Grace Krilanovich at the Skylight Books Booth

Grace Krilanovich is one of the people I pointed a lens at during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. What happened was that I just got on the USC campus and I was overwhelmed by the number of people.

There were parents and babes in strollers. There young women welded to communication devices looking for other friends whose faces were stuck in communication devices. The map challenged and impaired were trying to figure where they were and where they wanted to go.

Then there was the Ben and Jerry Ice Creme Truck. Couldn't get near it. Well, I could but choice not to do so. I was trying to show some kind of restraint.

Grace was kind enough to speak to me about her book The Orange Eats Creeps. I'm a plucky duck but I have no technique for interviewing folks. I'm learning as I go.



Other Thoughts

I kind feel sorry for authors that aren't famous. They need to promote their book. Some writers, not all, want to communicate with other people.

I know this for a fact because some of the authors that I approached (without showing my camcorder) looked at me with a tinge of hostility or disappointment that I was not the kind of reader they envisioned.

I pivot and walk away.

It is hard. I know. Many authors spend time writing, dealing with publication issues and survival. You want the book to be published, talked about and generate compensation for your hard work.

Many writers and authors ain't gronking this social media connection aspect. I am talking about the other authors who's tables I avoided, not about Grace. She was very kind.

If you are finishing writing a book and you intended to sell that book you might want to practice your people and conversation skills. If you are going to spend good money for a booth at this kind of event and you have no flyers, bookmarks or other promotions items to share with potential readers you are in trouble.

If you haven't promoted your book via Twitter or made connections to like minded blogs and web sites why are you at a book festival? You book cannot exist in isolation. It needs to find the communities that want to embrace what you have to say.

Somebody has to say this. If folks look at your booth and there is nothing there but you looking sour and your book we are going to turn elsewhere.

Real people and our wallets will go where we are wanted.

Videoblogging Addendum

Yes. I'm a little late for Videoblogging 2011. I was over-booked. Plus I was truly bummed out about the spamination of the term videoblogging in Twitter. The few of us that tried found out that affiliate marketers, content farmers and diversion maggots poisoned communication by lacing the joint with get rich quick offers. One day there was a bunch of it and the next day gone. Or another content farm gets its minions to pollute the other side of the lake.

I've said what I've needed at my other blog but I hate this part of humanity that sees something good and has to sh*t on it in order to make a profit.

Moving on.