Ilana Wilesさんのインスタグラム写真 - (Ilana WilesInstagram)「This was my view from the podium at the Strand; the first stop on my book tour in 2016. My book did fine, but was not a life changing success story by any means. Still, I will look back at this moment as one of my finest. The Strand is a beloved NYC landmark in the East Village and I’ve been buying books there most of my life. Back when I was planning my book tour, Barnes and Noble wouldn’t book me in NYC. They would only book my New York stop on Long Island. My publisher told me that only “big names” get to do a NYC stop, because people don’t show up in Manhattan otherwise. I was sad about it and asked if she would call the Strand. She thought that was an even bigger long shot, but based on me being from the neighborhood, they agreed to do it. The catch was that I had to guarantee I would sell a certain number of books. I agreed, knowing that I would have to buy all those books myself if nobody showed. I remember being so nervous walking there that night. A bunch of my friends had called to cancel throughout the day and I began to fear that Barnes and Noble was right. I feared I would be speaking to an empty audience, and then on top of that, have to pay a huge bill to underline my failure. So that night, when I looked out into that crowd of both familiar and unfamiliar faces, holding my book up high, it was with the hugest sense of gratitude. The Strand had given me the opportunity to succeed in NYC and my people had showed up. Local bookstores are dying right now. The Strand and other shops in NYC have reached out to their patrons for help to keep their businesses afloat during these unprecedented times when foot traffic is so low. You can help your local book shops by buying from most of them online. I’ve put the link to @strandbookstore’s online shop in my bio. You can even buy my book there, if you choose. ❤️」11月17日 12時44分