The genre that has no bookshelf

Last month I was delighted to guest post for Anastasia Ashman at the tremendous Expat Harem blog. Anastasia likes to publish gritty, important posts and between us we decided that I would write about the dilemma facing expat authors like me. I would write about the problem of writing for a genre that has no bookshelf.

You see, we have a problem. Take my bestselling book A Career in Your Suitcase: The Expat and Trailing Spouse’s Guide to a Career on the Move.

It is a book for people living abroad and is about creating and growing a portable career based on your passions. But, if you wanted a book on portable careers where would you look for it? In the Careers section, maybe? In the Travel section? The trouble is there is no expat section. But maybe, it is just a question of asking the bookshop?

In January, I met with Lynn Kaplanian-Buller, who runs the American Book Center in Amsterdam. I discussed this issue and Lynn agreed to put my books on her local interest shelf. After all, those people looking for books about living in Amsterdam were likely to be expatriates and likely to be interested in my books.

And then yesterday, I met with Agnes Joseph, who runs the American Book Center in The Hague and had the same conversation. Agnes has agreed to pilot a Living Abroad section in her store.

Will join the crusade? Will you also go to your local bookshops and ask if they would consider a special shelf for expat books?

If you don’t ask, you don’t get, right?

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