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Existential Publicity

I’m using software called Cision that makes publicity a snap. But what I really realized while creating a list of media sources are a few things:

There aren’t many papers doing book reviews, what are the reviewers getting in return, and what are the reviewers doing with  all the books they get?

Publicity and marketing in books is changing. I’ve only been here for a second, but since I’ve arrived and listened to the conversations – in the office, on the net, and among peers- book people are wondering what’s the new avenue to get the book reader’s attention?

If I think it through, as a book reviewer they must ask themselves, what am I getting by reviewing this book? They get an audience of book readers, who like the genre the book reviewer reviews. The readers trust the reviewers words. The reviewer has a fan base. Publicity and Marketing want that fan base. Publicity feeds them more books.

Authors want readers. Some authors come with a fan base. Blogging and being seen on the net is the easiest way to establish that, for new writers. That means, becoming part of that community. It also means doing a lot of work for free.

I think a lot of people are afraid of the word free. But in this industry, I’ve already seen a lot of “Free.” I worked for free. A bunch of graduates, beyond the 60 something students that graduated from Centennial’s Publishing program worked, and are still working, for free.

That brings to mind the first rule of business. Put the product in the customers hands. Then they can’t believe they ever lived with out it. Books online for free aren’t free at all. They’re creating a market for themselves.

I don’t know if I really believe this because if democratic consumption drives consumer products we all want pop music and SUVs. Some of us want good books. Everyone has a story to tell. What stories are worth telling? Should stories cost us a price? What is that price? Books are changing and what will the new book look like? Are electronic versions of books a step back from a literate culture? Won’t that form of books deny lower income people less access? Hasn’t this always been the way?

Hasn’t this always been the way is a scary question. The question now should ask what is the new way? Well, I could write a whole blog of questions and never answer a one. I’m here, still learning. But maybe, access to blogs like these and open discussions that are beginning to take place will figure out how the book publishing industry remains a fixture in Canada.

What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I am to know

© 2009 Defining Canada.