Love your local library

This is effectively a mash-up of two previous posts: one about giving your book away (via the free Kindle download promotions that you can run every 90 days) and getting your novel into your local bookshop.  In this one, I’m talking about donating your prized work to your local library.

My first novel, BAGMAN, is set in Burgess Hill or, more precisely, a slightly reworked version of the place that most locals may not recognise.  So, what could be more natural than to offer a copy to Burgess Hill Library?  In the novel, the father of the narrator, Andy, even works there!  I know, because I live in Brighton, that it’s technically not my local library but you can see why it’s more relevant for readers in Burgess Hill, even though my reimagining of their fair town may infuriate them.

Anyway, the library said yes and last week I dropped off the hardback copy you can see in the accompanying photo.  The small print of the West Sussex Library Service Donation Policy makes clear that a donated title might never make it onto the shelves – and it can’t be returned to the author – but that’s okay.  As I’ve always said, when you’re starting out, it’s all about getting anybody to read your book – anybody at all and by whatever means possible.

Sometimes you’ve just got to be proactive.  Doing nothing is a cast-iron guarantee that nothing will happen.  Make sure you’re doing something – even giving your book away – however crazy it might appear to everyone else.  Get your book out there and see what happens.

Happy writing – and maybe even donating!