Dear Booksellers,
Part One
Who better than to pass along the joy of reading on World Book Night, April 23, 2012 than -- YOU!
Yes, I envision that at least a few thousand of the 50,000 book givers that day will be booksellers. And it’s easy; just fill out the online form at www.worldbooknight.org , pour some of that passion into your answers, and you’re in.
BUT wait . . . there’s more.
We want you to tell others, many others.
Read on.
While the news of World Book Night in the U.S. came out in the fall via LJ, PW and elsewhere, and in December when we announced in USA Today and online that the 30 World Book Night U.S. book list and that the book giver process had opened up to the public, December was not the best time to announce, obviously. A number of factors pushed us to that date, but I never despaired; I knew then and know now that once you surfaced from the holiday madness, you’d rush to be givers.
And tell others.
You see, WBN is ALL social media driven. No marketing budget and it’s not needed. There’s all of your followers, as well as those of authors, bloggers, librarians, and many many more. From LJ, PW, Book Page, Shelf Awarness, BookReporter, Goodreads, indie tweets, publisher blogs, and from you, the message will go out.
And what’s the message that you can send out?
In under 140 characters:
Hey book lovers, be a volunteer book giver on World Book Night, April 23, 2012. Sign up at www.worldbooknight.org by Feb. 1. …..or……
Want to participate in a million book giveaway to promote reading? Sign up at www.worldbooknight.org by Feb. 1.
Note: Please link to the general site, not just the sign-up form; I’d like people to learn more, check out the book list, read about our mission . . . and THEN apply to be a book giver.
Yes, Virginia, there IS an application process. People do have to understand that there are clear rules and obligations, and that some thought has to go into where they want to give away their free WBN special editions, and why. The publishing and book community is going to great expense, and even greater volunteer time, to get over a million dollars’ worth of donated paper, printing and shipping, and the authors have waived royalties, and it is simply essential that the book givers understand the goals of World Book Night: to find NEW readers.
I hope you’ll visit the site, noodle around . . . AND apply to be a book giver . . .. . . AND tweet your fingers off. And……..
Part Two
At the same time that we are asking each of you to be World Book Night book givers on April 23, 2012, we are enlisting bookstores and libraries to be locations for the book givers in your community to come pick up their box of free World Book Night books.
You see, we are not sending 50,000 boxes of 20 books each to their homes. We are sending the boxes to bookstores or libraries so YOU can be one of the community centers for World Book Night, as well as the beneficiary of some added foot traffic. This was done in the UK to great success.
But it’s not as easy as just raising your hand and saying you’re in. Alas, as with the book giver process, I need you to answer a few questions so I can be assured that the donated expense of World Book Night in the U.S. is going to good use.
There will be some requirements to be a WBN book pick-up location, and a brief on-line form needs to be filled out. There are a number of questions that need an affirmative answer.
There are other requirements, as well. Sorry to be pain about this, but again, a LOT of people’s time and resources have gone into World Book Night, and this must be a focused, one-to-one person-and-book interaction. It’s much, much more that simply a free book giveaway.
Deadline is Feb. 1.
Please read more at www.worldbooknight.org under the Bookseller tab.
And feel free to email me at carl@worldbooknight.org with questions!
And tweet and email to tout le monde!!
Hey book lovers, be a volunteer book giver on World Book Night, April 23, 2012. Sign up at www.worldbooknight.org by Feb. 1.
Thank you!
Carl Lennertz
Executive Director
World Book Night U.S.
December 21, 2011 (Columbia, SC)—Tis the season to be merry, but here in the land of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance it's also the season for a new harvest of Okra Picks. Southern Indie Booksellers have a selected the 2012 Spring Okra Picks—great southern books, fresh off the vine. It’s a bumper crop, a baker's dozen different titles representing a wide range of tastes, all the books selected have the following things in common: 1) They are Southern in nature. 2) They are 2012 spring releases (December 2011 through March 2012) and 3) There is a SIBA member Bookstore who is really excited about the book. So if you wanted to know what books you'd be reading over the next few months, check the list below! Southern booksellers love their Southern authors—we grow good books!