Summary
I’ve had many opportunities to witness the effects of bullying while working as a librarian. When I realized that modern technology had enhanced the bully's ability to cause pain—with students seemingly unaware of the true danger of the electronic toys that ruled their days—I designed an anti-bullying curriculum to incorporate into my lessons. I researched everything I could find about the subject, and what I found stunned and horrified me.
Being a librarian, I know that young people need a user-friendly way to understand the problem. They need to easily grasp both how a bully works and how to recognize the signs that someone is a bullying victim. Gray Zone was written to give them that knowledge and to open a much-needed dialog.
I have a master of library and information science and a bachelor of arts in anthropology, both from the University of Washington, as well as a master of fine arts in creative writing from Full Sail University.
I’ve written the book. I need your help getting it out there.
What I Need
Promoting a book so that it gets in front of the right people can be a laborious and costly project. I need money for:
-Book reviews from Booklist, Clarion, Kirkus, and Publisher's Weekly. Objective reviews from these professionals are necessary to put Gray Zone firmly on the radar of book buyers.
-Sell Sheets. A one-page sheet that gives details of the book to potential buyers in libraries, bookstores, and other organizations. My background is in writing and I need a graphic designer to make a professional quality sell sheet.
-Postage and printing. Some organizations will accept a sell sheet electronically, but many still prefer to have it sent through the mail.
-Publicity Campaign. A press kit is needed as well as multiple press releases. The releases need to be written and distributed through the proper channels at the appropriate times. Again, this is an area in which I have no experience and need professional help.
For your help the most precious thing I can give you, other than heartfelt thanks, is a copy of my book. Every contributor above the $25 level gets a signed copy, and gets it before the publication date. So your contribution will let you be ahead of the crowd!
Why I’m doing this
I wrote Gray Zone because I saw a need. Cyberbullying is just too rampant in today’s world and it’s up to us to put a stop to it.
Gray Zone is the tool we need to do this.
I realize that not everyone will be able to contribute monetarily. That’s okay.
I will appreciate any help you can give to get the word out. Mentions on Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media you use will make all the difference between a successful campaign and one that flops.
Thank you, and see you around!