(for a lot of you, the below might be old news, but for everyone else):

In October, I self-published a book called “100 Spinning Plates.” It consists of a box of 100 cards; each card has a story on it and some of the stories are just a few sentences, while others take up both the front and back of the card. Taken together, they all sort of connect and comment on each other. They’re about sex, life in Chicago, college, being gay, randomness, and the little quirky episodes that make up one’s life. Since October, it’s gotten a profile in the Chicago Reader and is currently for sale at several different bookstores in Chicago (including Barbara’s and Quimbys), in New York, and on amazon.com. But I need help! I decided to self-publish the book because I knew it would be faster than waiting the two years it would probably take for my manuscript to wind its way through the publishing world. I produced it as a hand-numbered, limited edition of 500 and so far there are about 83 copies floating around out there. I’ve certainly learned a lot about the book world from doing this project, but since I’m basically an office of one, I just don’t have enough time and energy to do all the promotion that I should! I’m running out of steam! I need to get people out there acquainted with my book, and excited about it. I know that once someone hears about it and gets interested, they’ll want to visit my website (www.randomcha.net) and read a few excerpts; once they do, the book sells itself. That’s where you come in. I’m looking for somone to promote and publicize the book. This would include contacting newspapers, websites, and other media to get them interested in doing a profile; scheduling readings/signings; finding new bookstores and other outlets to take on the book by consignment or at a wholesale rate; expanding the web presence of the book; and bascially any other creative ways you can think of to get the book in the public view and on people’s minds! It doesn’t matter to me if you’re just a college student, or a senior citizen, or even a novice at all this. It just matters that you have a genuine interest in the project, some kind of talent for striking up conversations with near-total strangers, and enough time and energy to devote to the task. Being a self-published author, I don’t have the kind of budget to pay you up front, but I’m very willing to give you a portion of every book I sell while you’re on the project. Interested? Please check out the book’s website at http://www.randomcha.net and look it over. If you’re still intrigued, drop me a line and tell me a little bit about you. I’ll try to answer any questions you might have. Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you!

(please feel free to pass this on to anyone else you think who might be interested)