An Open Letter From World Book Night U.S. Executive Director Carl Lennertz

Posted Tuesday, Jan 3, 2012

Dear Bookseller Friends,

You survived the holidays!! Having been through five retail holidays myself, I feel your pain . . . literally. But as I once wrote in a Random Report back when, it also feels great to have been the vehicle for such life-enhancing and even life-changing gifts getting out into the world. I especially marveled at the caffeine-, Red Bull-, and adrenaline-fueled tweets from many of you in December.

Which brings me to . . . yup, you and World Book Night.

Who better to pass along the joy of reading on World Book Night, April 23, 2012 than — you!

Yes, I envision that at least 5,000 of the 50,000 book givers that day will be booksellers as well as authors and librarians.

And it’s easy: just fill out the online form at worldbooknight.org, pour some of that passion into your answers, and you’re in.

But wait . . . there’s more.

We want you to tell others, many others.

Read on.

While the news of World Book Night in the U.S. came out in the fall, during regional show season, and many of you heard about it there, in these pages or online elsewhere, you have been busy, especially so in December, when we announced in USA Today and online the 30 titles on the World Book Night U.S. book list and that the book giver process had opened up to the public.

December was not the best time to announce, but a number of factors pushed us to that date, but I never despaired. I knew then, and know now, that once you surfaced from the holiday madness, you’d rush to be givers.

And tell others.

You see, WBN is all social media driven — no marketing budget, and it’s not needed. There’s all of your followers, as well as those of librarians, authors, bloggers, and many many others. In my own caffeinated moments, I think the goal of 50,000 book givers is easy peasy.

Besides, most of the social media push has already been lined up for now. Here, and in PW, LJ, Book Page, Shelf, Goodreads, publisher blogs, and from you, the message will go out.

And after all my blah, blah, what’s the message that you can send out?

In under 140 characters:

Want to participate in a million book giveaway on April 23, 2012 as part of World Book Night? Sign up at www.us.worldbooknight.org

Or:

Hey book lovers, be a volunteer book giver on World Book Night, April 23, 2012. Sign up at www.us.worldbooknight.org

Note: Please link to the general site, not just the sign-up form; I’d like people to learn more, check out the book list, read about our mission . . . and then apply to be a book giver.

Yes, Virginia, there is an application process. People do have to understand that there are clear rules and rights, and that some thought has to go into where they want to give away their free WBN special editions, and why. The publishing and book community is going to great expense, and even greater volunteer time, to get more than a million dollars worth of donated paper, printing, and shipping, and the authors have waived royalties, and it is simply essential that the book givers understand the goals of World Book Night: to find new readers.

I’ve looked at some of the applications so far, and people are mostly totally getting it, but it’ll get a bit crazy around here late January as we get closer to the February 1 deadline.

Okay, I’ve said my piece. I hope you’ll visit the site, noodle around . . . and apply to be a book giver . . . and tell your store’s best customers, reading group members, local authors, store event attendees . . . and tweet your fingers off.

If we get 50,000 passionate book lovers out into the community on April 23, 2012, World Book Night in the U.S. will be a smash success.

If you have any questions or would like a Word document of the book giver sign-up bookmarks that prints very easily, don’t hesitate to e-mail me at carl@worldbooknight.org.

And, as I have said many times before, thank you!!!

Carl Lennertz
Executive Director, World Book Night U.S.

P.S. Watch for an e-mail arriving in your inbox on Friday from ABA and WBN with more details about how stores can get involved as book pick-up locations for local givers.

Sign up now to become a World Book Night book giver, and join your bookseller-colleagues like Susan Takacs of Chicago’s The Book Cellar, who plans to give away books to people at the Western Brown Line train stop who are not already reading or do not have a book in their hand. “I want to promote and encourage the joy of reading and how lovely a print book feels,” said Takacs.

And Amy Loewy of New Orleans’ Garden District Book Shop, who said that she plans to hand out books in the French Quarter, on a streetcar, at a women’s shelter, and walking down the street, to homeless, less fortunate people she knows are light or non-readers.
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