A Marketing Strategy for Introverts You May Never Have Considered!

This genius promotional strategy is hot off the press and you heard it here first! Debut novelist, Lynn Biederman is happily signing copies of her new YA Novel Unraveling at an event the other night, when she is unable to locate her title page in the book she just picked up to autograph. Puzzled, she thumbs through the front pages but is still not finding it. She looks at the first chapter and realizes she doesn't recognize it at all!  Lynn pulls off the dust cover thinking there's been a switcheroo, but it clearly is the hardcover for her book.  Hoping to waking up from surreality soon, she finally realizes that all the inside book matter is a middle grade novel by some chick named Mary Hershey.  And it has a yard-long title . . . Ten Lucky Things That Have Happened to Me Since I Nearly Got Hit By Lighting.

I cannot claim credit for this fabulous marketing strategy for my book!  Wow.  I owe somebody in Production at XXXX Publishing Company big.  They managed to find another author who had a book being released the same exact day as mine, and that was the same exact 230 pages long.  Strong work, guys!

This totally expands my readership from the middle grade market to YA as well.  Not only that, Lynn and her co-author, Michelle Baldini have garnered a starred review from Publisher's Weekly and got a slick review from Kirkus.  They've also been nominated for Best Books Young Adults 2009.  This translates to many more readers for my book.  Best yet?  They do all the leg work on this for me.  Sweet, huh?  I just sit home and collect the royalties.  Uh, Lynn, Michelle, we will need to talk about my split. Since you are doing a lot promotion for me, I'm willing to go 40/30/30.  Not giving up those film rights, though, no sirreee!

All tongue in cheekiness aside, I do feel horrible about this-- especially since this is Lynn and Michelle's first book, and that is such a thrilling and scary time.  Editors at our shared publishing house have been put on high alert-- CODE READ.  It his hoped that there are scant few copies of the conjoined copies.  Unless Lynn and Michelle agree to the 40/30/30 royalty split above, then I hope there are several kabillion copies out there. Kidding, girls, kidding!

In an attempt to mitigate a bit of this, I am offering you a chance to win a copy of their most excellent book. And if you get a conjoined copy sent to you, Lynn and I will both sign it, and then maybe you could sell it on ebay.  I'll bid on it!  And to everyone else out there, go buy this book!  And if your budget won't allow it, go to your local bookstore and/or library and ask for a copy of this book in your loudest voice, okay?  (Yes, you can use your loud introvert voice. We get that!)

Here is what you have to do to win one.  On Monday, we will be running a new Coolest Introverts in Literature post and I will be profiling the writer that said this:  

"I've often thought that if you could have an unlimited library, if they would bring you any book you wanted when you asked, it would be all right to be in prison." 

First person to guess who said this recently wins!  No Googling until Sunday, please.  After that, if no one has guessed, Google away.

Have a stellar weekend, friends--

Mary Hershey