One thing I am learning about the book business is that, like progressive organizing in general, you can't rely on anything other than your own capacity to organize to spread the word. Publishers and book store chains have lost the willingness or capacity to do marketing for any but the most famous of authors, so you are on your own. Just like with bloggers and local activists, you are on your own to build your own infrastructure. The good thing is there is a movement which is ready to help. And fortunately for me, I have a staff which is awesome, all of them great at putting together campaigns.
So we are doing tons of media, especially radio and online. Firedoglake and Crooks and Liars invited me on for great book chats. 21 blogs have given me free advertising. Nine organizations have organized events for us. Eight organizations are sending out stuff about The Progressive Revolution to all or part of their lists. It's been a movement building enterprise from start to finish.
We've also been working with great progressive activists to organize some wonderful events around the country.
Here's a fun picture from a standing room only Living Liberally sponsored event at The Tank in NYC Tuesday night. It was a panel discussion featuring me, Eli Pariser from Moveon.org, and Gara LaMarche from Atlantic Philanthropies, moderated by Laura Flanders from GRITtv:
Here's a picture of the overflow 300 person plus crowd at our big DC book party Wednesday night:
We're going to California next week, and have already had to move an event at Norman Lear's house (which is not exactly small) to a bigger location because of the overflow amount of RSVPs. The message about the need for another big change moment, another tidal wave of progressive change, is building momentum and crowds and intensity. And it all builds the movement, because people are hungry for change.
So we just need to keep building the movement, brick by brick. Through organizing on issues, through blogging, through books, documentary films, talk shows and music about progressive issues. We need to rely on each other and not the old line establishment institutions if we want to get out message out. Fortunately, the progressive movement of today is getting better organized all the time. Thanks to all of you who are a part of this movement for change.
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