Truth happens. I have always wondered why the folks at the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village children’s museum in Salem, OR have been…well, lukewarm at best about my A.C. Gilbert book. After all, the museum is named for the famous toymaker and it’s housed partially in A.C.’s uncle’s elegant Victorian home. The outdoors play structure is fashioned after an Erector Set, and there’s even an exhibit – albeit small and tucked away – about A.C. Gilbert’s life. My book, The Magic of A.C. Gilbert chronicles the man’s fascinating life as a world-class athlete, professional magician, inventor, toymaker, and “The Man Who Saved Christmas.” What a perfect match: a children’s museum and a children’s book about the museum’s namesake.
Yet from the onset of my book project – developing the concept and conducting the research – the staff at the museum was neither enthusiastic nor encouraging. Were they not proud of their namesake? Were they envious that I was writing the book and not them? Did they just not want to be bothered? I did get some help from some of the staff members, though, and was very appreciative. But overall, I felt a sense of cool when I approached them with the questions I had. So, when the book was finally published, I was not surprised at the reception. After sending copies to staff members, I had to contact them several times for a response. And the response? I’m sure you can imagine. Same when I offered them books to sell in their gift shop.
They did order some books, and even reordered despite the “books not selling as well as we’d like.” When I offered suggestions on marketing the books and how to tie it in with visits from classes of schoolkids, they politely declined. When I pressed for an explanation (“Why would you not want to include the museum’s namesake into the experience of visiting?”), I finally – after five years – got it from one of the staff members. It seems that the mission of the place is to be an interactive children’s museum, not promote the legacy of its namesake. Sweet and simple. I get it. While I think they are missing a great opportunity to provide a richer experience by better connecting the man with the museum, I understand. Really, I do.
There is a lesson in every experience, including this one. For me, it’s about marketing, which is what every author has to do, whether the book is put out by a mega-publisher or self-published. The lesson is to find friendly markets, and to not try to push/force books into reluctant markets. Even if think your book is a perfect match for a particular market, if they don’t think so, it’s not. Period.
Truth happens. It just may take awhile.
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