Authors, Books, and Causes
I am very happy to announce a new undertaking of mine! It’s called Authors, Books, and Causes. Each month for one day (the 11th) I will donate 50% of my proceeds of all my book sales to a certain cause. I’m hoping to recruit other authors for these events who can also donate.
This November is the first event. Since I only have a couple weeks to plan it, it will be a sort of test run. I am the only author signed up so far, and I am supporting a local cause, the Salvation Army Family Services Office. I’m calling it ‘Keep Salem Warm’ but I will encourage authors to donate to their local shelters or energy assistance organizations. The idea is to think of those who do not have a roof over their heads or who are struggling to keep the electricity going during the winter.
This month, since it’s the first time, I will be doing it on two days. I have no idea if I will continue this in the future — officially, it is only the 11th, but I would like to maximize the first event. So, on both November 11th and 12th, I’ll donate 50% of all profits from book sales to the Salvation Army!
Leading up to the 11th, I will post blog posts, articles, and interviews pertaining to homelessness and a lack of resources during the winter. I will also highlight what the Salvation Army is doing. I’m advocating awareness just as much as I am funds.
At this point, I do not have my paperback books available in a local bookstore. I’m hoping to have that remedied in time for the next event, when I can have signings, presentations about our causes, perhaps even special guests!
In the meantime, most of these sales will need to be ordered online. You have a variety of books, formats, and stores to choose from! I have two short story collections, four novellas, and two novels available right now. (I have published two short stories with anthologies, but I do not have access to those royalties –actually one, Love Me, is purely a nonprofit anthology. All royalties go to CASA). Most of my books are Young Adult Fantasy or Science Fiction. These would be a great gift for a niece or a granddaughter! Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords allow you to gift an ebook, and three of the books are (one of them will be) available as paperbacks online. If you order them off my website, it may take longer for you to receive them, but I can sign them!
If for some reason you know you cannot buy the books on the 11th, then feel free to buy it now and write me with the information about which book you bought, at what price, and where you bought it from. I can then calculate my royalty. But I’d encourage you to keep this to a minimum — on many online websites when an ebook experiences a rapid growth in sales, it also moves up in rank. If we can get more people to see my books on the 11th, then we have a chance at more sales and more donations for the cause. (I will be updating my book description for those people who stumble on my book that day without any knowledge of Authors, Books, and Causes — lovingly called ABC).
To build up to 11th and help gain as many sales as possible, I humbly ask you to please spread the word! I will launch the website soon, as well as post about homelessness in my area and what The Salvation Army is doing to help house people. Keep an eye out!
