I sold a few books the other night at Camden County Community College in New Jersey during the Resource Fair for Special Needs Children. I am a writer and a part of a resource anthology entitled Easy to Love but Hard to Raise. This book is about children with “invisible” disabilities [ADHD, PBD, SPD, OCD, PDD, etc.] and the parents and guardians and doctors who assist with their upbringing.
Okay, so I write. But this saleswoman hat seems a bit big. It covers my eyes and ears. I sit. I smile. I play with bookmarks and post cards. I try to pull parents and guests to my table with my sappy spiel. Most times, I just looked ridiculous in my oversized saleswoman hat.
Toward the end of the night, I did engage other parents in discussion about our special needs children. We compared notes. We shared experiences, but I only sold a few books. Any suggestions for next time I need to sell books? I need to get better if I’m going to publish a memoir and become a saleswoman for that book.
Sometimes the parents are the experts not the so called experts.
This is very true, Bill. I've learned that no one knows my daughter like I do. But it took me a while to realize this.
Thank you so much, Bill, for visiting my blog. Please stop by again.
That is true. You know your daughter the best. Who cares how many letters the expert has after their name. They don't see your child everyday. They don't see your child get frustrated when trying to accomplish things. They only see your child for an hour tops and then try to compare your child to the hundreds of other children they see weekly. You are the expert on your child.
As for selling your book, definitely make a point of telling people that it has true stories from parents who have children with these "invisible" disabilities. Parents want to hear things that have worked for parents and not what experts find works in a percentage of cases.
Michelle, you are a treasure to be sure. What you have said speaks volumes to the parents struggling to cope in their lives with a child or children who have "invisible" disabilities. I cannot say it any better. For all the parents of children with "invisible" disabilities, I thank you.
Please stop by my Adventures in Writing blog again.