Good news/bad news
A reviewer likes my book! But the pandemic is really rough on indy booksellers and local news organizations. Here's how you can help.
An earlier draft of my March newsletter—one I started back before spiking rates of COVID-19 infections landed us all in quarantine—had a section where I was going to tell you about the first few tentative dates of my book tour.
That kind of planning is on hold right now, and that’s okay. Yes, I’m sad I can’t start to schedule events, but we all need to be patient and do what the health experts recommend by staying home. Seriously. My first book, co-written with my mentor, friend and former boss Mike Pride, documented the experiences of members of the World War II generation. Their stories are reminders of what’s possible when a society—even one as imperfect and divided as ours—focuses on the greater good. I interviewed a former pilot who jumped out of a burning plane over Italy and spent months in a German POW camp, and a retired Army nurse who lost 20 pounds while working in a mud-soaked tent hospital in Europe. All I’ve had to do so far is skip the gym and learn how to teach over Zoom.
In other words, we. can. do. this.*
Instead of book tour dates, I have two other bits of news to share. The first is good: Political Godmother received a favorable early review in Kirkus. For those of you not familiar with the book biz, Kirkus is one of a handful of trusted publications that vet forthcoming titles to help booksellers and libraries decide what to order. An early review like this one bodes well for a book’s longterm success.
Here’s a little of what the review had to say:
Heckman makes a convincing case for (Nackey Scripps Loeb’s) significant and lasting influence in conservative politics. From her friendship with Ronald Reagan to her support for Pat Buchanan, she was in the vanguard of the “right-wing populism” that would lead to the tea party and, eventually, the Trump presidency.
A straightforward biography that attests to the subject’s accomplishments without embracing her politics.
You can read the full review here.
Now for the not-so-good news. The economic fallout from the pandemic is devastating across the board, but as an author and journalist, I’m especially concerned about its impact on independent bookstores and local news organizations. If you can afford to do so, here's how you can help:
1.) The next time you need to order a book to stave off quarantine-induced boredom, head over to Indie Bound to find an independent store near you that fulfills orders online. Also try to order multiple titles at once. Most stores lose money on smaller orders because of staff time and shipping costs. Now is also a good time to reserve copies of forthcoming books you plan to read. Here’s the Indie Bound page for Political Godmother. Enter your zip code in the window on the right of the screen to see a list of bookstores near you.
2.) Subscribe to (or otherwise support) your local news organization! Or maybe even someone else’s local news organization. Digital subscriptions for local newspapers are fairly cheap, and the money will help prevent these vital publications from folding at a time when we need high-quality information more than ever. Subscriptions or, in the case of public media, donations also make great gifts!
I’ll have another newsletter in a few weeks. Until then, stay safe, stay healthy and stay focused on the good stuff.
Best,
Meg
*A major crisis like this one often lays plain social disparities and delivers the most harm to those with the least power. If you need help, ask for it. Here’s a list some of my students prepared of Boston-area nonprofits providing services during the pandemic.