Comments on: Publishers: Seven Types of Outreach To Cement The Publisher-Author Bond & Boost the Sales of Every Single Book

By: Deborah Smith

Deborah Smith — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 03:20:08 +0000

Hey, Kat! And thanks for the praise (we like Kat, she is always nice to us in return…) As Kat's editor I have both the small press view and, as a previously ensconced NY author at several major pubs, I know that POV too. Once Upon A Time in NY I was on the receiving end of marvelous attention as a baby author being groomed for stardom. All communications between me, my ed, my agent, etc. were immediate, friendly, helpful and efficient. I was invited to sales conferences, carted around in hired cars, sent on tour. And then . . . after a falling-out with an editor and a disasterous stint at another major house, where there was no communication, no personable concern, no marketing plan so far as I could tell . . . I experienced the dark side of the moon. Consequently, I left and went to work for my own small press… what I can say for sure is this: the golden dream expressed in Christina's sensible post ain't gonna come true. The structure of the major houses pits harried editors and marketing reps against a meat-grinder schedule that spits out XX new books every month, with time for only the barest bones of the publishing machinery to form. Books identified as current or future top sellers get the lion's share; the rest get standard stuff only. The staff at a NY house can't carve out time to pet the B and C-list authors. And even if they did, the business model doesn't support that effort. The profit margins on most books are so small that even an extra ounce of investment can't be justified. New York is a two-sided sword: you get the fabulous machinery that spits your book into venues across the country and effectively places it in front of booksellers and readers. Even the lowliest book gets shot of that massive cannon and can accrue significant sales simply by showing up. . . on the other hand, you and your book are an interchangeable cog in an ever-churning wheel. Don't like the treatment, Sister? Then get outta the way, cause there's plenty more eager bunnies waitin' to take your place … authors have to concentrate on the only world they can truly, sort-of, control: the writing of good books and the out-reach to their reading community.

By: christinakatz

christinakatz — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:24:21 +0000

I think partnering instead of being control-happy is still the way to go. And I still believe that for most unpublished authors, traditional publishing is going to create results leaps and bounds beyond what a writer could do on their on, with a few notable exceptions. Bottom line: thousands of authors are traditionally published each year. Rarely does a self-published author break out beyond the slush pile of self-published. And now we have info-preneurs in the mix, many of whom are landing traditional book deals and leveraging the heck out of them to try and make hay while the sun still shines on the stamp of approval the publisher has granted them. This would probably make a good post topic…I'll work on it.

By: christinakatz

christinakatz — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:19:40 +0000

Thanks, Jeanne. You might appreciate the advice in my book, as well, while you are in the gearing up for a book deal phase.

By: christinakatz

christinakatz — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:18:41 +0000

Hi DC,
I would point out that the marketing plan is the responsibility of the author and should have been drawn up and included at the time of the sale of the book and then followed at the time of launch as much as possible. Sounds like you more than took responsibility though, and I like to hear that.

By: christinakatz

christinakatz — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:17:03 +0000

And imagine how many more books would be sold if inside publicist viewed outside publicists as partners, not as threats. What we are suffering from in this business is a distinct lack of partnering.

By: andreawenger

andreawenger — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 07:16:50 +0000

Christina, this is a fabulous post. I wonder if some of the current problems stem from an outdated idea that newbie authors are uninformed about the process, and the best way to prevent histrionics is to keep them uninformed. As you noted, newbie authors are now quite savvy about the process (they have to be if they want to get their foot in the door), and they've got more realistic expectations. The business model is changing, and publishers who don't keep up won't be able to compete (a good thing for authors, I think, who now have more publishing options than ever, and more opportunities for control than ever).

By: jeannevb

jeannevb — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:22:56 +0000

Though I'm not a published author (yet), your advice rings true for all business models. Teamwork is the key to success. I cant imagine any businessperson not taking advantage of every single asset available to them. Great post! I look forward to implementing your advice one day with my own novel ; )

By: DC Stanfa

DC Stanfa — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:22:26 +0000

Christina, I published my first book with a mid-size press. Communication and access was okay, but they had no PR or marketing plan. Even though I had a PR/journalism degree (from the 80s) I did not feel well equipped to do e-marketing. I did spend a lot of money on marketing and it paid off–to a point.
The director of the Erma Bombeck newsletter asked me to write an article about one of my attempts to get on national TV. You can read it on the front page of my website. It was an expensive lesson in ego and humility.

By: Rebeca Seitz

Rebeca Seitz — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:16:48 +0000

Christina – I've been a publicist inside the publishing house, a novelist publishing with two publishing houses, and a freelance publicist working with many of the publishing houses. From all of those perspectives, I offer a hearty thank you for this post. I plan to pass it along to several publishing house contacts. Imagine the author angst that could be avoided! Imagine the potential sales figures that could be reached! Nicely done.

By: christinakatz

christinakatz — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:16:13 +0000

Kathryn, thank you so much for participating and offering such great insights. I think you captured the essence of the dilemma perfectly. Well done. Would love to hear from others…