April BASIC Issue
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BooksBeat
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The Boulder Way: One Bookstore's Approach to Microdistribution
by Megan Garber
They’ve paid for the privilege. The store charges its consignment authors according to a tiered fee structure: $25 simply to stock a book (five copies at a time, replenished as needed by the author for no additional fee); $75 to feature a book for at least two weeks in the “Recommended” section; and $125 to, in addition to everything else, mention the book in the store’s email newsletter, feature it on the Local Favorites page of the store’s website for at least 60 days, and enable people to buy it online for the time it’s stocked in the store.
And for $255 — essentially, the platinum package — the store will throw in an in-store reading and book-signing event.
“Most people will come in at one of the higher fee amounts,” Arsen Kashkashian, the store’s head buyer and the architect of the program, told me. “That surprised us.” In fact, when the store first began charging its consignment authors back in 2007 (the fee-structure idea emerged when the store’s employees found themselves “inundated with self-published books, and there was a lot of work involved and not much reward”), its staff “thought people would grumble and complain” about the charges. But authors, Kashkashian says, have been generally grateful for the opportunity to sell and promote work that might otherwise be seen and appreciated only by their friends/spouses/moms: “‘I want the marketing, I want the exposure. I worked so hard on this project, and you guys are the only ones who could help me with it.’”
And the books are selling. Not flying off the shelves…but sauntering off, steadily. In the first week in March, Kashkashian told me, the store sold 75 consignment books — which, given the store’s 40-percent cut of those sales, and the authors’ fees, accounted for 3 percent of the store’s total revenues for the week. Part of that number, Kashkashian believes, is attributable to the authors’ efforts at self-promotion, which amplify the store’s own marketing strategy. “Some are blogging, some are on Twitter, some just trying to get out there by word of mouth,” he notes. “They’re working their networks, whether it’s online or offline. They’re kind of learning how to do it.”
Local Authors Proving Cash Cow to Bookstores
To spur that feeling, Borders quietly unveiled a program late last month that invites book club groups to convene at its cafe spaces instead of in club members' homes. The step is geared toward helping the money-losing bookstore chain drum up sales and reshape itself into a local gathering place instead of a faceless superstore.
Signs and posters telling shoppers to bring their book group to the store have gone out from corporate headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich., to Borders' 507 outposts, including 18 stores in the Chicago area, said Mary Davis, spokesman for the chain. Borders' Chicago flagship on North Michigan Avenue, which is slated to close next year, already has hosted a few private book clubs in its third-floor event space.
"We're encouraging stores to reach out to the public to say, ‘We're here,'" Davis said. "It's a way to drive traffic to the stores."
E-Book Market Exploding
by Mark Coker
The data is collected from only 12-15 U.S. trade publishers. This means it dramatically understates what’s really happening in ebooks, because thousands of large and small publishers, as well as tens of thousands of independent authors, aren’t reporting their data. The data also doesn’t capture ebooks sold outside traditional retail channels.
The above omissions in no way invalidate the data, because as an indicator of direction and momentum, the AAP/IDPF data provides the best publicly available trending information I’m aware of.
What you see from my chart is that ebook sales grew nicely between 2002 and 2007, but were really too small to register on the radar screens of most industry watchers. Starting in 2008, however, the growth rate started to accelerate, and then this acceleration continued throughout 2009 and into the first month of 2010.
According to the AAP, in 2009 ebooks accounted for 3.31% of all trade book sales, up from only 1.19% in 2008. Even if sales stay flat from January onward in 2010, we’re looking at ebooks accounting for 6-8% of U.S. book sales in 2010. If sales accelerate further, a 10% monthly run rate is certainly likely by the end of this year. These numbers are dramatically higher than most reasonably-minded industry watchers predicted even a few months ago.
Pullman Risks Christian Anger With Jesus Novel
by Mike Collett-White
The 63-year-old, an outspoken atheist, angered some members of the Catholic Church with a thinly veiled attack on organized religion in his hugely successful "His Dark Materials" trilogy, the first of which was turned into a Hollywood blockbuster.
But "The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ" is a far more direct exploration of the foundations of Christianity and the church as well as an examination of the fascination and power of storytelling.
In the novel, Jesus has a twin brother called Christ who secretly records and embellishes his brother's teachings.
Speaking about the book to an audience in Oxford on Sunday, Pullman acknowledged that it was likely to cause offence.
When one man said Christians would be upset to hear Christ referred to as a "scoundrel," Pullman replied:
"I knew it was a shocking thing to say, but no one has the right to live without being shocked. Nobody has to read this book ... and no one has the right to stop me writing this book."
Muffy Lives!
by Motoko Rich
Just when you thought it was safe to get back in your khakis.
The original volume, a slim, plaid-covered paperback that poked fun at the gin-soaked polo-shirt and loafer-wearing set, started out as a piquant bit of mockery but, like “Liar’s Poker,” a bestseller about bond traders, and “Wall Street,” the movie in which Michael Douglas declared greed to be good, it ended up being adopted as a kind of guidebook for those who wanted in. The book sold 1.3 million copies, many to aspiring prepsters who wanted to know where to shop, what to wear and how to fully appreciate what it called “the virtues of pink and green.”
Among those buyers was Chip Kidd, one of the industry’s best-known book designers, who loved the original as a teenager growing up near Reading, Pa., where he attended public high school and adored topsiders. The handbook, he said, “changed my life.”
Now he has teamed with the editor and one of the writers of the original volume, Lisa Birnbach, for the follow-up, due out in September. “As a fan, that is why I kind of instigated this whole thing,” he said of the new volume. “I wanted the next book.”
Jumping the Shark
Latest reasons for suspicion: at the end of April, the LOA will publish a slim volume containing John Updike's famous New Yorker farewell to Ted Williams, "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu," fleshed out with a little more eulogizing, published when Williams died. There has already been a LOA volume devoted to baseball writing, joining other volumes about American subjects (food, New York, Los Angeles, the legacies of Lincoln and Twain, the environment). You could file all these volumes under the heading, "Cleverly Curating the Franchise." But somehow the Updike volume seems not just physically thin but insubstantial—too much made of a good thing. And then, in May, here comes an entire volume dedicated to …. Shirley Jackson? A writer mostly famous for one short story, "The Lottery." Is LOA about to jump the shark?
Here's how the LOA describes itself and its mission: "The Library of America helps to preserve our nation's literary heritage by publishing, and keeping in print, authoritative editions of America's best and most significant writing. An independent nonprofit organization, it was founded in 1979 with seed money from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ford Foundation."
Think Unthank
The company will produce four titles this year with the first, Touching the Starfish by Ashley Stokes, out this month.
Jones was a former coordinator of International PEN's Writers in Prison Commitee as well as a former international literary scout with Van Lear and is a reader for The Literary Consultancy.
Jones said Unthank would aim to publish "the kind of books you used to read and enjoy, but struggle to find any more...We are fans of the quirky, the comic, the cult and the non-commercial."
Bits & Bytes For thousands of additional listings, become an AmSAW Professional Member Today
FICTION Children's: Middle grade THE OFFICIAL NANCY DREW HANDBOOK author Penny Warner's THE SECRET CASE FILES OF CODY JONES, an interactive secret code mystery series invites readers to solve codes along with four young sleuths, to Regina Griffin at Egmont, in a two-book deal, by Stefanie von Borstel at Full Circle Literary (world). stefanie@fullcircleliterary.com
Jen K. Blom's POSSUM SUMMER, in which a young farm girl saves an orphaned possum against her stern, absent father's wishes, and the ramifications of her decision when found out, to Julie Amper at Holiday House, for publication in 2011, by Marlene Stringer at the Stringer Literary Agency (NA).
Children's: Picture book Jennifer Sattler's CHICK 'N' PUG, about a little chicken who gets bored with life in the coop, then discovers that adventure is in the eye of the beholder after following a lazy pug, to Melanie Cecka at Bloomsbury Children's, in a three-book good deal, for publication in Fall 2010, by Anna Olswanger at Liza Dawson Associates (World). aolswanger@lizadawsonassociates.com
Kenneth Kraegel's KING ARTHUR'S GREAT, GREAT, GREAT GRANDSON, an endearing tale of six-year old Henry who goes to conquer mythical creatures and find the unexpected, to Kaylan Adair at Candlewick, by Ronnie Ann Herman at The Herman Agency (world).
Children's: Young Adult Robin Wasserman's THE BOOK OF BLOOD AND SHADOW, about a girl who, upon discovering her best friend murdered and her boyfriend the apparent killer, is caught up in a dangerous world of competing secret societies, all searching for the Luminus Dei, an ancient device that will supposedly allow direct communication with God, to Erin Clarke at Knopf Children's, in a significant deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in Fall 2011, by Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary (NA).
Debut Amy Sackville's THE STILL POINT, pitched as having shades of Virginia Woolf, to Jack Shoemaker at Counterpoint, in a nice deal, by David Marshall at Marshall Rights on behalf of Portobello Books (NA). Translation: jennyh@rcwlitagency.com
Bob Maninger's FLINT, to Jill Cline at Aberdeen Bay, for publication in March 2010 (world).
Horror Reprint rights to John Russo's novelizations of the classic horror movies NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and DAWN OF THE DEAD, to Gary Goldstein at Kensington, by Al Zuckerman at Writers House (NA).
Paranormal Cathryn Fox and Paula Altenburg writing as Taylor Keating's GAME OVER, in which a female video game designer, with the help of a hunky guardian, attempts to buy back her soul after bargaining it away in order to develop her latest game, to Heather Osborn at Tor, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in November 2010, by Bob Diforio at D4EO Literary Agency (World).
General/Other Stegner Fellow, Grisham Writer-in-Residence, and University of Michigan Hopwood Award-winner Jesmyn Ward's SALVAGE THE BONE, a lyrical novel set in rural, coastal Missisippi, as Hurricane Katrina looms over the gulf, as well as Ward's memoir exploring race, rural poverty, and the impact both have had on the men in Ward's life, to Kathy Belden at Bloomsbury, in a two-book deal, by Jennifer Lyons at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency (World English).
NONFICTION Advice/Relationships Author of Belly Laughs and Baby Laughs, Jenny McCarthy's LOVE, LUST AND FAKING IT, a comic look at sex and love and women, exploring how sex affects our work, relationships, and egos, to Jonathan Burnham at Harper, with Jennifer Barth editing, for publication in September 2010, by Jennifer Rudolph Walsh at William Morris Endeavor (NA).
Rachel Sussman's THE BREAK UP BIBLE: Your Guide to Healing, Understanding, and Transformation, a comprehensive recovery guide written specifically for women after the end of a long-term relationship or divorce, to Hallie Falquet at Broadway, by Lisa Gallagher at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates (NA).
Business/Investing/Finance CNBC financial guru and former top Neuberger Berman investment manager, Gary Kaminsky's WINNING IN THE ZERO-GROWTH DECADE AHEAD: How to Make -- And Protect Money -- In Sideways Markets, a manifesto that demystifies Wall Street and explains to investors what the industry doesn't want them to know, to Mary Glenn at McGraw-Hill, in a good deal, at auction, by Al Zuckerman at Writers House (World).
Michael Ellsberg's SELF-EDUCATED BILLIONAIRES, which examines billionaires and other successful figures who never graduated from college, and how they became successful in business and in life, to David Moldawer at Portfolio, by Esther Newberg at ICM.
Cooking Great Performances caterer and head of The Sylvia Foundation Liz Neumark with Carol Lalli's SYLVIA'S TABLE, a cookbook that will teach families where their food comes from and how to make the best of it, to Judith Jones at Knopf, in a very nice deal, by Judith Weber at Sobel Weber Associates.
With a cooking show that is the longest-running TV program of all time in Asia, Sanjeev Kapoor's MASTERING THE ART OF INDIAN COOKING, a guide to Indian home cooking from Kapoor, who has been called "the Rachael Ray of India," in his first US publication, to Natalie Kaire at Stewart, Tabori & Chang, for publication in spring 2011, by Michael Psaltis at the Culinary Cooperative (world English).
History/Politics/Current Affairs Kathryn Joyce's THE CHILD CATCHERS, the first investigation into the dark side of a multi-billion dollar Christian right adoption industry worldwide, which has been built around a carefully crafted "orphan theology" that justifies separating children from mothers as part of a higher calling to spread Christianity, to Niki Papadopoulos at Public Affairs, for publication in 2012, by Kathleen Anderson at Anderson Literary Management (World English).
Humor A Black Eye isn't the End of the World and How to Raise a Superchild author Ray Strobel's DOG TREATS: 68 Things to Do with Your Dog Before they're Gone, Author of , Strobel's new book is a charming and funny guide to all those things any dog lover should do with their pooch, to Sara Kase at Sourcebooks, in a nice deal, for publication in 2011, by Paul Feldstein at The Feldstein Agency (World).
Memoir Narrative Kate Hopkins's SWEET TOOTH: The Accidental Hedonist's Quest for the History of Candy, the author's follow-up to "99 Drams of Whiskey," part travelogue/part narrative history, this book portrays the role candy has played in Western history and seeks to understand and explain how candy had a role in establishing, reflecting, and cementing class structures in the Western world, to Daniela Rapp at St. Martin's, in a nice deal, for publication in 2012, by Jon Malysiak at the Jonathan Scott (World).
Parenting Jo Boaler's FOR THE LOVE OF MATH: Helping Your Child Enjoy and Succeed at Math, a practical and visually appealing guide to effective math learning that considers children's learning and the ways children may be oriented towards confidence and success, addresses the role of puzzles and games, and reveals the right type of help (which is not telling children how smart they are), to Kate Bradford at Jossey-Bass, by Jill Marsal at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. Jill@MarsalLyonLiteraryAgency.com
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