Giving Back: When possible, help your helpers

Give back first. It feels good and it works.

This is my lesson for you today and to anyone who is trying to make something by building community on the Internet.

The new conventional wisdom is to give first and ye shall receive. But I'm going to go ahead and say that you give first because it feels really good and you don't expect anything in return. That way, you'll be pleasantly surprised if the world turns around and gives back to you.

Remember: When you are creating something, it is not about you and your ego. This is doubly so in publishing. It's about the idea, the art, the product, the book, the chance to have something out in the world. 

For my project this has been easy. While being on Kickstarter, I very quickly learned that there was an excellent audience for Tessalation! in math advocates and people who like to do and support math play and other creative approaches to math learning. 

And so, I give back at every opportunity. Today, for example, Parent Map, the Seattle publishing company, put out an article I wrote all about math play featuring several of the tessellation backers. 

Does this article have a link to pre-order Tessalation!? You bet it does! But it also has something more important, which is useful information that makes the world better. I like to believe that my book fits within this idea -- making the world better because it exists. So any context I where I can show that happening helps my book and helps people.

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What are your favorite ways to give back while doing book promotion?