Confidence game is right

Instead of reading the betting sheets, Ms. Obie Joe decided to read Publisher's Weekly round-up of the Fall offerings from publishers illustrious. Because the books listed represent some of the publisher's biggest bets, we've been interested in a few trends:

• Blond, beautiful, famous, and old: Suzanne Somers' new book, Breakthrough: Changing the Face of Medicine, is printing at 600,000 copies.
• Bald, famous and know-it-all: Dr. Phil's Real Life: Preparing for the 7 Absolutely Worst Days of Your Life at 1 million.
• Smart, rich and contrary: The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life at 1 million copies.
• Connects with fans as you should: Debbie Macomber at 600,000.

Numbers we don't understand, but comprehend: Bill O'Reilly's memoir (1 million); Ina Garten's new bookbook (800,000); and Nicholas Sparks (1.5 million).

And Annie Proulx's new book at only 150,00. For shame! Ms. Obie Joe thinks a copy should be pressed into the hands of everyone, and not just 150,000 of us besotted fools.

So! The lesson in all of this for striving authors? Get famous, or write well, but in any case, make connections with your audience.

Of course, nonfiction would be first

For those who don't know any better, there is the conceit that an author scurries to the small publisher, or self-publishing route, because of a rejection from the big publisher. Perhaps. But Mr. Obie is fascinated to see more authors check out the small publishing route for more money, quicker profit sharing, and more collaborative publicity.

The business press has made about the innovations of the business model from the new imprint, Harper Studio, part of Harper Collins. Bob Miller is the new head of Harper Studio, and formerly of Hyperion. Elements like increased online marketing, no or low author advance, no book returns, and increased profit sharing (50/50 split!!)...is this "Engineering the Risk Out of Business?"

Kinda of, sorta of, says Ms. Obie Joe. Miller just announced the first set of Harper Studio's titles; 16 are nonfiction and one is nonfiction. Let's see, with nonfiction titles you have the following advantages in book promotion:
• Author platform with strong name recognition.
• Author with other income, so more willing to delay book income.
• Locked in audience, tied to author, and/or topic.
• Wider swath of venues for presentation by author.
• Large scale drilling into several niches in online communities interested in the book's topic.

Hmm. Sometimes the little teaches the big.

Do school summer reading lists kill or create?

In the Obie Joe household, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen is king. With four teenagers, and one soon-to-be, and of course, one wanna be (she's still a toddler, though), the Hatchet is a story memorized.

And while the story features Paulsen's excellence in Young Adult literature, Hatchet remains a bit of a sore topic in the household. Why? Because it's required reading. Hatchet is one of those perennials on the summer reading lists from teachers. Just try to get your hands on a copy from the library or bookstore in the weeks before summer's end.

Which makes us think about the usefulness of summer reading lists. Mr. & Ms. Obie Joe adore any spark to encourage young readers. Yet we can't wonder as to their wisdom when so many of the lists are copycats, uninspired, rigorous for no purpose and just plain unfun. In a world where the increase in YA readers is now outpacing every other book sector, do we really need reading lists to dictate every aspect? How about one suggestion, and then let the kids roam as they like.

Just like the kid in Hatchet -- he'll find his own way.

Listening to librarians

For those authors and publishers waiting for national distribution and media, or big box orders, it is wise to cultivate the interest of libraries. Each library system can be worth an order of an average of 20 copies.

There are a few essentials in catching the interest of libraries:
• Make sure you garner a prepublication review in the Library Journal. Your review might not appear in the print edition, but an online review is still worthwhile.
• When you get media -- a review, a feature on you, or whatever -- make sure to send a copy of the clip, along with your book, and a request for a speaking engagement. Granted, the speaking engagement is a dim possibility (libraries have become even reticent than chain bookstores in setting up events), but you probably will get a book order.
• Read blogs by librarians to vibe their language and their zeitgeist. One of Ms. Obie Joe's current favs is the peeping from this former librarian. Gotta love the industry language: Copies of The "Condition have been received in most libraries; holds to copy ratios are ten to one in some libraries." Apparently how many holds are ordered display interest, but Mr. Obie Joe wagers how long the book circulates is the long-term view.
• Participate in a co-op mailer. This involves sending about 1,200 fliers to the major library systems, using the mailing list and distribution system of a small publisher. Sam's got one we've used, but make sure to take care with the design. Librarians received an onslaught of book marketing materials, and it can be tough to catch their attention.

But not impossible.

Why you plow every cent into promotion

Say your first book, sold a decent amount of copies in the first three months after publication. Decent, meaning, about 15,000 copies.

Time to prop the Adirondack chair next to the mailbox and wait for the royalty check, right?

Nope. In many regards, now is when you really plow into the bank account and pony up for time off from work for a publicity tour that includes media, venue bookings and online promotion. Here's why: selling half of a typical print run is cool, but selling OUT the print run is like diamond ice.

Why? Because you do want decent royalty checks, but more importantly because you want to build your career as an actual author. After former Arizona Republic reporter Tom Zoellner published his first book, The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit and Desire (St. Martins Press), his publisher procured a few bookstores dates. Zoellner wanted to make sure his first was not his last, and on his own did a few more dozen bookstore dates, sleeping in his truck, across the U.S. See www.slushpile.net/index.php/2007/03/15/interview-tom-zoellner-author/ He ended up investing about $22,000 -- nearly the whole sum of his first royalty payments.

His first book was a hit. For his second book, Zoellner negotiated a much more generous advance and royalty rates. (His next book is Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock That Shaped the World).

Take it from Mr. Obie Joe who speaks from painful and wonderful personal experience: do not expect to get rich from your first book. Instead, think of the experience as an investment in your career. Put that money and time into publicity; it will reap what you sow.

TIP: A twitter about Twitter?

Connecting with your audience, in specific and consistent ways, is the best way to sell books. Episodic promotion and marketing -- think ads, big events, one-time media hits -- rarely work to build an audience awareness for author, book or subject.

That's one reason Ms. Obie Joe has been recommending Twitter, a mini-blogging service; authors send out 140-word updates throughout the day, with whatever frequency is preferred, to subscribers. Your subscribes - many of whom will sign up via your blog or personal invite -- can follow the live life feeds via multiple channels: the Web, IM, SMS, etc.

"Great," says an author. "More content I gotta put out."

Well, yes. But the informality and real-time aspect of the very short posts might be easier to write.

Mr. Obie Joe can see some of the limitations of Twitter. Fiction writers, particularly those with a more staid profile, might find the Twitter an annoyance. But for nonfiction writers, particularly those in the midst of research, Twitter is a gold mine for readers who would love to hear more about an author's dive into Victorian train stations, or the jewels of 50s-era bombshells.

Twitter should only add to your audience; Twitter fans tend to be blog fans, too.

If you could pick only one media outlet....

What is the Holy Grail of the media bookings? One of the amusements clients give to publicists are their ideas on what media hits they want, and which ones will make all the difference.

Generally speaking, a good media booking can be a turnkey to a jump up in sales, and even better, create a cascade of other media bookings. Coverage from a major newspaper (The Washington Post, The New York Times, etc.), any one of the national morning show, niche radio, and some national magazines are gold.

Mr. Obie Joe has made many clients happy with placements like The Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show, The Wall Street Journal, and the Martha Stewart Show, and so on.

But if Mr. and Ms. Obie Joe had to pick only one media outlet for a spot to sell books: NPR. Any one of their programs, any day of the week.

Which media outlet is your number one? The Daily Show with Jon Stewart? People Magazine? Guns & Ammo?

TIP: How to avoid hiring the "Bad Publicist"

In most professions, results are rarely guaranteed. Doctors cannot guarantee the cancer will never return. Lawyers cannot guarantee an acquittal.

Publicists cannot guarantee publicity, or exposure, will sell books. Mr. Obie Joe knows that is heretical to say, especially among book people, many of whom ascribe publicity to a lottery ticket approach, and wait for that perfect media exposure to make millions of sales.

A more practical approach, and one that looks at a book sale as part of building a brand, a career and an idea, is to think about what kind of publicist works best for your goals:

1) Open ended publicist: You'll work with this publicist on retainer, with a contract duration usually lasting 3-6 months. Your goal is to build a brand recognition. Mr. Obie Joe can think of a few authors who benefit from this type of long-term relationship: 1) an author with several books in store, now or later; 2) an author with zeal for live appearances, with a book on spirituality, business, parenting come to mind; 3) an author very new to the game, and needs to sort out the options for both marketing and promotion of the book. Depending on the scope of exposure planned, retainers can range from $1-$5,000 per month (not in New York, though). Define goals -- i.e., how many bookings for media or live -- but also be flexible to change goals as other opportunities arise. This type of arrangement requires a lot of collaboration between author and publicist; authors willing to be humble, hardworking, and relentless most welcome in this arrangement. An author can expect results, but know the results are sometimes not as immediate as hoped.

2) Project based publicist: This type of arrangement might give you the most direct shot at tracking results. An author picks a very specific goal, and hires the publicist most experienced at arranging that goal. There are publicists who do only one task, and do it very well. Examples include generating/sending a press release; setting up a radio tour; or researching professional development venues. Success is easy to measure, of course, but only in the short term.

Ms. Obie Joe's recommendation is to interview both types of publicist. Present your goals, your book, and your background, and see if the publicist thinks she will be a good fit to your project. Make sure -- and this is a very important step -- that the publicist you do choose agree on expectations before any task is done.

That way, you will be the Good Author, and your publicist will be the Good Publicist.

TIP: I Spy: How to find the places for your tour

Like most things in life, there's the official list, then there's the real list. In working with poets -- whose ability to find a port to read their work in any storm is unparalleled-- Mr. Obie Joe says an author can do a lot to scope out places for their next appearance.

Try these steps to success:
• Once you decided upon the city, get the zip code(s) for a range of neighborhoods.
• Go to Booktour.com, type in the zip code, and see a wide range of venues for authors, including the local V.F.W. Hall (really).
• For finding those more traditional book-oriented venues, check out the Events sections of the city's newspapers. Ms. Obie Joe is a big fan of the listings in the alternative newspapers, both for breadth and address details. Good search terms include: Literary Events; Spoken Word; Book Festivals; Readings; and Politics/History.
• Definitely stop the by the MeetUp for the zip code you're scoping, 1) to find a standard book club, or 2) to find one centered on a subject matter matching your book. We've found authors who've gotten dozens of sales in niches like cooking, military history, and politics.
• Stop by that city's Main Library web site, and see what type of events they like. Do note, though, that libraries often require the longest lead time for a booking; a year is not unheard of.
• If your book has a subject matter that matches with a retail store -- cooking, fashion, toys, anime, alternative healing -- make sure to call the stores and see if they'd be interested in a presentation for their customers. Anime stores are famous for welcoming these kind of events.

TIP: Own your list

As a scalpel is to a surgeon, a media list is to a publicist. Often the strength of a list can supersede a publicist's overburdened schedule or lack of creativity. Many publicists who move on from stints with a publisher have a distinct advantage because they take with them lists of journalists carefully cultivated by many within a publishing house.

There are those lists, and authors are wise to consider this when interviewing publicists. But. You might want to consider those publicists who customize a media list for your project. For a parenting book centered on the younger mother, Mr. Obie Joe compiled a media list that started with parenting magazines, and then delved into regional parenting magazines, and then went to online communities/magazines.

Another tip: when negotiating the contract, ask for a copy of the media list used for your project. Not all publicists will share the list with you, but at the least, most will give those aspects of the list most relevant to your project. From there, take that list and make sure you keep in touch with those on the list, via e-mail regular mailings, or personalized pitches.