…and by that I mean ORGANIC BOOKS, right in the heart of Nob Hill in Albuquerque. As far as I know they are Albuquerque’s only store to stock my books…so if you are in town (to get some chile or possibly to see some balloons) and happen to be in the market for one of my books, go get it a copy from them! They’d appreciate it, and you know I damn sure would too.

For context: hustling books is really tough. Especially if, like me, you don’t really believe in trying to twist someone’s arm or convince people of anything. I’ve thought a lot about this in the 25 years I’ve been publishing, and only recently realized something that (probably) everyone else already knew.

Now, as a writer, I obviously I want my books on shelves — waiting for anyone who is interested — to pick up, thumb through, marvel at, and then go buy!

And bookstores also want books (mine and everyone else’s) on the shelves — for a while. But what they then need is for the books to sell…and, to keep selling well enough to restock and then sell more. Turns out books just sitting on shelves don’t exactly help the store’s bottom line — a shocking revelation, I know!

I guess I’d never realized that this creates a dynamic wherein writers and stores — who all love books — are slightly at odds in terms their respective desires in the business! Shelf space — the lifeblood of bookstores — is such a limited commodity that it’s understandable why each store struggles to find a way that works for them and why there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to getting books out in the world.

Which is what makes stores like ORGANIC (and TWO DOLLAR RADIO in Ohio) so special. They’ve made getting books out there as painless as possible — taking a couple copies of a handful of different titles, and simply buying them outright. So forgive me if I am constantly singing their praise! The simple fact is this is real boots-on-the-ground support for writers and publishers both big and small.

And I consider myself very lucky to be on their shelves. It’s an easy way for us all to do our part to KEEP BOOKS DANGEROUS!