Notes to Authors & Publishers

[Troy]

We recently lost the bookstore Azizi Books, in Matteson, Il and their website BlackBooksDirect.com.  Like so many other stores and websites there was no fanfare, no gnashing of teeth, just the loss of another platform dedicated to promoting our books.  

 

As the number of platforms available to showcase our work continues to dwindle, the opportunities available to authors to reach readers becomes more difficult.  This creates an environment that fosters a competitive spirit which does not serve us, or our readers, very well.  

 

I will share short recommendations to authors and publishers here.  Even the most conscious authors may want to improve the situation, but simply does not know how.   If you have a suggestion post it here in response (if you are new to this discussion forum you'll need to create an account).

 

Here is my first recommendation:

 

Add a link on your website to an independent website

 

If you are an author with a profile page on AALBC.com and don't have a link to that page on your website--you really should provide a reciprocal link back to AALBC.com. You may run this query (copy & paste the code below into your browser) to find your AALBC.com page  (just be sure to replace the first+lastname with your own name) :

https://www.google.com/#q=site%3Aaalbc.com+firstname+lastname

This suggestion is not just about linking to AALBC.com, it really is about providing support to your online community.  Fifteen years ago, before search, this is how we shared information about each other online.  Book sites linked to other book sites, authors linked to other author websites, etc.  Many, if not most, authors had some form of a "websites I like page," where they provided links to website they liked.  Today, despite sophisticated search engines, it is simply much harder for indie sites to be found.  Linking with each other is more important than ever.

 

Today everyone links to a social media platform.  

 

Authors should link to an independent online bookseller, your favorite bookstore, your local newspaper, a magazine, an event you’ve participated in, or even the website of a service provider you’d recommend.  Again, these links help those independent websites be discovered.  As they are strengthened, their ability help authors and the Black book eccosystem improves.  We all benefit from that especially readers.

 

It has always been my practice to link to other websites.  In fact, on virtually every AALBC page I have a "related Links section, just for that purpose.  People often suggested linking to other websites is a bad idea, why link to a “competitor?”  I always felt if there was another website, which provided a great service, it benefits my visitors to share that information with them.  

 

Next month will be the start of my 18 year running AALBC.com and my opinion has not changed.  Indeed it is probably one reason I've survived for so long.