Getting the word out.
The internet has made communication so fast and simple, it is often easy to take for granted how, decades ago, people shared their interest and appreciation for books, television programs, and music (likely in the form of large, flat, black discs).Imagine for a moment if Bellairsia were an 8-page, pocket-size, stapled brochure sent through the mail to a pre-determined mailing list. Think of the printing, the paper, the postage – and really the impossibility of such a thing. Come now: when did you last purchase staples? When did you last staple?
For those of us who were able to experience such things, how did you promote John Bellairs 30-plus years ago? Or did you? Book reports? Oral presentations? Dioramas? I’ve often wondered about fans who discovered Bellairs during his prime years and read his work religiously but yet never told anyone about him. Was he your own personal cult author or someone you didn’t want to share with anyone, lest he become too fashionable or commercial or popular?
1 comment:
As for the stapler, I have one sitting on my desk right now. I can't say that I use it all that often, mainly when I print a document on more than one piece of paper. And as for when I last bought staples, that would be some years ago. It does take awhile to go through a box of staples. When I retired my boss at work told me to feel free to take home any office materials that I might find useful. But I already had a good stockpile of paper and staples, etc. I think I may have taken a few paper clips and a small box of rubber bands. These were all left over from the time when the computer room I worked in processed a lot of paper. I was fairly sure the things I took would be neither needed nor missed. Actually the cabinet the supplies were in still had several boxes of the old 5 1/4 floppy discs still in it. I don't think many people would find a use for them. As for how did I promote John Bellairs 30 years ago. Well, I did not hide the fact that I read his books. I told any booksellers that I was looking for First Editions or signed copies of his books. And any reader that I thought might like John's books were given a strong recommendation. Did I recommend John's books to just any reader, well no. At that time not everyone was open to reading Fantasy of any type. In fact some would say that readers of Fantasy books were a little soft in the head. So,I did not hide the fact that I read John's books but I did not shout it to the four corners of the winds.
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