Pushing Product
Some years ago when I was teaching at the University of Colorado, I had an office just down the hall from Archibald Cox, the Watergate special prosecutor. It was a real pleasure for me. Archie was a true gentleman and a great one to talk to. He had a new book out then, The Court and the Constitution, of which he was duly proud. The publishing process frustrated him, though. "You can’t just write a book anymore," he said. "Now you have to shill for it!" So he made the long trips to the east and west coasts, playing the talk shows, doing the bookstore readings.
How times have changed; how they have stayed the same.
My new book, Eyes of the World, came out this month. As in the "old" days, I’ll have my share of interviews and store appearances. But the internet adds a whole new level to the marketing of books. A lot of sales run through Amazon and other on-line distributors. And advertising on the internet is (relatively) cheap. The digital world is a complex and jumbled place. A lot of people are crying for attention out there. A good on-line marketing plan is essential to the success of any book.
That all reminds me of a student I once had. His name was Paul, and, in a word, he was a worrier. One day after class, he asked me a pretty profound question. "How do you decide what to read?" he said. I shook my head, not really understanding him. He explained, "I figure I can read about twelve thousand books in my life, tops. How do I pick the right ones?" I could only smile and shake my head again. I had no answer. But I have thought about it since then.
A few centuries ago, say at the time of Thomas Jefferson, a smart person would read pretty much every book he or she could lay hands on. Visit his home at Monticello, and you’ll be surprised at how small Jefferson’s personal library was, though it was almost certainly the best in the country at the time. Again, how things have changed. Books are like vegetables now. They ripen, are quickly digested, and the husks thrown away. A new crop is always on the way.
But back to the question: how should we decide what to read? Maybe the best answer is, "Read what you need; read what you love." If you have to learn about a health problem or college savings plans, get a book on those topics. That’s pretty obvious. But when you have the luxury of choice, read books that are so memorable you can’t wait to recommend them to your best friend. Read books that are so good you really don’t want them to end. That, I guess, is my long-delayed answer to Paul.
I’m always happy to hear from fans. To use an old phrase, it’s just plain neat to connect with someone that way, that they read my work and enjoyed it enough to let me know. That’s especially true of the people who write to me from Iran, from South Africa, from the Philippines. All the way out there, somebody met my characters, shared my story lines, and maybe even laughed at my jokes.
What would Archie Cox say to all this? He died a few years back so we can’t ask him, but I imagine it would be something like: Can’t we just write the books and let somebody else worry about the rest of it? Nope. Not anymore.
How times have changed; how they have stayed the same.
My new book, Eyes of the World, came out this month. As in the "old" days, I’ll have my share of interviews and store appearances. But the internet adds a whole new level to the marketing of books. A lot of sales run through Amazon and other on-line distributors. And advertising on the internet is (relatively) cheap. The digital world is a complex and jumbled place. A lot of people are crying for attention out there. A good on-line marketing plan is essential to the success of any book.
That all reminds me of a student I once had. His name was Paul, and, in a word, he was a worrier. One day after class, he asked me a pretty profound question. "How do you decide what to read?" he said. I shook my head, not really understanding him. He explained, "I figure I can read about twelve thousand books in my life, tops. How do I pick the right ones?" I could only smile and shake my head again. I had no answer. But I have thought about it since then.
A few centuries ago, say at the time of Thomas Jefferson, a smart person would read pretty much every book he or she could lay hands on. Visit his home at Monticello, and you’ll be surprised at how small Jefferson’s personal library was, though it was almost certainly the best in the country at the time. Again, how things have changed. Books are like vegetables now. They ripen, are quickly digested, and the husks thrown away. A new crop is always on the way.
But back to the question: how should we decide what to read? Maybe the best answer is, "Read what you need; read what you love." If you have to learn about a health problem or college savings plans, get a book on those topics. That’s pretty obvious. But when you have the luxury of choice, read books that are so memorable you can’t wait to recommend them to your best friend. Read books that are so good you really don’t want them to end. That, I guess, is my long-delayed answer to Paul.
I’m always happy to hear from fans. To use an old phrase, it’s just plain neat to connect with someone that way, that they read my work and enjoyed it enough to let me know. That’s especially true of the people who write to me from Iran, from South Africa, from the Philippines. All the way out there, somebody met my characters, shared my story lines, and maybe even laughed at my jokes.
What would Archie Cox say to all this? He died a few years back so we can’t ask him, but I imagine it would be something like: Can’t we just write the books and let somebody else worry about the rest of it? Nope. Not anymore.
posted by Rob at 7:20 AM
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