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Wait a Minute: Please Don’t Buy My Book!

How long since you’ve heard an author say, “Please don’t buy my book?”

Tom’s List: 50 Commandments to Transform Your Life is now available for purchase on Amazon but wait a moment: please DON’T buy it. Yes, you read that correctly. Don’t buy my book.

Some readers couldn’t wait and are already holding their copy.

Julie shared with me how Tom’s List is making a difference in her life. Commandment No. 23 focuses on changing bad habits for good ones. After reading this commandment, she was making her banana squares, something she has done for 25 years. It dawned on her that using shortening in the recipe was a bad habit. She stopped and went to Google to search for a healthy alternative. I’m impressed. A bad habit was identified and in the process of changing.

This “Please don’t buy this book” plea is also too late to Lisa. She purchased Tom’s List and sent me a little video of her granddaughter holding the book. In this short clip she calls the book the Bible. Take a look at this brief video:

Why would I tell you not to buy my book? It’s because the official book launch date is Tuesday July 12. The book became available on Amazon on June 5. The word got out and people started buying it. Don’t misunderstand, I’m grateful for every book sold! Let’s call that the soft launch. But I’m looking at July 12 as the official launch of the book.

On July 12 I’m dreaming of a surge of buyers hitting Amazon on that particular day.

I’m working on putting together a giveaway contest with Amazon and Goodreads. I’m also thinking of a few surprises along the way. This should be fun!

This morning I had an idea. Let me run it by you and tell me what you think. Tom’s List is all about transforming lives. I’ve been approached about having a book signing event for people who purchase the book. But I have a different idea. What if I had a “walking book signing tour”? What if I took copies of my book into the poorer side of town and gave away copies to people who couldn’t afford to purchase one? What if I signed each book and wrote the person’s name in big letters followed by these words, “I Believe In You”? Crazy, huh?

Why would I do that? I would do something crazy like that because Tom’s List is a book not just to be read but to be lived.

I invite you to help me share the excitement about Tom’s List. This isn’t about selling books but about helping people improve their life. When you help promote this book you are investing in the lives of others.

Here’s how you can help:

1. If you have already purchase a copy please consider leaving an honest brief review on Amazon. This would be a tremendous help. Click HERE to be taken to the Amazon product page, scroll down, and look for the “review” link.

2. Share this article on Facebook. The best way to spread the word is to spread the word.

3. Accept this invitation to be part of the Tom’s List Book Launch Facebook event of July 12. It will keep you in the loop. Consider buying a book on that date.

Thanks for reading. Your efforts to promote Tom’s List might be a factor in improving the lives of those around you.

What ideas do you have for promoting a book which has the potential to change lives?

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Randall Hartman was a pastor for nearly forty years. He writes about faith, fear, and finding a God worth trusting. More about Randall