Say it loud, say it proud!

Good morning all!

Well, I have four more precious days until I go back to work...have I written anything new?  No...

Am I disappointed in myself?  Sort of...except I have been working at the business of writing, getting ready for a book signing and what not, so it's not like I've been sitting on the couch watching TV.  Although I have been doing that a lot too.

Anyway, I have to share this little bit with you because so many people seem to have a sort of mental block when it comes to marketing themselves as authors, that this was a bolt of light over my head.

Two nights ago Hubby and I were buying glamorous things like deodorant and a new handle for the toilet when we decided we needed a coffee.  This is our one luxury, buying coffee at the big honkin' super popular coffee place.  (Not sure I can use the name...let's call it CAR DUCKS.)  We didn't go to our usual Carducks, where they know us and half the baristas have a copy of Dream in Color, because that Carducks was too far away.  We needed COFFEE NOW!

So we stopped at the Carducks conveniently located in the store.  It wasn't crowded, because who's buying coffee at 8PM?  So Hubby and I struck up a conversation with the woman behind the counter.

I should say, she struck up a conversation with us.

She looked at me and said, "So are you an author?"

Now, this isn't usually how people open conversations with me.  It's not like I have a halo around my head that reads "AUTHOR" in neon.  (Gee...you'd think Sharper Image would come up with something like that.)  What I did have was my t-shirt that reads "Careful, or you'll end up in my novel."

Authors, writers, we all have that t-shirt, right?  Maybe you got is as a gift, but more likely you bought it for yourself from Cafe Press.  You bought it hoping someone would see you wearing it and ask you if you were a writer.

I've worn that shirt a hundred times and no one said boo to me.  But this woman, this one person, got me talking about my books...and you know YOU are the best marketing for what you write because YOU love what you write more than anyone else.  So we chatted for a few minutes, I gave her my titles, told her about my book signing on Friday  (Martha Merrell's Books 300 West Main Street, Waukesha.  6:30 PM.  BE THERE!)  and told her to buy my books for her Kindle.

I got home feeling more rosy about my writing than I have in weeks.  (Let's face it...I can't quit the job I haven't started just yet...sales aren't quite there...ahem...) and I realized it was as simple as wearing a shirt.

We all wear shirts, right?  It's a requirement to get in to anything pretty much, so we have a shirt.  Why can't that shirt tell the world what we might be too shy to say?  I WROTE A BOOK.  I WANT YOU TO BUY IT!

To that end...my friends, I encourage you to do two things:

1)  Wear your swag!  Got something that mentions writing?  Wear it!  Got business cards with your website on it?  Drop it in those free lunch bowls.

2)  Don't have swag?  Stop by my store at It's a Writer's World/Cafe Press.  I make these shirts and coffee mug designs for fun...not for profit, but it's an easy way to get the world talking about your writing without saying much of anything!

3)  (I know I said two things...but here's one more thing)  BUY MY BOOK!

Now...go forth my friends and write!