Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Location: Books & Such Main Office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
I know, I know, you’re proud of the book trailer that portrays your upcoming book in such vivid, creative and heart-thumping ways.
I know, I know, you’re excited about the book cover that exceeded your expectations.
But keep the excitement to yourself.
What?! Yup, keep it to yourself.
Here’s the thing: I keep seeing on Facebook, Twitter, and authors’ sites, gleeful announcements about just-created trailers and book covers, with links to take a peek. What’s the harm?
Oh, only sales.
You see, trailers and book covers are created long before the book releases–often a full year.
If, as a reader, I’m exposed to these promo items (yes, that’s what a cover is), I soon start to think that the book is old news. Heavens, I’ve watched the trailer, I’ve seen the cover several times…didn’t I read that book already? If I think I haven’t read it, well, I just dismiss the book. I want to read what’s new.
So, when you receive that award-winning trailer or that breathtaking cover, do take a deep breath. Privately enjoy it. And then start to make plans for the big unveiling just as the book hits the bookstores.
Oh, and if your publisher wants you to show off these artistic wonders early, feel free to ask why. I doubt the publisher can give a compelling answer.
Good wisdom. I have been wondering on timing. It makes sense. I’ll keep that in mind with other blabbing about well, the upcoming series that will be fun to read.
Such an education here. Thanks for this info.
~ Wendy
Janet, When is the right time to start promoting? It seems there must be a balance between starting a buzz and giving away too much, too soon. What’s your advice for timing?
Fascinating! I sat in on a workshop given by Jenna Peterson and she had a whole strategy about when to convert the book cover as your profile picture and when to start blogging about the release. Your advice goes hand-in-hand with everything she said. So interesting!
Love this advice, Janet. Question: How long before a book hits the physical shelf, does Amazon or other online sellers launch the book for pre-order?
Great posts this week! Thank you.
Great comment — I truly understand where you are coming from — if the trailer and/or cover is released too soon it will lose it’s momentum. I think a book trailer is a great marketing tool.
Great post! As a past book publicist, I can totally back up every word. I have a friend with a debut release coming out in two months and her publisher started pushing her to do a blog tour way back in Nov.
So, here she was on blogs talking about her upcoming release but with no ability to actually get the readers to BUY the book. In publishing no one is going to remember the name of a debut author from a blog post they did months ago.
All those blogs and guest posts didn’t directly affect a single sale because the book can’t be bought yet. I think this is an example that goes so well with what you’ve mentioned about the covers and trailers. Hit social media and online marketing in a big mass push for more bang for your buck and make sure the book is available to buy or pre-order!
Valuable information, Janet. Thanks for sharing it. I often find myself having to discourage my author-clients from “giving too much away”–which includes free copies of the manuscript! Your advice is priceless and I’ll be passing this post along.
Nice post, and something I think most authors wouldn’t consider. I don’t think it applies to all authors, though; for example, those with an online presence and a following. Amazon and other online stores can post covers 6 months or more in advance, effectively stealing the reveal if the author waits until it’s about to hit stores. (As well as prompting, “OMG, you have a cover? Did you know? Why didn’t you tell us?” emails from fans.) And likely the publisher will have the trailer on youtube as soon as they have it reader, so same issue.
Of course, if an author doesn’t have a following, then even if they post their cover/trailer, they don’t risk diluting the promotional pool too much.
There is also the matter of reviews of advance copies making their way onto the internet, which the author has no control over. On the one hand, of course you want to get excitement and awareness building, but like you said, this could lead to feeling like the book is old news. After reading rave reviews, I was all set to buy Divergent for my mother for Christmas when I remembered it was still months away from coming out. But I don’t think that’ll keep me from buying it when it does come out.
*shrug* As ever, timing is a double-edged sword. Every author should weigh their individual case carefully.
Interesting! I never thought about it from that perspective. I haven’t entered the world of book trailers and covers yet, but I’ll keep this in mind for whenever I do. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this post. As a reader, I can relate. As a writer, I needed this. 🙂
Publishers doing trailers is news to me. Last I heard, that was still something the author chose to do–or not do. Janet, could you give us a rundown on this development? Are more publishers picking up the tab? Keeping total control over the trailer? Including it in the contract as part of a promotional package?
Thanks for helping keep us up to speed!
Thanks each of you for weighing in. Several of you have made good points about a book being available on Amazon long before it releases (and the cover being seen there)as well as rogue galleys. I see these as part of an imperfect world in which a publisher and author have extreme challenges to embargo books until the release date.
What I’m suggesting authors and publishers keep in mind is that you want to build *velocity,* not just garner sales. And velocity is built when you work to have book sales in one big clump. So, if you focus all of your efforts on one day or one week, you’re building velocity.
I’d encourage you not to just accept a stretched out publicity strategy from your publisher but to ask (respectfully, of course) if efforts can be consolidated to correspond with the official release date when the book is available not only for pre-order on Amazon but also in bookstores and other retail venues.
This point lines up with something I’ve learned (am learning, will be learning) about writing life and the instant goodiness of social networking. Mostly I’ve learned to simply be quiet about what’s going on behind the scenes.
I’m truly the only one who is excited about what’s going on behind the scenes. My readers just want the book.
My writing life may tip upside down and sideways, but you won’t hear about from me! Or it may be so smooth I’m skating on it, but you won’t hear about it from me! My job is to get the book written.
Slightly off point, but I think it dovetails with what you’re talking about here.
Very good points! That is exactly what I do when I see these trailers etc for books and then I think I’ve already read it when it comes out. It is highly disappointing to see a book that sounds amazing, only to find out it has yet to be released and won’t be for a long time. My short term memory will delete the book and I may not remember to go buy it in, a year! 🙂
Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Words of wisdom, duly noted.
In so many things, timing is clutch. Thanks, Janet.
And Wendy for the knock-upside-the-head.
🙂
Don’t tell anyone, but I never look at the book trailers. I’m not much of a visual learner, so looking at those doesn’t get my attention. I think the one thing that does get me to buy a book is to read a good review with a click (link) to go buy it.
Sometimes that has been on Goodreads. I love the discussion groups there, the little giveaway contests (I just won a book there from an author I’ve never heard of) and to see what my friends are reading. There is one gal on there who reads constantly. I will check out what she’s reading.
I do agree with you. I MIGHT click on a FB blog link, or Twitter link, but not a video trailer.
I’m not at the point of having covers and trailers, but I’m sure you’re right and will keep it in mind when I reach that glorious time. But, it sure doesn’t make me happy now. I love seeing all my friends’ trailers and covers and tidbits of writer news on Facebook and Twitter. As a new writer, I have learned so much just by observing. It’s too bad we can’t have an online place for writers to go and chat–and be real–without having to worry about a negative impact on publicity and sales.
I remember this being covered at retreat. Thanks for the reminder!
Janet, this really does make sense from a
sales point of view. Thanks for confirming
some thoughts I’ve had on “talking and showing too much in advance”…..
This all rings true for me, Janet. Wonderful, freeing advice. Waiting to share the trailer, cover, et. al., with our readers until the time is right will build the excitement for us, as well. Thanks!
Bonnie, your point about over-sharing both the highlights and lowlights of a writer’s life do dovetail with this discussion. Readers want to know about your next book, not whether you had a major publishing disappointment or just had a glorious conversation with your editor. Readers, like most individuals plugged into social media, want to know, “What’s in it for me?”
Great points here. Thank you for sharing.
When I think about how a couple of recent debut authors successfully handled their book releases, they often plugged their books on their own blogs just a month or two prior to release. Most of the blog tours and interviews they did were in the few weeks surrounding the actual release. Now I see even more of the good logic behind those methods.
This issue of overall timing is one I’ve struggled with. For a non-fiction book, I have the domain purchased, but have hesitated on pulling the trigger until I’m a few more steps down the path towards a book.
The site would only introduce a few of the comments, not spill all the beans, but is there a “too early” to launch a website that would cause potential publishers to say “it’s old news” or is building up the website/mailing list the route to go to demonstrate (with firm numbers) the hunger for the topic?
Thanks too all at Books & Such for this blog!
Thanks for this clear, sensible advice.
One day (when I hava a book to cover or trail) I’ll remember this.
Jean
Thanks for the marketing wisdom!
I do understand about a reader’s perspective, and the fact that promotion needs to grab them at a time when they can order, or pre-order, the book. But what about retailers? Our books show up in the publisher’s catalogue months before the book is available. Do retailers go to the authors’ websites to watch trailers or see what the author has to say about a book before it’s released? And if they do, shouldn’t we have some teasers or something out there to help build anticipation about the book, so they know we’re doing our part to promote the book?
Ginny S.
What about re-releasing hype?! My husband reads Dean Koontz and Stephen King. I wanted to get him a book from each that he had not yet read. I purchased a brand new Stephen King book and what I thought was a brand new Dean Koontz book. The Dean Koontz book was actually a re-release and they had it all hyped up like it was his most recently released book. I was sad when my husband said he had already read the book. I don’t read either of those authors since I scare easily. Do you recommend tactics like they used with the Dean Koontz book or would you discourage writers from this practice?
Thanks for the valuable information. Now I know to hold onto that trailer until the book comes out.
Thanks for sharing your perspective on this. I’m sure there has to be a point of balance between active marketing that is early enough to begin building momentum and so early the momentum is lost. For me, a year ahead would certainly be too early. But announcing a release date and introducing a cover at six months seems reasonable. I like to know when something appealing is coming out, and covers with blurbs influence what I think will be appealing. I’d prefer authors save the increased hype of trailers, interviews and blog tours to coincide with the launch.