It turns out I am far better at writing books than I am at promoting them. Phase one of my "marketing plan" involved leaving messages on the Facebook walls of several hundred food banks. I got a lot of enthusiastic replies, and a few people who expressed some real interest or requested free copies. But so far, no one that I know of outside of Franklin is currently using the Pantry Cookbook as a fundraiser or as a textbook for clients.
Then I procrastinated, and hoped that all I needed was time for information about the book to percolate through the requisite board meetings and discussions about funding. But months have passed, and contacts from interested people have been precious few. This won't do! I need to actively market this thing so that the people who need it know it exists.
I flirted with the notion of mailing a copy of the cookbook to one food bank in each state. I mailed five books to five of the bigger food banks in a test run. Only one of them got back to me, and I haven't heard back from even that one since. For such an expensive method of publicity, it didn't work as well as I had hoped.
I did hand-deliver one book to Galveston County Food Bank when I was down there visiting family. I felt a bit like Santa Clause at the time. I would like to do more of this, but I am painfully shy in person, and there are only so many food banks within driving distance.
Anyway, I now own a printer, and I am compiling a mailing list of food banks and other organizations. My plan is to send out a letter explaining the book, and offering to send a free copy to any organization that expresses interest. I had better get used to the taste of envelope glue.
