down the writer's path

Michael Crichton and NYT Book Review Editor on Sunday CSPAN2 Book TV

Quick. Grab your remote, click to the CSPAN2 channel and set your timer for these upcoming BOOK TV events. (The schedule will fill up over the next few days.) This Sunday, December 8th at 7:30PM, Michael Crichton's speech to the National Press Club will be aired on C-SPAN. Crichton always delivers a provocative and interesting talk. Given the subject matter of his new book, you can imagine the depth and breadth of his talk. Then, if you've wondered what really goes on at the New York Times Book Review, make sure you watch CSPAN the following Sunday, December 17th. The program will air at 11 AM and 7PM (Eastern times).

Weekend Highlights ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michael Crichton, Next Saturday 8 PM, Sunday 7:30 PM ET In his novel, Mr. Crichton describes the genetic world as "fast, furious, and out of control." During this event hosted by the National Press Club in Washington, DC, the author discusses recent scientific leaps in the study of genetics and talks about how gene manipulation can help cure drug addiction.

**Coming up on Book TV next weekend - December 16-18**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sam Tanenhaus, Editor, New York Tiimes Book Review
Sunday, December 17 11 AM and 7 PM ETA rare look inside the influential New York Times Book Review, featuring Editor Sam Tanenhaus. Mr. Tanenhaus guides viewers through the editorial and production process including how books are chosen, how reviewers are selected and how the review is fact-checked and copy edited.

If you aren't in the habit of watching CSPAN on the weekends and you love books, particularly nonfiction, you'll love watching CSPAN on the weekends. Often a weekend is devoted to one of the national, regional, or state book festivals. While 90% of the time the subject matter is nonfiction books and their authors, occasionally, like this weekend, a writer known more for his fiction than nonfiction turns up. Of course, nothing compares to the 3-hour in-depth interviews that happen on the first Sunday of every month where an author sits for an interview that covers their life and complete literary works. Great stuff. Another favorite of mine is the National Press Club meetings. Most of the time the subject matter is timely and the author interesting.

And if you're keeping up with the latest book talk gossip, then the in-depth interview with former President Jimmy Carter Sunday morning might be of interest. If you do watch one or both of these shows, stop back by and tell me what you thought.

Update on my writing life and the joys of booksignings

My co-author and I have had two booksignings. The first at Blue Willow Bookshop, an independent bookstore, and the other this past Saturday at Borders-The Fountains in Stafford. We count them as great successes. Next we travel to the Clear Lake-Webster area (think NASA) for a signing on Saturday, June 11 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the Barnes and Noble in Baybrook Mall. (The last time we had a signing scheduled at this store--in 2001--Houston suffered major flooding from a hurricane and we had to reschedule.)

Booksignings are interesting events. You never know who will turn up, especially if the event has been publicized in the paper. We've had old friends who we haven't seen in years stop by to say hello and buy a copy of a book. I've even had an old friend of my mother's come by. They also offer surprises. This past week we had several store customers come over and decide to buy our book as a Father's Day gift. That's perfect for this time of year, but for some reason we hadn't even thought of that particular gift-giving idea.

On the other hand, signings can also be challenging. Most booksignings, particularly those where the author is from out of town, don't draw many people. The serve more as an opportunity for the author to meet the booksellers, those folks who actually do hand sell the books day after day. Often authors are able to find new fans who are eager to share their enthusiasm for a new writer they've discovered. So even when a signing doesn't appear to have generated one sale, the seeds for future sales can be planted.

Next time you're at a bookstore and see an author sitting behind a stack of books, why not stop by and say hello--even better, buy their book.

Press releases, marketing and booksignings

With the advent of a new book, booksignings are inevitable and creating press releases is the norm. I spent most of last night emailing press releases to various local print media outlets. I already have bookmarks, postcards and business cards as a result of the TLA and IRA conferences, so that's a major task already out of the way. The booksigning posters in various sizes have already been created, so one more task is marked "done." I'm actually a little late on these local press releases due to my recent traveling. These should have gone out seven to ten days earlier. In addition to my efforts, both Elaine and I have sent out email announcements to friends, online groups, and local event announcement lists to spread as wide a net as we can.

Some of you may be wondering why I'm doing all this marketing. You may think the bookstores should be doing this. In fact, Blue Willow has included our signing information in their monthly newsletter, put up announcements on the website, and graciously sent out 200 or so very nice invitations. (You should know that it's not the norm for stores to spend their money on mailouts, so when they do authors are delighted.) I know Borders has included us in their monthly newsletter and will be putting up a display and signage to remind in-store customers. These are two bookstores that really work at their events and we know that; however, authors should not rely or suppose that the necessary publicity and marketing efforts will be made on their behalf. Sometimes the stores are busy and inventory may fall at the same time as the event; sometimes the staff isn't as up to speed on publicizing their events as authors would like; sometimes there simply isn't enough manpower and/or knowledge to get the job done and done right. My policy is that anything the store does is a plus and will be on top of what I do. I can only control my own publicity efforts, plus, I will publicize the book, the event, and me--the author--in the way I want to be portrayed.

I had the same policy when I was a community relations coordinator for four years and handled the events and promotions for a local chain bookstore. I learned early on not to depend on publisher's--or authors, I'm afraid--to do any publicity. In those rare times when actual publicity was done by a publisher it was to focus on the book and the TV and print media, etc. with, if I was lucky, a mention of the signing. Obviously the store's event was a priority for me; the book was a priority for the publisher. So if the author wants to have any publicity and marketing done for the "author," it follows that he or she must get the word out. An extra plus is that most bookstores are grateful that you take the time to promote.  But the biggest plus comes in sales on the day of the event and during the next several days after when your signed stock is available and when folks come in to buy the book after having missed the event.

But isn't marketing and publicizing the book the same as publicizing the author? Not necessarily. I have two travel books published, but I also have a blog on writing and two young adult novels I'm promoting, so it's up to me to get the word out about me.

That said, I have two signings that fall on the next two Saturdays. If you're in the neighborhood, please stop by and say hello.

EXPLORING TEXAS HISTORY: WEEKEND ADVENTURES

Blue Willow Bookshop

14532 Memorial Drive at Dairy Ashford

281.497.8675

http://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp

Saturday, May 14, 2005

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

and

Vikk Simmons and Elaine L. Galit

EXPLORING TEXAS HISTORY: WEEKEND ADVENTURES

Borders Books - The Fountains (Stafford/Sugar Land area)

12788 Fountain Lake Cr, Stafford, TX 77477
281.440.6666

Saturday, May 21, 2005

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Houston Writer's League puts on Writer's Retreat in March

Well, I'm going to succumb to a little BSP here. The Houston Writers League is presenting a Writer's Retreat at the end of March from Friday, March 26 -- Sunday, March 28, 2004. Here's an opportunity to "escape from the distraction of phones and television, emails and family" and "get your writing juices flowing."