Meltingpot readers,
Remember that line from Dirty Dancing at the end when Patrick Swayze comes sashaying into the ballroom to save Baby from a life of being overlooked by saying, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner!" And then they dance off into happily ever after or something? Well, that's how I feel about my new book, Substitute Me. The powers that be seem hell bent on putting my 'baby,' my debut novel in the proverbial corner, by shelving it solely in the African-American section of the bookstore where only a select few might find it.
So, I'm going to be my own Patrick Swayze and pull my baby out of the corner. I'm starting a Shelf-Elf Revolution. Every time I see Substitute Me, being segregated into the African-American section of the bookstore or library, I will call on my inner Patrick and re-shelve her on to a shelf in the front row. As you can see by my photos above.
In photo #1, you'll see where I recently found three copies of Substitute Me in a Barnes & Noble in suburban Philadelphia. Mind you this display was WAAYYY in the back of the store. So, in photo #2, you'll see where I placed the book in a more appropriate venue, a place where my 'baby' could shine.
So, Meltingpot readers, I'm asking you to join my Self Elf Revolution. Help me get my baby out of the corner and on to the bestseller lists. Okay, maybe that's a bit much, but I say you gotta aim high. I could break out into song right now, but I will try to curb my enthusiasm.
If you do have a chance to play Shelf Elf with Substitute Me, send me a picture of your shenanigans and I'll send you a free book.
Viva La Revolucion!
14 comments:
Love this idea! (It should be in New Arrivals, anyway, right? Duh.) Let the Shelf-Elf Revolution begin!
All over this! :o)
Great work! I'm in on this Shelf-Elf thing.
I'm on a mission now!
Thank you ladies! I love my elves!
I've got W. Mass (Hadley, at least) covered!
I found "Substitute Me" in the Fiction section at B&N in Los Angeles... Look forward to reading it!
I love to shelf-elf. Count me in.
I will be in Center City today and will check out Borders on Chestnut. Not sure I cam make it to Barnes & Nobles...today anyway! ¡Viva la Revolución!
the only books that should be in the AA section are those written for or about aa subjects. If the book is something EVERYONE will enjoy ie no cus pam jokes, it should b filed appropriately.Chinese authors do not have a chinese American section in B & N. I dunno, have you seen it, for example if there is an asian culture section pls let me know, but the Joy LUCK Club is filed under FICTION. I suppose it could be under chinese history but it isnt it's a story about women who r chinese. I dunno..i read welcom white folks blog. peace. I mean like the color purple REALLY(this is long sorry) is a UNIVERSAL story that happens to b a black family, but no where in the story to the characters talk about being black ,so it is historical(only because we have no stories) AND is a story about a family that should b included..little women is shelved where, in the european womens history section? do tell? Your books doesn't have a blk person on the cover when i saw it I thought it was a 'regular' book if that makes sense. LOL..
ie, i don;t feel i can't read a book with asian characters, i saw the last emperor and there were ppl in the movie that were not chinese...IMAGINE THAT?, So it's the same thing, if i can go see a movie with chinese ppl in it and i am not chinese, then pp can and should read stories about black ppl. i will not b less black if i am filed in FICTION. PEace.
I wanted to let you know your book was intergrated at the Barnes and Nobles in Raleigh/Durham NC!! You were among Steinback and Tolstoy. Everyone was together in the Fiction Literature section!!! Woohoo :-)
I was curious and I went upstairs to the AA section and all that was there were authors that wrote about the AA experience and your other book "Hair Story" was in this section!
I purchased your new book, Substitute Me. I'm sure you won't dissapoint :-)
it must be just in my city but the only bookstore w/ an African American section is Borders. The rest only have a black section relating to history and sociology books
I found your book in our public library (in the African American section, next to Zane and Terry McMillan and other self-published but not very good novels..not that I'm knocking down those novels, but some of them are super-trashy)...I'd been looking for it for a while in "new fiction", but alas, never saw it there. It's sad that Substitute me does not count as "New Fiction" even in the public library. I'm wondering, if your next novel had 100% white characters, would it still be relegated to the back of the store, or would it finally be considered "New Fiction"?
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