Office of Scholarly Publications at Georgetown University: 10/22/2006

Sunday, October 22, 2006

an author's guide to book marketing, part 1

The University of Nebraska Press gives a helpful pamphlet to their authors. Unassumingly titled (in all lower-case) an author's guide to book marketing, it helps university press authors figure out what steps to take to help their books succeed. If I were a betting woman (and okay, sometimes I am), I'd bet that fewer than one-quarter of their authors actually, carefully read it.

Why not? Well, partly because typical authors believe that book marketing is a publisher's job. Unless you got a half a million upfront for your book, it usually isn't. The most effective, committed, creative, devoted marketer a book will ever have is its own author. Even shy writers can do a lot to help make certain their books succeed. In the next few posts I will excerpt this helpful pamphlet, and comment on it.

1. THE AUTHOR INFORMATION FORM (AIF). Nebraska writes, "The AIF is a critical planning tool used to develop marketing strategy." No kidding. It's crucial. Yet so many authors I know simply fill it out as quickly as they can, sometimes in longhand while sitting in the publisher's office. But taking your time with this important document can mean the sale of many more copies of your book.

The AIF asks you questions about how you came to write the book, what influences you credit, where you sent to high school, college, and graduate school, what regions of the country and world you have lived in, what famous or influential people you know, and much more. The more thorough you are in filling it out, the better your publicist (who has a wildly difficult job that we'll discuss in detail later) will be able to brainstorm potential connections for you. Example. What happens if you only list the schools you graduated from, but not all the schools you attended? Well, if you were (say) a military brat and attended several high schools, or if you moved around and attended more than one college, they may all be eager to claim you as an alumnus when you publish. This means your book will be mentioned in alumni newsletters and magazines, you may get noticed on the web site, and more. If you leave out the schools you attended but didn't graduate from, you'll unnecessarily cut your opportunities.

The same goes for states where you lived. What if you can claim Virginia, South Carolina and Florida? Why not do so? They'll all treat you like a native daughter or son when your career takes off. Even if your spouse or partner lived in several states, or you only vacation someplace every year, list it. You never know what Chamber of Commerce or Arts Council will make it their business to help promote you. People want to be proud of you, especially organizations whose very existence depends upon the success of their members.

In the next post we'll examine publishers' seasonal catalogues, and how they affect you as a university press author.

Writing a Book? Literary Advising at Booklab

Booklab works with authors outside Georgetown as well as faculty. Literary education is available either by the hour (advising) or by the project (nonfiction proposals, expert manuscript readthroughs, etc.). Write to us for more information and a course fee schedule.

If you're not a Georgetown author and you have a question, you can have it answered for free if you give us permission to post it on the blog. You will remain anonymous unless you wish to be identified by first name.

And yes, we occasionally lurk on Twitter as Georgetownbooks.

Click here to see a list of books we recommend about writing.

Literary Events

William Morris Endeavor Agency Visited Booklab. Eric Lupfer of the William Morris Endeavor Agency was my guest for a Georgetown University faculty book talk at noon on October 15 in the Leavey Center. Over 70 faculty members attended, including special guests from the Center For Advanced Holocaust Studies at the Holocaust Museum, and some from Mary Washington College. Eric focused on his own approaches, work he admires, and backstage realities at a major literary agency.
Matthew Carnicelli Visited Booklab. This former Dutton editor turned literary agent, first in his own boutique and now with Trident Media, captivated an audience of 70 faculty members with his insights on how scholarly research can form the basis of engaging and popular books. He discussed some of the mechanics of approaching agents, but his core message was what he particularly looks for in an engaging crossover book.
Cary Goldstein Visited Booklab. Director of Publicity and Acquiring Editor Cary Goldstein at Hachette's estimable imprint TWELVE discussed how academic authors can become quoted experts in today's voracious news climate. He analyzed nonfiction from both of his unique perspectives: as an acquisitions editor, and as a senior-level publicity strategist. He also discussed TWELVE and what distinguishes its editorial and promotional approach from other houses.
Smithsonian Books Editor and Georgetown Alumna Visits Georgetown. Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard, a senior editor at Smithsonian Books who was an executive editor at Random House and Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and who has been reponsible for several literary bestsellers, will co-teach a book proposal seminar in the spring. Please see the blog at the left for details.
Sebastian Junger Visited Booklab. Bestselling author Sebastian Junger -- who used to be a Washington, DC journalist and who is still a reporter at heart -- is also a great supporter of Booklab. He discussed his work with faculty. We met in the historic Philodemic Room, where he offered such unorthodox advice as "Write what you DON'T know... you'll learn along with your readers and tell a better, more thorough story." Afterward he accompanied our team to the National Press Club for its annual Book Fair and Authors Night.
Georgetown Author Barbara Mujica at Chapters Literary Bookstore. Georgetown alumna and Chapters co-owner Terri Merz hosted Barbara Mujica at Chapters for a special wine reception.
Oxford University Press Visited Georgetown. The Faculty of Languages and Linguistics hosted Cynthia Read, the executive editor of Oxford USA, on April 17 for a conversation and question and answer session.
University of Arizona Press Visited Georgetown. Carole Sargent welcomed Dr. Christine Szuter, Director of the University of Arizona Press, at the Book Lab townhouse on Wednesday, March 14 at 10:30 a.m.
The Authors Guild at Georgetown. Executive Director Paul Aiken and General Counsel Jan Constantine answered professors' questions about university press contracts, and authors submitted contracts ahead of time for detailed review.
Father James V. Schall read from his new book The Life of the Mind: On the Joys and Travails of Thinking, in late October.
Gemstone of Paradise: The Holy Grail in Wolfram's Parzival, by G. Ronald Murphy, S.J. was the subject of a book talk at the National Press Club's Eric Friedheim Library. Father Murphy regaled the audience with his fascinating story of actually finding the Holy Grail.

Office of Scholarly Publications
at Georgetown University

Sunday, October 22, 2006

an author's guide to book marketing, part 1

Write a Novel in November

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About the Director of Booklab

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