Newsletter #23 — Long Live Libraries!
October 15, 2021
Newsletter #23 — Long Live Libraries!
Libraries Around the World — It's exciting to see The F Words pop up in public libraries across the US — Carmel, IN; Monroe, MI; Cedar Falls, IA; O'Fallon, IL; Rhinelander, WI; Parkersburg, WV . . . and many more. And in some ways it's even more exciting to see The F Words pop up in libraries around the world — Netherlands, Malta, Germany, Nigeria. Makes me wonder: how in the world did they hear about my book??
High School Librarians — And speaking of libraries, I'm spending all of October and part of November marketing to libraries, starting with high school libraries in the state of Illinois. I love it when a high school librarian emails back with "Ordered!" Talk about succinct! After Illinois I will move to New York high school libraries. Some time in November I also hope to start with Illinois public libraries. I've informed them all about The F Words two or three times in the last year, but soon I want to approach them with the possibility of presentations, live or virtual.
Exit Velocity — Speaking of marketing . . . back in early 2020 I completed a 105,000 word adult novel, Exit Velocity. I rewrote it twice and finished the third draft in October 2020. I then began marketing to agents. So far, no results. This is sort of the same pattern I had with The F Words, which I ended up selling on my own.
Jack and Larry — Once every three years the National Baseball Hall of Fame gives the Ford Frick Award to a broadcaster from "the early days." This year, for the third such election in a row, Jack Graney is one of the nominees (eight total). I had noticed last month that sales of Jack and Larry were going up, but didn't make the connection. Today the BHOF announced who the eight nominees were . . . and then came the light.
Cookie the Cockatoo — There has been a slight increase in the sales of Cookie the Cockatoo: Everything Changes. But even though Cookie would have loved being nominated for an award, I don't think that has happened.
Customer Review— Here's another customer review of The F Words, this one on GoodReads.
More from Readers — Appreciated hearing from a reader this morning, who felt The F Words is "well put together" and that "the poetry is really showcased by being an integral part of the book." I always appreciate hearing from readers, and I'm always impressed by the different things readers notice . . . often times things I myself didn't notice!
Stranger Comes to Town— Here's my latest blog, in which I talk about In the Heat of the Night, Shane, and The Brother from Another Planet — and how they relate to Treva Soldat, one of the three main characters in The F Words.