The pictures don’t lie—that’s my chapbook short story, Eikaiwa Bums, on the shelf with the other authors at MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, New Hampshire. The shelf price is a mere $3.00, with proceeds supporting both the author and a super-cool independent bookstore that’s been a staple of my hometown for over twenty years.
Here’s the coolest part—on Sunday, August 18th I’ll be at BookEnds giving an in-person reading and talking about what it’s really like to live and work in Japan. The reading is totally FREE and will also be a good chance to catch up with me while I’m back in the States for summer break. Watch for more updates closer to August…
It honestly feels pretty incredible to have something I wrote for sale in an actual bookstore and to have earned a place (albeit a very small one) among the writing community in my home state. More than that, though, the idea of readers, Japan lovers, or even people who knew me as a kid wandering into the store and casually picking up a copy is super exciting to me, since it’s a new way of sharing my work with the rest of the world.
Those of you just tuning in can read about how I got how I got Eikaiwa Bums published here, or if you’re outside of New Hampshire and want to pick up a copy you can order a signed one from the BIAHADJ webstore. Ordering from my webstore is also a great way to support my writing (and this blog!) more directly, since more of the proceeds go to me (if that’s your jam).
Warner, New Hampshire’s Main Street in 1908. It’s changed a little bit since then, I guess.
So How’d You Get Your Book in an Actual Bookstore, Anyway?
After I got my copies of Eikaiwa Bums shipped to Japan, my first priority was setting up a webstore so I could process payments and mail out the signed copies directly. Once that was done, I started looking at other options.
I grew up in the small town of Warner, New Hampshire (population 2,800), which had one bank, two gas stations, a McDonalds, the Market Basket grocery store where I got my first job, a video store (remember those?) and that was about all. Then, in 1998, a bookstore opened up—MainStreet BookEnds.
I’m not going to lie and say that I was one of those kids who spent all my free time at the local bookstore growing up—mostly because I didn’t have the cash, but also because the bigger chains had more of the Star Wars paperbacks I was poring through at the time. So, I probably only set foot in BookEnds a handful of times before leaving for college.
As I got older, though, I started seeing all the great things BookEnds was doing for the community: hosting local events and readings, supporting local authors by giving them a place to sell their work, opening a gallery for visual artists, building a solar-powered outdoor stage for music and plays, and in general doing a HUGE amount of work to revitalize local culture in my little hometown. To put it bluntly, they do a lot more than a Burger King or a Barnes and Noble chain would.
Enough with the Nostalgia! Why are They Selling Your Book???
Simple answer: Because I asked them.
Once I had my webstore set up, I started looking for other ways to get Eikaiwa Bums out into the world, and BookEnds in my hometown was one of the first places I checked. I found a contact email on the website and sent a message to the owner, Katharine Nevins, whom I addressed by name. (Pro Tip: NEVER address emails using “Dear Bookstore Owner” or some other vague nonsense, since it sounds generic and makes it look like you’re mass mailing every bookstore on the planet. Google is your friend—and the names are always out there!)
I kept my email pretty short: I explained who I was and how I’d grown up in Warner, and listed some of my credentials (master’s from University of Nebraska, now teaching English in Japan) without giving a full-on resume. I then explained about Eikaiwa Bums, listing the publisher (also important!) and the dimensions so she’d have an idea how much shelf space the book would take up. I also included the cover price and the cost of purchase from Blue Cubicle Press so she’d know that we were dealing with a $3.00 book and not a $30.00 one. I ended with a genuine note thanking her for being a great independent bookstore and contributing to the community, which was easy to write because it was, you know, true.
Then, I waited—for over a month.
That’s when I realized I’d made a critical mistake: I’d sent my email in early December during the pre-Christmas rush, when every bookstore and retail store in the country was hyperactively busy. It was very possible that whoever was checking that email address didn’t have time to reply, or maybe to even consider my chapbook at all. If I had a do-over, I definitely 100% would have waited until January to email, a lesson I won’t be forgetting.
I decided to follow up by sending an actual copy of the chapbook, which I’d just gotten a second order of. I signed it, and included a nice Japan-themed card complete with envelope. I addressed the card to Katharine directly, reminding her about my email and admitting my faux pas of emailing during the busy holiday season, suggesting that she might want to take a look at the actual book. Then I mailed it, and waited.
Barely a week later I got a response from Katharine saying she’d love to carry the chapbook (“Any authors from Warner need to be featured here!”) and offering me a chance to give a reading at the store when I was back in the area. The invitation came as a complete surprise and was thus super awesome to hear, and right away I started planning how to make it happen.
We then emailed back and forth about the logistics: BookEnds would carry the chapbooks on consignment, which means I’d get paid as they sold, with the store taking a percentage. I could have a new set of books shipped right from the press to the store to avoid international shipping costs, and we’d handle payment when I was back in the States.
In the end, that’s all it took—doing the research, reaching out, being genuine, following up, and settling the logistics.
What’s Next?
From here, I’ll keep working to promote the book from abroad, and have some more work to do before the reading on August 18th. If you’re in the New Hampshire area and want to come hear me read and talk about life in Japan, mark your calendar and watch for more updates closer to summer.
Finally, I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to Katharine Nevins for responding to my email and giving me a chance—it means a lot. I also owe a HUGE thanks to my friend and former roommates Joe and Sara Face, who took time from their busy schedules to snap the cover pic of Eikaiwa Bums on the shelf at BookEnds. It was literally impossible for me to take that pic from Japan, so I’m pretty thankful that I have friends willing to help me out.
So I totally have an Instagram now where I post cool and offbeat pics from Japan—check it out!
Plus, you know, there’s other ways to follow me too…
But I Also Have a Day Job on Facebook
Occasional Email Update List (extra cool extra ahoy!)