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December 2020

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Getting Personal

Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, added $67.9 BILLION to his net worth this year, during our pandemic. This is why I don’t sell my book on Amazon. I believe that every dollar I spend is a vote in favor of the organization I’m buying from. I haven’t totally avoided shopping on Amazon – sometimes it is the only reasonable alternative. But where I have a choice, I try to choose the option that moves the world in a more equitable and sustainable direction.

I don’t object to people getting rich when they figure out how to do something new and/or better. Bezos deserves some profit from his creativity and risk-taking. He also has obligations, though. He has structured his businesses to minimize any corporate taxes, and as such, he is not upholding his end of the bargain. His success was not a solo endeavor – he used public services and investments. The postal service, roads, school, public safety, national security, courts, scientific research, … all these are pubic goods paid for by taxes. And if Amazon and Jeff Bezos aren’t paying their fair share, the burden falls disproportionately on the average taxpayer.

So for now, I’m sticking with Etsy and my website, and the US Postal Service. It’s not necessarily the most efficient approach. It does, however, allow me to get out into my community to deliver books to those nearby, and to support a public institution, the postal service, on which we all rely.

Please help me in this endeavor by using the old-fashioned marketing approach of human beings talking to other human beings. Tell your friends and colleagues about the book, if you think it’s worthwhile. Encourage them to buy a copy and spread the word.

Let’s make 2021 a year of positive change, increased connection, and movement toward a more equitable and sustainable society.

Making Change in 2021

The Encinitas Advocate wrote a lovely review of the book. “In a newly released book, “Potholes, Parks, and Politics,” Shaffer distills her knowledge and experience from the council into a guide that equips residents with the know-how to make a bigger difference in their communities.”

I’m about to order the 3rd printing. Get yours now and start making change for 2021!

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Spilling my guts

photo credit: HouseFullofCrazy.com

I’m going to start offering some of the content of my book in short blog posts, now that I’ve conquered (at least a little bit) the mechanics of writing, printing, and distributing the book. Ready?

Lesson One: Define the problem; be flexible about the solution.

Before you can effectively advocate for change, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what your problem really is. What would make you feel satisfied enough to declare success?

In the book, I use several examples. Lee was almost hit by a fast-moving car when she tried to cross the street to take her dog to the park. Her first reaction was to march to city hall and demand a stop sign on her corner. Instead, she did some homework, talked to a knowledgeable friend, and even met with the city’s traffic engineer. She learned that stop signs are a bit more complicated than she realized, and might not actually solve her problem.

What she realized was that her problem was not the lack of a stop sign. Her problem was not having a safe way to get from her house to the park. And that problem could be solved in many ways, including traffic calming; a pedestrian-activated crossing so cars could move efficiently if nobody was trying to cross; or even better sidewalk connectivity to enable her to get to an existing safe crossing. By being clear about the problem, but flexible about the solution, she was able to find a way forward.

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It’s Working!!

I have distributed about 150 books in the first three weeks since publication. Today someone shared an email inviting people to participate in a community meeting about a new housing project. At the end of the email was this:

“As an aside, the advice I have received is that taking a collaborative rather than a confrontational tone during the upcoming CPP and any interactions with the city may be the best way to put forward concerns, and have them be seriously considered.”

This is one of the important messages in the book. Whether the advice referenced here came from my book or some other source, I’m glad to see people downplaying confrontation as a strategy. May we all learn to bend like the branches of a tree when the wind blows. They don’t lose their attachment to their roots by being a bit flexible.

Same Day Delivery (without Amazon Prime)

Thanks to all the free publicity, sales have taken off. Most are local, and I’m offering free delivery. I drive an all-electric car that I charge at home where we are solar-powered, so I don’t pollute when I drive. It’s been a lot of fun seeing new areas of San Diego, and visiting with old friends (wearing a mask, of course, staying outside, and keeping my distance).

I have also been making daily trips to the post office to mail orders submitted through Etsy. That’s been fairly painless, despite the long lines. Our local post office is wonderful and has added Sunday hours and opens early and really tries to deliver customer service. This despite the three drive-up mailboxes that were taken away before the recent election and haven’t been replaced.

Anyway, my experiment in selling directly and not using Amazon seems to be working for now. I like the personal touch and having direct communication with the people who are buying the book.

Much gratitude to all of you, to the technology goddesses who enable all this, and best wishes for a wonderful holiday season.

On the radio!

My collaborator and I were interviewed by the local public radio station. Listen here. As a result, I have had a bunch of book orders from people I don’t know. Now it feels like I’m getting somewhere. I’m into my second printing of 100 books, and approaching the break even point financially to cover those I’ve given as gifts or as promotions.

My goal was never fame or fortune – I really just want people to be better educated and more effective as citizens. We are so lacking in a common understanding of civics – what government is and how it works – this is my little contribution to trying to heal our nation from the horrible divide that afflicts us.

I believe in good government, as well as good business. They should be working hand-in-hand toward a shared goal of a stable, well-functioning society where quality of life improves for everyone, and everyone has access to health care, education, and employment opportunities and is treated fairly and with respect. That’s not too much to ask, is it? Obviously my little book won’t get us there on its own, but it’s a start.

Honesty, honestly?

I ordered the second printing of 100 books. I thought my graphics person and I communicated clearly, but I didn’t double check. And, indeed, the second printing had a different flaw than the first run. There are two pages in the wrong order, resulting in a full spread of two blank ones. Not what I intended.

What to do? One choice is to use these as is and hope nobody notices. But to me, it feels like there’s a huge neon flashing light saying “Didn’t you notice – you screwed up here!” Next option–put these books in the back corner of my closet and order another batch that we get right. No problem, … except for time and money. So I figured out a third way. There’s almost always a third way.

In each book, I am putting a small sticker that says, “These pages left blank by accident. (I’m new at self-publishing.) Please use to doodle or take notes.”

We’ve all seen pages that say “this page left blank intentionally.” So why not confess that I did not intend for these pages to be blank, and I don’t want to waste my money and time because of a small flaw.

The third try’s the charm, right? Keep ordering books so I can justify a third printing and all will be well. We live and learn.

Potholes, Promos, and Promises

I’ve almost depleted my first printing of 100 books. More than half have been purchased, the rest were gifts or complimentary copies for promotional purposes. Don’t despair – another 100, even better than the first printing, are on their way.

I’m pleased that there is strong interest – several schools are considering the book for government/civics classes. One friend working on her Masters in public administration got a book to send to her main professor. Another friend is going to give a book to the school district in her city as well as to the public library. Next week, my co-author and I will be interviewed by a producer from our local public radio station as a possible prelude to an on-air opportunity.

I have two invitations to speak to community groups so far. I will be working on a 10-15 minute overview that could become a hand-on workshop for people with a particular issue or a more generic presentation about local government and citizen activism. If you are interested, let me know. LisaShafferWords@gmail.com.

Stay safe, stay home, wear a mask.

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