On Thursday, I had the honor of speaking to a large and enthusiastic audience at the Townsend Public Library in Townsend, Massachusetts. They chose “Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend” for their annual One Book One Town event, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I spent the first hour talking about the craft and business of writing and the second hour discussing the book. The audience asked so many questions that the lights literally went out before we finished.
The library is beautiful, and the staff is knowledgeable, down-to-earth, and incredibly passionate about books.
While strolling through the aisles before the event, I stumbled upon this ingenious means of promoting books that I think every library and bookstore should steal immediately:
Blind Date with a Book.
Books are wrapped in colorful wrapping paper, adorned with clues about the book, and left on the shelf for patrons to check out as a surprise read.
In addition to giving library patrons the occasional surprise read, these books would make great gifts in a bookstore. They come pre-wrapped in case the buyer is in a rush (which I always am), and the added mystery and suspense make the gift unique and a little more fun and interesting for both the giver and the receiver.
