What does no response mean?
I thought it meant "NO", but perhaps not. . .
Jan 26: Welcome new subscribers!
As I mention in the video, this Shadow Launch Prep newsletter is frequent and more in-depth than the The Widow’s Guide to. . . so if you’re not interested in the nitty-gritty of launching a book, but still want to follow my book’s journey, please sign up for this newsletter, where I’ll be giving out gifts with each monthly update, starting Jan 30.
Mini update: Right after New Year’s I noticed that several local independent businesses appeared in my story. I emailed each one to ask if they’d be interested in a small-scale cross-promotion and that outreach, so far, has been a total flop. I didn’t hear back from a single one. Maybe I didn’t write the letter in a way that communicated the value of the idea; perhaps the message was never read; maybe July is too far away for my message to seem relevant; there’s a whole host of things the radio silence could mean, but what I shouldn’t make it mean is NO.
There’s a narrow “first bite of the apple” window, which is what I was trying to offer my local coffee shop, hair salon, cupcake bakery etc. If I’d had this idea in mind much earlier, I could have been mentioning the book (and their role in it) in general conversation as I patronized their establishments over the past few years, so they’d already feel more a part of the process. For now, the ground feels too hard for me to want to keep asking, but maybe that will change down the road.
On to greener pastures, and a very fun choice I’d love your vote on tomorrow!
Not a flop at all! Everyone who did read your pitch now knows about the book you wrote and that their business has been featured in it. Wait and see what happens. Grassroots organizing in your local community takes time even if you have built those relationships over time to the point where your local transactions are the stuff other people are reading about. Give it time for the seed to plant. Drop by the business and ask if they received the email and if they have ten minutes to brainstorm with you. Some won't and so be it. Go back when the book is out with pride and show them the passage where they appear and then handsell them a copy. With a smile. And then ask again if they'd like to do some cross-promotion. Local stuff isn't only about the book launch. Local is about being a homegrown author with a bestselling book. I'm rooting for you!