Don't Overlook the Small Towns by Terry Burns

Let me put my writing hat on today. That's the really ugly one that my wife hates with the sweat stains and discoloration. That would be it in this picture with Saundra and I at our beautiful granddaughter Mandy's graduation.

But I digress. My best events have been small towns ( not counting conventions or workshops where I am presenting, that’s the best ). I do a signing in a big town and it’s just another signing. If it is worked right a small town is a major event. They don’t get celebrities, and we get to be that when we go in. I did a signing in Friona, TX where I spoke to a library fundraiser, sang and gave my testimony at church, and met with a women’s group. The radio did a remote, the newspaper made my visit front page, events were up on marquees all over town. Stephen King type treatment and really good for the old ego. I sold 140 books ( several of my titles) in a town of only 3000 people.

Groom TX I did a half day writing workshop for grades 5-12 at the school system. Again spoke to a women’s group at the church, local civic club, got great advance PR and everybody in town knew I was there. 92 books in a town of 1300 people.

I can go on and on, and I look for such towns to visit. They are so much fun, and I always do really well. A lot of people there have never met a real author and want a signed book. They don’t much care what genre. The follow-ups from these small towns are good too. I’m always getting emails asking if I have a new book out. But home town? Not so much. 20,000 people and I’m no celebrity there. Nobody including family knows I have something of a national reputation, I’m just the kid that used to live down the street. It's the 'prophet in his own home town' sort of thing.

There are two keys to making this happen. First, a lot of advance notice so the publicity happens, and second, a local host, somebody on the ground that can start talking it up and building a buzz. If those happen the fun begins . . .