Next week I'm visiting NYC for the first time since October. I'm hoping to meet a few editors while I'm there.
I will be having lunch with the "PR Gals," cronies in the book publicity biz whom I've known / worked with forever. Three of us are still in the business, the fourth is "semi-retired." All of us are trying to figure out what the "new" book publishing model means for us.
One thing is for sure--there is a publishing revolution going on and we're all trying to keep up with the ever-changing tides.
Showing posts with label Publicity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Publicity. Show all posts
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Thursday, October 14, 2010
CAN SELF-PUBLISHED NOVELS BE SUCCESSFUL?
Last month Angela responded to our post about self-publishing and asked this perfectly reasonable question about the publicity side of our business.
Angela said...
I agree with Alissa that there is more than one way to get published. I also agree with Julie that the business is really subjective.People often recommend self-published books to me and don't even know the books are self-published. They could care less who the publisher is, they just want to read a good book. That being said, I think it's hard to put a good self-published book out there and be successful without the benefit of editors, readers, proofreaders, a marketing and PR team, and sales team. Kae, do you and Jon do PR for self-published novels? And if so, I'm curious if you have a different strategy for promoting self-published books.
Jon brought this question to my attention this morning and we spent some time discussing it. While we have worked with self-published authors in the past and continue to do so today, these are authors of nonfiction. Publicizing fiction is very difficult, even if the fiction is published by a standard publishing company. Fiction benefits from the distribution, advertising, marketing and sales efforts provided by large companies. But, other than sending out review copies, most publicity efforts for first novels are minimal. When a novelist gains a name and reputation, there is the opportunity for a much wider publicity campaign. That's why you see famous novelists on "Today" and "Oprah."
I would never advise an author to self-publish his or her fiction. (Unless, of course, the author is famous, lectures widely, has a built-in audience of potential buyers, and is already a veteran of countless media interviews.) Without the support a publishing company provides, it's next to impossible to get a fiction book out there in the numbers required to make an impact. Now, I am sure there are exceptions. Perhaps you are a successful self-published novelist or know someone who is. If so, please let us know. I'd love to hear how you did it and so would our readers, I'm sure.
Publicizing self-published non-fiction is a different matter. We've been very successful with our nonfiction self-published authors. Because these authors are experts in their fields, they have the option of selling their books when they do lectures and programs, on their websites, and online. These people have a "platform" (a built-in audience) and can use that audience to promote and sell their books. Typically we will send out review copies, schedule radio and television interviews, set up book signings and pursue online opportunities for our nonfiction authors. Our campaigns for self-published nonfiction authors are the same as for published authors and are limited only by budget constraints.
Bottom line is, publicity for ANY book, published or self-published is tougher than ever as media channels morph and shrink.
Angela said...
I agree with Alissa that there is more than one way to get published. I also agree with Julie that the business is really subjective.People often recommend self-published books to me and don't even know the books are self-published. They could care less who the publisher is, they just want to read a good book. That being said, I think it's hard to put a good self-published book out there and be successful without the benefit of editors, readers, proofreaders, a marketing and PR team, and sales team. Kae, do you and Jon do PR for self-published novels? And if so, I'm curious if you have a different strategy for promoting self-published books.
Jon brought this question to my attention this morning and we spent some time discussing it. While we have worked with self-published authors in the past and continue to do so today, these are authors of nonfiction. Publicizing fiction is very difficult, even if the fiction is published by a standard publishing company. Fiction benefits from the distribution, advertising, marketing and sales efforts provided by large companies. But, other than sending out review copies, most publicity efforts for first novels are minimal. When a novelist gains a name and reputation, there is the opportunity for a much wider publicity campaign. That's why you see famous novelists on "Today" and "Oprah."
I would never advise an author to self-publish his or her fiction. (Unless, of course, the author is famous, lectures widely, has a built-in audience of potential buyers, and is already a veteran of countless media interviews.) Without the support a publishing company provides, it's next to impossible to get a fiction book out there in the numbers required to make an impact. Now, I am sure there are exceptions. Perhaps you are a successful self-published novelist or know someone who is. If so, please let us know. I'd love to hear how you did it and so would our readers, I'm sure.
Publicizing self-published non-fiction is a different matter. We've been very successful with our nonfiction self-published authors. Because these authors are experts in their fields, they have the option of selling their books when they do lectures and programs, on their websites, and online. These people have a "platform" (a built-in audience) and can use that audience to promote and sell their books. Typically we will send out review copies, schedule radio and television interviews, set up book signings and pursue online opportunities for our nonfiction authors. Our campaigns for self-published nonfiction authors are the same as for published authors and are limited only by budget constraints.
Bottom line is, publicity for ANY book, published or self-published is tougher than ever as media channels morph and shrink.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
BRAVE NEW BOOK WORLD IS NOT FOR SHRINKING VIOLETS
As a seasoned book publicist who doubles as a literary agent, I sometimes stumble on evolving trends that give me a unique perspective into the publishing business. Here is an example. This afternoon I've been calling chain bookstores in the Los Angeles area trying to set up a signing event for an author who is a publicity client. A few years ago this was a fairly simple process--call the store, tell them when the author would be in town, set up a signing date 6 weeks to 2 months in advance of the event so that the store could order books and announce the event in their newsletter.
Not so easy now. The events managers I spoke to wanted to know what the author's connections were to the bookstore's neighborhood. Could the author provide a 150+ mailing list with LA zip codes? It seems the competition is so fierce for signings in big metropolitan areas like LA that authors have to come equipped with their own fan club--folks who the store can be certain will show up and buy books.
This situation speaks to just how competitive the book business is--from query to book promotion--you've got to be head and shoulders ahead of your brethren if you expect to make it. If you are fortunate enough to snag an agent who is fortunate enough to snag a publisher you are still not home free. Often times the publisher's publicity staff is small and overworked and you will be expected to play a huge part in the publicity program to get attention for your book. Sometimes that means contacting all your Facebook friends and asking them to come to your book signing. You may need to call Aunt Lucy and Uncle Herbert too--authors can't be shrinking violets anymore.
Traditional venues for book reviews and media interviews are shrinking, unfortunately--especially book reviews.
Galley Cat, a fabulous source of book publishing wisdom says, "Space, resources, and freelance budgets are shrinking at traditional book review outlets. But one thing hasn't decreased: the number of incoming galleys."
Check the photo above: Galley Cat says, "You are looking at the July fiction reviews bookshelf of the Philadelphia Inquirer. These are the galleys that the Inquirer is considering for reviews during the month of July. Mind you, this is only the fiction section; the nonfiction section has a cabinet with just as many galleys waiting for review. This is only for the month of July, and these are the survivors after a severe winnowing down of all the galleys the newspaper received for this month." [Note: Yen Cheong, Viking/Penguin assistant director of publicity and author of the excellent "Book Publicity Blog," is collecting photos of book reviewers' "to be read" piles.]
Sobering, huh? But this is important information for any aspiring author. You need to know that publishing a book is a mammoth achievement. If you want to capitalize on that achievement, you need to do everything in your power to become a publicity-oriented author. Write a blog, give speeches, visit schools, keep yourself informed by reading everything you can get your hands on. Books are still being published, books are still being reviewed and authors are still being interviewed. It's just much harder in this brave new world.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
WEIRD & WHACKY QUERIES
It's been hotter than blue blazes here in beautiful Pennsylvania. Humid too. This extreme weather causes people to act strangely sometimes, even if they don't live here. Last week, as I was trying to finish up the revised manuscript of a new client, the phone rang.
"Kae Tienstra."
"Is this Kate Ienster?"
"Yes, this is Kae."
"OK, what do you do?"
"I'm an agent and a book publicist (now I'm getting antsy). How can I help you?"
"Do you publish books?"
(Really getting steamed--looking longingly at my most excellent manuscript.) "We don't publish books. We are agents. We are publicists."
"Do you take women's fiction?"
"Yes."
"Like I have this book I'm working on, but I don't know where I should send it."
(Inner monster has arisen--fangs are now unsheathed.) "You need to go to the library and read The Writers Market 2010. You need to go online and learn about the industry."
"Learn about what?"
(Monster salivating now, making low moans, putting claw over phone and making obscene gestures to Jon. Now, taking deep yoga cleansing breath...) "You need to educate yourself about the industry. Do you ever go online."
"Online? What do you mean?"
(Now monster is being tempered by good fairy on right shoulder. Be kind!)
"Do you have a computer?"
"No."
(Monster is now weeping slightly and glaring at good fairy.)
"You need to learn about computers. You need to learn about publishing. Most publishers today want electronic copies of everything."
"What is an electronic copy?"
(Monster in a pool of tears.)
"Go to the library. Learn about publishing. Learn about computers. Write your book. Then send me a query."
(Monster goes up in puff of smoke.)
"What's a query?"
(Good fairy explains query and quietly finishes conversation.)
Sigh. Happy summer all you informed writers!
"Kae Tienstra."
"Is this Kate Ienster?"
"Yes, this is Kae."
"OK, what do you do?"
"I'm an agent and a book publicist (now I'm getting antsy). How can I help you?"
"Do you publish books?"
(Really getting steamed--looking longingly at my most excellent manuscript.) "We don't publish books. We are agents. We are publicists."
"Do you take women's fiction?"
"Yes."
"Like I have this book I'm working on, but I don't know where I should send it."
(Inner monster has arisen--fangs are now unsheathed.) "You need to go to the library and read The Writers Market 2010. You need to go online and learn about the industry."
"Learn about what?"
(Monster salivating now, making low moans, putting claw over phone and making obscene gestures to Jon. Now, taking deep yoga cleansing breath...) "You need to educate yourself about the industry. Do you ever go online."
"Online? What do you mean?"
(Now monster is being tempered by good fairy on right shoulder. Be kind!)
"Do you have a computer?"
"No."
(Monster is now weeping slightly and glaring at good fairy.)
"You need to learn about computers. You need to learn about publishing. Most publishers today want electronic copies of everything."
"What is an electronic copy?"
(Monster in a pool of tears.)
"Go to the library. Learn about publishing. Learn about computers. Write your book. Then send me a query."
(Monster goes up in puff of smoke.)
"What's a query?"
(Good fairy explains query and quietly finishes conversation.)
Sigh. Happy summer all you informed writers!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
THE "USED-TO-BE YEARS" OF BOOK PUBLICITY
PUBLICITY--THE PIONEER WOMAN SHOWS US HOW IT'S DONE--2010 STYLE
The other part of my career, the one I don't talk about much here, is my role as book publicist. As we slowly build our literary agency, it's book publicity that pays the bills. Today I'm paying homage to book publicity and how it's changed.
Every few months I meet three other "freelance" book publicists at a cheap and yummy Chinese restaurant in NYC. We've been doing this for over 15 years--after C left Ballantine, D left Putnam, I left Rodale and ML left show-biz publicity. We talk about the biz, about how we're each doing, about the authors and publishers we service. But mostly we talk about CHANGE. Sometimes we wax nostalgic about the "used-to-be-years" when we could do a whiz-bang author tour that included national television interviews, three or four or more radio and television interviews and at least one print interview and a book signing in each market. We remember when we could sit down with the producers of the BIG shows like "Today" and "Good Morning America" and get at least one interview for our clients per season. Life was good. My friends and I complain that it's hard to get an editor on the phone or pitch a radio producer. "Everything is voicemail and email!"we cry.
Oh, how things have changed. Sitting down with the producer of a national television show? Maybe--if you're the PR director for Random House or the press agent for George Clooney. Author tour? Hardly. It's just not worth it, not when you can do radio-telephone interviews and guest blogging. Book signings? Yes! But these are usually in the author's home town or in markets where he or she is traveling.
Now, there are exceptions. I've been very impressed with what Ree Drummond, "The Pioneer Woman" has been doing. Ree is probably the best blogger in the universe and she wisely parlayed her fabulous cooking-confession-parenting-marriage-lifestyle blog into a colorful cookbook for William Morrow Cookbooks. The girl is a publicist's dream and kudos to Morrow for recognizing that. Morrow put her out on the road on a 27- city tour, including Tulsa, Denver, Phoenix, Little Rock, Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, Chicago and New York City. She schmoozed with Whoopie Goldberg and the ladies on "The View" and cooked for the hosts of "Good Morning America." I noticed that her "tour" always included book signings and presentations, but was short on interviews. Who needs interviews when you sell hundreds of books at every bookstore / venue you visit?
Ree's is an interesting case because suddenly this woman is a celebrity. It's because of her blog. She attracted a steady stream of readers with her brilliant, useful and colorful posts. When she was named "Blogger of the Year" a few years ago, it was time to become a book author. The entire arc of her career and heady success could be seen as a case study of what book publicity has become.
So when we four publicists who've been in the trenches since the 80s moan about the changes, we need to slap ourselves and get social--social media I mean. It's how things work now.
The other part of my career, the one I don't talk about much here, is my role as book publicist. As we slowly build our literary agency, it's book publicity that pays the bills. Today I'm paying homage to book publicity and how it's changed.
Every few months I meet three other "freelance" book publicists at a cheap and yummy Chinese restaurant in NYC. We've been doing this for over 15 years--after C left Ballantine, D left Putnam, I left Rodale and ML left show-biz publicity. We talk about the biz, about how we're each doing, about the authors and publishers we service. But mostly we talk about CHANGE. Sometimes we wax nostalgic about the "used-to-be-years" when we could do a whiz-bang author tour that included national television interviews, three or four or more radio and television interviews and at least one print interview and a book signing in each market. We remember when we could sit down with the producers of the BIG shows like "Today" and "Good Morning America" and get at least one interview for our clients per season. Life was good. My friends and I complain that it's hard to get an editor on the phone or pitch a radio producer. "Everything is voicemail and email!"we cry.
Oh, how things have changed. Sitting down with the producer of a national television show? Maybe--if you're the PR director for Random House or the press agent for George Clooney. Author tour? Hardly. It's just not worth it, not when you can do radio-telephone interviews and guest blogging. Book signings? Yes! But these are usually in the author's home town or in markets where he or she is traveling.
Now, there are exceptions. I've been very impressed with what Ree Drummond, "The Pioneer Woman" has been doing. Ree is probably the best blogger in the universe and she wisely parlayed her fabulous cooking-confession-parenting-marriage-lifestyle blog into a colorful cookbook for William Morrow Cookbooks. The girl is a publicist's dream and kudos to Morrow for recognizing that. Morrow put her out on the road on a 27- city tour, including Tulsa, Denver, Phoenix, Little Rock, Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, Chicago and New York City. She schmoozed with Whoopie Goldberg and the ladies on "The View" and cooked for the hosts of "Good Morning America." I noticed that her "tour" always included book signings and presentations, but was short on interviews. Who needs interviews when you sell hundreds of books at every bookstore / venue you visit?
Ree's is an interesting case because suddenly this woman is a celebrity. It's because of her blog. She attracted a steady stream of readers with her brilliant, useful and colorful posts. When she was named "Blogger of the Year" a few years ago, it was time to become a book author. The entire arc of her career and heady success could be seen as a case study of what book publicity has become.
So when we four publicists who've been in the trenches since the 80s moan about the changes, we need to slap ourselves and get social--social media I mean. It's how things work now.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
DRUMROLL PLEASE! GREAT NEWS & ANOTHER CONTEST
The editor at Berkley/Prime Crime called me this afternoon with good news.
Town in a Blueberry Jam is # 35 on the New York Times mass market fiction bestselling extended list!!
To make it better, the book has gone back for a second printing. I checked the Amazon ranking and we're at 3,540. I do believe that this is the little book that could.
Congratulations to Bob and Beth Feeman aka B.B. Haywood and to Berkley/Prime Crime.
I'm sure this kind of thing happens a lot in the big agencies. But for Jon and me this is a red-letter day. Now, don't go running to see the listing in the NYT Book Review list yet. They only list the top 20, so Town in a Blueberry Jam has a way to go to arrive at that coveted spot. But, I think it could happen.
Just had to share. It's a ray of sunshine in a most bitter and snow-filled winter. The ramp we installed at the front door for Jon's 95-year-old mom's transport chair is like a luge run. I have to mince my way around it to avoid breaking my neck and the UPS man is ready to strangle us!
I'm in the mood for another contest to celebrate Blueberry Jam. The first three people who give me the name of Candy Holliday's best friend (in the comments section) will win a brand new copy of Town in a Blueberry Jam.
Monday, June 15, 2009
PUBLICISTS OR AGENTS? GOOD QUESTION
OMG--Two posts in one day? Yep. Our reader "Reason Reanimator" just posted the following questions. Because we are unique, bi-tasking agents and because others ask us how it works, I felt it was important to answer RR's questions for all to see.
Reason Reanimator: Hi. I've always been a fan of Rodale's books and information. Years ago I found an old copy of Make Compost In 14 Days squeezed in among my husband's grandparents' books--I immediately asked if I could have it. And I've still got it! I think that you worked there for years is very cool.
New Literary Agents: I'm glad you like Rodale books. I think it's cool I worked there too. It was better than going to grad school and I still have dreams about Bob Rodale--he was the genuine article!
RR: I'm confused over how you can wear both agent hats and publicist hats; they seem conflicting roles in at least one way. Publicists tend to take on works easier than agents could because publicists are typically paid ahead of time.
NLA: We operate our two businesses in parallel fashion. Publishers and published authors hire us after a book is published to work on the publicity campaign for the book. They pay us to do that work. We sometimes are hired to work on retainer for publishers.
As literary agents we take on authors whose books we think we can sell to publishers. Like all ethical agents, we take NO MONEY from our literary agency authors. If we sell a client's work we take the standard 15% cut of the advances and royalties paid by the publisher. We DO NOT take money to publicize our literary agency client's work. We do, however, talk up the books after they are published and try to get a good publicity clause in the contract with the publisher.
RR: So, theoretically at least, as an agent you could reject representing a manuscript but as a publicist wind up representing that finished book in future.
NLA: Possible, but hasn't happened yet. If it does, you'll be the first to hear about it!
RR: I should say that I'm down on agents (sorry about that), but I'm not down on publicists; especially because of the increased "noise" in society, good publicists are probably needed now more than ever. But simply put: someday you could find yourself publicizing a book you'd previously rejected as a manuscript. Wouldn't that be a little like, well, eating crow (so maybe you ultimately wouldn't publicize a book like that then lol)? ...Hmmm, maybe more agents should become publicists too. Maybe they'd learn more humility about what "quality writing" is, how well they know publishers--and especially how well they "know the reading public"! Everyone probably wishes they crystal-ball knew what would sell, but I think comparatively few people even come close to guessing with high accuracy.
NLA: I'm sorry you're down on agents too, but glad you like publicists. (By the way, did I mention I'm a Gemini?) But let's talk about why we reject so many projects. Sometimes the book is just not good enough. Or, the book may be fine but it just doesn't resonate with us. We have to be PASSIONATE about a book to sell it to an editor. And quite often we pass because we simply don't think we have the contacts necessary to sell the book. It just happened this morning. I rejected a potentially winning book on weight-loss, not because it wasn't good, but because I don't have a clue how I could sell it. I'm thrilled when a book we reject gets snapped up by someone else. It means the system is still working. And, BTW, there are other agent/publicists out there!
RR: Your blog seems low-key, personal and more writer friendly; I cannot say the same for most others. I'm curious if your place will remain the same the longer you're at the agenting role. I do think that the nicest agents tend to be the newest ones. In general, publishing burns out most people pretty fast. WHY has always been beyond me. Publishing's hardly air-traffic controlling! I worked in and for a large nonfiction house myself--quite a tiring job at the quarter ends, but other than that, not much stress.Anyway, good luck to you!
NLA: Thank you for the compliment! I guess you'll just have to keep reading to see if I turn into the wicked witch of Fogelsville. If you have other questions about the way we work, we'd love to hear them. Jon just said that he when he's in the midst of logging in and reading partials and manuscripts, answering queries and keeping it all organized, he feels he IS an (air) traffic controller! But, meanwhile it's a beautiul day in the neighborhood and we love our jobs!
Reason Reanimator: Hi. I've always been a fan of Rodale's books and information. Years ago I found an old copy of Make Compost In 14 Days squeezed in among my husband's grandparents' books--I immediately asked if I could have it. And I've still got it! I think that you worked there for years is very cool.
New Literary Agents: I'm glad you like Rodale books. I think it's cool I worked there too. It was better than going to grad school and I still have dreams about Bob Rodale--he was the genuine article!
RR: I'm confused over how you can wear both agent hats and publicist hats; they seem conflicting roles in at least one way. Publicists tend to take on works easier than agents could because publicists are typically paid ahead of time.
NLA: We operate our two businesses in parallel fashion. Publishers and published authors hire us after a book is published to work on the publicity campaign for the book. They pay us to do that work. We sometimes are hired to work on retainer for publishers.
As literary agents we take on authors whose books we think we can sell to publishers. Like all ethical agents, we take NO MONEY from our literary agency authors. If we sell a client's work we take the standard 15% cut of the advances and royalties paid by the publisher. We DO NOT take money to publicize our literary agency client's work. We do, however, talk up the books after they are published and try to get a good publicity clause in the contract with the publisher.
RR: So, theoretically at least, as an agent you could reject representing a manuscript but as a publicist wind up representing that finished book in future.
NLA: Possible, but hasn't happened yet. If it does, you'll be the first to hear about it!
RR: I should say that I'm down on agents (sorry about that), but I'm not down on publicists; especially because of the increased "noise" in society, good publicists are probably needed now more than ever. But simply put: someday you could find yourself publicizing a book you'd previously rejected as a manuscript. Wouldn't that be a little like, well, eating crow (so maybe you ultimately wouldn't publicize a book like that then lol)? ...Hmmm, maybe more agents should become publicists too. Maybe they'd learn more humility about what "quality writing" is, how well they know publishers--and especially how well they "know the reading public"! Everyone probably wishes they crystal-ball knew what would sell, but I think comparatively few people even come close to guessing with high accuracy.
NLA: I'm sorry you're down on agents too, but glad you like publicists. (By the way, did I mention I'm a Gemini?) But let's talk about why we reject so many projects. Sometimes the book is just not good enough. Or, the book may be fine but it just doesn't resonate with us. We have to be PASSIONATE about a book to sell it to an editor. And quite often we pass because we simply don't think we have the contacts necessary to sell the book. It just happened this morning. I rejected a potentially winning book on weight-loss, not because it wasn't good, but because I don't have a clue how I could sell it. I'm thrilled when a book we reject gets snapped up by someone else. It means the system is still working. And, BTW, there are other agent/publicists out there!
RR: Your blog seems low-key, personal and more writer friendly; I cannot say the same for most others. I'm curious if your place will remain the same the longer you're at the agenting role. I do think that the nicest agents tend to be the newest ones. In general, publishing burns out most people pretty fast. WHY has always been beyond me. Publishing's hardly air-traffic controlling! I worked in and for a large nonfiction house myself--quite a tiring job at the quarter ends, but other than that, not much stress.Anyway, good luck to you!
NLA: Thank you for the compliment! I guess you'll just have to keep reading to see if I turn into the wicked witch of Fogelsville. If you have other questions about the way we work, we'd love to hear them. Jon just said that he when he's in the midst of logging in and reading partials and manuscripts, answering queries and keeping it all organized, he feels he IS an (air) traffic controller! But, meanwhile it's a beautiul day in the neighborhood and we love our jobs!
Monday, May 11, 2009
BOOK EXPO, ABA, AND EARLY DAYS WITH DAVE BARRY
Another morning of queries, and yes, you guessed it, the "abused woman who is the world's greatest composer" was back! I need a break.
We're registering for Book Expo America this week. We'll spend the rest of the month getting organized so that we make the convention as productive as possible. This pre-BEA flutter of activity brings back memories of BEAs and ABAs past. (It was called the American Bookseller Association convention--ABA--when I was just a new kid in publishing.)
The big book for Rodale in 1980 when I attended the first "ABA" was, I kid you not, Movable Insulation. Those were the good old days at Rodale when "organic" meant compost, sprouts and rice cakes and Bob Rodale came to the booth and sat in a rocking chair. I remember a guy passing our booth and saying to his friend, "That guy looks just like Bob Rodale!"
As time passed and Rodale began to move from the old mail order books model into the scary world of trade books--those that would do well in bookstores--our image at BEA began to change. Instead of baking bread in the booth as we did in the 70s, we concentrated on pushing books out the door. Instead of do-it-yourself insulation, draft horses, nuts and grains, we began to promote running, back packing, beauty and "delicious cooking."
Then we found Dave Barry and everything really changed for the book division. Our crack director of trade sales, Barbara Andrews, discovered a column Dave had written for a suburban Philadelphia paper. His column entitled "How to Make a Board" charmed Barbara and all of us in publicity. This guy Dave Barry was REALLY funny. And he was writing about a topic near and dear to us at Rodale, building things! He should write a book for us!
We contacted Dave who was unagented at the time. He agreed to write a short humor book entitled The Taming of the Screw. As publicity director, I was thrilled, but didn't know how to publicize such a book. I got smart with his next book, Babies and Other Hazards of Sex, and hired Donna Gould, a freelance publicist who had done a great campaign for The Preppie Handbook. Instead of Movable Insulation, we launched Dave's Babies book at BEA and the rest is history. Donna and I collaborated beautifully on the publicity campaign for the book which included a 12-city author tour for Dave. Babies and Other Hazards of Sex became a Rodale bestseller.
Dave went on to write several more books for Rodale, but was eventually wooed away to Crown who could pay him more and invest more into his career. It was a good move for him--he's a famous guy now. But, now you know where he got his start!
What does this mean for writers today? I think modeling your career after Dave Barry's might be a good idea.
We're registering for Book Expo America this week. We'll spend the rest of the month getting organized so that we make the convention as productive as possible. This pre-BEA flutter of activity brings back memories of BEAs and ABAs past. (It was called the American Bookseller Association convention--ABA--when I was just a new kid in publishing.)
The big book for Rodale in 1980 when I attended the first "ABA" was, I kid you not, Movable Insulation. Those were the good old days at Rodale when "organic" meant compost, sprouts and rice cakes and Bob Rodale came to the booth and sat in a rocking chair. I remember a guy passing our booth and saying to his friend, "That guy looks just like Bob Rodale!"
As time passed and Rodale began to move from the old mail order books model into the scary world of trade books--those that would do well in bookstores--our image at BEA began to change. Instead of baking bread in the booth as we did in the 70s, we concentrated on pushing books out the door. Instead of do-it-yourself insulation, draft horses, nuts and grains, we began to promote running, back packing, beauty and "delicious cooking."
Then we found Dave Barry and everything really changed for the book division. Our crack director of trade sales, Barbara Andrews, discovered a column Dave had written for a suburban Philadelphia paper. His column entitled "How to Make a Board" charmed Barbara and all of us in publicity. This guy Dave Barry was REALLY funny. And he was writing about a topic near and dear to us at Rodale, building things! He should write a book for us!
We contacted Dave who was unagented at the time. He agreed to write a short humor book entitled The Taming of the Screw. As publicity director, I was thrilled, but didn't know how to publicize such a book. I got smart with his next book, Babies and Other Hazards of Sex, and hired Donna Gould, a freelance publicist who had done a great campaign for The Preppie Handbook. Instead of Movable Insulation, we launched Dave's Babies book at BEA and the rest is history. Donna and I collaborated beautifully on the publicity campaign for the book which included a 12-city author tour for Dave. Babies and Other Hazards of Sex became a Rodale bestseller.
Dave went on to write several more books for Rodale, but was eventually wooed away to Crown who could pay him more and invest more into his career. It was a good move for him--he's a famous guy now. But, now you know where he got his start!
What does this mean for writers today? I think modeling your career after Dave Barry's might be a good idea.
- Work like crazy. Dave wrote for newspapers to pay the bills. You may need to write a blog.
- Get yourself out there.
- Keep writing, no matter what else you have to do to pay the bills.
- Take advantage of whatever opportunities come your way.
- Play nice. Don't burn bridges and do what your publisher tells you.
I got carried away with the good old days with this entry. Stay tuned for more on Book Expo!
Monday, March 23, 2009
SETH GODIN TALKS TO AGENTS
Seth Godin is a guy you should get to know. A few days ago he posted an article every agent and author needs to read. He talks about--gulp--agents--all kinds of agents. Literary agents are right up there. Here's what Seth has to say:
"Literary agents are crucial when publishers believe that their choice of content is essential but have too many choices and too little time. But publishers don't trust every literary agent. They trust agents they believe in. Key point: anonymous agents are interchangeable and virtually worthless. Agents that don't do anything but help one side find the other side in a human approximation of Google aren't so helpful any more."
I couldn't agree more. Literary agents need authors who trust us and want to work with us. But unless we have solid relationships with the editors who will purchase our clients' work, we cannot succeed. This is the most difficult hurdle new literary agents face and one we've been working on since we opened our agency. As book publicists we knew and had contacts with many publishers--on the marketing/publicity side. Our challenge was (and is) to step across the hall and buddy up to the editors at those houses. The only way to do that successfully is to bring them books they want.
Here's another priceless nugget from Seth:
"...agents must...consider who they are selling to. Should talent agents only sell to Hollywood? Literary agents only to book publishers? ...When markets change, agents can lead the way, not follow along grudgingly."
I confess I've been thinking about this for some time. In these days of POD and instant books, there are many strategic marketing benefits available to savvy companies who want to put their brand on an appropriate book. After all, Starbucks picks bestsellers to sell in it's stores. What about taking this a step further? Would Honda consider publishing a book about the open road? If we take on a book about eyesight, should we approach Lens Crafters as a potential publisher?
Just a few thoughts spurred on by Godin. He's always one to kick one's brain into motion.
"Literary agents are crucial when publishers believe that their choice of content is essential but have too many choices and too little time. But publishers don't trust every literary agent. They trust agents they believe in. Key point: anonymous agents are interchangeable and virtually worthless. Agents that don't do anything but help one side find the other side in a human approximation of Google aren't so helpful any more."
I couldn't agree more. Literary agents need authors who trust us and want to work with us. But unless we have solid relationships with the editors who will purchase our clients' work, we cannot succeed. This is the most difficult hurdle new literary agents face and one we've been working on since we opened our agency. As book publicists we knew and had contacts with many publishers--on the marketing/publicity side. Our challenge was (and is) to step across the hall and buddy up to the editors at those houses. The only way to do that successfully is to bring them books they want.
Here's another priceless nugget from Seth:
"...agents must...consider who they are selling to. Should talent agents only sell to Hollywood? Literary agents only to book publishers? ...When markets change, agents can lead the way, not follow along grudgingly."
I confess I've been thinking about this for some time. In these days of POD and instant books, there are many strategic marketing benefits available to savvy companies who want to put their brand on an appropriate book. After all, Starbucks picks bestsellers to sell in it's stores. What about taking this a step further? Would Honda consider publishing a book about the open road? If we take on a book about eyesight, should we approach Lens Crafters as a potential publisher?
Just a few thoughts spurred on by Godin. He's always one to kick one's brain into motion.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
GORDATH WOOD TOP PICK
One of our favorite authors, Patrice Sarath, just checked in to tell us some good news. The romance review site "Paranormal Romance" recognized her debut novel Gordath Wood as a Top Pick for December.
You can read all about it here along with the great review of the book:
http://paranormalromance.org/blog/2008/12/reviewers-top-picks-december-2008.html
The other good news is that Patrice's second book, a sequel to Gordath Wood, will be published by Ace in 2009. Stay tuned!
You can read all about it here along with the great review of the book:
http://paranormalromance.org/blog/2008/12/reviewers-top-picks-december-2008.html
The other good news is that Patrice's second book, a sequel to Gordath Wood, will be published by Ace in 2009. Stay tuned!
Friday, December 5, 2008
RAISING YOUR PROFILE
I've blogged in the past about how important it is, especially for a nonfiction author, to develop a "platform." Publishers need to know that you are media-worthy, capable of doing interviews and able to present your ideas in a compelling fashion. If you have a popular website or blog which is read by many, that's even better. Why is this so important?
It's pretty simple. If you already have a following, those people are your potential readers. If people already know you and like what you say they will be very interested in reading your book when it's published. This, in a nutshell, is why books by celebrities are so popular. The publisher doesn't have to invest time and money to introduce the author--the author is famous and her fans will flock to the bookstore to buy her book when it's published. A celebrity is a ready-made publicity machine. But, if you're not Britney Spears or Laura Bush, a blog or website can help you raise your profile.
My longtime client, Paddy Welles, Ph.D., is a noted speaker with great credentials. She is a marriage and family therapist and the author of two books on the topic of intimate relationships. But when she and her co-author Rudolf Harmsen, Ph.D. decided to write a book on the topic of love and war, the playing field changed. Harmsen, an evolutionary biologist and Dr. Welles decided to create a book that would compare and contrast the evolutionary and psychological roots of humankind's need for love and war. It's never been done and it's fascinating.
But Paddy's experience is in the psychological field, not sociology, not in the study of warfare. She needs to do something now to reintroduce herself as an expert on the topics of love AND war. She will do that, in part, with her new blog http://paddy-loveandwar.blogspot.com/.
Take a look at how she's doing this and consider how you might use a blog to help in your quest for a publisher. But blogging is not for everyone. Don't do it if you don't have a strong point of view, a love of writing and the commitment and the time to write frequently. If these traits apply to you, blogging might be a good way to introduce yourself to a wide audience.
It's pretty simple. If you already have a following, those people are your potential readers. If people already know you and like what you say they will be very interested in reading your book when it's published. This, in a nutshell, is why books by celebrities are so popular. The publisher doesn't have to invest time and money to introduce the author--the author is famous and her fans will flock to the bookstore to buy her book when it's published. A celebrity is a ready-made publicity machine. But, if you're not Britney Spears or Laura Bush, a blog or website can help you raise your profile.
My longtime client, Paddy Welles, Ph.D., is a noted speaker with great credentials. She is a marriage and family therapist and the author of two books on the topic of intimate relationships. But when she and her co-author Rudolf Harmsen, Ph.D. decided to write a book on the topic of love and war, the playing field changed. Harmsen, an evolutionary biologist and Dr. Welles decided to create a book that would compare and contrast the evolutionary and psychological roots of humankind's need for love and war. It's never been done and it's fascinating.
But Paddy's experience is in the psychological field, not sociology, not in the study of warfare. She needs to do something now to reintroduce herself as an expert on the topics of love AND war. She will do that, in part, with her new blog http://paddy-loveandwar.blogspot.com/.
Take a look at how she's doing this and consider how you might use a blog to help in your quest for a publisher. But blogging is not for everyone. Don't do it if you don't have a strong point of view, a love of writing and the commitment and the time to write frequently. If these traits apply to you, blogging might be a good way to introduce yourself to a wide audience.
Friday, July 11, 2008
MIDSUMMER MEANDERINGS
I spent Wednesday in New York City. Hot, humid, just plain muggy--just how we like New York in July. The purpose of my visit was two-fold: 1. a meeting with the editor of a health publisher 2. yet another raucous dinner with my "old" PR buddies. Here's how it went--
The Editor Meeting
The editor was delightful. We shared publishing tales and I went away with concrete ideas about the books this editor is seeking. Note: If you are a doctor, RN or other health professional and have a book about how to cope with a specific disease, contact me. I am simply thrilled that this editor found me and am looking forward to working with her in the near future. (I'm also thrilled that she introduced me to Gregory's Coffee Shop--so much cooler than the S-place!)
The Raucous Publicity Mavens Dinner
I launched my publicity business 15 years ago and for at least 10 of those 15 years I've been dining in New York on a regular basis with three other publicists, all of whom run their own shops--two in NYC, one in New Jersey, mine in Pennsylvania. We originally met to share publicity stories and dish the publishing dirt. Our mission hasn't changed much in the past 10 or so years.
Collectively:
Now for a special side note for Friday, July 11. Those of you who read this blog regularly know our office cat Wylie. Wylie sits poised on the brink of stardom. Please visit "Galley Cat" , scroll down the "Adorable Summer Cats" photos and see Wylie the accountant. OK, you can see it on our blog as well, but he's in such good company in Galley Cat!
The Editor Meeting
The editor was delightful. We shared publishing tales and I went away with concrete ideas about the books this editor is seeking. Note: If you are a doctor, RN or other health professional and have a book about how to cope with a specific disease, contact me. I am simply thrilled that this editor found me and am looking forward to working with her in the near future. (I'm also thrilled that she introduced me to Gregory's Coffee Shop--so much cooler than the S-place!)
The Raucous Publicity Mavens Dinner
I launched my publicity business 15 years ago and for at least 10 of those 15 years I've been dining in New York on a regular basis with three other publicists, all of whom run their own shops--two in NYC, one in New Jersey, mine in Pennsylvania. We originally met to share publicity stories and dish the publishing dirt. Our mission hasn't changed much in the past 10 or so years.
Collectively:
- We've experienced health crises, the entry into college and graduation of two of our children, the marriage of two of our children, the birth of 4 grandchildren with another on the way.
- We've travelled the country and the world--Italy, France, Turkey--just to name a few places.
- We've experienced a complete overhaul in the way we run our businesses, from phone-based to Internet-based.
- We've worked with the big name publishers, smaller independents and tiny houses.
- We've been hired by authors, by publishers, sometimes by other businesses.
- We've had great successes and hilarious mishaps.
- We've counseled each other on how to handle dicey editors, nasty publicists, clueless producers and head-in-the-clouds authors.
- We've tirelessly and dependably shared our precious media lists.
- Mostly we've laughed, driven waiters crazy, drunk far too much wine and generally had a wonderful time.
Now for a special side note for Friday, July 11. Those of you who read this blog regularly know our office cat Wylie. Wylie sits poised on the brink of stardom. Please visit "Galley Cat" , scroll down the "Adorable Summer Cats" photos and see Wylie the accountant. OK, you can see it on our blog as well, but he's in such good company in Galley Cat!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
PUBLICITY TALES
Jon and I designed our literary agency to run parallel with our ongoing book publicity firm, KT Public Relations. When we began this blog our intention was to show how the two businesses ebb and flow. However, up to now, we really haven't shared what the publicity side entails. So here goes--life in the other side of the office.
I handle most of the publicity. Jon takes off his agent's hat and helps in a crunch--crunch defined as a big mailing or any nasty projects that involve meeting the UPS man out front and hauling heavy boxes in. He also acts as editor to make sure that everything I write gets a second look before it goes out.
This week I'm concentrating on several projects:
1. My ongoing and longtime client, Jane Kirkland, award-winning children's nature book author. In days to come I'll tell you more about Jane, a successful self-published author who makes it look easy. (It's not.) Jane's latest projects include her first book for educators, No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard and her first FREE book for kids, Take A Cloud Walk which you can download at her website. I line up lots of school programs for Jane and we're now trying to find sponsors for her. If you know of any product or business that would benefit from being affiliated with a green, kid-and-nature-oriented author, let me know!
2. A new book entitled Fully Fertile: A Holistic 12-Week Plan for Optimal Fertility by Chicago-based authors Tamara Quinn, Elisabeth Heller & Jeanie Lee Bussell. We're mailing review copies and pushing for national television and radio. This book will be a godsend for many women. Find out more about the book and authors here.
3. A forthcoming book, Pennsylvania's Forbes Trail: Gateways and Getaways along the Legendary Route from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh published just in time to celebrate the Trail's 250th anniversary and the 250th anniversary of Pittsburgh. Great fun, great book.
4. Books from Visible Ink Press including American Murder: Criminals, Crime, and the Media. Oooooo!
That's just a start. Stay tuned for more tales of Frantic in Fogelsville: How Two Mature Book Publicists Pursued their Love of Books into a New Era.
Labels: Publicity
I handle most of the publicity. Jon takes off his agent's hat and helps in a crunch--crunch defined as a big mailing or any nasty projects that involve meeting the UPS man out front and hauling heavy boxes in. He also acts as editor to make sure that everything I write gets a second look before it goes out.
This week I'm concentrating on several projects:
1. My ongoing and longtime client, Jane Kirkland, award-winning children's nature book author. In days to come I'll tell you more about Jane, a successful self-published author who makes it look easy. (It's not.) Jane's latest projects include her first book for educators, No Student Left Indoors: Creating a Field Guide to Your Schoolyard and her first FREE book for kids, Take A Cloud Walk which you can download at her website. I line up lots of school programs for Jane and we're now trying to find sponsors for her. If you know of any product or business that would benefit from being affiliated with a green, kid-and-nature-oriented author, let me know!
2. A new book entitled Fully Fertile: A Holistic 12-Week Plan for Optimal Fertility by Chicago-based authors Tamara Quinn, Elisabeth Heller & Jeanie Lee Bussell. We're mailing review copies and pushing for national television and radio. This book will be a godsend for many women. Find out more about the book and authors here.
3. A forthcoming book, Pennsylvania's Forbes Trail: Gateways and Getaways along the Legendary Route from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh published just in time to celebrate the Trail's 250th anniversary and the 250th anniversary of Pittsburgh. Great fun, great book.
4. Books from Visible Ink Press including American Murder: Criminals, Crime, and the Media. Oooooo!
That's just a start. Stay tuned for more tales of Frantic in Fogelsville: How Two Mature Book Publicists Pursued their Love of Books into a New Era.
Labels: Publicity
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
