Sports Books Update

The economy and slumping publishing aside, how many Yankees books will there be?

 

Just to update. Back in February, I began working with my agent on two proposals, one a sports series for the juvenile market, and a non-sports trade title. And I was already assisting another author on a proposal in which I would be a partner. At that time my agent was expecting a thaw in the publishing world to commence this fall.

The series sold in July, decent advance. The proposal on which I am a partner just sold - modest advance that would have been four or five times that amount 2-3 years ago, but to a really good house. The non-sports trade title, about which we are most optimistic, is ready to go out now, and I have a publisher pondering whether to issue an updated version of a previously successful title.

So there is some movement out there, but advances are modest as this slow re-warm starts up. And in the interim, I have had another book come out and have done everything imaginable to help sell it, which is absolutely mandatory now - book blog, twitter, facebook page, youtube book trailer, massive group e-mail, book group guide, etc., etc. etc. Got a great and rather widespread critical reception (particularly in a time when few papers and magazines review anymore), and while sales have been relatively modest, they are enough that it is still in stores and being re-ordered four months out, which is enough to keep publisher's interested in me. But unless you are already a media celeb the days of just publishing a book and expecting it to sell on its merits are over. I even expect to do more self-produced PR for the next titles.

The old Earl Weaver line about baseball seems pertinant: "This ain't football. We do this every day." Because now you have to.

 

Congrats. Are you going to stick around and contribute or just spam us with your book updates from time to time now?

 

Mr Exile,

One question (and I throw it open to the floor):

What are the merits of a website created for the book versus the facebook page?

Some book contracts have required the creation of a website for the book (which is not a small expense for someone even in the middle range of advances). It seems to me that facebook has a far better chance of drawing in rubber-neckers. I suppose the easy answer is to do both but the former approach now seems a little out-date and less effective for getting the word out.

And what do you suggest should be posted on the facebook page? I've been keeping video and audio from my latest manhunt which I should be able to cut into some sort of decent shape.

Your thoughts and experiences are appreciated.

o-<

 

First YF, there's an ignore function. I'm gonna use it for you, so why don't you use it for me? And yeah, I'll keep spamming on this topic only, but only because you miss me so much.

FoF, I think every writer who has presence off-staff of a paper or magazine should have their own website to help promote their work. You can put reviews, interviews etc., all in one place, work samples, excerpts, stories, link to online booksellers, etc. If your work builds any kind of following it becomes really useful, and just might get you some work, particularly if you can find some kind of "added value" info to put on it, to draw readers looking for something else. For instance, I found a writer website the other day that also lists and provides links to writers who visit schools. She gets a lot of traffic that way, and that helps her promote her own work. It doesn't need to be very fancy, and they don't cost much (and are deductable anyway). You can even make your own these days.

The facebook page for the book has been the least useful thing I did (but then I didn't note in the book that there was a facebook page, which probably is the reason why). I post reviews and links to everything else I do to promote the book, and message members about the same. But posting reviews and the like about the book on facebook as status updates and links has actually been more useful and has resulted in some press attention and other good stuff I otherwise would not have received - you never know who those obscure FB friends know. I started a blog primarily to promote the book, and I also signed up for amazon's author page, on which you can link your blog as well, so any amazon user that clicks your name will not only see all your titles, but your blog, which can provide info about your book that amazon does not. I signed up with booktour.com, which lists your public appearances and sends notices to other booktour members. Got into twitter late, but recently had something go viral, and damn, that's how a ton of people heard about it. A short video book trailer, can be easily produced thru picasa or any of a number of photo and video programs. Mine has received nearly 1000 hits - not much, but that's 1000 people who otherwise may not have heard about the book.

It's all drips and drabs, alot of crap thrown up against the wall, but it adds up, and in this book selling climate, it better.

 

A NYT bestselling author bares the facts of being a NYT bestselling author, and posts her royalty statement:

<a href=http://www.straightgoods.ca/2009/ViewBrief.cfm?Ref=187&Cookies=yes>Revenue reality of a bestseller</a>

 

That's sobering.

 

Can you just give us the skinny of what she said? All this link does is take me to some sort of paid-subscription online service, and I"m not going to pay just to read this one thing.

 

Same here.

 

Ditto

 

Like the others, I'm now eager to hear this. Adam Carolla used to read his tax statements out loud on Loveline, and it was always oddly compelling to hear.

 

Short version was she wrote a book that sold very well and she didn't make a lot of money from it.