Sisters In Crime: “Our Mission: To promote the professional development and advancement of women crime writers to achieve equality in the industry.” The group and crime fiction author Dana Stabenow have issued the cry–Buy Indie, Pass it On. They ask their members to buy just one book on one day, from an independent bookstore in their neighborhood.
The members know that without handselling by indies, many of the writers titles would have fallen by the wayside, lost in the crowd of bookshelves.
Independent bookstores, including those who are not crime fiction oriented, find the newest talent, and give it a voice, telling customers about the title, it’s merits.
This kind of mid list book may be buried in the chain stores, if bought at all. Patricia Cornwell’s first book Postmortem, had a very small print run, not likely to catch the attention of the average reader. Independents got strongly behind the title pushing it into the limelight and on to critical and commercial success.
The same story is repeated time and again for all writers, not just women, and not only crime writers. It’s often the hand seller who read a advance reading copy of a talented newcomer who then goes on the spread the word among his own staff and other stores around the country.
I, for one, thank Dana Stabenow and the members of SinC for giving a little helping hand to those who so generously have provided theirs to writers for so long.
http://sisters-in-crime-sinc.blogspot.com/2010/11/buy-indie-pass-it-on.html
I think I speak for all of us, Diane, when I say that it is our very great pleasure!