Once upon a time, Real Live Preacher wrote a book. It didn’t sell too well through regular publishing channels, so he started selling the remainder himself. With each order, he would personalize the delivery with a free gift and a pithy dedication commenting on the buyer’s shipping address.

It was then that he discovered a key marketing tip: people like a personal touch. The good news: orders poured in. The possibly-not-so-good news: he would still have to personalize each one.

I’m glad Preacher kept it up. His audience loves his thoughts, and he loves them right back by adding a little extra thought for each reader to call his own. I just got my book in the mail, with a note on the title page about my home near the Capitol, and a little CD of Celtic lute music by his friend Ben Tavera King. That goes on the shelf right beside N.T.