In Which the Droodic Order of Naomi's Knights, (DONK) is Introduced

[fivecats]

NOTICE: This posting and all information herein contained is solely the responsibility of this author. drood has nothing to do with it. Nope, nothing. Not a word.

My lj friend's list is populated with a large number of extremely fine photographers and writers. Picking a favorite photographer would be difficult -- extremely difficult. Picking a favorite writer, however, is not.

That distinction goes out to drood. I was first introduced to his blog through a posting that linked to his entry commemorating his one-year anniversary as a published author where he offered to answer questions from the audience about writing. He graciously answered all of my questions (and then some) and we started reading each other's journals. His entries are not only extremely well-written, but they're typically funny with the type of biting, snarky observational humor that I can only hope to attain.

He's also been wonderfully encouraging about my writing, but that's neither here nor there.

As mentioned, drood is a published author. He has written two books under the name Naomi Neale, The Mile High Hair Club and Calendar Girl, as well as the story "King of Orient Are!" in Shop 'til Yule Drop and a story in the upcoming Christmas Cards from the Edge. Writing for teens under the name Naomi Nash, drood has published You are SO Cursed, Chloe, Queen of Denial, Beaner O'Brien's Absolutely Ginormous Guidebook to Guys and Senses Working Overtime. Going out on a limb, I'll recommend them all.

After all of these books, drood is still working his regular, full-time day job. He hopes to one day be able to give all of that up and write full-time, but so far that hasn't happened.

In my little brain, I was wondering what I could do to help.



Buy all of his books. Well, I've about done that.

Recommend them to friends. Done that, too.

Create a society to promote drood's books by promoting them to places of elevated honorific status within bookstores so the average bookshopping customer has a better chance of seeing and buying them.
Hmmm. That would be different.

And have membership in this society be based on people posting photographic evidence of their "Enhanced Placement" of drood's books to either LJ or to a new public photo group on Flickr group devoted to this idea.
Sounds interesting.

And call the group "The Droodic Order of Naomi's Knights" (DONK) and offer a Certificate of Membership to everyone who posts their photographic evidence entitling them to membership.
This is starting to sound like work. And maybe a little weird.

And introduce the DONK in an LJ posting, asking all of drood's fans who read this posting to link to it in their LJs so news of the DONK spans the four corners of the globe, reaching all, what, four, five or six of the continents.
Okay, we're starting to go slightly beyond weird here. And it's six. Six continents. You didn't pay a lot of attention to things in school, did you?

So, here it is: Consider this your formal announcement of the creation of "The Droodic Order of Naomi's Knights".

There are only three requirements for membership, as mentioned above:

1. Go to the bookstore of your choice and find copies of any of the aforementioned titles of drood's many publications. Move drood 's book(s) from their spot amongst the masses to a place of higher elevated status where all can find them more easily. This could be simply repositioning them on the shelf they're currently on and having the covers facing outward so people have a view of the cover illustration. You could move the book to a rack on an end-of-the-shelf display. You could also move copies to one of the very front tables of the bookstore so people will be able to see it shortly after they walk into the store.



Photographic Evidence for Droodic Membership
These copies of The Mile High Hair Club were moved from a crowded display stand in the back of this store and moved to a better display table in the front.
NOTE: When submitting your photographs for consideration, you need not circle drood's book(s)
August 2005 Raleigh, NC
____________________________________

2. Photograph your heroic deed of service to drood and post it somewhere -- either the DONK group on Flickr or in the comments section of this LJ entry or in your own LJ entry.

3. Notify me. If you submit a comment to this entry I'll get it; if you email me, use the subject line "DONK Membership Requested". I'll need (a) an email address where I can send the file that will contain your official DONK Membership Certificate and (b) the name you'd like to have appear on your certificate.

The Official Droodic Order of Naomi's Knights Membership Certificate, I should point out, is no shoddy piece of work.

Hand-typed using the only finest of keyboards available this certificate will display text scripted in a most elegant yet-still-legible calligraphic font. The language sings praises to your most heroic and selfless acts of kindness and generosity in devotion to the most Droodic Naomi and recognizes such acts as being worthy of membership in the Droodic Order of Naomi's Knights. The bottom of the document is emblazoned with a two gilded seals which could only be made more impressive if they were real. On the left is the Official Logo of the 5 Cats; on the right is drood's own Space Dog.

Two Notes:

1. Photographic evidence of shifting books around in public libraries, while worthy of Honorable Mention, is not sufficient to obtain membership in the DONK.



Close But Not Quite: Worthy of Honorable Mention Status Only
These copies of (top to bottom) You are SO Cursed, Chloe, Queen of Denial and Senses Working Overtime were moved around on a book display in a public library to allow all three covers to be facing front. This level of devotion only merits Honorable Mention status. Sorry.

Increasing drood's readership is one thing; increasing his royalty checks and advances through the sales of books is quite another.

2. Membership is based on The Honor System. If you tell me you moved the books I will believe you. It's as simple as that. Doesn't this mean the system could be ripe for fraud? Sure. However, if you're going to lie your way into the Droodic Order of Naomi's Knights, may the Flying Spaghetti Monster of your choice have pity on your soul.

And, yes, I am serious about all of this.

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