Pre-Game Day

So tomorrow, I'm hoping that you'll all bum rush your local bookstore and pick up a copy of the paperback edition of The Department of Lost and Found. I know that a lot of people don't like to buy hardcover books, especially from unknown writers, but most folks are willing to splurge on the $14 paperback ($11 on Amazon!!), so I hope that you will too! (And please spread the word far and wide, via blog, email or just plain old word of mouth.)

Publishing is an interesting business, which I've surely noted before. And what many non-authors don't realize is that the first two weeks (or so) of your book's release can make or break its success. So when the hardcover came out, I implored all of my friends to plunk down their credit cards asap, but a lot of them looked at me blankly and didn't really get the urgency. Here's the thing though: your publisher places all of its cards (and co-op money) into those first few weeks. If the book sells well, they'll continue to support it, and if it does so-so, then that support goes out the window and moves on to some other author who will pin all of his or her hopes on those first critical two weeks all over again.

I recently emailed with best-selling author Joshilyn Jackson, who has written, among other things, the fabulous The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, to let her know that I'd be picking up a copy of her book, and she emailed me back right away, thanking me for purchasing it "the first week," because, to paraphrase her, "we all know how much that first week matters." This is coming from a huge best-selling author, so it seems that no one is immune from these concerns.

Interesting stuff, right?

All of this is a very long-winded way of me imploring you to head out tomorrow or stop by Amazon and pick up a copy!