By: Lois Leveen

Lois Leveen — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 17:51:04 +0000

Catherine,
So glad you came to the panel and enjoyed it. To be fair, I didn’t — and couldn’t — put a percentage on how much of the publicity work I’ve taken on, versus what the publisher does. They do things I couldn’t possibly do, like introducing the Target book club to my novel, which was then chosen as an official club pick, one of the best things that can happen to a novel. But the more savvy and dedicated an author is, the better. For example, my publisher arranged for me to speak at the American Library Association conference, quite a coup. But I took it upon myself to talk to every librarian I know about the conference, so I knew what to expect. And I created bookmarks for the novel that included “read-alikes” (if you enjoyed book X, you’ll like this book) as well as very short excerpts from reviews, because I know librarians are always speaking the language of read-alikes. A patron comes in, says I loved this book, what else should I read? So it was my idea to do the book marks, and I created the content and did the layout and had them printed, paying for it out of pocket. All of which allowed me to make the most of the ALA trip, which the publisher arranged for me. I wish they did everything! I wish I had more time to write book two! But this is the new reality. Publishers are crunched, their staffs are busy. The better prepared an author is to do more than she might expect, the more likely her book will reach readers. Jane Austen never had to schedule in time to Skype with a book club 3,000 miles away from where she lived. But she also never got to hear that book club talk about how reading her book has touched them emotionally and intellectually. So take that Jane Austen. Er, I mean, so let’s understand the ups as well as the downs of 21st-century publishing.

Comments on: Wordstock

By: Lois Leveen