But that’s not actually what this post is about. This post is about building community. Because how better to reward to reward the people who got you on the bestseller list then with an email like this:
Subject: OMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGOD Body: OMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGOD OMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGOD OMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGOD OMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGOD OMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGOD Over the five days between the release of Paper Towns on October 16th, and the completion of tabulation for the weekly NYTimes Bestseller List on tuesday the 21st... John Green Sold Enough Books To Be Number FIVE On The New York Times Bestseller LIST!!!!!!!!! OMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGOD OMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGOD HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHAHWOWOOOOOOOOWOWOOOO NERDFIGHTERSSSSSS!!!! NUMBER FREAKING FIVE!!! That's five spots better than we had to do! John just called to tell me and he is freaking ecstatic. "It can't have happened...it just seems so impossible," I think is the way he put it to me. A lot of great authors go their whole lives without ever making the list and you, my friends, did that for John Green. It was indeed the best birthday present he has ever received. That's not to say that you shouldn't go buy Paper Towns if you haven't already. The book really is fantastic, and obviously helping John get on the list was only one of the many reasons to buy it. I mean...it's a really good book, I've read it twice already :-) And I'm not the only one saying it...not only has it sold really well, it's getting fantastic reviews. And all of these things that really matter to authors like John are starting to happen. It's showing up in airport stores where there are only one or two YA books ever on the shelf. The displays are staying out longer, his publisher is pushing to get more copies into more stores. And those copies will be bought by people, who've heard about how fantastic Paper Towns is from you (or little notes stuffed into unsold copies...of course.) SO EXCITING! Thank you all so much for helping to give John the best birthday present ever. AHALKJHJL:KHGEUHSKDJH SO COOL!!! NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JOHN GREEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA WOOOHOOOO!
If that doesn’t energize your community then nothing will.