Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire

  • Mood:
  • Music:

What You Can (and CAN'T) Do to Help.

So people have been asking—because people are awesome—what they can do to help Rosemary and Rue be a success. So I've made a handy little list of do's and don't's, just to get you off on the right foot.

DO ask your local bookstore if they have it on order. If your local store is part of a large chain, such as Borders or Barnes and Noble, the odds are very good that the answer will be "yes," and that they'll be more than happy to hold one for you. If your local store is small, and does not focus specifically on science fiction/fantasy, they may have been waiting to see signs of interest before placing an order. Get interested! Interest is awesome!

DON'T berate your local bookseller if they say "no." Telling people they're overlooking something awesome doesn't make them go "gosh, I see the error of my ways." It makes them go "well, I guess it can be awesome without me." Suggest. Ask if you can special-order a copy. But don't be nasty to people just because their shelves can't hold every book ever written.

DO post reviews on your blog or on Amazon.com. Reviews are fantastic! Reviews make everything better! Please, write and post a review, even if it's just "I liked it." Honestly, even if it's just "this wasn't really my thing." As long as you're being fair and reasoned in your commentary, I'm thrilled. (I like to think you won't all race right out to post one-star reviews, but if that's what you really think, I promise that I won't be mad.)

DON'T get nasty at people who post negative reviews. You are all people. You all have a right to the ball. That includes people who don't like my work. Please don't argue with negative reviewers on my behalf. It just makes everybody sad. If you really think someone's being unfair, why don't you post your own review, to present an alternate perspective?

DO feel free to get multiple copies. No, you probably don't need eight copies of Rosemary and Rue for your permanent collection, but remember that libraries, school libraries, and shelters are always in need of books. I'm donating a few of my author's copies to a local women's shelter, because they get a lot of women there who really need the escape. There are also people who just can't afford their own copies, and would be delighted. I wouldn't have had half the library I did as a teenager if it weren't for the kindness of the people around me.

DON'T feel obligated to get multiple copies, or nag other people to do so. Seriously, we're all on budgets, and too much aggressive press can actually turn people off on a good thing. Let people make their own choices. Have faith.

DO suggest the book to bookstore employees who like urban fantasy. Nothing boosts sales like having people in the stores who really like a project. If your Cousin Danny (or Dani) works at a bookstore, say "Hey, why don't you give this a try?" It just might help.

DON'T rearrange bookstore displays. If the staff of my local bookstore is constantly being forced to deal with fixing the shelves after someone "helpfully" rearranged things to give their chosen favorites a better position, they're unlikely to feel well inclined toward that book—or author. It's not a good thing to piss off the bookstores. Let's just not.

So those are some do's and don't's. I'm sure there are lots of other things to consider; this is, at least, a start.
Tags: advice, book promotion, requesting things
  • Post a new comment

    Error

    Anonymous comments are disabled in this journal

    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

    Your IP address will be recorded 

  • 25 comments
DO ask your local bookstore if they have it on order.

I was so hopeful that my local store might have R&R early, as yours did, but it seems I'm not so lucky. <sigh> However, they have them on order, and hooray, I now have several copies that will be waiting for my hot little paws on the 1st!

AngelVixen :-)
Woo-hoo!
I work in a bookstore (hooray) and just today the BookGoddess told me that my R&R is on the way. OH WHAT A WORLD OF YAY! *squee*
Awesome!
I was at my local SF bookstore yesterday, and started chatting with one of the guys who works there. I mentioned eagerly awaiting my preorder of R&R, and he mentioned his sister was looking forward to it also. She'd heard of it through a long grapevine of folks.

I'm assuming happy bouncing when I finally get my copy is on the list of Do's?

Wow. My grapevine is functional. How awesome and freaky and awesome.

Bouncing is definitely on the list of do's.
FYI, Amazon.com and Amazon.ca don't cross-post their reviews, and if you only shop at one of them, you can't post reviews on the other. So keep a watch on both.

Not available yet at our bookstore (Bakka) as far as I know but Phil works nearby and I'll bug him to check. I thought we had to wait until September 1st.
Oh, good to know. (Not that I actually read those reviews. I'm not allowed.) Thanks!
The Borders anchor in New York appears to be honoring your street dates. I look forward to walking in on the first and buying a copy, even though I have five coming from Amazon, just because I want to tell the cashier, "that's my friend's book!"
Awwwww. Thank you!

Deleted comment

Thank you!

Deleted comment

I love you so much for that statement, seriously.

cow

August 21 2009, 17:32:24 UTC 7 years ago Edited:  August 21 2009, 17:33:47 UTC

I don't know if you remember me telling you about the awesome independent all-SFF bookstore here in Vancouver (White Dwarf), but you're on their featured new releases list for September 2009:

http://www.deadwrite.com/sfg09.html

:D

(I mentioned it to the shop owner because she, in the past, has mentioned being a fan of urban fantasy and 'the faerie realms', to borrow her words. 'But not vampires,' she said, 'they're just overdone.' Looks like she likes what she sees.)
Woo-hoo! I win. :)
I'm going to tell all my friends that you are a brilliant new fantasy talent.
...you do that.
"DON'T rearrange bookstore displays."

As a former bookstore employee, I do believe this is the best note ever. I once had someone rearrange my entire graphic novel section. Incorrectly. I thought I was going to cry. (For the record, alphebatizing by super hero takes a long time...and it's how Borders does their super hero graphic novels)
It's just impolite!
I gave in and went to Borders on my way up for the allergy shots, as I'd realized I wanted more copies than I pre-ordered through Powell's anyway. Borders had your book out, both in sci-fi and in the new releases rack, so I grabbed some.

The two libraries (in two separate county systems) that I use have each been given a copy, as I planned. (And I'm amused and pleased that the one that has the better selection of fantasy/sf books in general already had one copy in-processing at one of their libraries, although not the one I gave a copy to. And multiple holds already!)

I then proceeded to wander around with my copy re-reading it at the shot clinic and the restaurant where I had lunch. This book gets tastier on every read, do you realize that?

(Also...I just registered something I hadn't thought about and wondered if it had significance. And I won't ask, 'acos the question would be a spoiler and if you answered it would be another spoiler, but I'm suddenly all gleeful-bouncy-curious "wait, was that significant?" Which kinda makes my day, for I'm not sure what reason except that it's fun.)
I love you so very much, I really do.

And yay for questions!
I plan on posting my review on LibraryThing
Thank you!
The Borders at JFK airport is planning to stock your book. I also talked it up to Fantasy fans from Florida who were browsing and they intend to pick it up.
Ah, win!