Following the groundbreaking footsteps of Andrew Taylor and his novel The American Boy (An Unpardonable Crime in the US), one book in the shortlist of ten for the Richard & Judy Book Club in 2006 represents the crime fiction genre.
This time it's Michael Connelly and The Lincoln Lawyer. The novel appears last on the list, so it may be out in the UK in paperback by then, which can only help sales.
Many may scoff, do the ROFL bit, throw up their hands in horror or perform a defeated shrug of the shoulders with an accompanying downturn of the mouth, perhaps poke their tongues out, but really, being on that shortlist does increase readership.
The special promotions that accompanied previous R&J Book Club considerations were hard to avoid in stores, including supermarkets. It was possible to trip over a display stand, but luckily, at my height, the top of it was just above waist height. I turned a corner and got overly intimate with one once, finally walking away, relieved that I had collected no bruising from the altercation and thanking my lucky stars that the stand was made of corrugated cardboard. I also noted that it was essentially empty of book stocks.
That's just the store activity to accompany the TV programme. The TV show is timed to attract a certain group of viewers and Richard & Judy have a big following and fan base from when they presented a morning slot. (GMTV I think. I can't be sure as I was working full time then...)
Many will become aware of the book who had not heard of the book or the author before, that's for certain. Connelly is already a big name. But if a bigger awareness of this book, his work to date and the genre itself are highlighted through this popular TV show, then I'm all for it.
In smaller more roundabout ways, word of mouth can also make a book great. Sebastian Faulks's Birdsong started out that way. I bought that when it had made the end of aisle promotional areas in W H Smith and I was at Heathrow, running for a flight and needing something to read. I wasn't sorry either. My copy has been lent out, more than once, and my enthusiasm passed on, more than once.
I've attended a clinic where the receptionist left her "current read" on the desk for all to see. On my first visit it was Mark Billingham's Lifeless and on my second it was the latest from Martina Cole. Both were in hardback. That's an enthusiast for you! It's also a bit of word of mouth in another form.
I have a major gripe today, though. I used my hard earned and treasured lunch hour to search for a book I wanted to buy, only to find that it was not stocked in two major stores and was "order only" in one of them. (I didn't bother asking about stock and ordering in the second as they are not so specialist when it comes to books.)
This is a book that is is currently in hard back format only. A trade paperback is also out there, but the timing of delivery could not be confirmed by the seller. The author is not a big name yet but I reckon the odds are in the author's favour, if only the general public is more aware of the author and the books, especially the latest. But for that, this author needs more publicity and also, and more importantly, this author needs books on shelves.
We now live in a world, post net book agreement, where the RRP is also a fiction of sorts. If I order the book from Amazon, I can get it, but at full RRP only. It's the same with an order through the UK's major bookseller.
Some new authors get a whacking great promotion. Others don't. In this case the author is not new. But I firmly believe the author is worth a lot more than the publisher offers right now. And that author is not the only one.
I could go on and start to talk about the HMV/Waterstone's proposal to acquire Ottakar's, but I won't. That's just too academic and not for now, for me. I will say one thing though; I do not support it happening and I'm pleased it's been referred onwards. As a reader, I want choice as well as price. What is price, if I only have a handful of titles to choose from?
So, back to my gripe. An author can sell if the books are available in the normal stores. In this case not. In this case the publisher needs to rethink the chain of events that brings the product to the market. I want to buy a specific book as soon as possible, but I can't. I can order it, at full RRP from Amazon, and wait 2-5 days for delivery, but who are you kidding in the world out there?
Some new authors and new books seem to deserve a massive promotion. Some damn good authors are left in the gutter, within the scheme of things. Promotion is not just about a "current opportunity" it's also about a more long haul opportunity. Some publishers are way too complacent and afraid to take a risk. Readers are more open than that.
Readers want the next thrill and entertainment. Readers want the next NEW book/author, if good.
This reader wanted a recent release in the hand and to take away ASAP and failed.
I have one message here: Remember the market. When doing so, take a risk and do not think of the crime genre as a side kick or an exclusion. The book needs to be on the shelves to be bought. Basics, eh?
And good luck to the R&J Book Club. I reckon that The Lincoln Lawyer will impress greatly.
One last thing - it's a shame that the R&J Book Club cannot do more to celebrate UK authors of the crime fiction genre, but time will tell on that...
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