First … the latest 5-star review of Hope Lies in Less includes these words (among many lovely others):
I found I could visualize everything as clearly as if I was seeing the stories unfold in front of my eyes. The language, at times, reminded me of syrup. It was just so introspective it felt like the sentences oozed into the cracks of my soul.
— Madison
Every single review posted on Amazon matters. Your words and thoughts matter. If you have words and thoughts about Hope Lies in Less, please take a moment to share them. Thank you.
Next … I currently have six writers who have agreed to put up posts/reviews of Fightball: Dying of Suck on their blogs. I am still finalizing the schedule, but HUGE GRATITUDE to the following people:
Bill Moore of Hogs Ate My Sister
Jennifer Hajer of The Martha Project
Rodney Lacroix at Rodney Lacroix
Jan Goldfield of Accessible Arkansas
Megan Wittling of Best of Fates
Julie Gardner of Julie C. Gardner
If you are even the TINIEST bit interested in volunteering, let me know, as I would love to add a few more writers to this line-up. Remember that I will provide an e-copy of the book well in advance of your posting, and I will send three of your commenters a print version of Fightball: Dying of Suck. Easy … painless … I promise.
My expectation where these reviews are concerned is not that a million people line up to comment on your blog (or any blog these days, to be honest). My hopes are simple and twofold: to get some on-line reviews I can use in promoting Fightball and to deliver free print copies into the hands of a few excited readers.
That’s it.
Every little bit of help matters.
Be in touch in the comments or via email at kris@prettyalltrue.com if you are interested in participating.
One more thing …
I am planning on offering Fightball: Dying of Suck to the 7th and 8th grade teachers in our smallish school district. I am thinking of reaching out to a few teachers outside of our district as well — to see if their classes might be interested in reading Fightball: Dying of Suck in exchange for some sort of gathering of classroom response to the book. Not as an assignment, mind you – just for fun. Still working out the details, but if you know a 7th-8th grade teacher who might be interested, be in touch!
Seriously.
With Hope Lies in Less, my primary marketing/publicity strategy was (and continues to be) a belief in magic.
Magic turns out to be a shit marketer.
Now we know.
So I am trying a bit harder with Fightball: Dying of Suck.
ANYONE HAVE ANY GOOD IDEAS FOR HOW TO GET FIGHTBALL INTO THE HANDS OF PEOPLE I DON’T ALREADY KNOW?
I could use your help.
Thank you.
Me
what about donating to a local library? or two?
I’ll purchase a couple of each book to donate around here, if you’d like?
You have made me laugh right out loud. YES! Everyone buy extra copies and hand them out! I LOVE YOU, AMY.
I seriously do.
As for the library thing … I am actually looking into that as we speak.
Apparently I have to figure out how to format/upload to Smashwords, as my particular library system considers donations from local writers only through that platform.
I hate learning new things.
What? I AM TOO YOUNG AND WITH-IT.
Hush.
Twitter is the best way I know to publicize/market anything. There are other social media sites, but Twitter works best for me.
I enjoy Twitter, but I find that it “works” much less effectively than it once did … at least for me. Despite the fact that I despise Facebook and have devoted little time to Facebook interactions, my Facebook traffic VASTLY outnumbers my Twitter traffic. People on Twitter have ever-decreasing attention spans, I fear, and the overall tone of Twitter has changed in the last year or so … from interaction and community to a million megaphones spewing into space about the futility of words unheard.
Or so I have found.
That said, I do see YOU on Twitter … unfailingly offering to send my words along, and for that I am ever so grateful.
Thank you, Jan.
Me
Magic didn’t work?
Huh.
The Rants is available. But I only get an average of one comment per post.
Not much magic there.
I will totally take you up on your offer.
I totally will. Look for an email later this afternoon, Renee.
Thank you!
Yay!
We will do awesome unmagic!
Right?
YAY!
Hee hee.
I’m in Missouri but I will give your website info to Tori’s reading teacher tomorrow at parent teacher conferences if you like. They are always looking for new material for the kids. She’s in seventh grade and super excited for Nov. 3rd….
That sounds awesome. Let me know what I can do to facilitate … whatever.
Yay! Thank you.
I know a librarian in Ohio (she is my cousin’s wife And they have three little girls.) I can ask her if I could donate a print copy to her branch. Would this be for the YA/Teen collection or the adult collection? Oh, and I could also donate one to the St Pat’s High school library. And I’m going to need a print copy for Katie.
A good question … the question about my target audience. Personally, I think Fightball: Dying of Suck is a book for everyone, but if I had to pick a target audience, that would be parents (I am the narrator, and there is a lot of parenting/marriage-family stuff in the book) and kids from about seventh grade on up. I wrote this book so that the girls could share it with their friends. It is G-rated and centers on Maj and Kallan’s sisterhood.
So … to your question of whether it is a YA/teen or Adult book … let’s put it in both places.
Ahem.
OH, AND I FORGOT TO SAY THANK YOU, SUE!
Let me know what I can do to follow-up on your introduction.
Yay!
I just got a response from my cousin’s wife. She said the library would be happy to have a copy. So let me know as soon as the tree version is ready.
Making a note. Thank you, Sue. That’s awesome!
I shared this post with two of my writer/blogger friends and asked them to share it with their extended network of writer/blogger friends. Hope it helps.
A few years ago I participated in a program called, I believe, Nurture your Books. It was a month-long contest with tons of winners. I got a lot of ebooks, books, and some publicity swag. To enter, you had to share the post to get entries. It was a nice little setup.
Good luck!!!
As to the first … THANK YOU. You are lovely to have passed my words along. Thank you Shanda.
As to the second … I will check it out. Making a note. Thank you for the information!
Hello! I’d be glad to review your book on my blog. I know a few authors who review books (and do a better job than I do.) I’ll pass on your info to them as well.
Take care!
(By the way, magic must have played at least a little bit into this, as it was a fellow pagan who passed the info onto me.) :)
Jen
I have always felt that my greatest weakness (and also my greatest strength) is my belief in magic.
Sometimes, magic delivers small lovely gifts — hello, you!
Sending you an email in a bit.
THANK YOU.
Me
eek omg you QUOTED me I’ve never been QUOTED before….
I’ll just be over here blushing if anyone needs me.
You are so silly.
I like silly.
Me too, it’s why I married my husband :) haha
Right?
No one who is happily married doesn’t have at least a little faith in magic.
Truly.
If nursing school doesn’t suck my brain completely dry before I actually finish my copy of Fightball, I will pass it on to an amazing 6th grade teacher with a twisted sense of humor. Just like us. Shush. It is taking me so long to read because by the time I shut the computer and textbook, my brain’s processor is sending smoke out of my ears. I actually have a four day weekend next week. If I can’t finish it by then, I’ll bring it to read on the beach in Hawaii!! Happy dancing!!!!! And some sniggling (half snort half giggle). Giddy me with exhaustion. Must stop typing. Did I take my ADD mess today? Apparently not. Handshakes and awkward hugs to you…big, unawkward hugs and kisses to Mark . Much love. Good night.
Hugs to you as well, wonderful busy woman.
Wait, did you say HAWAII?
That’s awesome. I’m a tiny bit jealous, but that’s awesome.
Also, the fact that you typo-ed “ADD meds” as “ADD mess” makes me very happy indeed.
Hee hee.
Me