Visit Your Library
I adore my library. I’m not exaggerating. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook or read my blog, you are going to see that I post at least once a week about the library. I go there every week and I have a shelf in my office for library books. But I’m always shocked by the number of people who don’t visit their library.
Don’t drive? Don’t sweat it. Most libraries have an amazing number of online offerings including e-books and e-audio books.
Your mission, and I’m not asking, is to connect with your library somehow, someway during the month of October. Check out a book. Do it. You’ll thank me.
Visit an Independent Bookstore
Now, I’m not panning Amazon. I bought socks there just last week. But an independent bookstore is people by those who love books. LOVE them. Enter and you are going to find display tables about autumn and Halloween. You’ll find local interest. You’ll find staff recommendations.
The best thing about independent bookstores is that they aren’t carbon copies of each other. Each one is different. Plop me down in Front Street Books in Alpine, Texas or Subterranean Books in University City, Missouri and I will know exactly where I am.
You have a second mission now. Visit a bookstore, preferably an independent. Come on. You know you want to do it.
Post About Books
Don’t forget that part of the mission of the National Book Foundation is to expand readership. One way to do this is to post about the books that you love. Take a selfie of yourself reading an amazing book and share it on Twitter. Capture the cover of a book you loved reading and post it on Facebook. And when you do, link to the author. Media savvy authors will respond, like it, and share it.
When you are on social media, look for posts about books. If one looks interesting, like the post, comment on it, and share it. This will help spread the word about a book even better than if you created your own post.
Yes, I’m giving you yet another mission. Talk books up however you can. You can do it online and, for extra points, in person. Engage with people and you may discover your next favorite book.
--SueBE
Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 35 books for young readers. To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.
The next session of her new course, Pitching, Querying and Submitting Your Work will begin on November 6, 2022). Coping with rejection is one of the topics she will cover in this course.
Sue is also the instructor for Research: Prepping to Write Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins November 6, 2022) and Writing Nonfiction for Children and Young Adults (next session begins November 6
, 2022).
, 2022).
9 comments:
October is one of my favorite months and though I think EVERY month should promote books, I'm particularly glad October won that lottery!
So ditto to every point you made, Sue. I love everything about libraries, bookstores, book festivals, books! And the fact that I have a job where reading is required? I won the jackpot!
Cathy,
Yes! Isn't it great to be able to say "Shhh. This is work. I'm reading."
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
― Jorge Luis Borges. :) My local library is really great. I get lots of ebooks for my Kindle, and recommend new titles that go straight to my hold list if they get them.
Marcia,
Explain to me - why has it never crossed my mind to recommend an e or audio book? That said, they already have so many but still? Can you have too many books? I don't think so.
Too many books? No. Glad to have planted the idea for getting ebooks from your library system!
Yay book month! The weather change is inspiring me to read already. :) I need to check out my local library... I usually just buy a book if I want to read it, and I had no idea you could check out ebooks from the library. Lol! I love shopping on indie bookstore sites like Bookshop.org (WOW also has a store there) and even ThriftBooks or BookOulet. I haven't seen any bookstores where I live now, but back in Pine Mountain Club there was an adventure bookstore where they sold books by area authors and those that fit into the adventure genre. They also put together anthologies and had readings. It's fun to find a local spot! Another thing I love to do is read online at my favorite journals. I usually read one longform essay or story with my morning coffee.
Hi Ang,
I buy books but check out many more. But that's also how I explore new authors. My library has tons of ebooks and eaudio. Fingers crossed that you find a local shop!
I love National Book Month! I discovered I could check out books through my local library through the Libby app and send them to my Kindle or listen in audio form. It's been a game changer and I love it! I also make sure to buy something every time I visit an indie bookstore in another town, and frequent the two in my own town.
Renee,
We definitely shop the indies when we travel. I think we had something like 8 books between us. So glad to hear we aren't the only ones.
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