Category: writing

Pressure

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Last Friday, I wrote a guest post for Cathy West about publication. How it’s turning out to be everything I thought it would be and nothing like I thought it would be. 

One of the things that I probably expected to some degree, but didn’t truly realize was the pressure.

Maybe this isn’t how it is with every debut author. 

Maybe I’m just a head case.

Maybe I put more pressure on myself than the average bear. 

I don’t know.

But on this side of publication, the pressure is intense. 

I didn’t prepare for it – this self-induced pressure.

But it’s there.

For a million and one reasons, I want my book to do well.

Some of the reasons are good. Some of the reasons are probably less than noble.

Regardless, the pressure is there. 

And for awhile, I was letting that pressure zap the fun right out of this journey. I was inviting the Joy Thief into my life.

Something had to change.

So at some point last week, I decided enough was enough. No more. It was time to take back the fun.

I could choose to worry and fret and obsess over things I have little control over – like sales and rankings and reviews. 

Or I could choose to enjoy my life and this dream that is supposed to be fantastic.

How?

By taking my focus off of me and my book. 

By staying away from Author Central (AKA: the devil’s brainchild).

By focusing on the things that make this journey fun!

Like writing stories that stir my soul. 

Like meeting and connecting with people. 

Like praising God every time I hear from a reader who has been blessed by Wildflowers from Winter.

Like hugging my husband and laughing with my son and stepping away from the computer.

I read this quote the other day on Twitter. A quote I’ve heard before. A quote I absolutely love:

Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less. 

It’s so easy, on this side of publication, to become the opposite of humble. It’s so easy to become consumed with thoughts of my book and my sales. 

But man, talk about draining.

Thinking of others? Focusing outside of ourselves? 

That’s taking back the fun. That’s the road I want to travel.

Let’s Talk: Do you feel the pressure? Are you letting anything steal the fun out of whatever journey you’re traveling? 

Jessica Patch’s entire book club is reviewing my book on her blog today. Hop on over to see what they thought!

Summer Schedule & Cover Art!

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Summer might not officially be here until June 20th (or is it the 21st?), but it sure feels summery around here.

School’s out. Shoes have become a thing of the past. Bubba’s panting. The air conditioner has rattled to life. The air smells like charcoal and sunscreen. The kiddie pool’s decorating the backyard and B-man has mosquito bites.

If that’s not summer, I don’t know what is.

The Ganshert’s have some pretty big things in store this summer.

We’ll be hosting a silent auction/trivia night to raise money for our adoption. 

And my husband is having major surgery.

Last September, his little brother was rushed to the hospital and spent several days in ICU. Both of his kidney had failed.

Turns out, Ryan is an ideal match. 

So on July 5th, my husband will be one kidney lighter and one of our favorite people in the world will hopefully be freed from dialysis.

I plan on being a great nurse to the hubs.

I also plan on slowing down. Scaling back. And enjoying the bare feet and the hot sun and the sprinkler with my red-headed little boy. Who sadly, becomes less and less little each and every day.

In order to do so, a little blog tweaking is in order….

Mondays will remain the same. Posts will be writing or reading related.

Wednesdays will be super short. Perhaps as simple as a Bible verse or a song or a prayer that’s on my heart.

Fridays will be 3 C’s. It’s something I used to do on my blog awhile back. Every Friday, I’ll share cares, concerns, and celebrations from the week. At the end of each post, I’ll ask you to share your 3 C’s. The posts are super easy to write and I love getting to learn more about YOUR life. 

So there you have it.

The new summer schedule.

We’ll resume our regularly scheduled program after Labor Day.

Now that we have that out of the way…. I have something to share!

Last week, I got an email from my editor with a very exciting attachment.

It’s the cover of Wishing on Willows!

I always wondered if seeing the cover art for my second novel would be as magical as it was for my debut. Let me tell ya. It is.

I might have stared at this for an hour straight. I also might have contemplated flying to Colorado Springs so I could give the cover artist a giant hug.

My second baby has a face. And I’m smitten.

Let’s Talk: What were some of your favorite things to do in the summer when you were a little kid? What makes you fall in love with a book cover?

I’m honored to be a guest on Rachel McRae’s LifeWay blog today. She’s giving away copies of my book. So hop on over and say hi!

If you’d like a chance to win a signed copy of Wildflowers from Winter, head on over to Tori Chase’s blog where you’ll learn a little bit more about Wishing on Willows!

Book Signings

Posted on by Katie Ganshert
You arrive with your fancy new pen, all inked and ready to sign. You sit down at the table with the pretty display of your books. And you wait….
 
10 Way to Pass the Time Until your Adoring Fans Arrive:
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1. Give people your best Miss America wave.
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2. Put your seat in front of the exit and don’t let anyone out until they say the secret password, “Will you sign a book for me, please?”
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3. Throw tootsie rolls at the customers. If that doesn’t work, try throwing your book.
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4. Carry on a conversation with your imaginary fans. Make sure to insert plenty of laughter and hand gestures for maximum impact.
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5. Erect a catchy display of best-sellers on your table to draw people in. 
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6. When customers ask where the bathroom is (because they totally think you’re a store employee), give them a copy of your book for some reading material. 
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7. Pay people to form a line so you look famous. Mob mentality, baby. If enough people are doing it, others will join.
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8. Stand by the check out line and read your story very loudly. 
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9. Better yet, stand by the check out line and read your endorsements very loudly. Feel free to make a few up. 
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10. Wear a really big name tag that says “Karen Kingsbury”. 
 
Seriously.
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I had a book signing at LifeWay Christian Store in Burnsville on Friday night. Everyone and their mother loves Karen Kingsbury.
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I know. I had conversations.

Anyway, my Friday night signing couldn’t have been more different from the launch party I had in the Quad Cities.

Which is really no surprise, since I’m local in the Quad Cities. It’s where all my friends and church family live. All of which equated to a big line in the Quad Cities.k

In Burnsville, not so much.
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The highlight was probably when a flustered looking lady asked if I would hold her books while she ran out to her car to get her purse. 
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I jest. It wasn’t that bad.
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I met four new readers, which made the whole thing worth it. Plus, I had a fun time chatting with the store manager. 
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And thankfully, the signing in Maple Grove on Saturday had a lot more traffic. 
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I got to chitchat with fellow ACFWers, one of whom was Julie Klassen (best-selling, award-winning author of historical romance). She reassured me that I’m not the first author to have crickets visit during a book signing. She told me some pretty funny stories of her own, which made me feel a lot better about my Friday night adventure.  

Random Tips when Preparing for a Book Signing:

Have something to offer for free. 
Like bookmarks. Or truffles! The four ladies who bought my book came over for a free bookmark. This led into a conversation, which eventually led to sales.

Timing is key. 
5-7 pm on a Friday night is not the best. People are stuck in traffic, eager to get home at the end of the work week. They don’t want to make detours to book stores.

Team up with another author. 
When I walked into LifeWay in Maple Grove on Saturday and saw that I was signing with another author, I almost melted with relief. Not only would I have somebody to talk to during those slow moments, it introduced me to new readers. There were a few people who came for Judy Baer and ended up buying a copy of my book as well. 

Have somebody hand out bookmarks and direct attention to your table.
On the drive home, Ryan and I were brainstorming ways to make a book signing more successful.  We were thinking….what if he handed out bookmarks at the door and said something like, “Stop on over to meet the author and enjoy a free cookie.” 
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Something that would invite customers to stop by with no pressure to buy.
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I quickly noticed people avoiding my table. I remembered to shower, so I don’t think I smelled. I’m pretty sure people felt like they shouldn’t come over unless they were going to buy a book. But straight from the mouth of an author….
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I totally appreciated those people who came over to say hi. Regardless if they bought my book or not. 
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From now on, whenever I go to a bookstore and see an author sitting all alone at a table, I’m going to make a point to introduce myself. Maybe I’ll discover they wrote a book I want to read. Or maybe I’ll take a book mark and recommend it to somebody I know. Either way, I know the author will appreciate the conversation.

Let’s Talk: Have you ever been to a book signing, either as a reader or as an author? What do you think makes for a successful signing?

Thank you to LifeWay Christian Stores for hosting the Spring Fiction Days and for giving this debut author the opportunity to meet new readers! I felt very welcomed by all the staff. I wish I could have brought you hordes of buying customers. 🙂

Hop on over to Lena Nelson Dooley’s blog for a chance to win a copy of my debut novel.

Wildflowers from Winter was nominated for Fiction Book of the Month on The Book Club Network. If you read the novel and enjoyed it, I’d love your vote!