Self-Publishing and Indie Bookstores – Not a Good Match, Really

I’ve been trying to work with a local bookstore, to get them to carry a book by a local author. (It happens to be by an indie-press, my own Crickhollow Books, not self-published, but that’s sort of the same thing in the bookstore’s eye.)

The irony: the author is a member of a writing group that has met at that very bookstore for years. Still, the bookstore owner was resistant.

Why? Because the bookstore owner didn’t really know the title, was afraid it might be self-published, and didn’t think she could get the book through Ingram (which she can, in fact, as the book’s catalog sheet indicates.)

The point: if a good indie micro-press has this much trouble, what chance does a self-published author have with local bookstores? Not much. Is there a thorough review and consideration? Probably not.

It’s less a matter of the quality of the book, clearly. It’s more a practical issue: one of the time and trouble it takes to make the decision, vs. the potential reward. Let’s face it. Bookstores, large and small, survive on the sales of the most popular books by very popular authors: Dan Brown, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Sue Grafton, etc.

Then, they sell a good number of new books by major presses, mostly when the titles are new (and so haven’t tapped their audiences). After a few months, those are replaced by other new books by major publishing houses, with entirely fresh sales potential. (By the way, those publishers also often pay for shelf space and premium display, real money that the bookstore gets to keep regardless of how well the book sells.)

In contrast, self-publishing or indie micro-press strategies – going for niche audiences, which are better reached over the Internet, and longer-term involvement in fewer titles – just don’t match up well with bookstore sales goals and the need to be efficient about it, given the stores’ meager margins. (Trust me, bookstore owners are not getting rich.)

I doubt most bookstore owners would disagree. Although they keep a theoretical interest in local authors and regional indie publishing . . . in practice, they have a greater need to set up strong defensive mechanisms to ward off the truly wretched or poorly conceived self-published books, with weak covers, no marketing, priced too high, similar to other better things on the market, etc.

Given the easy access to publishing technology, there’s a glut of poor or mediocre low-budget POD titles. And stores need to fend them off.

Here’s an example of one such policy (note the concern about books priced too high, a real competitive weakness of most self-published POD books):

The policy is from the website of a Missouri indie-bookstore with the charming Twain-ian name, Pudd’nhead Books. (By the way, Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens was a gifted pitchman who knew how to promote his books in advance to potential buyers.)

INFO FOR AUTHORS
Thank you for considering Pudd’nhead Books for placement of your book. Because we are approached several times each week by authors hoping we will sell their books . . . before you leave a copy for review please consider the following:

Technology has made publishing easier, often without traditional professional editing, proofreading, and evaluation of marketing and distribution. Consequently, the number of books we are asked to review continues to rise dramatically.  (. . .) Of principle importance is whether the book will sell in this outlet, with the audience of our customers. We consider the subject, production quality, retail price, and terms, as well as our judgment of the writing and editing.

We regret the need to be so blunt, but we simply don’t have the time to evaluate so many books. We decline many books, including those by well-known and award-winning writers, if they are not a good match for our store. It is never a pleasant task to decline when dealing directly with an author rather than simply reviewing a catalog, but . . . we only accept well less than 1 in 100.

While we are not saying this is the case with your book, many of the books we are asked to try to sell are overpriced compared to similar books, the content is of very limited interest to anyone other than the writer’s friends and family, and/or a lack of editing or even proofreading is obvious. A surprising number of writers acknowledge that they have never paid a similar price for a similar book from an unknown writer and an unknown publisher with no objective reviews, yet expect us to try to sell theirs…

We would love for your book to be the exception. . . . If you want to leave your book for review after considering the above, please carefully read the policies stated on the attached form. . . . If your book is available from Ingram, we will bring it in from them if we decide to carry it. If we decide to carry your book on consignment, we will contact you with the appropriate form.

Thanks for your interest in Pudd’nhead Books, and good luck with your book.

Nikki Furrer, Owner

The ABA (American Booksellers Association.) has been encouraging indie bookstores to set up such policies. They are primarily defensive. Yes, it would be nice if the occasional good micro-title got through. But honestly, if not, it’s not a big problem for the bookstore if they don’t.

Some of these policies are a bit one-sided. One I saw gave the bookstore the right to unilaterally mark-down the price. In theory, that could be to $1, in which case the author would get $.60. In my view, that’s a little extreme to include in a consignment agreement, asking an author to sign it to get their book into the store.

On the other side, indie bookstores aren’t really a great sales venue for the author or micro-publisher, either. There are too many hidden costs for slim possible revenues. Most micro-press sales happen through specialty shops (museum stores, gift shops, etc.) where books are narrowly chosen and displayed face-out. Or through “long tail” avenues like Amazon, where niche books can do quite well, and survive in print for a long, long time.

I love indie bookstores, and spend a lot of time and money in them. I just expect to find mostly a good, smart selection of titles by major publishing houses. That’s their bread-and-butter.

So if you are a self-published author, look at where books like yours are really sold. Through personal networks. Or events, where people get to meet you. A holiday gift fair at your church is as good as a bookstore. And probably, that non-bookstore site will be far more happy to see you!

In the case of that book I mentioned at the beginning (Patton’s Lucky Scout, a World War II memoir of amazing adventures by a scout for General Patton, working mostly behind enemy lines), great local venues are available through VFW posts, military history clubs, extended families of other members of the retirement home where the veteran now lives, etc.

Art of the Self-Interview – Web Marketing for Book Authors

If you’re a book author, a great feature for your professional website is an author interview.

Surprisingly, one of the best approaches is a self-interview.

At first glance, this might seem immodest or an inferior version of a “real” interview with an outside journalist. But done well, it can be as good . . . if not better.

There are some things you can do in a self-interview that you can’t in a regular one.

1. Get it done, anytime, on your schedule.
2. Control the questions, to highlight the best features of your book or other work.
3. Range freely, to bring in any offbeat, auxiliary, cross-marketing info.
4. Show your humor, skill with words, insight, and all-around scintillating presence . . . which may lead to additional outside interviews, while impressing web visitors about your book.

Here’s a glimpse of a self-interview, done very, very well. It is by author James Morrow, author of The Philosopher’s Apprentice, The Last Witchfinder (Starred Review, Publisher’s Weekly),  Only Begotten Daughter (World Fantasy Award), and other impressive books. He’s been interviewed elsewhere often, but chose to do self-interviews for his books on his website.

It’s a great tip for book marketing for writers of all sorts. The same kind of thing can be done by freelance writers, poets, anyone with a glimmer of moxie (and a creative personality).

For the Morrow interview, I’ll just give some of the questions. To enjoy the fun, interesting answers, you’ll just have to visit the James Morrow website!

James Morrow Interviews James Morrow on
The Philosopher’s Apprentice

Q: Your new novel, The Philosopher’s Apprentice, has an intriguing title. Who is the philosopher and who is the apprentice?

Q: Does Mason succeed in giving Londa a moral compass?

Q: Why is Londa’s mind a blank slate?

Q: So what is The Philosopher’s Apprentice really about?

Q: Morality is a mystery?

Q: It sounds as if you’re a novelist who benefits from interacting with editors.

Q: Is that why you’ve described the book as a cross between Shaw’s Pygmalion and Nabokov’s Lolita?

Q: Your previous novel, The Last Witchfinder — which is quite a good book, by the way …

Q: The Last Witchfinder also centers on a teacher-student relationship. The heroine, Jennet Stearne, is tutored by her beloved Aunt Isobel in “natural philosophy,” that is, science.

Q: Those scenes, yes. What the heck is going on here? On one level, the immaculoids are sympathetic, but I don’t think of you as being in the “pro-life” camp. The Last Witchfinder was a very feminist novel.

Q: You’re avoiding the question, Morrow. By bringing those wretched immaculoids on stage, don’t you end up endorsing the anti-abortion position?

Q: You obviously have a taste for grandiose themes. Where does that come from?

Q: So, for you, novels are a good way to keep experts from impoverishing our minds?

Q: We’ve talked about Shaw and Nabokov as influences. One of your pre-publication critics, covering the book for Kirkus Reviews, notes that The Philosopher’s Apprentice also “tips its hat with style to Mary Shelley.”

Q: It’s always nice to meet a fellow geek.

Q: Somebody once remarked, “Henry James chewed more than he bit off.”

Q: Nevertheless, when you named your main character Londa Sabacthani, you were obviously trying for a symbolic effect. Her name evokes Jesus’s famous cry from the cross in Matthew 27:46.

Q: You’re lying.

Q: I’m afraid we’re out of time.

Plaques on Places? No Thanks!

I love sense of place! As a strong advocate of sense of place, in literature and real life, I recommend stories well rooted in a specific site or region . . . it will make your stories more compelling.

However, I find this a bit disturbing:

“Project Bookmark Canada Puts Stories in Our Spaces”

On Thursday, April 23, 2009, Mayor David Miller and author Michael Ondaatje will be at Toronto’s Bloor Street Viaduct to launch Project Bookmark Canada, a national initiative to bring the imagined landscapes of stories and poems into our physical spaces.

Mayor Miller and Mr. Ondaatje will unveil a plaque (or “Bookmark”) bearing a scene from Ondaatje’s legendary Toronto novel, In the Skin of a Lion, in which a nun falls from the Bloor Street Viaduct during its construction.

The Bookmark is the first in a planned cross-Canada series intended to create a permanent presentation of literature in public spaces.

Yes, a project in Canada is putting ceramic plaques with text from stories in the actual locales. Seems like a nice idea.

“Many cities have tributes to writers. What makes Project Bookmark Canada unique is that these literary scenes will be read in the exact locations where the stories and poems are set,” says Miranda Hill, Founder and Executive Director of Project Bookmark Canada. “Readers can step right into the stories, experiencing the authors’ visions and the real locales simultaneously.”

But, hmmm . . . does this seem a bit . . . self-referential?

“These words by Ondaatje, Michaels and Lee inspired this project, so I am glad that we can pay tribute to them first. But there are countless stories and poems set in recognizable locales⎯from St. John’s to Toronto to Vancouver,” Hill says.

“I think it would be wonderful to Bookmark them all. My vision is that you should be able to read your way right across Canada.”

My questions: Only for literary fiction? What about genre fiction – romance, science fiction, fantasy, mystery – that uses real locales? Will they be similarly honored? Or is that less worthy?

And what about non-urban settings? The prairies of Willa Cather? The North of Jack London? Fiction set in the canoe wilderness Boundary Waters? Will there be a square foot or two of prairie or tundra or bog flowers removed to insert a ceramic plaque?

Sure, I like the idea of sharing public knowledge about writers and their homes and the settings of their stories. I like the idea of a walking tour, like that offered by the James Joyce Centre,  “In the Footsteps of Leopold Bloom”:

a special walking tour of Dublin, the setting for all of James Joyce’s works. . . . Join us for a walking tour of historic Joycean Dublin and take in some of the monumental and ordinary sights and sounds of the city in which Joyce staged all his works.

But do I need to see the text sprinkled all over Dublin?

(Here’s a great article by writer Mike Karsnak, on the Literary Traveler website, about his Joycean tour around Dublin, downing pints in Davy Byrne’s pub, “A ‘Moral Pub’ Crawl Through Dublin.“)

Hey, I don’t want to be too negative. Yes, I understand the role of a good PR stunt (I mean, public celebration of literature). Kudos to inventive and attention-getting literary events. But a permanent plaque?

And I find this goal either naive or chilling: “. . . countless stories and poems set in recognizable locales . . . it would be wonderful to Bookmark them all.” Yikes! To cover the landscape?

What about the next person who wants to write about that place? When they describe that place, do they include a description of the plaque from the previous writer (literary mirrors within mirrors within mirrors . . .)?

Does it smack of naming rights? Ondaatje Viaduct?

I’d say at least make it a temporary sign. Up for a year, then remove. Or make it of pressed paper, something will dissolve in the rain and snow.

And then, everybody . . . back to the book!

Tell the Story Behind the Story

Every book has a story about itself.

The story of the writing of a book-length work (or a substantial article) – how the work came to be – is grist for your publicity mill. It’s an effective and easy-to-use tool in your efforts to establish Brand You, your personal brand.

Why? Because it tells two stories: one about the work itself, and one about you as a person writing the work. Hearing why an author picked a given topic, how he/she researched it, designed its telling, and populated it with happenings and ideas and and characters . . . is of great interest to many readers.

Here’s a great example:
Clues in the Shadows (A Molly Mystery): The Story Behind the Story

Here, author Kathleen Ernst uses a wonderful batch of photos from the Library of Congress to illustrate and talk (on a page on her excellent, content-rich website) about the research she did in writing this middle-grade reader, Clues in the Shadows, a mystery in the immensely popular American Girl line of books, doll, and zillions of accessories.

In this piece, Ernst shares how she came upon ideas that she incorporated into the story:

Many of the programs urged children to compete against each other, seeing who could collect the most paper or scrap metal.  Sometimes children struggled to meet expectations.  When I read about that, I decided that was an important idea to introduce in Clues in the Shadows.

Well-researched background like this impresses educators and reviewers. And readers themselves (in this case, kids) always like to see “behind the scenes” . . . to peek behind the curtain, to feel that special sense of privilege when someone takes you backstage and gives you a personal tour.

Of course, this is great stuff for any published (or soon-to-be-published) writer’s blog. Here’s another example (from a project I’m working with), the story of writing a historical novel for young readers, by two sisters, Hilda and Emily Demuth, centered around a historic plank road that ran by their childhood home in southern Wisconsin:

Plank Road Summer blog

Why does this behind-the-scenes storytelling work so well?

Because at the core of storytelling is the desire to be connected with each other. This goes back to the roots of oral storytelling, where the story never existed without the teller.

So take the time to create and share the story behind your major pieces of writing. It will draw in the reader and extend your personal brand, presenting you in a most-favorable light: how you (as a skilled, thoughtful pro writer) take raw ideas and turn them into literature.

Don’t just serve the dish. Let them see and appreciate the making of the dish. As brand-meister Martha Stewart would say . . . “And that’s a good thing.”

Plan a Great Book Launch Party

I’m a proponent of well-designed launch parties. When a book is first published, the author is in a great position to plan and host a local event to kick-off the arrival of the new book.

This a key activity for book marketing that authors can do better, more personably, and often more creatively than publishers.

For a book I’m publishing in May through my Crickhollow Books imprint, Plank Road Summer, a historical novel for middle readers, the co-authors Hilda and Emily Demuth are hosting a party in a rural schoolhouse, the Yorkville School in Racine County, Wisconsin. (It’s near the site of where the story takes place.) And one of them plays in an old-time contra dance band, the Hoosier Recruits. So it’ll be a music/dance/book-launch party. It sounds fun to me!

My worst book launch ever? Think Katrina hurricane. I mean, literally. I worked for a year as editor on a book titled Lost Gold of the Republic, about a Civil War–era steamship, headed to New Orleans just months after the end of the Civil War with lots of gold and silver coins. It sank in a hurricane. The book launch site? New Orleans . . . the exact afternoon the evacuation for the whole city was ordered on the eve of Katrina’s onslaught. The museum where the book was being launched closed, and everyone ran for it. The irony it all wasn’t lost on us, but the sales were, and the news media had other things to cover for a while after that.

Why do a book launch party?

Motivation. It gets author and close friends to focus on a local promo campaign, something that only the author can do really well. A launch party is a way to spread the word the book has been published: to colleagues, neighbors, family, and friends, as well as to the local public interested in the book’s topic.

Celebratory Spirit. If family and friends turn out, the event can be lots of fun and enthusiastic. And getting a brand-new published book should be celebrated with gusto! It’s a huge accomplishment.

Spin-off Visibility. A well-announced event builds interest even if people don’t come. They hear about it beforehand – and if the event was a success, afterward.

Press Hook. Local papers and talk shows like to have an event to justify mentioning a book. (They may not see a need to review a book, but will announce events of local social interest – “things to do around town.”)

Circles of Influence. Word of mouth is key. Your neighbor or the receptionist in your office or your insurance agent might know someone influential who could boost your book.

Tips for planning a book launch party?

Location. Inexpensive or free! No need to rent the Grand Ballroom and hire an expensive caterer. But I do recommend finding a public place rather than a private home. Think about local community groups, cultural centers, or restaurants or pubs that serve food and have a meeting room. If you can hook up with an interest group or site that has its own newsletter or place to post a flyer in advance, that’s a bonus.

Theme. If your book has a theme that lends itself to a party, use it! A Jane Austen literary-criticism book will have different theme than a Canadian fur-trade voyageur book). Doesn’t need to be overdone, but it helps to create interest if you add a bit of topical flavor in some food to be served, design of the invitation, etc.

Program? Personally, I prefer to see a launch party as just that: a festive party, without expecting attendees to sit through a full program. An exception is if a sponsoring host wants to you to do a talk or slide show for a regular, well-attended meeting, followed by a reception. Of course, at some point, it’s good to have someone introduce you, to say a few words to the assembled throng.

Sales. Yes, you’ll sell some copies. How many? Depends on the book, the price, and how broad its appeal is! (Will people want to buy copies to give to others? Gift giving is a major impetus for book buying.). Personally, I like to give a small discount on the price, rounding down a bit. It’s an incentive to buy a copy right then, and a little thank-you gift to those who came. Others feel you shouldn’t mark down your work. By the way, have someone else in charge of the sales, to take the money. You need to be working the room, perhaps taking a few moments to sign a few books.

Order Form? I recommend not having an order form (some people will take that as an excuse to not buy at the event).

Send me any creative details (as a comment below, or email me) describing your book launch, and maybe I’ll feature it in a future post!

Create a Rev/Test Page (reviews & testimonials)

For a writer’s website, one item I recommend is a single page of reviews and testimonials. This is sometimes referred to as a “rev/test” sheet (or web page).

Besides creating this online compilation of many brief blurbs of praise as a part of an online press kit (for a single book or for overall professional services), it’s also helpful to have a formatted version to print or email to interested contacts as needed.

(In general, “reviews” come from published sources, and “testimonials” are bits of personal praise or endorsement from individuals. A “blurb” is just a brief, often excerpted version of either type.)

A page of collected praise often leads with: “Read what people are saying about . . .” or “Praise for [you and your writing]” or “Testimonials from satisfied customers/clients” or something in that vein.

This page compiles your best blurbs from the most influential sources. It’s nice to have perhaps six to ten great quotes, short and sweet, praising your work. I recommend excerpting liberally with ellipses (. . .) to highlight the best phrases. Let the reader fill in the blanks. You want to give the impression that this is just a fraction of an immense pile of praise.

There’s a bit of an art to this. First, I usually skip a review (even if well-meaning) that hints of too-faint praise. Ditto for blurbs that are purely descriptive without any sense of the work being good and recommended. (Unless sometime notable is mentioned, like “includes an appendix of resources for . . .”). But better is a blurb that at least says “good” or “useful” (or better, “great” or “essential”) or some statement of real quality.

You need more than one or two blurbs to make it worth doing a rev/test page. At least one, especially a lead quote, should come from an impressive, influential source. A sheet of praise citing only minor sources looks weak.

However, minor sources are great to fill out a page once you have one or two big-time reviews. “Minor” means sources unlikely to be known or impressive to most readers. (Minor ones often can offer details not covered in the main reviews, or come from sources significant to a particular segment of your audience.)

For most blurbs, I like short and punchy. Why? Because this emphasizes the words you want people to remember. Think of the blockbuster novel described as “spellbinding” or “a real page-turner.” Do you really need to hear more?

For instance, for The New Writer’s Handbook, I often use this:

“Surprising and satisfying.” Library Journal (Starred Review)

A slightly longer version can work:

“. . . from the preface by Erica Jong to the closing piece by Mary Pipher, it surprises and satisfies.”
– Library Journal (Starred Review); Sept. 15, 2007

But keep it short and sweet. Often it’s the source as much as the exact text. For librarians, the Library Journal name and the “Starred Review” phrase is as important a selling point as the review text itself.

Here’s an example of a rev/test sheet as a web page. (It’s from an occasional blog I maintain for odd bits of lore and literature about old-time music & fiddling. It’s a low-key spin-off from a book I wrote years ago, Farmhouse Fiddlers, from interviews with older fiddlers, mostly around rural Wisconsin, about the role of homemade music in community life.)

Praise for Farmhouse Fiddlers

That’s seven blurbs, an award or two, book specs, where the book is available. It’s the essential rev/test page.

Publishers often do this for a book’s press kit. However, as an an author, you should create and maintain your own version. Reviews and praise might come in long after a publisher has lost interest in updating a press kit or their website.

It’s an important part of your resume. It should be on your professional website or blog.

Marketing for Writers 101, dude! The “long tail” effect.

Here’s another version, from Trevor Corson’s website (for two books on lobsters and sushi). This is a great website, by the way. It illustrates how to develop an impressive site, reaching out long after a book’s pub date to collect news, photos, and far-ranging stuff on the book’s topic.

Praise for Trevor Corson’s books

Yes, you can repeat the best blurbs, sprinkled throughout your site. But a single page, with a long list of praise, has special impact.

Why is a rev/test page (and in general, any good review or testimonial) so important?

Let’s face it: You or your publisher can say your writing is the greatest thing since sliced bread. But that’s obligatory and obviously self-serving.

But if a third party (with some prestige) says that voluntarily, it suddenly becomes more believable!

Show me a half-dozen diverse sources that agree, and you’ve got a pretty good case that it’s actually the truth.

Create a Book Quiz, Discussion Guide, or Fun Facts (book promotion ideas)

“What makes the desert beautiful,” said the little prince, “is that somewhere it hides a well. . . .” – The Little Prince

Hey, the Little Prince (the wise little fellow from the book by Saint-Exupéry) could be describing the World Wide Web.

In that vein, here are some good marketing ideas for your book:

1. Create a Quiz
Individuals and the media enjoy the short, light-hearted book-related quiz. Quizzes are interactive, and by being enjoyable, they present the right marketing image: buy this book and you’ll have a good time.

Here’s an example of a “which character are you like?” quiz from QuizRocket about The Twilight series (the vampire books by Stephenie Meyer). It starts off:

Love the Twilight books? Want to know which Twilight character you are in the Twilight series? Take the TWILIGHT QUIZ and find out if you’re one of the Cullen coven. Test your personality to see if you’re dazzling Edward Cullen, or romantic Bella Swan.

The questions follow: What is your worst flaw? If you could cast your vote on Bella’s mortality, what would you choose? Complete this sentence, “True love is . . .” (Thank god, it’s multiple choice!)

And so on. A good quiz can engage readers/potential readers in a simple but engaging and thoughtful way. Of course, a quiz is also easily done with many types of nonfiction books.

2. Create a Reader’s Guide
I find plenty of samples of reader’s guides online by visiting author and publisher websites.

Here’s one from a chapter-book novel for young readers (8–12) for a book I worked on, Time of the Eagle, by Stephanie Lowden. This is the outline for the 12-page study guide for classroom teachers. It has discussion questions, activities, and further resources.

Reading and Comprehension
Introduction: A story of a journey
Class Activity: Create a “Story Map”
Discussing the Characters
Discussing the Story Events
Writing Project: What comes next?
Discussing the Themes
Social Studies: Ojibwa History & Culture
Class Activity: Plan a Journey (What 5 Things to Take?)
Study Project: Ojibwe Relationships to Animals
Class Activity: Word Scramble (Ojibwe months of the year)
Study Project: Map Study
Field Trip Opportunities
Classroom Visits by Individuals of Native Heritage
Classroom Visits by the Author
Other Recommended Reading
Website Resources
Two Traditional Stories, by Anne Dunn

Or, if you prefer a shorter approach: here’s a list of discussion questions, an online Reader’s Guide, for a novel of historical fiction. (A discussion guide is different from a quiz in that it’s meant to stimulate group interaction rather than a personal response.)

Reader’s Guide questions for Captain Mary, Buccaneer
Historical fiction from Beagle Bay Book, an indie press.
(The discussion questions follow the plot summary.)

It’s simple to put these kind of discussion questions on your website or in a blog post or two. Later, if you wish to create a handout, or refine the questions after actual use, you’ve got a base to work from.

3. Create a List of Fun Facts
From the website of The Secret Life of Lobsters, by Trevor Corson: Did you know that lobsters . . .

• Live in neighborhoods — and love to remodel their homes?
• Fight constantly — and play a deadly game of chicken called “claw lock”?
• Grow by ripping off their own skeletons — including the lining of their stomachs?
• Employ 20,000 eyes for detecting light — but still have terrible vision?
• Flirt with each other — by urinating in each other’s faces?
• Dance during courtship — and make love in the missionary position?
• Hatch babies called “Superlobsters” — because they can fly underwater?
• Were once despised by humans as junk food?

Did I know . . . lobsters love to remodel? I honestly had no idea. But these Fun Facts definitely made me feel I’d enjoy reading Corson’s book.

How ’bout you and your book? Think of which of these interactive ideas might apply to your project. Brainstorm. Write up a draft. Try it out on several friends. Pick the best stuff (and keep it short). Put a version online, and encourage visitors to your blog or site to explore the quiz, guide, or fun facts.

(If you’ve already done one or seen one you like, send me a link in a comment.)

Write with a light heart. Go for the spirit of play and discovery that makes reading fun. Think of the enjoyment a good book quiz, discussion guide, or list of fun facts can offer your readers.

I suspect the Little Prince would approve.