NBA (Nail-Biters Anonymous)

I think I've mentioned this before but I'll briefly say it again... On some days I relate more to my authors than others. Today was one of those days. Last Thursday after a stressful and somewhat contentious meeting, I did not. But back to today...

I sent a follow-up email to the assistant to the children's books agent at the literary agency I'd contacted a while back. So to rewind... I sent thirty pages to an agency back in October and then heard in December that they wanted to see the rest of it. YAY! I thought. And by "yay" I mean I was pretty psyched, but also quite aware of the fact that this process is slow, tedious, and often doesn't yield one's desired result the first time around. Anyway, a full draft was sent and then today - after weeks of nail-biting (okay, I do this anyway), and a giddy little thump in my chest every time an unknown number popped up on the caller ID of my cell phone (these numbers were usually from one of three people - my hairdresser, my therapist, or the car service in Brooklyn I've had to use repeatedly over the past few weeks for numerous business trips), I decided to follow up.

So now I'm back in the shoes of my authors again. These feelings of insecurity, doubt, and passion for my own work are nearly suffocating. 

Anyway, this is going to be a short post. I'm in between two tiresome business trips. I only just got back from Florida last night, and tomorrow I'm heading to the mid-west. Needless to say I've been short on time which has left me little time for blogging and even less for working on my new novel, since I spend a majority of my time doing writing of another kind, e.g. sending emails. It's all a bit frustrating.

Okay, I must go pack. I am presenting the big Fall 2008 titles to Borders on Thursday and since I'm not the best off-the-cuff presenter I always come prepared with a script. After all, as I said before, I am definitely relating to the work and stress that comes along with this whole process and I deserve it to these authors (and their editors) to present everything as best I can.

Marketing Yourself to the Marketing Department

Being a writer in the marketing department of a publishing house puts me in a somewhat unique position. I really feel for the writers who've poured so much of their heart and time into their novel or picture book for which I now feel responsible. Not to say that other members of the department don't. At the end of the day, we're all on the same team and want to achieve the same goal - to make money off the book. Obviously the more money a book makes overall will lead to more royalty payments for you, and more money for the house, which is what the marketing department is in place for - to generate sales.

I think about my authors a lot, especially having just finished my first novel after an exciting and tedious three years. I feel especially sad for the novels and picture books that I love for which I can do nothing because of budgetary issues. 

But hold on, because while I may not be able to do anything special for a first-time author or little for a mid-list author with solid, though not outstanding sales, there are some things you can do, though I won't lie and say that all of them are cheap.

But first, here's a brief recap on how marketing departments within publishing houses are structured: 

In general, the staff is divided up by book format - so there will be a hardcover marketing team that works on novels and picture books, a paperback marketing team that handles reprints (when a book that was formerly released in hardcover moves into paperbacks) and originals, a Novelty marketing team that works on books geared to really young kids like board books, sound books, and even pop-ups, and a licensed marketing team that handles all books based on TV or movie characters, also known as a media tie-in. So what I'm talking about here are books that are published alongside TV shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora, The Naked Brothers Band, and movie tie-ins like those that came out for Narnia, The Golden Compass, etc. The "teams" I've mentioned aren't large at all and usually consist of three people - a director, a manager, and an assistant or an associate. Oftentimes though, there are only two people on a team and since hundreds of paperbacks, hardcovers, and each of the formats listed above come out per season, each of us is working on a ton of titles at a time.

Okay, now with that very basic structure laid out, here are a couple of ideas for you to mull over:

1. Ask your Editor who your marketing contacts are and write him/her/them a letter introducing yourself. It's always nicer to get a sweet letter from an excited author than to get a passive-aggressive one accusing you or not doing your job, hence leading to dismal sales (yes, I've received these types too). 

- Generally your editor should be your in-house contact for all marketing queries even after you send the letter. It really isn't until you have an established relationship with your marketing contact that you should freely contact marketing

- Make sure that your editor gives you the names of the folks who work in conventions (these people handle making sure your books are represented at all of the major conferences throughout the year like the International Reading Association show (IRA) in May, the American Library Association (ALA) conference in June and January, the Texas Library Association (TLA) conference, among others.

- Also make sure to get the name of your publicity person - he or she will handle getting press for your book, whether by pitching local, regional or national media. By national media I mean shows like the "Today Show," which is nearly impossible to get on and for which only a small number of title are pitched, or sending your book out for reviews

- The Library or School marketing team also plays a role here - especially in children's publishing - as this department can promote your book in their e-newsletter or advertise it in one of the many review publications that exist - if the reviews are good!

2. Become friendly with the staff of with your local independent bookstore! As a writer I know it's tough to be outgoing at times - there's a good reason I prefer to communicate with words, but like all businesses, you have to network and writing is no different. So strike up a conversation with the local manager and mention you've published a book and that you're interested in doing a reading. Since stores are always looking to generate traffic and make money on sales, if you can guarantee a number of attendees - either friends, family, fans - don't hesitate to say so! And if you're a children's writer and have or know of children that are in the target age range of your book, don't hesitate to contact the teacher, or any teacher friends. Try working with the school and the store to make a class trip. It's a win-win situation for everyone.

- Also don't be afraid of going to your local Barnes & Noble or Borders stores and making friends with the manager. While yes, there's more red tape involved with national chains, remember that store manager wants to make money and if you can guarantee a gathering of people or he/she is intrigued in your story, you could be golden! Make sure to

inform your publicity department of ANY signings you book on your own so that they can alert local media

3. Build your own website! It doesn't need to be too flashy but it needs to hold the basics - a title listing with covers, a bio, a question & answer area that really introduces you to your readers. Activities - for kids to do on their own - or if the book is older, a reading group guide for individuals or book groups, are also good to post so that people keep talking about your book. Don't forget to make sure your editor is aware of your website so he/she can add it to the back of your book in reprints or on the back of your upcoming book. Every mention helps! And make sure your editor passed on your web info to your marketing contact so that in case he/she wants to do advertising (and a lot of publishers are turning to online ads because they're cheaper and let's face it, we're all on the web all the time), they can link back to your site.

- Also, keeping an up-to-date blog on your website is another way you can connect with your readers and keep them posted on your latest work!

4. If your book has a 'hook' - e.g. a character is autistic, a teen is pregnant, etc. - do some research on the topic at hand. The marketing teams don't have a lot of time but with enough pestering and the hard part (the research!) done, often we'll have time to send out a finished book with a letter from the author and/or a member of the marketing department to an appropriate list of schools, associations, etc.

So these are just some of my ideas for now. Some are basic, yes, but I'm still thinking so stay tuned! And of course, be sure to post any ideas you may have here in the comments section!

Closing the Book on Fear

At around 11 p.m. last night I finally finished Freakonomics. Honestly, if you haven't already read it, you should, and I'm not necessarily one for non-fiction. But part of what drew me in to the book was the author's insistence that much of what currently drives American culture is fear. This isn't a particularly new idea for me. After all, I've spent the last seven years - as we all have - watching President Bush use fear as a reason to invade other countries and impart the American ideals he believes are so superior on others. Fear of terrorism, fear of an invasion, fear of nuclear weapons -- all clearly a means to institute torture as means of gaining information.

But I digress, and don't meant to torture you with my thoughts on the American government. 

If you've been tuning in to CNN, CNBC, and all other news reports on the primaries, you've probably come to realize that the new "hot" topic of the week is the economy and the impending recession. Why? Because the impending financial doom has been shoved down our throats by the media and most of us - now in fear that we might lose our money, our jobs, our homes - have become worried about the many facets of our life that may go down the drain.

With all of these macro-fears being force-fed to us, it's no wonder we're all a little more anxious these days. People today fear commitment, fear change, fear their own shadows, and in truth, I'm no different. I fear people at working thinking I'm not doing my job well enough. I fear I'm not a good enough writer to "make it." I fear I'm not original. Fear is a part of everyone - and some just now how to capitalize on it more than others.

Companies live in fear, too, of being bought out, expanding too fast, not expanding enough, losing talent, of not being a leader in its field, firing poor employees for fear of being counter sued. The list could go on and on. 

Publishing is no different. The six or so major houses fear that they won't jump onto a trend quickly enough, that their big authors will leave (hence the money in terms of an advance or marketing dollars) that's sometimes thrown at big name writers to satisfy them, and of course, that the digital age will eat up the public's desire to read (evidence that this may actually one day be the case is mounting). A couple of years ago, when Google announced it's plans to scan entire texts for the public to download, publishers were furious--and frightened. And rightly so! No one makes money off of such an arrangement - neither the house or the author.

And let us not forget that publishers tend to be owned by the major media conglomerates that own the same television networks that pump fears into us daily. NewsCorp. owns FOX and HarperCollins. CBS owns Simon & Schuster. The list is long and publishing houses - no stranger to the concept of capitalizing on what we're scared of - do publish against fear. Consider the popularity of The Secret. Would it be so popular if not for the population's fear that they aren't currently, or won't one day, be happy? 

Yet with all this fear incubating inside of me -- inside all of us really -- I started to think about the man who dedicated his life to demanding more rights for African-Americans. Today is less about sleeping late and making it to a 10 a.m pilates class at the gym. It's about honoring Martin Luther King Jr. who did not live in fear and in the end, because of it, lost his life. He may have died young, but his years here were worth something. His passion mirrored the passions of many, many other Americans who were either silenced or too fearful to speak up.

So, as a writer, marketing, mother, sister -- whoever you are -- perhaps you, and all of us, should all stop fearing our own lives - and our own death, which by the way is the number one fear among Americans - and consider learning a little something from those who have passed before us.

Taking "Stock" Of My Writing Life Versus My Career

Like the ups and downs of the stock market as of late, I too have my highs and lows when it comes to my career and writing. What I’ve found is that these two facets of my life never work in tandem with one another. In fact, they all too often rail against each other.

I try to be the diligent, proactive worker bee that is expected of me and while I’ll be temporarily thrilled with an accomplishment (presenting well at a meeting or perhaps writing a “great” marketing plan), my work highs are short and in the past few years, occur less and less. I no longer revel in the idea that the copy I wrote was used for an advertisement or that the cross-partnership I sought out has led to an increased awareness of a series. Instead, I seek refuge behind a closed office door where I can be left to daydream about more creative endeavors, though only with endless energy would I really be able to achieve them after 5 pm.

So, why all this daydreaming? Why now?

Is it because I'm just a wistful daydreamer or challenge-seeker? Perhaps. Or maybe it's because I’ve worked at three major publishing houses and have jumped in corporate ranking from assistant to Associate Director in under five years. But what do you do when you’ve reached your goal faster than you thought you would? I guess the bigger question is: what do you do when you realize that the goal you thought you wanted isn’t actually what you want?

Being on the marketing side of publishing is, in my opinion, the least glamorous. Sure, the marketing skills I’ve gained will allow me to work in any industry I choose. Yet, in this industry, marketing is the last to be thanked for a job well done though the first to be blamed for spending too much money because often times marketing isn’t something that can be quantified, like sales.

The publishing industry is also notoriously tough on its writers. With the “bottom line” now trumping an editor’s creative ambitions one can expect little thanks in the way of money, and save for one’s hopefully wonderful relationship with his or her editor, little positive feedback (which isn’t to say that at meetings it’s not being said by sales, marketing, etc. – it’s more that with little time on everyone’s hands I’m sure that much of this praise is left stuck to the walls of dank conference rooms).

So maybe I’m a bit of a masochist. To venture out of publishing and instead dedicate myself to writing would mean going from one mostly thankless position to another, right? Except that in writing, I’m in the driver’s seat and knowing that others are reading a paragraph I wrote gives me much more satisfaction that running a meeting ever will.

So maybe to be a writer you have to be a little nuts. Who else would be banging on the doors of an industry that may or may not fall prey to an increasingly digital world populated by people who don’t want to read anything besides US WEEKLY captions? Writers. It’s a good thing I don’t trade with stocks because if one were to look at publishing as a stock it’s seemingly quite shaky, but I’d still be buying it up because I believe in the power of someone’s words – even mine.

I'm an Acronym Loving Girl in an Acronym Obsessed World

So my bf (that's boyfriend) and I like to talk in acronyms. Okay, that's a bit of a lie. I like to shorten everything into an acronym and he begrudgingly accepts this weirdness of mine with an evident, though I like to think loving, roll of his eyes. For example, for us "play it by ear" has become PIBE (pronounced - PIE - B).

We live in a world of acronyms these days and with the popularity of instant messengering, texting, and blogging growing exponentially, phrases like LOL (laugh out loud), TTYL (talk to you later), BRB (be right back) and TTFN (ta-ta for now) are everywhere. I actually got an email at work a few days ago from someone outside the company who approached me with a proposal. I was pretty impressed until she signed off with a TTFN. I mean come on now... and I'm part of the generation that's been instrumental in integrating these acronyms into every day life.

I've only worked in the publishing industry since college, so I can't speak for other business sectors, but I know that there are a lot of acronyms used in this industry I've come to know. They're everywhere and for the novice employee, and even those of us who've worked at a number of houses for over half a decade (yikes!) it can all be a bit confusing.

So here, to help you understand publishers just a little better, are some of the most popular acronyms that you'll hear at most any house: (I should note that each publishing house will have its own acronyms - for everything from meetings to a specific series)

- P&L (profit & loss) - Often the last part of this, the word "statement" is dropped and the actual worksheet/document is just referred to as the "P&L." In truth, it's the rather confusing excel worksheet chock full of mathematical formulas that calculates the cost of production and manufacturing of the actual book, marketing, and royalty rates against projected sales to determine whether a book is worth publishing. If a profit can be achieved, you're in. If not, you're out, as Heidi Klum would say on Project Runway.

- T&E (travel & expense report) - I suspect this acronym isn't only used in publishing. It stands for the report employees of the company send to AP (see next bullet) to be reimbursed for any travel expenses we incur while going to visit accounts, conferences, etc.

- AP (Accounts Payable) - The department that cuts the checks. They pay the authors, the house's employees... everyone.

- S&M Meeting (sales & marketing meeting) - Every publishing house has a weekly or bi-weekly meeting where the publisher and editorial and marketing departments get together to discuss how a series or title is tracking (e.g. selling) at retail and whether its hitting, exceeding, or falling below expectations, which often leads into a discussion about whether their is enough marketing (advertising, creating point-of-purchase displays, cross-promotions with outside companies) being done

- BGI - Borders Group International - the conglomeration of stores you know as Borders &

Walden

- B&N - Barnes & Noble - this one is pretty simple!

- WM - Wal-Mart - THE superstore of the century that over the past few years has become a major player in the publishing industry with say on everything - including the cover!

- NYP - No, not the New York Post. This means "Not Yet Published" - as in it hasn't arrived in stores yet. Sometimes an in-store date is already assigned for a title - usually up to about 18 months out from when you're searching for it in a publisher's database

- ROD - "Run Out And Drop" - This means that the remaining printed stock will ship to accounts but after that stock is depleted, the title is OSI (see below) and no additional printings will be ordered

- OSI - Okay, after six years I should know what these three letters stand for but truth be told, I don't. I do know that it, in effect, means that a title is no longer "in print,"

Okay, that's all from me today!

TTFN.

Politics & Publishing

So the Michigan primary results are in and at 9:28 on this Tuesday evening, with only 43% and 44% of Republican and Democratic polls - respectively - reporting, the winners are already being projected. And they are... Mitt Romney & Hilary Clinton, two candidates who just weeks ago after losing in Iowa were downgraded from front-runner to underdog in record time.

Yes, my observation about politics relates to publishing. As my previous post states we as writers, and those of us who are also marketers, unfortunately don't have the luxury of projecting winners (especially with half the population not even accounted for yet). Like the surprising emergence of Mike Huckabee in Iowa, publishers are constantly wondering what will fail or sell. In fact, I bet that publishing houses the world over would love to concoct a trend predictor similar to the exit polls used by every news channel under the sun. I can almost hear the questions that would be asked.

Pollster: Are you currently a registered young adult literature, science fiction, fantasy, or historical fiction fan?

Customer: I'm undecided.

Pollster: Well, what did you purchase today?

Customer: Manga.

Pollster (scrambling to take notes while sweating at the idea of having to report back to CEOs that readers cannot be pigeonholed): Oh.

But in some ways the campaigning and voting that we've all had forced down our throats for months now (and will continue to see non-stop until this November) is very much alive children's and adult publishing houses. What do I mean you ask?

Well, even before a book is acquired it's championed by the editor who believes in the project early on, and like the proven statistics that show incumbents have more clout in elections than newbies, the higher the level the editor the more plausible it is that other departments, like sales, marketing, design, etc. are going to believe that the book in question is really, really good. I mean think about it. We're all going to put a little more stock in the statement by an Executive Editor, with a decade's worth of experience under his or her belt, who claims that this new series will be, "groundbreaking," this discovered author a, "gem," this artist a "triumph." After all, he or she has seen tons of submissions and isn't likely to fall for a gimmick or well-disguised one-dimensional character.

And even though an editor will find temporary joy in the acceptance of his or her project by the Acquisitions committee, the campaigning is far from over, which again holds true of a primary winner. Sure, Obama won Iowa but he couldn't stop there, could he?

First there are the many committee meetings (again similar to the meetings between candidates and their advisers or contributors) with numerous departments who will advise on everything from the format of the book (paperback, novelty, hardcover), to the design of the cover, to the creation of an appropriate marketing plan. Then the editors start drumming up support for their title(s) all over again at the internal "pre-sales" meeting where sales, marketing, and editorial converge to discuss the upcoming season's "focus" titles. But pre-sales is just the beginning. It isn't until the seasonal sales conference, when other departments and independent sales reps join marketing, sales, editorial and production in a total book pow-wow, that the super hard campaigning really begins. Sales conference is nearly equivalent to the super Tuesday primaries, where after the long, tedious battle for attention is finally over, nearly everyone involved feels some sense of relief and either looks toward the future or bows out and moves on. At sales conference, it's decided. What to push to retailers - from the mass market giants like Wal-Mart, to the national chains like Borders and Barnes & Noble, to the Ma & Pa store down the street.

Finally, the political process begins its last leg. In politics, this is the time when the race is no longer about fighting within the party. Now it's Democrat versus Republican. In publishing, this last step starts when sales reps sell-in titles to accounts that based on the pitch, the marketing, and the overall package -- will vote a book in or out.

In the end, as I've mentioned before, we have no choice but to leave predictions behind, although I'm sure the TV stations that rely on round-the-clock reporting would disagree. You just can't tell what will be popular and as we learned in 2000 presidential fight between Al Gore and George W. Bush, you can be the most popular one on the block and still lose.

The Oscars of Children's Books Are Announced!

Today, in a ceremony not unlike the press conference that replaced the usually garish Golden Globe awards on Sunday evening, the American Library Association announced the 2008 winners of the Newbery & Caldecott Awards, or what are referred to within the industry as the "Oscars of children's books." Every year one Newbery Award for an outstanding contribution to the middle-grade (ages 8 - 12) genre, as well as numerous Newbery Honor medals, are bestowed upon the year's "best." Past award winners include such legends as Kate DiCamillo, Ann M. Martin, Lois Lowry, and Katherine Paterson to name a few, as well as newcomers, like 2005's winner for Kira-Kira, Cynthia Kadohata, and last year's The Higher Power of Lucky author, Susan Patron, whose win caused murmurs in the major houses. I remember more than a few raised eyebrows and polite, yet perplexed whispers of, "who?" and "did you read that book?" floating around the conference room where my co-workers and I watched the live telecast. It didn't help that soon after the ceremony ended we all found out that Susan used to be a former librarian causing conspiracy theories to abound.

The Caldecott medal, which according to the American Library Association's (ALA) website is, "awarded to the artist of the most distinguished picture books for children," tends to be less controversial. Or has been for at least for as long as I've been in publishing.  Generally, from my experience, industry insiders tend to have some idea of who will win in some capacity or another.

So, what's all the controversy over the Newbery? Well, often times obscure books -- those quiet, well-reviewed titles overlooked by nearly everyone -- end up winning. Now, does that mean that these represent the best of good fiction? Like all award-winners and the varied opinions of people who read them, no. I've read some excellent, good, mediocre, and even downright awful books that have been named the read of the year. 

However good or bad, after a book is named a Newbery or Caldecott winner or Honor book, a flurry of publicity begins. The winners are hastily flown to NYC to be interviewed on the Today Show by a confused Matt Lauer or a mistaken Ann Curry, whose pronunciation of any last name seems to cause her great difficulty. At the very least--for those almost winners who just missed out on a hefty sum of cash--congratulatory announcement ads are run and second or third printings of the book are ordered. Publishing executives and editors receive congratulatory phone calls and emails all the while claiming little surprise, after all, the book was a shoo-in. Did you see the starred reviews in School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and even from the ever-crabby Kirkus? 

Okay, I know, get to the point. Well, I guess it's this. Public opinion is varied and fickle. You just can't predict what types of books people are going to like. And that's where writers and publishers are on the same side. As writers we're constantly wondering who our audience is, even though time and time again we're told not to modify the plot or premise of our book by thinking too much about what may, "sell." Publishers are also left to wonder what the book-reading audience is looking for though in truth they don't so much dictate, but instead follow the trends in children's literature until the wave comes crashing down and there's a glut of fantasy titles in the market all claiming to be the "next Harry Potter." So here's my vote: writers, write on as you please and publishers, expand your acceptances and offerings, because during award season it becomes clear that there isn't a magical character, plot, or winning combination of both that will appeal to all. * 

*Case in point, this year's National Book Award winner, Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Today, it was shut out of the Printz Award which, "exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature." 

Duality - In Publishing And In Life

On Friday I spent a rather painful fifty minutes at my therapist's office moaning about something or other (well, I know, but I cannot reveal it here!) before she spoke about the conflict within all of us - or the duality - of striving towards both independence and dependence. I took her words to heart and applied them to the situation in question, but over the past 48 or so hours I've been thinking about this conversation in relation to my career.

Duality.

As in here I am, striving to be a writer yet on the marketing side of a publishing house. The department that in an Acquisitions meeting will decide the fate of a book based on it's market worth. Essentially, I'm on the team that agrees with sales in their rants that a book about bisexual bees will never have a chance! How dare we put the millions of dollars this company generates into such a risk, no matter how stunning the writing, how heartfelt the characters, how racy the dialogue.

And yet, I can think back to many instances in which I've heartily agreed with my peers; sometimes even nodding in assent. Except that sometimes I have to sit back and think... What if at some point my middle grade novel is in front of such a committee and as they discuss its fate they say, "Another novel with a Southern protagonist? Oh, we've been there." Or, "Another character-heavy novel? No, no. We need plot, plot, and more plot. We need chase scenes."

Where do I stand in all of this?

At 22, when I started working in publishing and I was that eager girl in the cubicle next to you who does her work a little too quickly and reads all of the galleys in the office - whether she works on them or not - I was a staunch marketer. But as of late, as I wonder where or if there's a home for my novel, I'm beginning to see that maybe, just maybe, I'm on the other side of the widening river between what writers deliver and what publishers are willing to publish. Because at the end of the day, I know how much work goes in to a novel, and since I took the risk to write it, complete with near breakdowns, 200 or so pages of extra material I tell myself was needed to better understand my character, and a lot of 4:30 a.m. mornings, I'd like someone in this industry to take a risk on me.

Of course, it's 6:44 a.m. as I write this and in fourteen minutes my alarm clock will go off and alert me that the week, at my 9 to 5 job, is about to begin. And there's the duality. Because while I may want to stand on the risk-taking, writer's side of the river I just spoke about, in the end, the other side's paying for the apartment where I now sit, the computer at which I write, and the cup of coffee I plan on buying at the stand on the corner because I'm bleary eyed and tired from the struggle.