Book Launch Update: I guess the Good News hit a nerve!

Ok then! So take a good long look at the screenshot I just saved (above), of the articles running on the Catalyst website, including my article about The Good News About Marriage, which was posted one week ago. A bunch of excellent articles, with 3 shares, 12 shares, 70 shares, 459 shares and….23,920 shares?!

Woah.

I am THRILLED that the mythbusting news about marriage is hitting a nerve like I thought it would! Not only that, but as I write this, the article has nearly 44,000 views! That means that half of the people who are reading the article are passing it on.

Now here’s the weird dilemma I am facing as an author. I’m thrilled that the news stories about the book are going viral, and the articles about the book are going viral: but I need the book to go viral! Both for important cultural reasons and (can I be honest?) because this research was a huge financial investment on my part, and boy, it would be nice to make it back!

Culturally, I want the few, simple numbers I put in this article to be a starting point, not an ending point! Anyone who cares about marriage –from pastors to small group leaders to average people on the street – needs to know the essential good news truths in order counter the myths and change the paradigm from discouragement to hope. Otherwise, this will be a flash in the pan instead of the beginning of a lasting change in how we think and talk about marriage.

Plus, the media needs to know that people care about marriage good news, not just bad news. If even half of those who shared the Catalyst article had bought the book, it would be on the New York Times best-seller list this week! (Isn’t that amazing?) And if it was suddenly on the NY Times best-seller list, the rest of the media would be all over it.

I am still hopeful we can get the book to go viral, and I’d appreciate your prayers that it will! I’d also appreciate it if you’d spread the word, and encourage folks to buy the book.  It is a short, easy read on purpose to kick start the process of encouraging marriages – and marriage leaders.

So that is a quick update about launch week! Despite that how-to-get-the-book-rather-than-the-articles-to-go-viral question, I’m really excited about all the media we are doing and the response we’re getting! More updates to come….