Pushing The "Write" Buttons

 

 PUSHING THE ‘WRITE’ BUTTONS

by Cj Fosdick

“My avocation was ignited by sugar.”     

 

           Remember Candy Dots? Sometimes called buttons, those little rows of rainbow sugar were easily peeled off long white strips of paper. Penny candy and nickel chocolate bars were once sweet rewards. Neighborhood Groceries or “Dime stores” displayed glass canisters of candy that could be scooped into little bags for little cravers deliberating over choices like Atomic Fireballs, Root Beer Barrels, Sugar Babies, Blackjack Gum, and Taffy squares in four flavors. In those good old days, it took only a dime to get a fix.  

            When my adult mouth was recently under construction for implants, I was shamed into recall. Did the origin of my porcelain decline begin with a landmark splurge after winning my first writing contest? 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 proof of my new literary status than the candy strips I distributed.  

            Decades later, as I prepared 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 was reminded of those Candy Buttons and what literary lessons I might salvage from bittersweet splurges:

            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 21^st century Show and Tell now that I’m an award-winning author of several books. 

            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 reviews 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? In a historic Minnesota town close to home, a chocolate shop sold me five packages of nostalgic Candy Buttons for $6.00 which 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. 

         Cj Fosdick still craves chocolate, but collects sweet rewards from her Romantic Suspense/Time Travel  trilogy that began with The Accidental Wife, and a shorter Amazon audible titled Hot Stuff .  Follow her on FB, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter and sign up for her 4 seasonal newsletters featuring novel excerpts, author and reader spotlights and even some sweet-tooth recipes.

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