‘Green Collar Economy’ by Van Jones Flying Off the Shelves

When Van Jones wrote ‘The Green Collar Economy’, the Wall Street collapse hadn’t yet happened and Americans weren’t nearly as cynical about the future of America’s economy as they are today. The release of the book just happened to coincide with the meltdown, coming at a time when people are desperate for hope.  That propitious timing combined with a brilliant viral marketing strategy resulted in copies of ‘The Green Collar Economy’ flying off the shelves: the book debuted at #12 on the New York Times bestseller list this week.

Jones and the environmental organization he founded, Green for All, didn’t have much money to get the word out about “The Green Collar Economy”, but they did have the drive to get the book in as many people’s hands as possible. So, they improvised, and their strategy paid off big.  As Jones told The Huffington Post, “Usually to get to number 12 the first week as a new author you’ve got to spend a million bucks or be on Oprah.”

From The Huffington Post:

Through a combination of emails and phone calls to friends, bloggers, and a network of activists, Jones estimates that the viral campaign he and his co-workers launched resulted in emails being sent to millions of people, many of whom surely forwarded it along. The initial commercial success of “Green Collar Economy” proves that Internet buzz combined with online activism can push a book onto the best sellers list.

It also helps to have something original and important to say, which Jones clearly does. His book is an innovative and impassioned account of how transforming America into a greener society would not only address the global warming crisis but also generate enough jobs to help turn the around the economy around and provide work for the Americans who need it most.Jones and Green for All contacted around 150 organizations, national and local, reaching out to everyone from community gardening groups to the Hip Hop Caucus. They even got the owners of the domain name greencollareconomy.com to promote the book on their website. All of this hard work means that hundreds of thousands of people across the country are learning right now about how the environmental movement can help them, their companies and their families prosper well into the future while also aiding in the fight against global warming.

Learn more about Van Jones’ efforts to jump-start a green collar economy by reading his recent interview with The Huffington Post.