Yesterday has kind of gelled my thoughts over my direction in marketing my work. With several avenues of marketing and distribution closed to me, I have to work smarter, not harder.

A long, rambling conversation with Kenn about physics and the nature of matter, and a diversion off into the wilds of Dan Brown has led me to several conclusions. Science Fiction is a niche market. The demographic of book fairs, being by my observation predominantly older female, is wrong for it. The sales demographic for Science fiction as a genre is predominantly young male. Sci-fi conventions are a far better venue for showcasing. Astronomy days. Computer fairs. Any slightly geeky event.

Yesterday I needed to make $100 profit to cover costs of transport, ferries, gas, and food. Sales, zero. Therefore profit zip. Economically the day was a total loss. Yet I learned my lesson. There are places not to go, with people who have an opposed mindset. Do not go there. P J O’Rourke’s observations on book signings in Malls apply here. A writer’s place is at his or her keyboard unless they are a ‘name’.

The day was not a success, but out of it I am developing a cunning plan. So cunning, that if there was a Nobel Prize for cunning and subterfuge, it would have banked the prize money before the prize awarding committee knew the cheque had been written.

We rise by our mistakes because they tell us where not to waste our energies.