What’s with the Giveaways?

If you’ve been on my email list for any length of time, you may have noticed announcements of book giveaways, contests, or sweepstakes, such as the new one shown here. The contest enables you to win one of my books as well as a few dozen others.

My book this time is On Beale Street, a novel about Elvis Presley, Sun Records, and the birth of rock ’n’ roll in 1954 Memphis.

You may be wondering why I do this and what it’s about. No, I haven’t started an online shopping channel. The contests, run by group called BookSweeps, are for the purpose of building my author email list.

Here’s how it works: Readers enter the contest by agreeing to receive email newsletters from all the authors whose books are shown—in this case, over 60 middle grade and YA authors. Two winners get copies of all the books, and the grand prize winner receives an eReader.

For my part, I get several hundred names and email addresses of readers who might enjoy my newsletter. Those who like it stay, and those who don’t like it simply opt out.

It’s a way I can discover readers who may be interested in my news, reviews, and blog posts. And in the process, my book gets a little publicity.

Click here for a link to the contest, which runs through September 22.

Click here for information about my book, On Beale Street.

Here’s a review of On Beale Street:

“This novel is a fascinating glimpse into the musical world of Beale Street, the society that was the segregated South, the origins of rock and roll, and one teen’s quest for the truth about his father. Accurate historical details are skillfully woven into what becomes an absorbing search for personal identity.”

School Library Journal