Well, I gave it a shot. Not my very best shot, but an honest, sustained effort, the end result of which is three New Bayou books, tens of thousands of pages read, and a handful of media articles and podcasts. I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do. But, realistically, it’s just not enough. 

The hard truth is you can’t spark a revolution in South Louisiana literature from the other side of the Atlantic. I assume the same is true for the other side of the Pacific, too. And since that’s where my day job and my family will be taking me this fall, the only conclusion I can draw is that it’s time to shut it down. 

Before I sign off though, let me tell you about October of 2022 . . . I spent most of that month back home around Eunice and Lafayette. Over the course of two festivals, a book reading, a podcast taping, and lots of one on one interactions, the spark caught some tinder and started to burn. It was exactly the boost New Bayou Books needed. Just from those few weeks of personal outreach in Acadiana, all kinds of good things started to happen. Book sales, website hits, and messages from established authors and new readers surged.

But I could not fan that flame from afar. 

I was never one for rolling around in the muck of anti-social media, for spending money to buy advertising “impressions” . . . for anything that isn’t personal and direct. And so New Bayou Books lost momentum. 

I learned a very simple and profound lesson over the past couple years: writing a book, as hard as that is, is far easier than selling a book. It’s hard, hard work for an unknown author to attract readers and listeners, even in scenarios where you can talk to people face to face. I found the challenge to be even greater from a distance. 

So, that’s the bad news. 

But let me assure you, I haven’t written my last South Louisiana novel. Or my last blog post. Or done my last interview with podcasters and TV personalities. It might take a few more years, but I will be back . . . and when I return, I’ll come out swinging. 

Meanwhile, newbayoubooks.com will stay up. And I will keep writing. And . . . we shall see.