Let’s meet for free trade coffee and a big slab of vegan pie near your house
Where is that Airstream I keep asking for?
Time to hit the road, meet some 37days readers, and share some stories and art from LIFE IS A VERB.
Reader (and contributing artist) Shelley Krause emailed recently with a brilliant idea: "Why not create a ‘Citizens’ Press Kit’ so those of us hoping to have you come to our town to do a reading will have info to take to our local bookstore?"
Of course! A Citizen’s Press Kit! (Thanks, Shelley!)
And so, here it is. You’ll find a press release, some recent press coverage, and info for folks like me and you, just living our lives in simple glory, hoping to meet up somewhere and share stories.
Shelley also created a fabulous share-able document that can help gather and share info among 37days readers who are pursuing a local "gig" for me. If you’re in Atlanta or Denver or Minneapolis or Evansville, Indiana, or anywhere else in the world and want to see if you can muster some excitement to bring me there for a reading or lecture or creativity class (or let’s try a cooking class, since I have a hip new apron, see Photographic Evidence), let me know and I’ll send along an invitation for you to "join" the group of folks able to edit that document. Essentially, it’s a list of places (feel free to add yours if it’s not already listed) and an opportunity for all of us to learn from one another and co-create a book tour! Did you know that publishers don’t do that anymore unless you are Famous, in which case you don’t really NEED them to do it in the first place? What a wacky world we live in.
If you can, please also let your local media (newspaper, magazine, radio, TV, the kid who does the high school paper) know about LIFE IS A VERB by sending them the link to the online press kit with a note from one of their readers (you!): www.pattidigh.com – many thanks! They can request a free review copy from the publisher (info on the site).
If you’d be willing to take info to a local bookstore, church group, women’s knitting circle, Boy Scout troop or basket-weaving collective (you name it, I’ll go!), take a look at the Press Kit, then send an email and I’ll forward an invitation to edit that shared document.
Want me to come speak or read? It’s actually really simple. I’ll come. Together we can brainstorm how to cover travel expenses to get me there–sometimes a local professional association will cover airfare in exchange for a free speech to their chapter, or a local school or civic organization might do so in exchange for a presentation–I’m happy to collaborate with you to make that work. If you can help set the ball in motion, I can help take it from there!
Speaking of coming to see you, there is a new bit of info in the right sidebar of this blog – look for something called "Dopplr" and you’ll be able to see where I’m headed in the next few months. If you live in any of those places and would like to meet up or help arrange a reading or speech or workshop, let me know! Cities on the horizon for me in the fall include San Diego, Seattle (several times), Chicago, Minneapolis, Augusta GA, and Washington DC. Don’t see your city listed? No worries – let’s just add it!
An online blog tour will also take place from September 2-30. Bloggers will review LIFE IS A VERB and/or interview me for either written or podcast distribution during that time frame. If you’d like to participate in that way, let me know!
Is it possible to co-create a grassroots 37days movement and VERB book tour? I think so. Let’s wear long gloves and eat chocolate tortoni out of martini glasses while we tell stories and look at art.
The short version of what to do:
1. Want me to come speak? Read? Show art from the book? Make you laugh? Dance a little dance? Do all of the above?
2. Take a look at www.pattidigh.com & print out the press release or any other info you find interesting.
3. Take it to a local bookstore, church, women’s group, men’s group, professional association (brainstorm additional possibilities) and gauge their interest. Volunteer to bring your entire family, people you find on the street, and local Little League baseball team to the event.
4. Email me for access to the shared "grassroots book tour" document so you can share the info about your efforts, keep up to date on the development of the tour, and get tips from others.
5. Make a vegan pie.
6. Let’s eat it when I get there!
7. Enjoy the 37days gift you’ll receive as a member of the Allied Booktour Citizens Demonstrating Energy For Grounded Happiness In Joy Committee (ABCDEFGHIJ), otherwise known as the Deeply Engaged People’s Party (DEPP) (wink)
