As you probably know, BookConnector's mission is to help small press publishers and their authors to connect to book promotion resources on the internet. The testimonials we've received tell us we're on the right track. Some of our members are positively passionate in their praise. Which started us thinking about how we can spread the word to help even more authors…

The Bright Idea

Here's what we came up with: the creation of an advocacy team called the Connector Club. Have you read Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point? If not, you should - it's a fascinating read on how news gets distributed: from mavens (who have their ear to the ground and are always in on the newest fad) to connectors (who know a lot of people and like to spread the news) to salespeople (idea champions who translate messages into a group's shared context).

BookConnector's growth has been primarily through word of mouth. To continue that trend, we're looking for "connectors" (in the Tipping Point sense of the word) to join the Connector Club advocates. If you like what BookConnector's all about, and want to help us help other small press authors, consider joining the team. It takes NO extra time or energy (as you'll see).

And there are benefits to you. Club advocates will have input into future services. You can help us help others by suggesting new offerings and features, and by test driving them before they're open to the rest of the world. Club members will get special weekly notices on new review sites, signing venues, and newsletters as they come on board. And there will be other exciting goodies that we'll announce in the next two months.

But we're not accepting everyone into the Connector Club - only those that have a "connector" profile.

To see if you have a connector personality, ask yourself these questions:

At a party, are you more likely to be

• Watching it from the wings
• Standing in the center, giving to get something (as Joni Mitchell would say)

• Wait for my publisher to tell me what to do
• Keep a stack of books in my trunk and push them at every opportunity

• Lurk
• Participate

Here's what we ask of advocates — to do what you tend to do already with products, services and missions you believe in: tell others about us. And then we'd like you to tell us what you said.

If you email an author or publisher or reviewer about us, or contribute to a listgroup that's discussing book review sites, booksigning venues, or newsletter sharing, send a bcc (that's a blind carbon copy - search "bcc" in Outlook Help) to our Connector Club email address. Let's be clear - we don't want you to go out of your way to mention BookConnector. Act like you ordinarily would, no more and no less. If you like BookConnector to the tune of an email or two a week, we'll know about it and will reward your advocacy.

To join the Connector Club, send an email to ConnectorClub @ BookConnector.com (without the spaces). In the subject line, enter "join." (If you're not already a member of BookConnector, first sign up by using any of the free BC services.)

Thanks for being an advocate of BookConnector — your help is greatly appreciated. We will send out emails from time to time, to keep you up to date on BookConnector plans. And if there's anything we can do to help your book promotion efforts, please let us know.

Remember, when you send emails to friends or listgroup members about BookConnector, just send a bcc to ConnectorClub @ BookConnector.com (without the spaces).

-- Paul Petrucci, Founder of BookConnector