Synonyms for the word BEG:
Seek, Request, Ask, Appeal To, Implore, Beseech, Plead, Entreat.
Another: A writer soliciting whoever they can in whatever manner possible to read their book.
Unfortunately, I was desperate. No one was reading Is Harvey Dunne?, much less buying it. I had tried to send it out into the world, but no one seemed interested. I then decided that desperate times called for desperate (and humiliating) measures.
1) I placed an ad in Publisher’s Weekly, asking for people to “help a grandmother out” and read my book (really embarrassed about this).
2) I sent an email to Janet Evanovich asking if she would read my book. (Surprisingly I got an immediate response from her – really impressive! – but she said she didn’t have time to read it, but advised me to keep writing).
3) I sent an email to one of my favorite authors, Pete Hamill, who also responded (I was in heaven) but he didn’t give me an address for sending the book, and he was in Mexico and very busy with his latest project.
4) I asked a new acquaintance on Twitter (who lived in San Francisco and I felt certain was gay) if he would read and comment on my book. (Of course, he thought I was either crazy or some sort of stalker).
Yes, you guessed it – the above strategies did not work.
Here is what I learned:
1. Do not beg people to read your book. It’s really off-putting and humiliating.
2. After you convince yourself it’s a bad idea to beg, don’t change your mind out of desperation. It won’t help, and you will just become even more embarrassed of your lack of shame.
3. DO. NOT. QUIT.
More to come…
