Happy New Year! Thanks for all the support… and an ask for a bit more.

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Over the past week, we’ve been the #1 new release in Walking, Solo Travel Guides, and Travel Adventure Fiction! A huge thank you to all the early buyers of Hello My Name is Sharkbait that put me on the best-sellers list so quickly for 3 categories. It’s a joy to see photos of people as they receive their physical copies this week. But can you help do more?

It means the world to me that you took a chance on my book, and I know you are going to love it. So, thank you for this support. BUT, I want to ask 2 more favors as we go into the New Year. You may have a resolution to work out more, spend more time with your kids, or join a gym… I have a resolution to build a more substantial social media presence and exposure beyond family and friends to all adventure-reader curiosity seekers. It will take you less than 2 minutes on my 2 asks below. Can I count on your help?

The best way to support me is still to pick up a copy of the book for yourself (did I mention that they make great gifts for any age reader?). But if you already have, are still on the fence, or don’t think it’s for you … that’s ok, you can still help with the easy asks below. And I mean super easy. Like social media inept easy. Even if you’ve never posted on Instagram or left a product review before, you can help. So thank you in advance for your contribution to my New Year’s resolution!

Ask 1 – Submit an Amazon and Barnes & Noble Review.

Amazon will tell me I can’t ask you directly for a 5-star review, but I am going to ask you for a 5-star review. And this is important, you can do this WHETHER YOU BOUGHT OR NOT. A verified review of a purchaser helps more, but all reviews lift up my score. So, even if you aren’t 100% satisfied with the book (tell me privately), here’s how you can help me build my consumer street-cred publicly:

  1. Leave an Amazon Review
  2. Leave a Barnes & Noble Review (does not matter if you purchased)

That’s it. Like I said, super simple. But worth its wait in gold to me, much more than the very small royalty I make off each sale. Though I thank you for that too. Marketing is expensive, especially when you are using trial-and-error to decide what is wroth investing in.

Ask 2 – Help me expand my reach on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

You may have noticed that I built out a new Facebook Author Page and an Instagram account specifically for my book. I won’t bore you with the details, but the long and short was to a) make sure my blog posts can still auto-share to those platforms under new rules, b) make sure everything I share about my book is on a public site that anyone can access, and c) leverage the Meta Business Center for advertising and promotions. All of this is either not possible without those new business profiles or much simpler with them. So, here’s the ask:

  1. Follow and Like the Michael Neiman-Author Facebook Page – you may have gotten an invite from me already, please accept it or click that link to do it yourself.
  2. Follow the Hello My Name is Sharkbait Instagram account – I don’t really know how to use Instagram, but I’m learning. And this way people won’t be confused looking at my old #PopChloeture and #HannahGrams photos from years past (though they should, because those are amazing).
  3. Post a picture of you and the book to either of these accounts! I love what you are sending privately, but if you wouldn’t mind sharing them on social media, that will build the buzz and momentum for others’ excitement alongside. Give me your best “Neiman Face” pose, tag me on either platform, and let’s help share the love!
  4. Or, just share my launch posts to your Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn networks. Share share share.

Thank you thank you thank you! I have big ideas and big goals for 2026, and I am working with some incredibly talented people who are more familiar with social media marketing and book self-promotion to help. I have my sights set high on more live events and interviews, as well as targeted campaigns to would-be readers outside of my network. But the first thing they will all look at is my social credibility. Is the juice worth the squeeze? Well, if you can help me with the 2 asks above, we’ll show them not only that it is… but that they’d be silly to pass me up.

Hello Neiman!

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