By Ashley M. Casey
Staff Writer
When you buy local, you’re purchasing produce, baked goods, meat and other products from farmers and artisans who are your neighbors. When you read local, you’re devouring something else created by your neighbors: novels, memoirs and more.
That’s the idea behind Hometown Reads, the “digital bookshelf” founded by Becky Robinson in 2016. The site lets readers search for books from 94 different communities. Hometown Reads recently opened a Syracuse page, linking to 19 authors from the greater Syracuse area and Upstate New York.
“Every hometown has talented, interesting authors who care about their work,” said Robinson.
Robinson, who hails from Lambertville, Michigan, said the idea came to her around the time she founded her company, Weaving Influence, in 2012. The firm specializes in digital marketing services mainly for authors and also offers courses and webinars, website development, graphic design and other promotional services.
“Early in my journey, the idea popped into my head,” Robinson said. “I saw how much time and energy authors put into their book, and maybe have boxes in their attic. … People desperately want their work to be read.”
When it comes to getting the word out about a new book, the best place to start, Robinson said, is one’s own neighborhood.
“If people in your local community get excited about your work, … they go out online with the social media message [about your book],” she said. “We want Hometown Reads to be completely community-focused.”
To date, Hometown Reads has 94 live cities, featuring more than 4,000 books from over 3,000 authors. Robinson said Hometown Reads is developing sites for about 200 “outreach locations.”
Many communities gain a space on Hometown Reads through reader and author request.
“It’s been interesting to see how we get momentum in different locations,” Robinson said. “A lot of it is driven organically by authors who say, ‘Hey, can you come to my location?’”
Hometown Reads also uses social media to put out feelers for potential new locations and to help authors forge professional connections.
“Our team’s been using social media outreach to get to know authors,” Robinson said.
Hometown Reads is not a moneymaker for Robinson — at least not directly. She funds the venture from the profit margins of Weaving Influence, whose services budding authors may seek out someday.
“The goal is the same, whether I’m selling a service or a free website: I’m helping authors to achieve their goals,” she said.
The Syracuse Hometown Reads list is a bit far-flung, including authors from Port Byron, Oxford and North Babylon, but the majority of the featured writers hail from Syracuse and its surrounding communities. (See sidebar for highlights from the list.)
“If you love to read, it’s a great way to discover authors in your area,” Robinson said. “The read local approach is another way to connect with what’s unique and special about your area.”
To discover authors from Upstate New York, visit hometownreads.com/city/syracuse to learn more. If you are an author who would like to be added to the list, visit hometownreads.com/join.
Hometown heroes
The Syracuse section of Hometown Reads features books from nearly 20 authors. Among them are:
• The “Flourish” series, by Mark Bitz, former owner of Plainville Farms (Baldwinsville)
• “The Art of Self-Transformation: A Guide to Awakening,” by Laura Ponticello, founder of Laura’s List and Divine Phoenix Books (Skaneateles)
• “To Have,” “To Hold” and “To Cherish” (out Feb. 13), by Miranda L. Pennock, former Eagle Newspapers editor (Brewerton)
• “Lost Innocence,” “New Beginnings” and “Beyond Survival,” by Cathy Brochu, sexual/domestic abuse victims’ activist (Jamesville)
