We had an amazing first week with The Retreat on store shelves! I couldn’t be more pleased — and couldn’t be more grateful to those of you who have pre-ordered or bought a copy, put your photos of the book on social media, and generally made me feel like a very lucky writer indeed.
If you’re looking to read up on The Retreat and find out what all the fuss is about, you can read reviews in the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, and the Telegram — or check out these interviews in the Newfoundland Quarterly or at Resilient Writers. Or find out more about my process, what I like to read, and how I think about writing in these articles for CrimeReads, the Literary Review of Canada, and Macleans.
What’s next?
I’ll tell you the best ways you can help promote a writer or a book you love, whether that’s me or someone else:
— Buy the book! A pre-order is nice, but any sale is a good sale, especially in the crucial first weeks when a book is trying to gain traction or momentum.
— Tell yo’ friends! If you love a book, throw a photo up on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter or wave it about on TikTok, whatever platform you like to use. (I’m sure there are others but I am in my 40s, let me be.)
— Tell some strangers! A great way to help a book get better attention is to post a positive review on Amazon, Indigo, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads… you get the picture. In the case of the Big Online Retailers, the number of reviews actually affects how much or how little a book is “shown” or promoted, so your two cents makes a great deal of difference.
And of course, I know so many of you have already done these things for me, and all I can say is a very humble thank you. You have all made a huge difference in my life, and your support is what allows me to keep doing this job and living the life I really love. So, thank you, truly, with all my heart.
Register here: 
Centre in St. John’s– along with authors Terry Doyle, Susie Taylor, and Kevin Major, and Atlantic Book Award nominees Sharon Bala and Mark Critch.
Elisabeth de Mariaffi 