Comments on: No Petitions, Just Action

By: KatG

KatG — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:48:00 +0000

No, in the past it was not the function of the publisher to do all or most of the marketing and publicity for a book while the author sat around writing. Authors have always done the bulk of publicity work, and publishers have mostly concentrated their marketing efforts on getting bookstores to stock and display their titles. In the past, this has been rather frustrating for authors trying to find promotional opportunities. The Internet lets authors make an end-run around uninterested and unresponsive media and attempt publicity efforts that would be far more difficult and expensive in the physical world. But getting noticed on the Internet can certainly be as difficult as anything else, and publishers do need to step up to the plate and do more online, which also may cost them less. But it does tend to be the authors who are the innovators and the publishers follow their leads.

By: Ted

Ted — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:29:19 +0000

I see two problems among the components in the issue that was discussed. First of all, everyone new to the industry, from a snot-nosed college sophomore to a weathered editor at a commercial press with elite university connections who has decided to start a publishing company or his own imprint, intends to be an elitist and exclude anyone else except those he considers his peers, whatever his standards are. (The idea is: Oh, you must read my work, but I’m not going to read yours.) Further, for an author, just how much time should or could he take to manipulate everything it takes to get noticed and read? For anyone serious about writing, I doubt there’s much time to manipulate marketing channels. I believe that the more people take time to manipulate the markets, the less is going into composing. And, further – that those who are better at self-aggrandizing aren’t of necessity taking enough time with their works, but since they make more friends their work is circulated and the work of others is not. In the past, that was the function of the publisher: To take a book and market it, and leave the author free to write other books. Now each person has to write, edit, agent, market, manipulate the relevant book/networking sites. I don’t think this approach will work for long. I could spend all day bouncing around all the author/reader/marketing/industry sites and not write a line of text. Good luck! Ted

By: Booksellers Blog » Blogging FAQ, Day 4: What Do I Blog About?

Booksellers Blog » Blogging FAQ, Day 4: What Do I Blog About? — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:13:14 +0000

[...] Highlight staff picks. Kassia Krozer at Booksquare wants to see bookstore blogs as a way to extend handselling beyond store walls. [...]

By: links for 2009-2-7 « Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog

links for 2009-2-7 « Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 05:05:12 +0000

[...] No Petitions, Just Action | Booksquare “Assuming the New York Times Book Review survives (and that fortune is largely dependent on factors outside anyone involved in the Review’s control), we are still officially in a new era. One where newspapers don’t offer us the same level of service they offered ten, twenty, thirty years ago. Hey, it was a luxury while it lasted; I’m not alone in thinking that “the press” is reverting to the entity our forefathers envisioned when they gave it such bold freedom.” (tags: books publishingworld) [...]

By: Renee Giroux

Renee Giroux — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:37:45 +0000

This is the best post I have read in a year at least! Even tweeted to send others to read. I cannot thank you enough for you pointing out things that readers **ahem those people actually going out and paying money to buy the books** have been thinking for years. I was a reader looking online for more info about my favorite books and series, usually to find almost nothing. It was out of that frustration that inspired me to found IJustfinished.com..the conversation of books. We have a team of reviewers, from the absolute professionals to the “amateur” booklovers who are compelled to spread the word. I am almost always amazed at the quality of the “amateur” review.

Another area that I found lacking and we have made the case for is author accessibility. I am personally more starstruck to meet my favorite author than any actor in Hollywood. I have come to realize that most authors are perfectly thrilled to be accessible to readers. They happily answer questions, with candid honesty that amazes me. There is not reason that authors should not be accessible through their publisher’s sites. Things like Amazons Author Stores, which is in Beta and terribly lacking in useful data, can be a model for publishers.

And, on that soapbox. Authors, lets talk. I know that writing is your passion, not marketing or selling yourself. Still, please have a website. Something, a blog, a wordpress page disguised as a site, something for us your loyal fans and the people working to promote your work can use. No a myspace page is not enough. Sorry. Feel free to take it a step further and make the leap to social media, or twitter if you are inclined, but at least have some web identity.

Okay, I am climbing down now. I will be inquiring about Verso, love to have more book ads on the site. Let’s face it book trailers lose their impact in print ads anyway. Just know that we are doing our part to contribute to and promote the conversation of books.

Thanks,
Renee Giroux

By: Zoe Winters

Zoe Winters — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:45:07 +0000

Hey Kassia, Great post!

I think it’s refreshing to see this attitude. There is so much whining going on. And I agree with you, I feel for everybody who has lost a job in a tough economy. That’s really scary. But the “collective” it’s hard to have sympathy when people have said “these are the changes that need to happen” for years. And now the economy is “forcing” the issue.

I don’t see this post as whiny, but as constructive. You’re like the publishing Jillian Michaels, yelling and pushing, but with good reason (It’s Biggest Loser time and I’m a Jillian Michaels fangirl)

Robin: Thanks for the info about Gather and Bookgroups!

Ken: Thanks for the info about Buzzaroonie.com!

By: KatG

KatG — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:08:56 +0000

Well, and it’s also going to be a choice that publishers have to make, isn’t it? Which sites, which ad networks, which online communities bringing readers and authors together do they chose to spend their marketing budgets on and which do they give a pass and maybe let the authors try them if they want to? There will be winners and losers in online publicity, and there is also the reality that advertising is being cut across the board by all industries, online and off. Publishers don’t have a lot of extra money to spend on ineffective ads and marketing efforts, even the big conglomerates, so again, it’s likely that they’re going to hang back, see which sites do it best, which newspapers are still standing, etc., before they make a move.

The culture wars with the petitions and such is really more about people being angry that the newspapers are cutting book coverage but aren’t cutting movie coverage yet. To be fair to newspapers, though, there are a few hundred films out in a year from studios who spend tons in advertising with the newspapers, while there are several thousand books put out a year by publishers who spend very little on newspaper advertising. So it’s not fair to expect newspapers, who are dying on every front, to be the bulwark for books, and it is not a simple equation either to expect that the online world is going to solve the advertising problem for all books, rather than just a select few of them.

By: Laural

Laural — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:18:13 +0000

Hmmm… I used to find this blog interesting and insightful…but lately it has been highly cranky and critical..and whiny. Everyone who is selling advertising online supports this …approach. Now there’s a surprise. I don’t disagree with a lot of the message… but the holier than thou tone could use some work!

By: Ken Arnold

Ken Arnold — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:47:26 +0000

Spot on, Kassia. It is this situation that has led us to create Buzzaroonie.com, where books are reviewed and discussed by members and where publishers and authors can advertise, hand-sell, and listen to what readers think. We’ve been up for a week–looking for early adopters and feedback.

By: Kevin Smokler

Kevin Smokler — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:55:30 +0000

Bravo Kassia! And yes, couldn’t agree more. Nothing wrong with mourning or asking smart questions about chance but, as my grandfather of blessed memory used to say, “Nothing wrong with crying. As long as it doesn’t get in the way of doing.”