Connie and I guess we will hit my 1,000th book target sometime early next week, the orders, she said, are still coming in “fast and furious,” and we are just moving into Plaid Friday and Christmas range. Connie said that would be wonderful, and then muttered, “if I’m not dead.” I looked at her and saw how exhausted she and Kate were (well, Maria too, we signed nearly 300 books today, another shipment is on the way.) Kate, always cheerful and gracious, also looked a bit wan and drained.
Even poor Red, who is never tired, seem to pick up on the feeling at Battenkill Books and looked as worn out as I’ve ever seen him (he did a lot of sheepherding Friday.) The books come in huge shipments from UPS at mid-day, in boxes of 12. They have to be stacked, and upacked. Connie’s store takes a lot of orders through Paypal, and those have to be printed out, sorted, attached to books and address labels, it is complex process and all the while the phone is ringing with more orders. Connie and Kate have been doing this all day and much of the night for a week or so, and they are eager for more. Phone orders take more time, the bookstore staff is patient and courteous, sometimes they have to write down complex inscription requests by hand.
“This makes such a big difference for us,” Connie said, “we are so grateful for it.” I am too, the book idea seems to have some momentum all of it’s own, I’m giving away a book a day on my Facebook page and plotting the rest of the new kind of tour. I’ve signed a lot of books this week, I love doing it, we took a lot of calls from people on the phone tonight as they were ordering books, it is great fun to put voices to names and posts. It is surprising to me how much the blog is followed all over the country – and we are sending books to every state in the union except South Dakota – maybe next week.
Next week, lots coming, including the photo and video-sharing project on Facebook. Sunday Connie and Kate are going to be packing lots of books for mailing. The postmaster came by the store several times today to pick up loads of books for delivery. He kept thinking he was done, but every time he came back, there were more. And more to come, this is exciting and thank you. You can order the book through Battenkill’s website or by phone: 518 677-2515. If you order the book through Battenkill, Maria and I will sign and personalize it, and you will be eligible for free photos, bags of dog food, free books. I always think things are about to wind down, but each day I discover this tour is really just beginning.