Category Archives: community

December 18, 2012   Yassine   community, fun, inspiration, libraries, Yassine  
4

Rallying round

I came across this interesting piece today about a group of squatters who had settled in a public library that had been shut down by the local council. Before they were finally evicted, the squatters-turned-librarians had endeavored to re-stock the library with books that were donated by the local community, amassing 8,000 books. Not only were the once empty shelves replenished, the commandeered library held events for children and authors and are set to have a pot luck style event this Christmas Day.

I was really taken by the sense of harmony and community in this story. And it was reassuring to know that in a world where we have a myriad forms of entertainment thrust in front of us, there is still such a strong affection for books, not just individually but collectively as well.

If you were a part of this community, which one of your books would you donate?

October 04, 2012   Stacey   advice, community, Stacey, writing  
0

We’re all in it together

I’ve talked before about writers being part of a wonderful, tight knit community. There is certainly something therapeutic for many writers about the fine art of writing, but for most, it’s not nearly enough and they want to find an audience for their work.

Nick Morgan from forbes.com talks about the similarities between Harvard Business Publishing and Harlequin, two houses that have vastly different lists. But in many ways, according to Morgan, their business model is similar. Build a community and find readers by marketing directly to that community.

It’s not novel, and he doesn’t talk much about Harvard, but he does shed some light about the things that Harlequin is doing (and much of it they’ve always done) to build real relationships with its readers. A Harlequin rep even talks about creating a place where “friendship can grow”. And seeking out the places where their readers go. I love the example of how decades ago, they put books in groceries stores because that’s where women were.

It’s so important to remember that while writing and reading are often solitary endeavors, it’s what happens next that connects us all. So, keep writing, keep reading, and keep connecting with other members of those communities and building the strong bonds that allow us to share the collective experience of reading.