9/28/17... “My
avocation was a spark ignited by sugar.”
Remember
Candy Dots? Sometimes called buttons,
those little rows of rainbow sugar were easily peeled off long white strips of
paper. (I always ate the cherry rows
first.) Penny candy and nickel chocolate bars were sweet rewards in my childhood.
Neighborhood Groceries or “Dimestores” displayed glass canisters of candy that could
be scooped into little bags for little cravers deliberating over choices like
Atomic Fireballs, Tootsie rolls, Root Beer Barrels, Sugar Babies, Blackjack Gum,
and Taffy squares in four flavors. I was lucky to get my fix for a dime…at a
little red brick store about half way (six
blocks) between home and school. (Yes,
I once walked a mile for a two cent box of candy cigarettes.)
So,
as my mouth is now under construction for implants with three dead molars needing
replacement, I’m shamed into recall. Did the origin of my porcelain decline begin
with a landmark splurge after winning my first writing contest at age ten? A
Western Union Telegram (remember them?)
notified me of my win. A five dollar prize in the hands of a ten year old with a sweet
tooth was dangerous. I blew it on Candy Buttons.
The
win propelled a normally shy little redhead to the front of her class for Show
and Tell. I like to imagine
classmates were more awed by telegram proof of my new literary status than the candy
strips I distributed.
Decades
later, as I prepare a power point presentation for Book Clubs and organizations
interested in the novel journey of a writer with a crammed portfolio and sore
gums, I am reminded of those Candy Buttons and what literary lessons I might
salvage from that bittersweet childhood splurge:
Everybody
loves a winner! True. It is easier to get noticed when you can show you
have some credible awards and great reviews. This requires losing enough
humility to put yourself out there. I try to do a lot of 21st
century Show and Tell now that I’m an award-winning author working on my fourth
book. This includes speaking to groups in their venue...or at my teaparties featuring the sweet treats that hallmark my novels.
Marketing
means spending to receive! So true. Candy was once a sweet incentive to
grow attention. Not so much today. Adult readers in a market with more supply
than demand crave discounts, free books, gift certificates or even trendy
gadgets to win their attention. Book parties--online and off--feature incentive
give-a-ways to promote a book. However, the price of those give-a-ways and necessary
ads, as well as review and promo services, can take a bittersweet bite out of
royalties. New novelists are like minnows swallowed up by bigger fish with a
publisher or a unique platform that attracts schools of followers. I think of “50
Shades of Gray”—and turn 50 shades of green over the 16,000 reviews it garnered and how the book saved a
Publishing House. No candy or freebies required?
Creative
people need to promote creatively! Right. When a promotion works well, writers
are encouraged to repeat the success and always think outside the box. Candy
Buttons inspired celebrity a half century ago. Are they still sold—like candy
cigarettes and tootsie rolls? I check online and find Minnesota’s largest candy
store (a 90 minute drive away) sells
new and nostalgic candy. In a
historic town closer to home, I find a chocolate shop that also sells Candy
Buttons. Five packages for $6.00 inflates the childhood price by about 1000%.
Still, it’s a small price to pay for renewed celebrity and more readers. When I
present my “Novel Road” power point to Book Clubs and aspiring authors, I’ll have
a sweet reminder to give away with bookmark swag. It feels right—a nostalgic treat to promote a taste for my
nostalgic brand of fiction.
“Sweet!”
My eight-year-old granddaughter approves the idea with a high five and a toothy
grin white as chicklets. She loves to
read, but actually prefers veggies.
Book a FREE tea party with CJ at
Falorac@gmail.com or on FB message!
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CJ