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A Brilliant Novel Marketing Idea |
I found the following story in Roland Hachmann's Web Jungle: A blog on advertising, digital marketing, and web culture. It's a wonderful example of an entrepreneurial author:
Back in 1897, novelist W. Somerset Maugham, now known as author of Of Human Bondage, was having trouble selling his first novel Liza of Lambeth because his publisher wasn't interested in advertising the book. So he took matters into his own hands.
He took out some classified ads in a few daily newspapers in London. The copy read: “Young millionaire, lover of sports, cultivated, with good taste of music and a patient and empathetic character wishes to marry any young and beautiful girl that resembles the heroine of W.S. Maugham’,s new novel.”
By the end of the week, the first edition had sold out. The novel went on to get critical praise and popular sales.
For more such success stories of debut novelists, see http://www.bookmarket.com/debutnovels.htm.Labels: author marketing, classified ads, debut novels, newspapers, novel marketing, novels, W. Somerset Maugham |
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Novels Via Cellphones |
A New York Times article recently covered the phenomenon of Japanese novels being written and delivered via cellphones. While many thought it a novelty, the phenomenon has turned out to be the genesis of some of the bestselling novels in Japan for last year.
Indeed, of last year's ten bestselling novels, five got their start as cellphone novels self-published by their authors and later picked up by a publisher and bought out as a printed book.
A debut novel Love Sky by Mika was read by 20 million people on their cellphones or on websites where the novels were hosted as well. When the novel was published in book form, it became the #1 selling novel in Japan for all of last year. In addition, the novel was made into a movie. Not bad for what was essentially a self-published novel.Labels: bestsellers, cellphone, Japan, Love Sky, mobile phones, novel marketing, novels, self-publishing |
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Some Great First Lines |
In a review of Alice Sebold's new novel The Almost Moon, the reviewer quoted the first lines of her new novel as well as a previous novel.
In her first novel, it took her two lines to kill off the heroine:
"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." -- The Lovely Bones
What great first lines! They draw you into the novel right away.
In her newest novel The Almost Moon, Sebold gets to murder within the very first line:
"When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily."
Another great first line. It juxtaposes a cliche (when all is said and done) with a simple statement of murder. Incredibly dramatic in an understated way.
Would you continue reading if you had read these opening lines?
How does your book (fiction or nonfiction) stack up in drawing readers into your book?Labels: Alice Sebold, first lines, novels, opening lines, The Almost Moon, The Lovely Bones |
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Interview with Jeff Rivera, novelist |
Forever My Lady is the award-winning novel that tells the story of a Latino juvenile delinquent that turns his life around. Originally self-published, the book was picked up by Grand Central and is now available in bookstores or on his website at http://www.ForeverMyLady.com.
Q: You took a very unconventional route to get your novel out there. What challenges did you encounter along the way?
A: I would go to the Self-Publisher's Hall of Fame webpage on your site and I would visualize myself as one of those people who got picked up by a major publisher. I typed in my name on that list and printed it out because I wanted it to happen so bad. I had no idea the prejudice that some people had to self-published books, but strangely enough not from the publishing industry. It was more from the literary snobs and writers that were against non-traditional ways of publishing. I think the greatest challenge was sticking with the book when I didn't see the results I wanted to see right away. But I was passionate about the story an believed it had to get out there.
Q: Why do you think Warner Books/Grand Central picked it up so fast?
A: I knew my market. I knew exactly who the book belonged to. In my case it was Latinos, but more specifically those interested in urban Latino literature. Once I figured that out I was able to gear my pitches to people who were interested in serving that market as well. Also I really worked to make the book the best it possibly could be. I would take walks along the beach and visualize people reading the book and feel them really getting into it. I did the same thing when visualizing the right editor. And quite frankly I had what they were looking for.
Q: You have received thousands of fan letters and emails about Forever My Lady from people all over the world, why are so many people excited about the book?
A: I think it's a universal story that everyone can relate to. Everyone knows what it's like to love someone so much or want something so bad -- and that person or thing doesn't want you back. And in terms of my particular market, I think they felt like, "Finally, there's a story for us."
Q: Would you suggest people self-publish as a way to break in? If so, why?
A: Absolutely, it's not the best way necessarily but neither is traditional publishing. I would say, try traditional first. If that doesn't work, go for it. Know the pros and cons. Then go for it 100%.
Q: What would you do over again if you could?
A: In retrospect nothing, because I learned so much along the way and I can help people now and tell them what to avoid. The whole thing has been a rewarding experience even when I was in bed crying from not selling a million books in the first week.Labels: Forever My Lady, Jeff Rivera, novels, self-publishing, selling rights to a publisher |
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