I’m So Grateful!

I recently learned that my book was named a top-rated runner-up in the Advanced Intermediate category at the 2024 American Bridge Teachers’ Association (ABTA) Book of the Year awards held in Canada. Those of you who know about all of the work that went into writing the book understand how much this means to me. My eyes were brimming with tears when I heard the news. Thank-you to the ABTA book selection committee for this great honor; it is wonderful motivation to continue the work on my next book.

My Book Found Its Way to the Land Down Under

I also learned that the book was acquired by the State Library Victoria in Australia, which obviously made me very happy. Some writers may wonder if it’s a good idea to make their books available to libraries where people can read them for free. What they may not realize is that there are thousands and thousands of libraries in the world that buy books. In the United States alone, there are approximately 123, 627 libraries, according to the American Library Association (ALA). When libraries purchase a book, it provides good exposure for the book. People who like the book a lot may want their own copies, and they’ll also look for future books by the same author. If you’d like to read my book but can’t afford to buy it right now, I understand. Please ask your local library to buy the book and add it to their collection. This can be as easy as filling out a “Suggest a Purchase” form online. I would love it if all of my blog readers would suggest that their local libraries purchase my book. Remember that university libraries purchase books, too, and they usually love to get book suggestions from readers. If you can’t find a form online, just check with the nice librarian. For the kind folks who purchased my book, I appreciate your support. If you’d like to purchase my book and haven’t done so yet, it’s available at Amazon and bookstores worldwide online.

Will You Help Me with a Little Experiment?

For those of you who are game, it might be fun to conduct a little experiment. Find the online “Suggest a Purchase” form for your favorite or nearest library. For example, the Baltimore County Public Library uses this form. Let me know in the comment section below if you were able to suggest a purchase of the book for your favorite library. Did you get a response? If you’re able to get a library to purchase my book, I’d really love to know about it. Authors can send letters and one-page sell sheets to librarians asking to have their books considered; however, as you might imagine, that can be an expensive and time-consuming process. It’s nice to get help from my friends.

Soon I’ll be sharing some information about my next book. I can’t wait until you see the cover. Right now, I’m busy editing like a mad woman.

Until next time,

Write something you love! — Joanne

WriteSomethingYouLove.com