Carrie Rollwagen used crowdfunding & social media to publish her book, The Localist, and it's taking Birmingham by storm.
A couple of months ago, I wrote about a certain Kickstarter campaign that was near and dear to our hearts. Well, the campaign was a huge success. And I’m proud to say that our very own copywriter, Carrie Rollwagen, is now a published author. Her book, The Localist, was published in late November and it’s taking Birmingham by storm. But you probably already know that because Carrie and her book are everywhere now! We can’t even keep up with all of her book signings, live chats and TV and radio interviews … not to mention a coveted spot on the Southern Living list, 50 People Who Are Changing the South in 2015. Check her out at #39.
Seriously, who is this girl? Our sweet little Carrie the copywriter is now a local celebrity, and we couldn’t be more proud. In fact, I spotted several of us around the office … umm … “working” on her book. Funny, everybody told me they were all on their lunch break.
You’ll have to pick up a copy of her book to see for yourself why it’s creating such a buzz, but the fact that her book is bringing awareness to shopping local and teaching people what an impact it can make on the city is awesome. Local store owners are singing her praises all over town, and so are we.
Any independent bookstore should be able to order the book, or you can get it online at Carrie’s website or at barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com. And you can read all about Carrie’s experience — from the Kickstarter campaign to receiving her first printed copy of the book to being on live television, at her blog, carrierollwagen.com.
We’re excited for Carrie, but it’s also fascinating to see how tech and new media have helped with her success — she raised money for the book through crowdfunding, she’s promoted the book and her events almost exclusively using social media (here she is on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter), and her website is a key part of her marketing strategy. Want to learn more about it and ask her questions? Carrie’s been invited to speak about how she used these avenues to publish her book at a See Jane Write event next week — you can buy tickets here (ticket price includes dinner).
We only have one thing to ask of Ms. Rollwagen: When you become rich and famous, don’t forget about your fellow Infomedians. And make sure when you get a place in NYC, it’s big enough for lots of visitors!