn’t happen.
Every time Advent rolls around I am reminded of a specific Advent that Kathie and I tried to celebrate with our three children. It was a complete disaster. In fact subconsciously “The First Advent” might have been a result of that negative experience.
If I would have written “The First Advent” thirty years sooner I could have saved our family a lot of eye rolling, sighing and the protrusion of lower lips.
I have been a serious Christian almost all of my life.
When I was two and we were visiting a neighboring farmer we were standing in the yard under a beautiful August moon. The farmer teased me as he said, “That’s my moon!” I quickly responded (remember now I’m just two years old) “No, that’s God’s moon!”
I think my Mom gets most of the credit for that but my comment illustrates how early my faith took root.
But even though I was serious about my faith I was shy about talking about it. I had developed my faith by going to Sunday Mass and catechism classes so I assumed our three children would have the same experience. Looking back now I wish I would have had the courage to share my faith with them more then I did.
But one Advent Kathie and I decided we would have a family Advent service each Sunday before Christmas.
So we got three purple candles, one rose colored candle and made a ring of pine boughs.
Looking back now I realize the mistake we made. We should have started that Advent adventure five years earlier before the hormone surges of the teenage years had begun! 🙁
I remember being nervous as that first Advent Sunday session was about to begin. The first candle was lit after I assume there was a little bickering about who got to light it. Then things proceeded to go down hill from there.
Having taught school for more then a dozen years by that time I assumed I could handle things even though spiritual things were difficult for me to share. I stumbled and bumbled along and became even more depressed watching the expressionless faces of our children.
We only finished one of the four planned Advent session that year. In fact somewhere around our house we have three unburnt candles and one slightly melted one. The branch of pine needles disintegrated many years ago.
Where was that “The First Advent” book when I needed it? The light hearted stories broken up by a variety of activities would have prevented eye rolling, sighing and pouting. And who knows maybe I would have even become a better sharer of my faith during those relaxing sessions.
Instead my family depended on my three children’s books “Nature’s Christmas Story”, “The Easter Sparrows” and “The First Advent” to get a glimpse into their Dad’s Christian faith.
“The First Advent” book sales for this fall was not great. But still my heart is full knowing in a variety of homes scattered all over this country families are ‘enjoying the wait’ and growing in their Christian faith and the love for each other as they spend each day experiencing the fun and excitement of “The First Advent”. Of course that is except for a few skirmishes resulting from a couple siblings wanting to use the same crayon!. 🙂
I can feel a few endorphins being released just thinking about it. 🙂
Until next time.
