One of the things I hope my blog can be used for--in addition to making great friends, processing what I read, and being the place I dump all my thoughts out on--is spreading the word about great works of art. Great books that simply aren't getting the attention they should from their publisher, the public, etc. There's a tiny bit of evangelist in me...when I love something, I simply can't help it, I want everyone else to love it, too. Or at least know that it exists so that they can decide if they want to love it, too.
The first time I made a really conscious effort to help a book sell was with Nothing but Ghosts. I was really nervous about it...could my tiny little blog really make a difference? Would I be making a fool out of myself and letting Beth down if this didn't work? Thankfully, I had the support of the very wonderful and gracious Lenore and so many of you...thanks for trusting me enough to part with some of your money.
Every time I read a positive review, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I was just rereading parts of the book the other day for my online book club and savoring again just how beautifully written it is. I am a bit of a Beth Kephart fangirl. :)
Anyway, I feel like I owe it to you to tell you the results...so here they are! Out of a goal of 200, we reached 60.
To be honest, I'm actually kind of amazed. I mean, I know one of those was my mother (thanks Mom!) but thinking about it....60 is pretty darned good! It's not 200...but I can only hope that people will continue to spread the word about Nothing but Ghosts. Because I mean it when I say this book needs bloggers and influencers...it needs you and me to continue to tell others. It's a good book if you're uncertain about the YA area of books. (I refuse to call it a genre...saving it for a later post!)
And what's really cool is that people bought the book in all sorts of different ways. Amazon, the Kindle, Sony ebooks, Barnes & Noble, their local independent book shops, the Book Depository, etc.
So a huge thank you to everyone who bought Nothing but Ghosts. If you haven't read it yet, I hope that you really enjoy it when you do. If you didn't buy it...well it's too late for the drive, but it's never too late to buy the book!
Also if anyone missed it, I have an interview with Beth Kephart up over at Beth Fish Reads as part of her literary road trip! Go read it so you can see just how awesome she is! ;)
PS Over at The Good, the Bad, and the Unread Wendy the Super Librarian posted about whether or not a blogger can make a book. I agree with her conclusions...we can't. But hopefully we can help really awesome books find more readers.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Results of the Nothing But Ghosts Book Drive
Posted by Amy at 12:00 AM
Labels: Beth Kephart, blogging
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26 comments:
I'll order a copy for the bookstore I work at and get to reading it, it sounds great.
If you think about it, 60 books is a lot. How many bloggers rarely buy new books, after all? How many bloggers won't read YA? I think it's an impressive accomplishment and if at least half of the people who bought it review it, that gives the book 30 new reviews, which surely will help publicize it even further.
I agree that bloggers can't really make a book, not yet anyway, but we can influence.
Hey Amy! I have heard of you from Sandy (You've gotta read this!) and I just wanted to check out your blog. I must say that you have a very nice blog and I will come back:)
I guess I am getting in a little late on the discussion, as I did not know about your project. However, I did read Beth's review of the book and your interview with the author. Her prose was absolutely amazing, based on Beth's samples. If it is on the Kindle, I think I'll get it. I had no idea you were behind the promotion of this book, but with all of us reading and reviewing it, it will certainly help! You are amazing. Do you ever sleep?
I'm proud of your efforts and I think 60 is pretty great considering it's the first time anyone has tried a book drive on their blog (that I know about anyway.) I bought the book for your drive, read it and loved it! My review is up today. You are awesome and continue to inspire me.
Amy, you did an amazing job. Meghan really summed it up (so I won't repeat her words). I agree that we can have some influence, even if we can't -- YET -- create the same phenomenon as hand-selling in indies used to do. But we as a group continue to advocate for our favorite authors, I think we may eventually make a difference.
Nothing But Ghosts was not only a wonderful read, it was fun to do this as a book community. I enjoyed being a part of this and sharing thoughts on the book.
This book is still going strong due to all the reviews. As I travel around to other blogs I am still seeing the title pop up as a current read.
60? Nice job! :)
From one Beth Kephart fangirl to another, I think you and Lenore did a FANTASTIC job with this book drive! Both of you put in a lot of time and effort to promote what is absolutely a most deserving and worthy book - and author. (I just finished my copy over vacation, and you can add me to the chorus of positive reviews, of which mine will be up in the near future.)
Sixty copies is nothing to be ashamed of ... so what if we didn't get to the 200 goal? What matters is that because of you, we Kephart fangirls (and maybe a guy or two? :) are growing in number. And this, my friend, is a good thing indeed.
I think 60 is a very impressive number! And you couldn't have found a book or author more deserving. I was very impressed with Nothing But Ghosts and am looking forward to reading more of Kephart's work!
I am sure it's actually a lot higher than 60. I get almost all my book buying ideas from blogs now, but am remiss in not writing down where I got the suggestion from. I am sure your influence is more than these numbers indicate!
Well I know that Kathy over at Bermudaonion just reviewed it and now I want to read it so you can say that the experiment is definitely working because she referenced your review in hers.
I'm looking forward to reading it. I'm so glad the Kindle version counted toward the drive.
Congratulations! I bought a copy, and I plan on buying a copy to send to my sister for her birthday. This was a great cause with great results.
Amy, Was there anything that you learned from this book drive that you might use if you ever do it again (either with this or another author?).
Well, I would've loved to have given out the rest of our prizes, but 60 is still an impressive number - and like many have said here, that's just the first wave.
I think it's absolutely lovely that you did this, Amy, and your influence can be measured in more than mere numbers. I'm sure you gave the author such an emotional boost, you probably helped her in the eyes of her publisher, and the ripple effects of your support haven't subsided yet. I think it's impossible to say if bloggers can "make" a book, but I think smart people who are passionate about books, who recommend them and talk about them and write about them, are doing so much to help the publishing industry. Blogger Appreciation Week is very well deserved!
Perhaps bloggers can't make a book. But My Friend Amy and Lenore and so many of you — all of you — helped make an author. You created hope in a landscape that didn't appear to offer a lot of that when this book was first released.
Nothing but Ghosts lives because of all you.
I'll never forget this or you.
And I thank you.
What an amazing number of books! It might not have been the 200 hoped for, but I think this is wonderful.
It is just fantastic that 60 copies were sold because of the hard work that you and Lenore put into this drive. I would love to know more about doing something like this for other authors. I think this is just wonderful and because of the drive, I not only read a really awesome book, but I have some new book blogging buddies!! Thanks again for all you do Amy. You are amazing! :)
I commend you for your phenominal effort! It may not have been 200, but you know that word of mouth doubles those numbers, so who knows how many people will eventually learn about this book.
You are truly a gem in the book blogging community.
Keep up the good work sweetie!
I think 6o is wonderful! And let's consider the ripple effect - over time, who knows what you started! You have a great impact, My Friend Amy. :)
60 is really a great number, Amy! That's awesome! You would have had 61, but I am completely broke since I just started work after 7 months of being unemployed. Just not buying books for a while. But you have every reason to be proud of yourself for 60!
60 people who bought a book because you asked them to - I'd say that's influential!
I don't generally read in the YA "area", but I bought NOTHING BUT GHOSTS on your recommendation, and loved it. Beth Kephart's writing is beautiful!
My 13-year-old will co-review it with me; it's a family favorite.
Hooray for you! and Lenore, and all who kept the ball rolling and are now reading and reviewing NOTHING BUT GHOSTS!
wow 60 is a great first effort...I hope you plan on doing this again and sharing the results.
60 books is a lot, Amy! And the things is, I doubt any once source can make a book these days, be it a blogger, a professional critic, an endorsement from another author, you name it. It probably takes a combination of factors for a book to become a hit. So even if you and Lenore didn't make this book, you greatly improved its chances of it being discovered and loved.
Also, I'd LOVE to see a post from you on how YA is not a genre - I absolutely agree that it isn't, and I could go on and on about how the word "genre" is often overused and can give people the wrong impression :P
Did you count mine? I never emailed you the receipt. Did you count the ones that have been bought by readers of the reviews that are just now coming in? Did you count the ones that will be bought after people google the title and see all the wonderful reviews that have been (and will be) posted? 60 books is a great start. The book drive is over, but these things work in concentric circles, not a straight line. And in any case: what you did was a beautiful expression of the love you have for books and great authors. Good work!
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