Tending Your Money
Garden: a book obituary
I could write a book about my book, but you’ll have to settle for a chapter.
In the spring of 1997 I started to rewrite and expand my one page tri-fold
pamphlet that described Green Investing. Sixteen months later, 3,000
copies of my 160 page book, “Tending Your Money Garden” (TYMG) were delivered
to my office—eight days before my 50th birthday.
I had been writing newsletters, financial columns and freelance articles, so I
had plenty of material I could use for chapters. I thought of myself as a
writer, but NOW I was an author. My daughter Sonya worked in my office
the summer before she started college at UCLA. She did a fabulous job of
marketing my book and getting me interviews on local TV stations and in print
media. I received endorsements from Dave Berry and the Chicken Soup
for the Soul guru, Jack Canfield.
I did book signings and discovered
how totally dysfunctional the book business is. First you try to get your
books into book stores, and then you try to make them leave. That was
back when there were a lot more book stores.
TYMG is not your typical money
management book; it had some phony endorsements, amusing money quotes and a
goofy glossary. I experienced mild success. Brisk sales rocketed
TYMG to #1034 on Amazon one day, but my cover sucked. Note: People do
judge and buy books by their cover.
In 2001, with a fantastic new cover, Rossonya Books (my self-publishing
company) printed 3,000 copies of “Tending Your Money Garden,” 2nd
Edition. Another lesson: Despite a beautiful new cover and cool
endorsements, second editions of financial books don’t sell unless you are my
phantom nemesis Suzi Ormond. But I’m not bitter.
Why am I talking about TYMG’s obituary now? Starting in June I will not
be able to sell or give my book away. Long story. It’s a
compliance/regulatory issue.
Since I have fewer than 100 of my original 3,000 left, local landfills are not
in jeopardy. So, I am now offering to give these away to anyone you know
who might benefit from an easy-to-read (high-school level), smart-ass money
management book. It is slightly outdated. At almost 18 years old, TYMG
would be old enough to vote...if it weren’t a book.
So if you’d like a copy for a friend, relative or clients, please contact me
BEFORE May 30. I’d love to give away the rest of my babies to a good
home.