Well, the day has arrived. Zed Moonstein Makes a Friend hit the shelves today. I’m very excited.
If you’ve already pre-ordered a copy, THANK YOU SO MUCH. You rule.
If you’re planning on coming to my all-aged NJ or NYC events and getting your copy there, AMAZING. (That’s this Saturday, 8/30 at Thunder Road in Spring Lake, and Saturday, 9/6 at Books of Wonder in Manhattan.)
Otherwise: why not order a copy RIGHT NOW? Ideally from your favorite local independent bookstore, but Barnes and Noble is great too, and if not them, then anywhere else works too!
If you’re an audiobook person, I’ll read the book to you!
And if you’d like a signed and personalized copy, order from my amazing local indie bookstore: Community Bookstore! Indicate in the notes that you’d like it personalized, and I will walk over to the store to make your copy extra-special. I’ll also throw in ZED SWAG.
That’s right: if you order from Community, or come to any of my events, you will get a Zed bookmark and sticker designed by the talented Jess Andree!
If you’re at my event, I also will be giving away Official Zed Moonstein Creativity Machines aka ZED PENS. (Also designed by Jess Andree.)
Other ways you can help support the book:
Borrow it from your local public library! If they don’t have it, request it!
Post about the book on your social media platform of choice! Feel free to share this IG reel that my kids directed me in this morning. They had very good ideas and helped frame the shot and wrote the first line. I paid them in tic-tacs.
Spread the word about Zed IN PERSON! Especially to other parents. Say things like, “Oh man, one of my favorite authors just released a funny, super-entertaining book for kids about a 6th grader who makes an AI best friend. It’s so good! My kids/nieces and nephews/random kids I know loved it/can’t wait to read it/are OBSESSED. And the book couldn’t be more timely! It gets kids thinking more deeply about the role of AI and tech in our lives and opens up really amazing discussions! The author didn’t even tell me to say this in his newsletter, it’s just how I feel!”
Leave a review on Goodreads, B&N, and yes, sigh, most importantly, Amazon. I would be very grateful. The more reviews and ratings, the more the algorithm works to spread word of the book—it’s just the way this stupid game works.
(A quick note about Zed and Amazon: Though a few of my other books have been chosen as Amazon Books of the Month, Zed was…not. This could easily be because they didn’t respond to the book, but whether they did or not, I don’t think they could have chosen Zed because…it’s more than a little critical of tech companies, including theirs.
So by positively reviewing Zed on their site, you’re helping, in a small but meaningful way, to help undermine their business and maybe, possibly, eventually help guide society back onto a path of valuing people’s labor and the rewards of doing things the “inconvenient” way and the economic stability of communities more than—or at least as much as—we currently value profit. A lofty goal for a kids’ book, I know, but let’s dream big!)
Book me for a school visit! I’ve already started scheduling Zed visits, primarily for grades 4-7 (but it could also work for grades 3 and 8) and I’m really excited about them. If you think your school would like to have me come and talk about the book and AI and friendship and the joy of harnessing our own creativity, please have them contact me. More information is here on my (newly revamped!) website.
Book me for a book club (kids or adults)! If you and a group order at least 10 copies of Zed, I will do a FREE 30-minute Zoom visit to talk about the book and answer questions about Zed, writing, tech, friendship, resentment, creativity, jealousy, and being an author. Email me at lancerubinparty@gmail.com to discuss!
And that about does it. Thank you so much for reading this post, for buying the book, for supporting me and my writing over all these years. We are living in a wild, stressful time, and I know it can be hard to focus on anything, so the fact that you’re here reading this sentence is so appreciated.
I hope you are hanging in right now and finding joy and laughter and also finding your fight. Calling your congressperson and senators. Donating to organizations that can make a difference. Acknowledging that things are pretty messed up right now. Making art.
And speaking of art that’s not my new book, I highly recommend the Billy Joel doc on Max, the new Naked Gun, and Weapons. All compelling, invigorating, wild films (in totally different ways).
Okay. Thank you again. I’m very proud of Zed Moonstein Makes a Friend, and I think you and the kids in your life will have a blast reading it. See you soon.
