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Nat's Notes:
Adventures in Publishing
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Readers Room.com is excited to announce this new feature which will follow an author through the process of New York publishing, from a book sale to the book release. Many people wonder what happens after a book is sold to a large publisher. Natalie is wondering, too. Read along on the 15th of every month, as she explains the process--or at least gives it her best shot.
By Natalie R. Collins
ARCS REDUX---In my last column, we discussed ARCs. Okay, I talked about ARCs, and you, if anyone is actually reading this column, listened. I know you're hoping I'll move on. But I have a few more things to say about ARCs, because a few more things have happened.
Over the past few weeks approximately 50 ARCs of Wives and Sisters went out to what is known as long lead media. Now you might ask: what is "long lead media?" I know I certainly wondered when I heard the term from my publicist. I found out that these are publications that require a long advance time in order to do reviews, and it does not include Web sites, newspapers, etc., that have a fairly quick set up time.
Having advanced copies of my book sent out to reviewers, alone, is not frightening. It's exciting, and to be expected. But when you hear exactly WHO some of these publications are, however, the angst sets in.
Some of the publications receiving ARCs of my book included New York Times Book Review, Cosmopolitan Magazine, People Magazine, Redbook Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, O Magazine, and quite a few more, all impressive. Of course, just because they get one of the ARCs does not mean that they will review it. I'm not sure which is worse. Wondering if my fancy bound galley of Wives and Sisters is being read, loved, and handed to Oprah Winfrey and Katie Couric with a "you have to read this!" or dismissed as drivel and thrown in the trash can.
Advance reviews are a part of the game. Advance reviews help build publicity, and "buzz," all of which is calculated when your print run is determined. Advance reviews can help decide whether enough copies of your book will be printed to fill Madison Square Garden or the odds and ends 60 percent off sale table at your local Barnes and Noble.
I'm sure you get the point. They are very important.
A small print run, of course, makes it easier to meet your sell-through and earn royalties, especially if you had a small advance. However, a small print run means you will never show up on the New York Times Bestseller list, because there are not enough copies of your book printed in order to get you there. If the book isn't printed, the book cannot be sold. Of course, second and third printings can be arranged, and if there is enough interest, the publisher is more than happy to make these printings, but they can be costly, and so the interest has to be very, very high in order for your publisher to do this.
The ideal situation is for the advance buzz to be good enough that your print run is set at just the right amount and everybody is happy. I'm not sure how often that happens. I suspect it's pretty rare.
I feel fortunate that St. Martin's printed up a respectable amount of galleys and are really supporting Wives and Sisters. I just keep hoping that this book will live up to its end of the bargain.
Do you have questions or comments about Natalie's adventure in publishing? She'd love to hear from you. Contact her at:
ReadersRoom2@aol.com
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