Barbara Forte Abate, click
here to update your pages on AuthorsDen.
Blogs by Barbara Forte Abate
A Novel Road Trip 4/7/2011 5:33:42 PM
When I first learned about BookCrossing I was instantly enamored of the concept. And for several months now, the intention to send my novel, The Secret of Lies, out on a road trip has been steadily simmering, patiently awaiting something of an out-of-the-ordinary opportunity to hit the road. And so, at long last, said moment has arrived, and on Saturday, April 9, my book will be released into the wild. Where, you ask? The land of Kings and Queens, Royal weddings, fish and chips...well, you get the idea.
As much as I love the very marvelous premise of traveling books, I'm disappointed to admit that I've never come across such a treasure myself. Nevertheless, ever the optimist, I continue to keep a conscientious eye tuned and alert to spotting that jolly yellow sticker identifying a free book ready for pick-up.
For those of you unfamiliar with BookCrossing, it's wonderfully simple. Someone, anyone -- YOU in fact -- can register any book of your choosing for release, (online at BookCrossing.com -- it's free). You then take your clearly marked literary gift and leave it somewhere. A spot where someone might easily see it, take it, and read it. And the cherry on the sundae? Well, since each book is assigned a BCIN number when you register it, the reader who "captures" your book can then Journal any notes, thoughts, or impressions -- where they found it, where your book currently resides, etc. Pretty cool, right?
And if the stars are aligned, the phase of the moon quite right...(aka, with any luck) this isn't the end of it. Because ideally, once this perfectly lovely reader has finished with the above agenda, they will most graciously re-release your book to be captured, recorded, and then again turned out into the wild.
In concept it seems an adventure any book would love -- and certainly its author -- but since this is my first release, I have no previous successes or failures to measure against. And so I wonder, have any of you ever sent out, picked-up, or caught sight of a traveling book? I'd sincerely appreciate hearing your experience
