HAWKING YOUR WARES, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

Twenty-three years ago, while my husband was working in Japan, I got up in the middle of the night and sat at his computer. I didn’t know anything about computers beyond the very basics; I didn’t really know how to type, for that matter. But a sentence had come into my head. A first sentence. The first first sentence, with many more to follow, though I didn’t know that at the time. I only knew that I was compelled to write this one down. When the sun rose on a new day, I had forty-five pages of what was to be my first book. Several months later, it had grown into four-hundred-and-fifty, over 100,000 words, the final ones being “the end.”

According to everything I’d read about being a writer, now it was time for me to begin hawking the book to publishers. It wasn’t really “hawking” at first; in fact it was more like baring my soul to strangers. I had created this wonderful thing and wanted to share it with the world, to gently lay the baby kitten of my immagination at the feet of those who would appreciate it. I was in for some serious reality checks. After time, I learned that selling a book was like selling anything else: part enthusiasm, part good advertising, and part being louder than everyone else in the room.

That book was never published, but I didn’t mind. As long as I remained unpublished, I could write anything I pleased with no deadlines, restraints, or obligations. Then came my Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, and life has never been the same. I can’t just write my stories anymore: I need to blog and use social media, tweet and post. I have launches and book signing events. I take part in large book shows with multiple authors. I dress the part, wearing cat-print clothing and furry ears, a crazy cat lady costume. It’s fun, draws people’s attention, and is an integral part of “hawking my wares.” 

The term “hawker” comes from the 16th century or before and was originally defined as a traveling street vendor.  The verb “to hawk” means “to offer for sale in a very vigorous, public fashion, especially by calling out loudly in the street.” I don’t actually sell in the streets, but some of the big shows such as the international cat show I’ve been doing this weekend can feel that way. As people walk by, I shove a promotional postcard into their hand and give them the 1-sentence book pitch: …more trouble than a cat in catnip! It works. They stop. They talk. I tell them what a cozy cat mystery is and they tell me about their cats. Sometimes they buy, and I’ve achieved my goal: to lay that kitten of my imagination, if not at their feet, at least on or near their bookshelf.

Check out more blogs by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer at:

Mollie Hunt: Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and more

Happy reading!