Getting ready to send postcards about the book to a test sample of guidance counselors at a hundred of the USA’s largest high schools. If you have other ideas for reaching an audience that could make use of “Heroes of the Blue Sky Rebellion” (or HotBSR, as a friend calls it), please let me know.
Made some changes to the video. Picking up on the comment from a few days ago, I’m asking viewers to acknowledge that they’ve thought about unfairness to boys, but only silently, ashamedly and alone.
Yesterday the Guestbook at the Blue Sky Rebellion website got two very different new entries. One, from a visitor saying he was born in 1992, said, “Probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.” I wrote back to that visitor and said, “Thanks for looking at the website for ‘Heroes of the Blue Sky Rebellion.’ Maybe you can help me out. Why do you think it might be the dumbest thing you’ve ever seen? Also, how did you come across the website? And could you tell me a little about yourself and the kinds of things you think are not dumb? Many thanks.” I have received no reply yet.
A few minutes later came this entry from a visitor who said he was born in 1993: “I saw your ad on Facebook and couldn’t believe that someone else felt the same way I did. I am going to buy your book immediately. Thank you so much for putting this together, you have all my gratitude and praise.” That, of course, made me feel much better. It is the kind of reaction I hope for and expect because it mirrors the most common comment I receive for another of my books, this one written for adult men, “If Men Have All the Power How Come Women Make the Rules.”
Reaching boys and young men who are willing to buy and read a book is a challenge. Right now I’m trying ads on MySpace and Facebook. Interesting that the two different ads I designed have gotten zero clicks on MySpace all day, though they’ve been displayed (who knows how prominently?) to about 1700 young men. On Facebook, though they started later in the day, the ads have gotten 23 clicks. Interesting also that the Scold ad is attracting many more clicks than the White House Gate ad. (Can’t wait to tell my girlfriend, who is the model scolder.) No sales from the 23 clicks, but consistency is the name of the game. It might be that young men need to think about this, and the ad needs to be there to remind them from time to time. Fingers crossed. I’m hoping this book can make a difference.
Thanks to Teri Stoddard, Family Rights Examiner at examiner.com, for the nice tweet.
This evening I am releasing Heroes of the Blue Sky Rebellion in a sort of soft opening. The book is available now through CreateSpace.com even though the ordering page does not yet include the book’s cover graphic. The real opening will be in about a week when advertising on MySpace and Facebook start.