“I find it hard to  
think of myself  
as selling books.  
I want to sit  
and write, not sell.”
Stephen L. Carter

American novelist Lori Lesco wrote, “The good news about self-publishing is you get to do everything yourself. The bad news about self-publishing is you get to do everything yourself.”

I write. I enjoy writing. I like to believe that I write fairly well. I’ve often said that writing is my therapy. It’s a gift, I know. Sure, I’ve worked hard at developing my writing skills through the years, but the fact that writing has always been relatively easy for me is something for which I cannot take credit. Writing, however, if one decides to publish what he’s written, also involves selling. This is my Achilles’ heel.

According to legend, Achilles was an almost-indestructible warrior. Achilles’ heel is defined as a single, vulnerable spot or weakness in a person that can cause complete failure, despite overall strength. This comes from the legend of the sea-nymph Thetis, Achilles’ mother, who dipped the infant Achilles into the magical River Styx to make him immortal. Due to the fact that she held Achilles by his heel, the heel was unprotected. He was fatally wounded by an arrow that struck him in his unprotected heel in the Trojan War.

I am not a salesman. Selling things is simply not my gift.

My earliest experiences in sales were in elementary school when students were asked to sell Christmas seals. In the Cub Scouts, too, we were required to sell Christmas holly to raise funds for the pack. I would walk around the neighborhood selling these goods to our neighbors. I remember I could always count on Mr. & Mrs. Cullen, Mr. & Mrs. Gray, and an elderly woman who, for some reason, we always referred to by her first name — Viola Frustruck. These kind neighbors graciously supported all the fundraising projects of the neighborhood kids.

Even if I strongly believe in a product, I’m not sure I could make a living selling it, because it seems to me that salespeople are under tremendous pressure from management — to sell, to perform, and to compete, even if the object they are selling isn’t beneficial to the customer. That’s not my style.

So yesterday’s experience of selling books — my books — at Java Beach Café in The City was a challenge. I enjoyed the many conversations. I met some incredible people. I’m always happy to discuss my passion for gratitude. But selling my books was awkward and painful.

As it turns out, it was a good sales day. From now on, however, anyone interested in purchasing one of my books will have to rely on Amazon.