Tom Swift Writer’s Notebook

Question: I want to help spread the word. What can I do?

Answer: Well, Mom (and any other similarly good-hearted people), here are three things:

• Next time you stop by your local bookstore or neighborhood library, ask if they carry a copy and, if they haven’t yet joined the club, see if they might. The book is available for the full discount at all bookstore and library wholesalers.

• If you have a friend in the media tell them you’ve got an idea on how they might fill empty space or dead air. Even if it’s the overnight show in Poughkeepsie.

• If you enjoyed the book, consider saying so in a review on your blog or at your favorite online book haunt (even if you, wisely, purchased from an indie). If you didn’t enjoy the book, remember what your mother says about what you should do when you don’t have anything nice to say.

More than author tours or advertising campaigns, most books live or die by word-of-mouth. If you take even a minute out of your busy day to say even one encouraging word please know I am grateful to you. Even if I don’t know who you are. Maybe especially then.

This post was added on Friday, March 14, 2008 by Tom Swift at 08:31 and is filed under FAQs.