All Workout Pants Should Come With Pockets

Happy June & welcome to the Remarkable! News

In this edition I talk about being opinionated, basic black leggings, the importance of pockets, a publishing industry insight, and a helpful online marketing class I’m taking that is designed for authors but I think could be applied to any entrepreneurial venture. 

Grab a coffee and enjoy! 

Workout pants, yoga pants, & basic black leggings

When I was growing up, adults used to tell me I was opinionated. Honestly, I don’t think it’s too smart to hand a personality trait like that to impressionable children. They will stick such things on their chest and wear it like a name tag. There’s a good chance they’ll grow into the label–true or not. Offhand comment or not. Amused condescension or not.

I am, at midlife, still opinionated. And one thing I’m opinionated about is workout pants. 

All workout pants should come with pockets. 

This is hardly a hot-button topic, I realize, and thank goodness because we have enough of those already. But the thing is, I’ve bought a lot of workout pants, yoga togs, basic black leggings (BBLs), and sweats over the years, and you’d be amazed how many of them lack the few extra centimeters of fabric and stitching required to create a pocket. 

“Well, Shelley,” you might say, “Why did you buy them?” 

Answer? I simply didn’t think about it. 

Until now.

The realization struck me when I went for a walk the other day. I wore a pair of yoga pants that happened to have pockets. It was so easy to slip my keys, my rescue inhaler, my door fob, and my phone into the deep pockets built into the legs of the pants. I could enjoy my stroll without having to worry about a bag, a backpack, or one of these silly tricks we ladies sometimes use like tucking our phones into our sports bras and pretending we aren’t worried about radiation and/or electrical currents seeping into our heart chambers and killing us dead in our tracks. (Disclaimer: I am sure that can’t happen. I simply worry about it. It’s like worrying about nail polish remover and poisoning oneself through one’s fingernails–in the unlikely-but-you-never-know-now-do-you category.)

At that moment I realized there is absolutely no reason to ever buy a pair of workout pants sans pockets again. 

For the last few years (decades) I’ve been a committed basic black leggings wearer–the cheap cotton ones you can buy at some grocery stores in the socks and stockings area. (Does anyone remember those pantyhose that came in silver eggs? Does anyone even wear pantyhose anymore?) Anyway, the BBLs. They’re comfy. Black is slimming. They go with everything from over-sized sweaters to over=sized button-down shirts cadged from your husband’s closet to flowy tunics and kimonos. I do love them, but, alas…no pockets. 

If you go out wearing these BBLs, you must grab a handbag or crossbody or backpack to hold your keys and credit cards and lipsticks, which is fine for lunching with your mother, going to the museum with your arty friends, or out for cocktails with just about anyone. In fact, in those scenarios a bag becomes part of the whole “look.” Not a problem. 

But when you are going to get sweaty–on a walk or at the gym or hiking up Mt. Katahdin (Maine) or South Fortuna (San Diego)–pants with pockets are the only way to go.

I will no longer tolerate pocketless workout pants. 

And neither should you! 

Now I realize some of you might disagree with me, and you are welcome to your opinion, especially if your Great Aunt Petunia stuck that opinionated button on you at an impressionable age. I totally understand. We opinionated people must stick together.

There should be a club or something.

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Industry Insight: Online Ratings & Reviews are Crucial for Book Sales 

It’s common knowledge in the literary/publishing world that ratings and reviews on sites like Amazon and Goodreads and BookBub can help a book’s sales skyrocket. There are different numbers floating out there, but it seems as if getting 50 or 100 or 500 (depending on the site) helps the online retailer know which books and authors they should be promoting. 

Funnels lead to conversions lead to sales. 

It’s less commonly known that the algorithms of these sites try to suss out the similarities in a book’s buyers so it can then push the book out to others most likely to purchase based on similar interests and previous shopping experiences. So, it’s important that mystery authors get mystery readers to leave reviews and romance authors get romance reader to review, etc. The more specific regarding sub-genre the better. 

My debut upbeat women’s fiction (aka chick lit) mystery novel, FINAL DRAFT: An Olivia Lively Mystery, is getting great reviews on Amazon. 4.7 out of 5 stars! 

Read this full review and more reviews here.

If you enjoy a book, mine or anyone else’s, please consider leaving an honest review. Each one helps the book stand out just a little more. 

Also, if you are in a book club or an online Facebook or Goodreads reader group, consider suggesting FINAL DRAFT as a read-of-the-month. Readers are truly enjoying it–even people I don’t know. I hear this from friends who have friends or relatives who are reading it.

It’s pretty cool how word-of-mouth works!

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A course to help writers build a stand-out author platform

• Are you a writer who is serious about publishing your own books?
• Are you an author who is published by a small press and expected to do the majority of your own PR and marketing? 
• Do you have worries about how to brand yourself? Me, too! 

I came across an online class offered by Derek Murphy, the guy behind Creativindie.com. (Okay, it wasn’t exactly by accident as I subscribe to his email list.) I’m sharing this because so far I’m really enjoying the lessons in his 21-Day Bestselling Author Platform course, and I like to share my good finds with other writers who are struggling with the same issues. 

(I’m not being paid to say any of this. I just like to share good stuff.)

If you sign up, tell Derek you heard about it from me! He seems like a nice guy, and he gives a TON of info away for free on his website. I was happy to pay the fee for this one. 

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