Take Me, I'm Yours.

I've been giving some thought about how to encourage people to pick up the books that will be left by 'Books in the Wild'. Chances are people will assume that the book has been forgotten, and that somebody will come back for it. I would have been reluctant to pick up the book that prompted this blog, 'The Girls', by Lori Lansens, (see The beginnings of a plan.) if it had been in a cafe or on a bench. 'The Girls' was on a train that had reached is final destination. The passengers had disembarked, and it had been cleared of the detritus travellers spread in their wake. Squashed between the chair and fold up table, the cleaning team had missed it, and the book was waiting to be discovered when I boarded the train at Victoria Station, London. Had it not been so clearly lost I would never have picked it up.

A dramatic, flamboyant part of me wants to tie the books up with big bows before laying them out on a bench, or suspending them from a tree or gate post. In my minds eye it would be wonderful to come across such an offering, a beautiful surprise waiting to be discovered, unwrapped and explored.

'The Girls' wrapped and ready to go. 
© Books in the Wild 

Realistically it's probably a bit much to expect subsequent people to re-swathe books in ribbons before placing them to be found. I want to make it as easy as possible for people to continue returning the books to the wild so, sadly, I must let the idea go for the time being. But the problem remains that the book needs to grab people's attention. The message needs to be clear that it is a book for the taking, rather than one waiting for its owner to claim it. The information sheet inside the cover of the book is no good if no one ever gets as far as picking it up and opening it.

I'm going to give a sticker a go. The tag line will be 'Take Me, I'm Yours'. If I can get the book picked up then that's half the battle and there's a chance that the book will be read and commented on here at 'Books in the Wild'. Here's hoping!

The sticker aimed at encouraging people to take the books

 which have been released in to the wild.