Approximately once a year I clamber out of my hobbit hole to communicate about communication, i.e. to talk about writing in conjunction with the publishing of my latest book.
This time it’s The Emerald Storm, on shelves starting May 8. I’ll be speaking at Pacific Northwest bookstores, hoping for good reviews, and doing what I can to use the Internet and media to get the word out.
With today’s ubiquitous consumer evaluations, a book is a book is a book. In the long run one’s work is read or ignored on its merits, and I’m gratified that all the books I’ve written in the past 20 years are still “in print” (electronically, for three early novels) and are still being purchased.
Still, the name of the popularity game is getting people to sample you, with some becoming fans and others preferring a different flavor. Reviews can be crucial, but so are bookstore displays, interviews, and word of mouth.
In December, HarperCollins offered the first Ethan Gage adventure, Napoleon’s Pyramids, for free to e-readers during a two week promotion. This tactic boosted its subsequent sales and that of the rest of the series, which in order are The Rosetta Key, The Dakota Cipher, The Barbary Pirates, and The Emerald Storm.
My heroic Harper’s publicist, Heather Drucker, is tireless at beating the drum, as other authors she works with will affirm.
Yet despite good sales, translation into thirty languages, a Pulitzer, (and one is forced to repeat such credentials endlessly) my work flies fairly low on the national radar. I’ve had occasional scores (a single review by USA Today made a BIG difference) and consistent support over the years, but the publishing industry is a little bit like high school: I keep trying to be one of the cool kids. Someday!
I just read a biography of Kurt Vonnegut. It was difficult to tell when he was most miserable, when he went mostly unrecognized for his writing for two decades, or when he endured the pressure of global fame. “Be careful what you wish for,” one bookseller warned me.
Meanwhile we do what we can to pitch our goods, while realizing that book publicity is like a bank loan, you can only get it if you prove you don’t need it. The Emerald Storm came out the same day as new novels by Hilary Mantel and John Irving, and I didn’t exactly steal their thunder.
Over the years I’ve experimented with various PR techniques, including readings, signings, slide shows, a self-hired publicist, TV and radio interviews, and so on. In aggregate they’ve absolutely helped, and I’m in debt to many supportive people. Individually, it can be humbling when few show up. Some authors are extroverted actors, but most of us strain to be as suave and witty as our written characters.
The key, for me, is to stick with it.
A few authors become celebrities, with all the tradeoffs, but most of us create in happy obscurity. The restaurant still seats us by the kitchen door, which is better than having people watch what you eat.
As bookstores have struggled and the number of authors has increased, the old-fashioned nationwide book tour is also becoming rare. Replacing it are book festival appearances and ever-increasing use of the Internet.
For better or worse, we authors increasingly speak for ourselves. This blog is an example of that. On this website are not only my blogs, but my self-written descriptions, sample interviews (on the “press room” page), excerpts from reviews (edited by moi, of course, to emphasize the good parts) and links to Internet book sellers with still more reviews. If you type ‘william dietrich, author’ into Google, you get an absurd 6 million-plus results. I find this Brave New World exciting but weird.
The good news is that I’ve slowly evolved from being anxious about book publicity events to actually enjoying them. With numerous titles and satisfying success, I can relax and treat it for what it is, a chance to connect with you in person. It’s not just a sales event, it’s a way of saying thank you.
So thanks, if you’ve read this far…and I hope to see you at a bookstore. My upcoming appearances are here: http://williamdietrich.com/readings/
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all people you actually know what you’re talking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly also seek advice from my site =). We will have a link change contract among us