‘Time to test 'last year' In the next few weeks you will see many articles summarizing successes and failures in all industries: television, movies, cars, sales. It is no different in the publishing industry. The New York Times has already published an article examining the good, bad, and bad decisions of 2005 published. There are also many stories here and there in Publishers Weekly as well. While the overall message may seem daunting to a budding writer (sales are down, even some celebrity books haven’t done well), there are a few nuggets you can build from the dust and use to enhance your 2006 publishing process.
Beware of Mixed Messages
Yes, sales are down. Both the Association of American Publishers and the American Booksellers Association have reported a 2 percent decrease in sales for adult hardcover bookstores and everything. This is a practice that has been around for a few years. However, the major chains of the USA bookstore (Barnes & Noble, Borders and Books-A-Million) plan to open about 80 new stores by 2006, ten more than this year. We are also talking about HUGE stores, with B & NS that are approximately 30,000 sq. ft.!
Obviously, someone is making enough money to justify these gaps. Admittedly, such stores sell more than books these days. Music, DVDs, and expensive java cups are very popular on retail labels. But I do not see Books-A-Million changing their names into A-Million cups! An important point: as long as the older boys think it is profitable to be in the book business, it would be beneficial for you to be in the book business.
When Celebrities Fail
It looks like Martha Stewart had a banner year, right? He got out of jail, introduced a few TV shows, miraculously returned to the cover of his magazine and wrote the book, Martha's Rules: 10 Keys to Succeeding at Starting, Building, or Managing a Business. Despite his great success elsewhere, however, things did not go well with that book. The New York Times reports that after Rod ale Books signed Ms. Stewart a $2 million contract and arranged for 500,000 copies, the book has sold only 37,000 copies since its release in October.
I inquired about the matter, and another editor wondered if Ms. Stewart had crossed the line to the world of extreme exposure. But let us be clear about this and fix the lesson: this is not just seeing Martha Stewart everywhere, and she is too tired to want to read about her in a book. This is about the fact that Ms. Did Stewart have anything left to tell us that we feel we can no longer.
Understanding this nuance is important because at a time when having a "platform" is "it", you have to be careful about how you put yourself there. If you give away all your tips, secrets, strategies, life story, communication, etc., every time you are in front of people, you will have nothing left to look for in a book! Of course, this applies only to non-fiction writers and only to certain subjects. I’m sure Ms. Stewart’s audience, for example, will never tire of finding new recipes and new home-made tips for her!
Classic Winning Move: Speaking the Truth From the Heart
I’m a fairy tale writer, so it hurts me to say it, but right now in the false publishing industry it’s king. And the things people want to read include thought-provoking, heartfelt stories and essays from famous words such as Joan Didion (Year of Wonderful Thinking), Jimmy Carter (Our Dangerous Values) and Kurt Vonnegut (Man of the World). The lesson here is simple: be honest with yourself, write down what you are feeling, and at some point your audience will find you.
I know that can be hard to believe if you can't seem to get anyone to read the question book not to mention the manuscript, but this is an industry that rewards perseverance. There are many ways to get your story out there and in a few weeks you will have a whole new year where you can find the one that is right for you. The, Yours choice. I wish you the best of luck.
You must be logged in to post a comment.