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10 Ways to Help Support My New Book … Please

Dear most fantabulous friend, asking for your help is so awkward for me. I seriously would much rather tell you about other people’s books and products I’m into and support all my friends in their various endeavors. But I have a book launching next week that I am PASSIONATE about and so I’m flinging myself at your mercy and asking for your help.

Passionate, I say. I do not use this word lightly. (Usually. At one point I may have said I was passionate about Nerds Rope, but you can see why.) I try to act all aloof and whatevery about these words I wrote but honestly, I care so much about people who are hurting, who saw their lives going one way and ended up so far from where they thought they’d be. I want to sit down with each one of them, with you, and listen and wail and laugh and throw things. I wanted a safe place where we could ask hard questions and mourn our expectations honestly, so I made one for us. I’ve poured my whole life, the painful parts and the funny stuff, into this book.

Thank you, thank you, so very much for your support and encouragement with this project. So many of you are asking how you can help, and it means the world to me. To make it easy for you, I’ve made a list of ideas. Here are 10 ways to help support my new book.

1. Preorder the book.

This is my second time doing this, and what I’ve learned about making books is that preorders are crazy important. So important that I’ll give you free stuff if you preorder. Email me your receipt (unexpectedmel (at) unexpected.org) and I’ll send you funny coloring pages, my favorite easy recipes, and a discussion guide for groups and book clubs. My new love language is preordering my book.

2. Tell your friends about the book.

Word of mouth is so important. Post on social media, using the hashtag #ItsNotFairBook. You can tag me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @UnexpectedMel. The link unexpected.org/itsnotfair will lead them to everything they’ll want to know about the book.

Here are a few memes you can share:

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INF-Preorder-Meme

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3. Gather some friends to do a book club.

Get the free discussion guide from me (see number 1) and ask your friends to do a book club with you. You can put out an ask on Facebook or just stalk people at work or in carline while dropping off your kids. If you aren’t sure how to grab some friends, re-read my first book, Women Are Scary. 😉

4. Post a positive review on Amazon (launch day), Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads.

This really matters to help more people see the book! Seriously, like really, really matters. You just need to write one review and cut and paste to all three sites. I would be so grateful. In a world where we get asked to write a product review for everything from our recent visit to the dentist to our experience buying toilet paper on Amazon, I know you’re overloaded with feedback requests. It can be brief. Thank you.

5. Share the trailer video.

I had so much fun making this video, and the messy kitchen is everything. They flung flour all over me in clumps and I had ice cream melting at my feet. The trailer video is on my book page, or you can show it to people on Zondervan’s YouTube.

6. Talk to your church or group about inviting me to speak.

I would LOVE to come spend time with you in person. Here’s the link to more info about bringing me in (this makes me sound like I’m a net full of fish or a convict or something): https://unexpected.org/speaking/

7. Visit the book in person.

Go to your local bookstore, snap a photo with the book, and post it on social media, tagging #ItsNotFairBook and the bookstore. If it’s not at your local bookstore, take a sec and ask the manager to please stock this amazing new book that everyone’s talking about (or mine. Ask her to stock mine).

8. Give the book as a gift.

Buy a couple copies and give them as gifts to friends or family members who are going through something hard. When you don’t know what to say, hand them my book and let me say it for you. 

9. Share a quote from the book.

Once you have the book, share a quote that means something to you on social media or Goodreads.

10. Take a photo of yourself with the book and post it online.

If you’re an Instagram champ, make it pretty. If you’re like me, just snap a photo that isn’t blurry. I’ve also seen people underline their favorite passage and post a photo of it. Tag me in it (@UnexpectedMel) and hashtag it #ItsNotFairBook so we can all see.

So there are ten ideas. I’m also happy to tap dance to “Raspberry Beret” in front of your church if you think it would help. Other options: sky writing, wearing a sandwich board in a prominent location, like outside Starbucks or in front of your local library, or getting my face tattooed on your thigh. (I’m actually not sure about the efficacy of these last few ideas.)

Thank you. Did I mention thank you? Thank you for your support. I thanked you in the back of the book, dear reader of Unexpected.org. You’re in there, and I meant every word.