Microadventures reaches #12 on Amazon bestseller list

[Alastair Humphreys]

Hi,
I'm sorry to email you again so soon, but I wanted to let you know that my new book, 'Microadventures', is published by Harper Collins today. I'm thrilled that the book has already reached #12 on Amazon's Best Seller list. This is -frankly- ludicrous.

Many people who pre-ordered the book on Amazon have received an email from Amazon along the lines of "Sorry - we can't send you a book today because we've run out." 

This is a good problem for me to have...

I know that newsletters are supposed to be for me to help / entertain YOU, but today I am going to ask you, please, to help me. It will take you less than a minute to do, but it will really make a big difference to me. If I can help you in any way in return please let me know!

I don't like to ask for more than I can give, but I really do need help right now from as many people as possible. So I'm offering free books and films in return for your help.

• In order for Amazon to 'notice' my book and therefore promote it, I need to generate a 'spike' of early sales. 
  I would love it if you would order my book on Amazon today. 
  It will make a genuine impact. (And don't forget that Father's Day is next weekend...)
• As an incentive, and so that I am offering something in return, I am offering free copies of another of my books and film to anyone who orders my new book. Click here for details.
• If you do not want to buy my book, please would you at least consider popping something like this on Twitter or Facebook (or even telling a real human if you know any): 
  "This book seems a great idea if you're busy with the '9 to 5' but still want adventure in your life: http://goo.gl/x94E9t #microadventure"

Since I set off to walk round the M25 a couple of years ago, the idea of 'microadventures' has grown more than I could ever have imagined. I began by looking for ways to help ordinary people with real, busy lives to squeeze more adventure into their free time. I wanted to encourage people with proper '9 to 5' jobs to focus on their '5 to 9' - the 16 hours of [theoretical] daily freedom - to look at the opportunities for adventure rather than the constraints in their lives.

Every week I get emails from people who have tried this for the first time and been moved to reply.

I get a lot of emails from people who are bored, frustrated, depressed, suicidal, contemplating affairs who see the prospect of 'sleeping on a hill in their 5 to 9' as a powerful alternative to their difficulties.

The idea grew, and National Geographic named me as one of their "Adventurers of the Year", which was simultaneously surprising, embarrassing, and a wonderful validation of the concept. People all over the world have been squeezing adventures into their daily lives and sharing the results on social media (search for #microadventure if you want to see what people have been doing).

This is the best-looking book I have ever produced. 

There are over 150 colour photographs in it: it's a fantastic-looking book (see attached pics). 

The book is in two sections: the first part are all of the stories of my different microadventures (designed to work wherever you happen to live, not just for specific pretty locations). 

The second part of the book are chapters designed to help YOU get out on a microadventure of your own. This is a book designed to persuade people to actually get out on adventures of their own, not purely as a nice book to read. 

I genuinely believe it is a really good book.

But I need your help if it is to have any sort of impact.
Amazon rules the world of book selling. Do well on Amazon, and your book will do well. Fail on Amazon and you fail, full stop. We may not like that, but it's reality. 

With millions of books available on Amazon it is hard to stand out. But if a book gets a 'spike' of pre-sales and early orders, then the Amazon computers take note and are more inclined to promote your book. It's mildly naff, vaguely cheating, but massively the only way that non-celebrity authors like me can peek briefly above the parapet.

So, as mentioned above, I am asking for your help.

• In order for Amazon to 'notice' my book and therefore promote it, I need to generate a 'spike' of early sales. 
  I would love it if you would order my book on Amazon today. 
  It will make a genuine impact. (And don't forget that Father's Day is next weekend...)
• As an incentive, and so that I am offering something in return, I am offering free copies of another of my books and film to anyone who orders my new book. Click here for details.
• If you do not want to buy my book, please would you at least consider popping something like this on Twitter or Facebook (or even telling a real human if you know any): 
  "This book seems a great idea if you're busy with the '9 to 5' but still want adventure in your life: http://goo.gl/x94E9t #microadventure"

I'm sorry to be emailing you again so soon to ask for your help, but this really is the only chance I have to try to get this book to a wider audience than my previous books (my Mum, my Mum's friends).

Thank you,

Alastair

www.alastairhumphreys.com

www.microad.ventures - Microadventures for London-based Businesses

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