This morning I dropped the last signed pre-order for The Chickamauga Campaign, Volume Three: Barren Victory in the mail. With every new release, I have a batch of books that need to be signed and sent off – I take it as a great honor that readers will pay that bit extra for the personal touch.
This year I shipped 60 books – 51 copies of Barren Victory, and 8 or 9 copies of older titles. Interestingly enough, this is about double each of what I signed and packaged for Vols. I and II.The trend line is positive.
Here is a picture of that shipping process, just commencing. Note all the boxes on the back wall, by the window; I’ll be needing warehousing soon. Also, the maps you see on that table beneath the books are of Moccasin Bend. I have been hard at work drawing troop movements for the next project, the Maps of Chattanooga. Need to speed that one up.
This year I sent off books to three distant lands (four if you count Texas – just kidding) Norway, the Philippines, and the UK. The gentleman from Norway has ordered the previous volumes, as well; I assume he has a connection to Union Colonel Hans Heg, a native of Norway who was mortally wounded at Chickamauga. There is a statue of Heg in Lier, his birthplace, some distance southwest of Oslo. I’ve always been unable to successfully download a good picture of that monument, so instead, here is one from Madison Wisconsin, where the good Colonel stands guard over the capitol.
Those overseas books cost a pretty penny to ship, by the way – I am doubly impressed by the effort those folks made to obtain my work.
I trust that the sharp increase in signed-book order volume bodes well for overall sales. I know we did a brisk business at the park.
My thanks to all who ordered.
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