I popped into my local Barnes and Noble yesterday to buy some Christmas presents and pet the books. It always gives me a little thrill to hop in the escalator and ascend directly into the YA section. Yeah, it’s kinda cheesy, but it almost feels like one of those movies where you’ve died and gone to heaven. LOL! So, I’m about half way up when I realize that my beloved YA section is now the school curriculum area.
Huh?
My eyes immediately shoot to where all the curriculum supplies used to be and low and behold…no YA. I scan the children’s PB/MG section–thinking this can’t be good. How did they squeeze all those books in an already crowded area. My palms are starting to sweat. No YA books in sight. I double check under a table display.
Dashing back to the escalator, I begin to search the rest of the store for any sign of a new area–glittering with YA books. I can’t see anything. This is the point where I start to talk to myself…
They still have a YA section. Relax. It’s not likely that Barnes and Noble removed all of it’s teen reading, less then a year before your book hits the shelf. OMG! There’s a reason that people call our family the Griswalds. Take a deep breath. You’re being silly. Do what you have to do here and then go look for it. Find it you must. Stop talking like Origami Yoda. Damn-it! Where is Dwight and Origami Yoda when I really need help?
I quickly grabbed handfuls of the books I needed from the kids section, then I stalk down the store, reading every sign on every bookcase until I find them. It was the weirdest thing–the YA books were now shelved with the adult books.
I’ll be honest with you, my first thought was–this was no cozy, heavenly, balcony-like corner. This is plain and boring. But then I started to peruse the shelved. There were several and a couple tables. And I started to feel move comfortable. Then I looked around…
There were adults, weaving in and out of the aisles. A lot more adults than I’d normally see in the YA section. And then I got all tingly with excitement because this idea was brilliant. Teen readers are die-hard, loyal fans. Like me. I’m going to find those books no matter where they put them in the store. But there is an untapped, crossover audience out there that has no plans to wander into the YA section. It’s time to bring the Mountain to Mohammed–so to speak.
Of course I didn’t have to fake enthusiasm, to encourage the other grown-ups in my vicinity to rush over and see what I was all excited about. I seriously squeal when I get around all of those books. I petted quite a few and even adopted some. Hey–they looked lonely. And I won’t lie to you. I left pretty darn happy–feeling like there has been a shift in the universe and excited that I’m here to watch it happen.
So what do you think the YA books should be shelved?
Tags: Barnes and Noble, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, YA Author, YA Novel, YA Writer
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In my last post, I talked a little bit about Marketing Your Unborn Book. Today I wanted to follow up with a similar topic. Word of mouth. This is very closely related to what I previously talked about. When you make genuine connections with people, there is a good chance that those people will support you. That’s what friends do. It’s also what smart people do–they don’t bite the hand that feeds them. And if you’ve been doing a good job marketing your unborn book, it means that you have invested a lot of time and energy into supporting your peers the way you would like to be cared for when it is your turn to sell a book. The cool thing about the kid lit community is that this is a group of people who was born with the “do-for-others gene.” They are writing to help kids for goodness sake.
So, how do we really sell our books? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the best way is by word of mouth.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are lots of things that you can do to stack the deck in your favor. I’m doing things like compiling lists of school librarians so that I can send them out a post card with my information on it. It never hurts to put the effort in. Sending out a post card is a lot more personal than hoping, wishing and praying that a librarian or a bookseller accidentally stumble upon TOUCHING THE SURFACE. But, at the end of the day, think about who you listen to when you want a book recommendation.
I can tell you what I do…
*I watch what people I trust tweet about on twitter. If my agent or editor recommends a book, I’m sold. If Kiersten White, my agency sister is singing the praises of an author, I believe her. If the kid lit community rallies around someone like Lauren Myracle, I will read that book and hand sell that puppy until someone puts a restraining order out on me.
*I ask my friends and family what they’re reading. I trust them.
*I check out the staff recommendations at the bookstore. These folks may or may not be my “friends” but they are talking up a book that they feel passionately about. Yes, they are selling books, but they’re selling ALL the books in the store. So it means something when they talk about a book that resonates with them.
I HAVE NEVER READ A BOOK THAT SOMEONE HAS SPAMMED ME WITH–EVEN IF YOU HAVE OFFERED IT FOR FREE.
That’s the truth.
I’ll leave you with a little story that shows you the true power of word of mouth…
The other day my boys and I were talking about graphic novel/cartoon characters. Who we liked and what super powers we’d like to have. If you have boys, you’ve probably had this conversation many times LOL! I happened to reveal to my kids that when I was their age, I had a secret super hero identity. I put on my dark and powerful cartoon narrator’s voice and told them…
Out of the dark regions of the universe, comes a super crime fighting hero…Captain Apple!
They thought that this was hysterical. They wanted to know all about Captain Apple. I can’t remember much about how it started. I may have been apple picking with the girl scouts or something, but for some reason I have always remembered Captain Apple. I forgot all about our talk until a few days later, when my middle son got my attention at dinner.
Him: “Do you remember that day we were talking about Captain Apple?”
Me: “Uh huh.” Nods in his direction while making dinner and pulling back packs apart.
Him: “Yeah, well it’s kind of cool because all my friends are playing Captain Apple in school.”
Me: Drops stuff and gives middle child my full attention. “What do you mean?”
Him: “I though Captain Apple was cool so I told my friends about it. They thought it was cool too. So we’ve been playing Captain Apple on the playground and making up our own comics.”
Me: Stands up straight and smooths hair. “They really liked it?”
Him: “Yeah, mom–he’s pretty cool.”
Me: “Think you can finish dinner by yourselves boys? I’ve got a new idea for a book that I’d like to fiddle with…”
Okay–maybe that last line wasn’t exactly true. And yes, I will sue you if you steal my Captain Apple book idea. You won’t though–that would make you rotten to the core. *scribbles notes that that would make a great line in the book* But you get the picture. Word of mouth can sell things that aren’t even for sale…yet. My best advice for selling your book or your future book is to go out and sell someone else’s book. How cool is that?
And one final warning…negative news travels by mouth a gazillion times faster than good news. It’s the pits *jots down more notes* but its a law of the universe. So, my final recommendation for you is to remember to use your words wisely. And get a cool cape.
Tags: Captain Apple, Kiersten White, Kimberly Sabatini, Lauren Myracle, Librarians
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I’ve got line edits again! And line edits often feel like this…
I have a quick deadline rushing at me. Since I’m trying to make sure I boomerang this baby back on time, in addition to working diligently on book number two, I’m going to stream line this blog post and direct you to the always informative and entertaining
Jackson Pearce. Fasten your safety harness because she has some interesting information on publishing that you might not know.
Just curious–did you know know how bookstores are stocked? And isn’t Jackson adorable?
Tags: Jackson Pearce, Kimberly Sabatini, revision, Simon Pulse
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Yipee! My BFF and Crit Partner Jodi Moore went to visit her local bookstore to celebrate the birth of her first book baby. So much fun. But when Jodi got to the store, she couldn’t find WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN anywhere. Her first thought was that the store was very busy and the staff hadn’t gotten a chance to get it on the table, but low and behold…
Her book was already sold out!!!!!! The last copy was clutched in the arms of some lucky reader and on it’s way to the checkout. Woo Hoo!!!!!
But this got me thinking… It’s the bestest thing in the whole world that Dragon literally flew off the shelves, but what happens in the mean time? An empty spot on a table isn’t going to sell a book. Now I’m not telling book sellers how to do their jobs, but wouldn’t book dummies be a wonderful thing??? When that last copy disappears off the shelf, couldn’t there be a cardboard copy of the cover with an out of stock message on it? Wouldn’t it be great if it said something like…
This book is so darn popular, we can’t keep it in stock. Bring this cover to the nearest customer representative and you get a 5% discount for ordering it in the store today!!!!
Then the book seller puts that cover right back on the shelf where it can sell another book that isn’t in stock and make all the other books green with envy that they haven’t been taken out of the store-yet.
Have you got any creative suggestions you’d like to share with your favorite bookseller?
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Last Sunday, the elementary school that two of my kids attend, had a fund raiser at the Poughkeepsie Barnes & Noble.
I’m a really big fan of my local B&N. My friend and fellow critique partner Linda Hanlon (a member of C’RAP–Children’s ‘Riters Always Procrastinate) works there and she is awesome–plus some. Additionally they also host my local SCBWI Shop Talk meetings and this group has been very instrumental in helping me grow as a writer and connect with other writers. (Love you guys.) So,when given a better than good reason to come here…
(*Five points if you can find my Hubby and boys in the picture *grin*)
I jumped at the chance. Buying books is even better when I know that every purchase I make supports great authors in my industry AND puts money directly into my local elementary school. This, my friends, is called a NO BRAINER!
First up was the Kindergarten Christmas Concert. Talk about an instantaneous crowd. You could’ve eaten these little elves up with a spoon.
This one is my little elf. Of course he’s hanging with his fantastic teacher Mary Turi. Can you tell that he’s a ham bone? Over the course of the afternoon here were a lot of other performances by the different grades and groups. Everyone was spectacular, but i wasn’t taking pictures so where was I??? Raiding the shelves–of course.
In addition to stories being read, a game of Who’s Smarter Than a 5th Grader with Principal Dr. McNally, we also got to admire the beautiful student art work. It really was a wonderful community event.
The whole family spent time browsing and picking out books, but it was my oldest son who tugged at my heart strings. He’s 9 years old and dyslexic and a huge lover of books. He leaned over and tapped me on the shoulder. He wanted to get books that he could read but he wanted them to be good books. Translation: He wanted his reading level to be commiserate with his interests and comprehension level. I could feel myself getting tense. He wanted books that make him feel good, that empower him. He loves listening to audio books and he loves it when I read to him, but he wants a piece of this passion for himself and as someone who needs books, I understood him completely.
This was not going to be any easy task. We’ve done this dig and search before and the pickings are slim to none. Then we found something new called Top Readers…
He is starting at level one, but the books progress up to level four and they are full of well illustrated, interesting nonfiction topics that immediately captured his interest.
His face lit up and he grabbed a stack off the shelf. He sat down in an empty aisle and read the Big Cats book before we made it to the check out counter. Thank you Barnes & Noble for stocking those books–if you have any doubts about how important they were to my son, look at where he chose to have his picture taken–in the YA a section. You made him feel that big.
Tags: dyslexia
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