MINRS3 release date! (Please pre-order)

So there is now an official page For MINRS3!!

Here's the one for the U.S. MINRS3.

Here's the one for Canada. MINRS3 eh?

And we have a release date of May 29th.

And since this book was made possible by YOUR hard work (see earlier posts ) I'm asking for something I've never asked for before.

Please pre-order the book. 

There are links in the official pages to do that in whichever way you prefer. You can pre-order from wherever you normally buy your books.

If you are looking to buy it for yourself, a friend, your school or library, it would be amazing if you could do that now. I'll even give you a few minutes before typing the next paragraph.

.........


This "please pre-order" pitch is a kind of experiment for me. I feel like I've been begging for reader support for this series since the first book launched in 2015. That's not a feeling I like very much.

It can be very hard as author/illustrator to know how best to help with the business side of this business. (I direct you to two of my friends who do an amazing job of charting this side of things - Art Slade and Debbie Ridpath Ohi ).

AND - just after I originally posted this, the great Colby Sharp posted a video about how important it is to pre-order. Here!

(My comment on that video BTW: "What he said! And in this day and age it helps an author you like stand out - which is important because publishers are squeezing lists and bulk-order giants such as Amazon push big sellers over mid-range authors, further squeezing our abilities to make a name.")

Yes - pre-ordering is one BIG way readers can show support for an author/illustrator. In fact, please pre-order books for ANY author you like. Pre-order numbers are one way publishers gauge the potential for a book.

And it's a way to make a bit of a splash, and to say "thanks" to the publisher (Simon and Schuster Canada) who was willing to take a chance.

In fact, to close...  I'll repeat a few lines from my earlier begging.... (and feel free to substitute the name of any book series you like for MINRS... the message is the same).

The reality of the book world is that publishers need to sell books to make money to pay authors to write more books. MINRS has done well (named a CLA Honour book, nominated for a Red Maple, MYRCA award, Tome Society award and more), but the series hasn't hit the sales numbers that my publisher (or me) wanted or hoped for.

That's fair enough. Publishing is a business and publishers need to make money.  The only way to do that is to sell books. The truth is that no one has the secret to what makes one book a hit, and others just do okay. We tried, and I keep trying. 

and again, THANKS to everyone who has helped champion this series.