How to Ask for What You Want
Signed Copies of Fries
My last book, “I Wanted Fries with That: How to Ask for What You Want and Get What You Need” is about how to stand up for yourself and how to complain effectively. It came out in 2019 and is still living a nice life.
I wrote “I Wanted Fries with That” for three reasons.
First, I think complaining effectively is a muscle
that you can build. If you start off with the easy stuff, like asking for fresher lettuce at the sub shop, you can work your way up to asking for a raise (which you definitely deserve.) In Fries, we start with the easy wins, and as you gain confidence, you will learn techniques for more challenging social justice issues.
Second, you’re not just
doing it for you. When you ask for fresher lettuce at the sub shop, you are doing it for every single person in line behind you. Sometimes, you might not think your complaint is worth it. You might think “why bother, I’ll just suffer with sub optimal lettuce.” That’s where it becomes important to consider all the others, whose lives - and sandwiches - will be forever changed because of you.
Third, if we don’t speak up, nothing is ever
going to change. It’s so easy to wring your hands and share a meme. But it’s less easy to say to someone, directly and gently: “Does this lettuce look a little brown to you?” We all have a responsibility to bring light into the world, and one way we can do that is by speaking up to get results.
I bring this up today
because I’ve decided to make signed copies of “I Wanted Fries with That” available on my website alongside signed copies of “One in Six Million.” And the reason I decided to do that - is because people have been asking me to.
I’m a writer who loves to speak at events
which means I generally say yes to invitations which led me to the library of a local apartment complex a few weeks ago with about 50 retirees. I was invited to talk about my new book, “One in Six Million”, the story of a baby left by the side of the road during WW2 and her quest for her true identity. They asked me to bring copies of Fries as well, which I did, and, true to their words, they bought a bunch of copies, all of which I signed for them.
And then I had a radio interview
about Fries, and another Fries-related speaking engagement at a local Senior’s Centre, and I just started thinking that if the book wants to keep going, I’m going to give it wings. So here we are.
As writers
I worry that many of us declare our books dead when they still might have some life in them. Maybe we weren’t happy with the launch numbers. Maybe attendance at the first couple of events wasn’t what we hoped. Or, maybe we aren’t crazy about the cover design, or the font they used, or the page numbers.
All of that might be true, but you still might want to give your project a chance. Fries came out six years ago, and I am still selling copies. I have earned a royalty cheque every single quarter since the book came out. Yes, the numbers are often small (like less than $20 small) but that’s more a function of the industry than anything else. The point as I see it, is that people are still buying and reading this book.
And now they can get signed copies. So can you.
