LETTERS TO OUT-OF-TOWN RELATIVES AND FRIENDS

I sat at the computer composing a letter to send to my out-of-town relatives and friends. I kept the letter to one page, wanting to keep it simple.

I announced the release of my book, provided the synopsis, cost, and how to order it. I should have talked to Lamont or Marlene before I agreed to pay postage for anyone ordering my book.

That was a big mistake. After I ran the numbers, I realized that I'd lose money on all out-of-town book sells. Well, it was too late, the letters had been mailed.

Two weeks later and to my surprise, I had mail-orders for my book. One disappointment was my relatives. Many of them wanted me to send them a "free" book.

Once again, I was excited that someone was buying my book. Marlene suggested that I keep a list of who was buying my book so I'd have an idea of who might buy my next book.

I kept my tracking simple. I used Excel and entered all the information that I knew such as name, address, telephone number, and email addresses.