Persistence means still a chance

The Events coordinator at Cabela’s responded to my email with a phone call, and spoke to me at length about alternatives for my book signing.  She pushed for me to stay small and give up my large thoughts for now.  I told her that I have been small with nearly 10 local newspaper stories, 2 book signings and a radio interview.  I told her that I plan to stay small, but not give up stretching for more.  I will do both.  I asked her for the owner’s phone number or email.  She didn’t have it.  She also only had one corporate contact, but that contact was driven strictly by policy.  I did not want policy.  I wanted an exception.  I wanted to have my book signing within all the Cabela’s foot traffic in exchange for a free plug in the Hartford Courant which would mention that I will be signing copies of my book there.  Getting my book in their stores was apparently a big undertaking.  I got a break when the manager emailed me back with a corporate phone number, even after telling me she had no contacts and I was pretty much wasting my time.   Time is not wasted if there is a chance.  I called and ended up speaking with Lydia in corporate.  She was as nice and understanding as Diane in East Hartford.  Lydia began explaining the policy and I stopped her at the beginning.  I told her that I was not looking for the norm, but rather the exception.  I hung up the phone with her after receiving the email of one of the Cabelas brothers who owned the stores.  She is also sending an email to the marketing team to check out “Strapped Into An American Dream” on Amazon.  Maybe nothing will come of this, but my chances are better with persistence.  Besides, that’s how I got this book deal in the first place.