Thoughts on promotion

I know that not everyone reads the comments section, so I wanted to pull out these remarks I left on the post below regarding book trailers. I'm responding to two prior comments in the thread.

JD Rhoades wrote: "What it all boils down to, I fear, is that none of us really know what works."

Alex Sokoloff wrote: "The thing is, it ALL works, to one degree or another."

Those two statements go right to the heart of this discussion, I think. When it comes to marketing books, most things you try will work to one degree or another -- but what's nearly impossible is learning what degree that is.

That's why I urge authors to think long and hard, and to gather as much information as they can, before they commit to spending their time or money on promotional activities.

Someone will tell you, "You have to spend $5k on a book trailer" while someone else will say, "You've got to spend an hour every day blogging" or "You've got to visit every bookstore within a thousand miles" -- but as Dusty points out, we don't actually know if any of those things will work.

So I think it's important to question the "received wisdom" that gets bandied about so much in the publishing community. Not because a particular strategy does or doesn't work -- but because we don't usually have the evidence necessary to assess them. And thus a healthy dose of skepticism is in order.

Authors need to try to figure out what works best for them, given their personality, their skills, the amount of free time they have, their available resources, the nature of their book, the amount of support they're getting from their publisher, etc. They can't just write a check and hope for the best.

Comments

[Guyot]

Jeez, I wish I could post my comments on the front page...

[Lee Child]

Alex and Dusty are both right. Everything works. Literally everything. I don't think there is anything I have ever done that hasn't produced at least a couple of readers. Years later one fan told me she tried my books because I greeted someone politely at a conference, and she thought, he's a gentleman, I should try his books.

But Dusty is right because getting a couple of readers at a time is obviously at the cost-ineffective end of the scale.

So obviously the question is what makes the big impact?

And, problematically, the answers we hear tend to ignore the 800-lb gorilla in the room, which is that everything we talk about in blogs like these addresses only the tiny grains of sand scattered in front of the huge mountain - and the huge mountain is expensive, committed, unrelenting support from a major publisher ... specifically, penetration to every conceivable point of sale. Advertising and reviews are only the tip of the iceberg. The real effort (and cost and expertise) goes into making sure that your book is actually for sale everywhere. If your book is in the 20-slot rack at the airport or the drugstore, it will sell purely by the law of averages to one in 20 customers.

So, should authors without massive publisher support do nothing? No, because being proactive is a kind of "audition" for the moment when a publisher decides who exactly to back in a big way. There are always five or six contenders, and being a helpful, motivated person can tip the decision your way.

[JDRhoades]

An excellent, if somewhat depressing point, Lee. So, in your considered opinion, what actions would be the most likely to impress a publisher?

[Alexandra Sokoloff]

I don't ever like to flatter Lee too much because, well, it's redundant, but THIS is pure gold:

"...being proactive is a kind of "audition" for the moment when a publisher decides who exactly to back in a big way. There are always five or six contenders, and being a helpful, motivated person can tip the decision your way."

THANK YOU for that - it's what I have been suspecting but it's really, really nice to have someone who knows confirm it.

I feel much better now.

Also, for Patrick if he's still here - some past gold from Mr. Montgomery on what works:

http://mjroseblog.typepad.com/buzz_balls_hype/2007/06/10_things_an_au.html

[Lee Child]

Dusty -

I need to be careful (in this year of Obama) not to prescribe yesterday when we need to think about tomorrow ... in other words, what worked for me in the past might not work in the future. But generally, it's an attitude thing ... or a sensibility thing. You have to tiptoe the line between being engaged and being pesky. Which often means thinking very carefully about your publisher's feelings. Example: about 800 of the airport edition of my first book were remaindered by my UK publisher. I bought them all and privately arranged for them to be given away to vacationers on the trains to the Heathrow and Gatwick airports. There was thereafter a decent spike in sales of the other (few, at that point) titles. So, good idea? No. My publisher was annoyed that I had devalued the brand (so bad we have to give them away??) and airport retailers were cross that potentially 800 sales had been preempted, because now 800 travelers had something to read for free.

Conversely I did a similar thing in New York - at Grand Central, with books bought at my author discount - and it worked very well and my US publisher was very happy. It's a question of sensing what your publisher secretly wants you to do, or not.

Arrange coverage with your local paper? Maybe your publicist will be delighted - or maybe she'll be furious, because she was looking for better timing, or was preparing a bigger package with a rival paper.

The You Tube type of ad falls into this category. Will your publisher be delighted? Or feel undercut by an inferior product she hasn't controlled?

I think far more time must be spent quantifying this type of fallout. You have to press hard on the "helpful" line without crossing into "pain in the ass" territory. So, what impresses publishers is what doesn't annoy them.

[I.J.Parker]

I also think Lee is absolutely right. I do not necessarily subscribe to the pro-active bit, because I think ultimately nothing but anticipated reader response will motivate the publisher. All of the options open to the author (trailers and book signings and blogging) are inadequate and won't produce the numbers the publisher wants. For me, the only thing that really works and that I truly rely on is reviews. (And of course an award nomination wouldn't hurt either).

[Victor Gischler]

I rather like the trailers Bantam Dell did for SUICIDE SQUEEZE and SHOTGUN OPERA. Did I suddenly gain 50,000 extra readers? No. But I didn't spend a penny, and since the trailers were mostly fast-moving graphics and music, I don't think Bantam spent much either. I don't see how they could hurt.

VG

[Elaine Flinn]

"You have to press hard on the "helpful" line without crossing into "pain in the ass" territory. So, what impresses publishers is what doesn't annoy them."

Oh, boy - wish I'd known Lee when I first started out. Being a 'self-starter' most of my life, I set up signings, sent copies to reviewers, and then contacted the book buyer at Costco. I'd sent the buyer an introduction letter, and a copy of my book. Proud as punch with my deeds, I told my agent and editor - and they both hit the roof and more or less told me to mind my own business and stay out of areas in which I had no expertise. I was stunned. I thought I was supposed to do what I could to help with promotion. I humorously told them that if, as an antiques dealer, I could successfully sell five and six figure antiques, I sure as hell had acquired some 'expertise' over the years.

They didn't think that was funny. Was I confused? You bet your ass I was. But at least I had the last laugh when my first book managed to garner four nominations, and the second book took home the Barry.

Needless to say, I'm no longer with that editor, or agent.

I guess the upshot of my rambling is - do all you can - hope to hell it works - and remember that it's all a crap shoot in the end.

[Sandra Ruttan]

What I really appreciate from Elaine's anecdote, and from Lee's comments, is the point that you shouldn't just do things for the sake of doing them. You have to think strategically, and you also need to develop a sense of what your publisher's interests are.

What I wish is that when you signed with a publisher, they had a little pdf download that had a contact list for who to talk to about what, and a basic tips guide - what they do, what things you can do if you choose.

I think we're used to the constant stories about lack of publisher support, and the "push push push" mantra associated with marketing. Newer people enter the scene and make blunders because they're inexperienced, but the market isn't always forgiving, nor are industry people. There is a sense, watching some, that they're like chickens running around with their heads cut off, and they have no idea if what they're doing is effective or not, but they're keeping busy.

Everyone talks about the few readers picked up, but we don't talk about what's harder to gauge - how many readers have been turned off.

I've listened to all the doom and gloom. I've certainly seen some people who appear, from a limited perspective, to achieve some success with extremely pushy marketing. I want my publisher to feel I'm invested, but at the same time there's a limit to what's feasible. You have to do a cost-benefit analysis on everything... and wherever possible, communicate.

The team at Dorchester has been wonderful, and they had some real surprises for me. In light of some recent news, I actually asked if I should make myself available to come to the US to do some B&N signings or not. After discussing that, it was agreed it wasn't the best use of my time and resources. If I was here, great. If not, don't go out of my way. I'm glad I talked to them. It enabled me to maintain my focus on other marketing options without worrying about my schedule or finances.

People want a quick and dirty formula, and that doesn't exist, but the writing comes first. If you don't have a book worth reading, it won't matter to me how clever your sales tactics are.

[Rburns]

Bunch of sycophants.

[Keith]

I think it's "flock of sycophants" and "bunch of cranks."

[JT Ellison]

This must be a record for me, two comments in two days.

Tomorrow on Murderati, I'm hosting another extensive interview with Putnam Publisher and Editor in Chief Neil Nyren. I asked him some of the same questions that have been floating around this week.

His answers may surprise some, and will certainly enlighten. Between Lee's gracious comments and Neil's forthright answers, we may be making some leaps in understanding what works and what doesn't this week.

[toni mcgee causey]

I agree that Lee nailed it with the idea of making a strategic choice. When I originally made my trailer for the first Bobbie Faye book, I wasn't making it for the reader, per se. I had sold on the basis of three chapters and had to finish the book and go through the publication process and I knew it was going to be a year-and-a-half or more between that sale and the book arriving in the store. I wanted to have something on hand for the sales reps to see, and for store managers. Something that would brand the humor / caper nature.

Well, my publisher loved it and made copies of it and sent it out with ARCs. They gave a tremendous number of DVDs away that included that trailer (and they designed a DVD cover which was fantastic). Did I get a ton of readers from it? I'll probably never know, thought my site got a very nice number of hits for a while when it was new. (And I'd do one half the length next time, which I think would have appealed more.) But two years later, I'm still being contacted for interviews or to participate in events based on having that trailer up, so it's working for me without my having to push.

Will I do it again? I'm toying with something that I think would be very funny, very short, and would keep the sort of brand I was trying to establish. Would I say it's a must-do? Absolutely not. I think it helped that I was straddling genres and the trailer pegged what the tone of my book was. I think it helped to have something for the sales reps to use. I don't think any trailer will necessarily ever start reaching beyond the choir until they become something akin to the superbowl ads -- surprising, different, visually grabbing -- and then, we'd still need to see them delivered via iTunes or via some major distributor.

And as soon as that happens, it'll be cluttered and then we'll have to come up with some other way to stand out. That's just evolution of the marketing process.

I appreciate Lee talking about the mountain in the room we mostly don't talk about. Nothing can substitute for that kind of backing, but being a team player sure can go a long way to encouraging a marketing team and PR team to want to work with an author.

[Alexandra Sokoloff]

That train giveaway example is fascinating. It sounded like such a good idea at the beginning of your story, and then...

But this is confusing:

"It's a question of sensing what your publisher secretly wants you to do, or not."

Is there a reason it's a secret? Isn't the best strategy to run ideas by your publisher before you do them so you KNOW you're avoiding annoying them?

[J.D. Rhoades]

Thanks for you thoughts on this, Lee. I'd observe that the part about showing your publisher you're willing to be a "helpful, motivated person" is nearly identical to some of the advice the oft-maligned Mr. Konrath has been generous enough to share with me as well.

[Lee Child]

Alex:

"Isn't the best strategy to run ideas by your publisher before you do them so you KNOW you're avoiding annoying them?"

Of course, ideally. But they're human, busy, preoccupied, sometimes not clear exactly what you're proposing, unwilling to play the bad guy, etc, etc. So you have to listen between the lines and put yourself in their shoes.

Dusty:

" ... nearly identical to some of the advice the oft-maligned Mr. Konrath has been generous enough to share ... "

You bet. I love Joe like a brother, and I know his shoulders are broad enough for this: his career kind of proves my point. No one has done more - no one has done even a tenth of what he has - of the incidental stuff, but he's not yet an international mega-seller ... so why not? Because the incidental stuff is incidental. Nothing can stand in for expensive, committed, unrelenting support from a major publisher. Joe is a writer of rare talent, and it's an easy bet that if his publisher does kick in big, he will be huge. He's our test case, in a way.

[David J. Montgomery]

Having observed what publishers can do for a book when they really want to push it, it's heartbreaking to see how little they do for the rest of them.

[M.J]

That's right David. It is. Publishers only have the time and money to push a small percentage of what they publish.

No matter how right or wrong any individual advice is the basic truth is no one can or will buy a book they do not know exists.

If the publisher is going to let everyone know your book exists then sit back and stop worrying.

If they aren't and you care about writing another book then you have to figure out how to stay alive in the game long enough to write the book the publisher will finally get behind.

I wish there was a less frustrating answer but there isn't.

[Alexandra Sokoloff]

Lee - thanks, got it. And I guess there's also a problem of not everyone at the house being on the same page about what they want you to be doing.

MJ, you've summed it up bluntly and brilliantly: " You have to figure out how to stay alive in the game long enough to write the book the publisher will finally get behind."

Yeah.

[M.J]

Thanks Alex... you know I actually woke up this morning thinking about this thread of comments... not sure I should admit that but...

I think the single most difficult and yet liberating moment I had in publishing was when I found out that ultimately my success depended not on me or the reader, not on my talent or the responsiveness of the audience but by the vagaries of the publishing industry.

That truth was provided to me by a friend, who happens to be a very good agent, one day over lunch, when he simply said, no matter what you do for your book, you can’t make yourself a bestseller.

And he was right. It’s the same thing Lee said. Only a publishing house can get behind a book to the extent that must exist for a book to take off and become a bestseller. And it takes the whole house – from your editor all the way up to the publisher - to anoint your book and say – this is it – this is the one of the two or five or ten books this year that we are going to give “it” to – it being the push” onto the list.

And when “it” happens – you know it. “It” authors don’t wonder if enough is being done for their books, don’t wait for phone calls that never come telling them what the print run is or if they are getting two weeks of co-op or not.

Since most of us here are novelists or deal with fiction – lets stay with fiction. There are over 8000 novels published by traditional publishers a year. So what are the 7500 of us who aren’t already bestsellers or who are not going to be anointed this year to do?

That’s where the issue really is, isn’t it?

Lee mentioned Joe Konrath as someone who has done everything possible to make himself a superstar and yet isn’t a bestseller yet.

I could argue there quite a few things he still could do but for the sake of the argument, Lee’s right – he’s a great example. (Sorry, Joe.)

Has he failed? Fuck no.

He is still being published. He is still getting paid to write novels. As opposed to the hundreds - or probably thousands – of writers who published their first novel the same year Joe did but are no longer writing at all. Some who as talented as Joe, some even more talented (no offense, Joe) who will never be heard from again.

The difference is “staying alive” that I mentioned in my previous comment. Joe is fighting to stay alive and doing what it takes and he’s winning.

Yes, it’s great to be a bestseller and it certainly is an admirable goal. But the truth is 99% of authors won’t even have a chance at that golden ring if they don’t stay alive long enough to write the book that the publisher is going to get behind and anoint.

There are the occasional meteoritic rises to success. Every year, of the 8000+ novelists who get published, there will be five debuts that make the list because they were anointed and the system worked.

Those five aren’t worth analyzing. They are the lottery winners – the five with just the right book and just the right agent at just the right time to just the right publisher who has just the right line up with just the right foresight to make it happen.

The list of authors to pay attention to and learn from are the other 99% on the bestseller list who got there after 5, 7, 10, or 18 books. Jodi Picoult became a bestseller with her 8th. Janet Evanovitch with the her18th. Carol O’Connell, who is one of my favorite writers, made it last year with her 10th.

It’s a rare author who gets anointed right off the bat.

Your goal can’t be to make yourself a bestseller – because as my friend told me at lunch and as Lee said – you can’t do that yourself and you’ll just eat yourself up alive with aggravation.

But you can help write better and better books. You can become educated about marketing and promotion and do something to help your career. Joe Konrath has done it. I’ve done it. I can list hundreds of authors who are still in the game because they’ve embraced the realities of the marketplace.

The bottom line is if you want a to keep writing you’re going to have to work with your publisher to find out where you stand and then do as much as you can to stay alive.

And to do that you have to accept to some degree that – and I say it so often it should be tattooed to my forehead – no one can buy a book they don’t know exists.

You don’t have to help your book. We’re authors not publishers. Not marketers. We got in this to write. Not to spend our advances on marketing. But this is the business we’re in. Publishers don’t have the time or money or ability to treat every book equally. So no matter what you choose to do – at least choose. Then you’ll never look back and wonder if you could have made a difference in your career because regret really sucks.

[Keith]

So no matter what you choose to do – at least choose.

Amen.

[David J. Montgomery]

Check out this interview with Neil Nyren over on Murderati for more thoughts on publishing, promotion, etc.

[Doug Riddle]

There is an old saw in advertising...."Half of all advertising dollars are wasted, problem is no one knows which half."

And an example of how little things really change, 20 years ago while in college I had a professor who was a midlist author, and he had the same complaints and concerns as many I have seen posted in the last couple days.

[Keith]

There's a bit someplace in PG Wodehouse about the same stuff. Though without the Quicktime podcasts.

[David Thayer]

Sadly I believe book trailers find their point of reference in corporate films with titles like REBAR: THE MISUNDERSTOOD CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL. Publishing is not a sexy business ( unlike construction) and no amount of borrowing from Hollywood or Madison Avenue alters that basic fact. Books and authors break out for reasons that defy logic. I have great hopes for ELEVATED ROAD BEDS: FOUR THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW.
The video depicts concrete as it cures.