I am VERY excited to tell you that I will be a member of the Class of 2k9!
You may have heard of the Classes of 2k7 and 2k8 - two groups of debut middle grade and young adult children's book novelists who banded together to promote themselves in the past two years. They proved there is power in cooperative book marketing - I know for a fact that I became aware of many of their books by virtue of their participation in their "Class."
What are the benefits of being in the Class? Well, I'm sure I don't know all of them yet, since I'm only at the beginning of the whole process. But I have followed the other classes a bit, and I know one of the benefits is friendship - we'll all be experiencing the ups and downs of having a book published for the first time, so we'll all be able to share and learn from each other's experiences. As I've learned from hanging out on Verla Kay's website, there is nothing like being able to celebrate - and commiserate - with people who are going through the same thing you are!
Another benefit is that automatically, my message will be amplified by 29 (or by however many people are ultimately in the Class). 29 other blogs connecting to my blog; 29 other websites connecting to my website; 29 other Myspace sites connected to mine . . . and vice versa. Plus a separate Class of 2k9 Website, Blog, and MySpace Site . . . as you can see, suddenly my cyber world has just expanded by about a jillion!
Another benefit is diversity. You know how the financial advisors say to diversify your portfolio? Well, being in the Class of 2k9 has done that for me on a professional level. I'm not a librarian, but now I know one. I'm not a teacher, but one of my Classmates is. I'm not a professional web designer or PR person either - but now I'm banded together with some! And I can contribute my own experience as a former legal publisher, lawyer, and avid reader of book marketing books. Pretty cool, eh?
Plus, the whole thing is pretty dang fun to boot! What more could a first-time author want?!
4 comments:
Rock on, sister! Maybe I'll be able to join a class soon--keep hopin'!
Hi Fran,
I got a google alert for 2k8 and your blog came up.
Looks great - as does your book cover.
And since I'm still developing my website with the help of a friend - I found your blogging about websites very interesting.
-co-2k9er
Thanks ghost girl, I know it's going to happen for you! And thanks for the feedback, gabe! I'm excited about the book cover - that one is just the sketch! Glad someone else is interested in the website info - it was a pretty high learning curve for me so I figured I'd pass it on.
Congrats on joining 2k9! Looking forward to some good reads from all you underclasspersons in the fine tradition of 2k7 and 2k8.
M.P. Barker
A DIFFICULT BOY
Holiday House, April, 2008
www.mpbarker.net
www.classof2k8.com
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