New book, ‘Re-engage’ goes to press; website launched!

So here we are! The great folks at Paradigm Publishers told me my upcoming book Re-engage! America and the World After Bush went to press today– and we are now also launching the website for the book.
Here’s the cover:

And here’s the website for it.
It has been a thrilling project. Two weeks ago I got to hold a copy of “bound galleys” in my hand, and all the work and the crazy deadlines seemed worthwhile… That, even though the bound galleys were not yet the final version of the book. The cover looks a lot stronger now; the layout of the book’s 20 or so charts has been upgraded; the remaining typos have all (we hope) now been corrected; and various other small tweaks made.
It has been just a little over nine months since I first had the conversation with Jennifer Knerr and her colleagues at Paradigm that set the whole project in train. They have done a superb job– in editing, in production, in speed, vision, and every other respect.
The cover price is $14.95 and the official publication date is May 15. However, if they really have gone to press today then I imagine that finished copies should be available much sooner than that.
So okay, JWN readers, here’s where I would really love your help– especially if you live in the United States. Can I ask you to help us promote the book??
This is fairly urgent. The book will be out very soon now, and given the topic its optimal shelf-life may be fairly short: let’s say somewhere between nine and 18 months.
It has been written and produced to be as topical and up-to-date as possible. That means we need to hit the ground running promotion-wise. And I’ve a confession to make: I’ve been so busy writing and revising the book that I haven’t yet done as much as I’d wanted to, to set up promotion activities for it. Paradigm and the Friends Committee on National Legislation will be helping, but neither of them have the kind of deep pockets that the big New York publishing houses put into promoting their books. And anyway, this is much more of a citizen-based, grassroots venture.
So here are some ideas of how you could help us out with this:

* You can order a copy of the book (instructions at the second button down on the website’s left sidebar.)
* Or you could consider ordering three or four copies– they make great gifts for anyone you know who’s graduating high school or college.
* Could you go to your local bookstore and tell them how excited you are about the book? If you do, take in a couple of the fliers for the book, that you can download and print from the website. Order your own copy or copies of Re-engage! through the bookstore– and urge the bookstore to get in a load of additional copies, too.
* While you’re about it, you could print up a bunch of fliers and use them to help tell your friends and neighbors about the book…
* Would you like me to come to your town or community and gives some talks or speeches about the book? We are just working on some book-tour ideas right now. Best plan: scratch your head and think of as many local groups, colleges, organizations, and media outlets as may be interested in having me do something for them– any time between May and the end of the year. See if any of these groups could help with airfare or other expenses. Coordinate with my schedule early on. (Email me here.) I’m definitely thinking of doing a west coast tour in early fall… maybe try to hit Chicago and some midwest cities in mid-fall… and just about anywhere on the east coast is easy for me to get to in spring, summer, or fall.
* Could you write a review of the book for any media outlet with which you’re connected? Mention it in a Letter to the Editor?
* Of course, if you have a blog, or contribute to online discussions elsewhere, it would be great to get the book mentioned and discussed in the blogosphere as often as possible!

Well, y’all must have some other good ideas of how to get the word out, too…
By the way, the ‘Re-engage’ website has its own little blog attached to it over there. I’m not sure how much of my blogging I’ll be doing over there in the months ahead, and how much here. But check it out. I’m looking forward to having some good discussions over there, too.
But mainly, at this point– a big thanks for anything you can do to help get the work out about Re-engage! When you’ve had a chance to read it I’ll be really interested to hear your reactions.
(For now, though, at least you can go to the website and admire the fine set of blurbs the book has gotten from some very interesting people who have read it. Did I mention Lee Hamilton???)