Progress Report
by Mike Kimel
Cross-posted at the Presimetrics blog.
Progress Report
Getting a book out when you’re a complete unknown is tough. Presimetrics shipped a couple of weeks ago, and we’re doing what we can to get the word out but its slow going. We had a lucky break a few weeks ago when Parade Magazine featured a quiz based on the book. A week ago I had an interview with US News & World Report which I understand will appear in their on-line edition in mid-September.
Meanwhile, I’ve heard that among major bricks & mortar stores, the book is being carried by Borders. According to the publisher, Barnes & Noble ordered copies too, but the local store isn’t carrying it and I’ve heard from people in other locations that they haven’t seen it at B&N locations near them either. Online, its easiest to watch the rankings bounce around on Amazon; they’ve been everywhere between 5,000 (right after the Parade Magazine quiz) and 150,000 in the past couple of weeks. Nobody has put up a review on Amazon yet. (Actually, I don’t think I’ve seen the book reviewed anywhere in the media or in blogs yet.)
The publisher is continuing to try to book us with national media (they were the ones who hooked us up with Parade and USN&WR) but there’s a chicken and egg factor; a certain amount of fame/notoriety/recognition is needed to be featured on many media venues, and being picked up by the media is needed for the book’s existence to become known.
On a more local level, over the past week and a half I’ve been extremely busy with my outside life, but this week I plan to get in touch with local tv & radio shows, and also to look into local book signings. We will also begin going after the academic market, focusing on poli sci/government/recent American history rather than economics; this is a book about governance, after all, and economics is only a component of the book, after all.
Anecdotally, people who are reading the book seem very enthusiastic about it. I suspect word of mouth will lead to the biggest slice of sales for this book in the long run, but that takes a while to build up. The biggest problem, so far, I think, is us – the authors. We’re both low key guys who aren’t hugely comfortable tooting our own horns in a world where marketing beats product. But we’re trying to change our ways.
So that’s where we are. And I’m interested in your feedback. Have you read the book? If so, what do you think about it? If not, does it seem like something you would read? Why or why not? Also, any ideas on marketing are welcome.
Thanks.
Yes, I will buy and read the book. I independently thought through some of your same ideas the way you have. In fact, I found AB via the 2007 postings on presidential economic results while looking things up for my own purposses.
We have both Borders and B&N nearby, and I’l check them both and report back.
A River Runs Through It was totally a word-of-mouth success, and it’s been in print continuously since 1989, without a penny ever being spent on advertising. The 1992 movie might have helped, though.
If you could get Brad Pitt to play the part of GDP . . .
Cheers!
JzB
jazzbumpa,
Given that GDP growth has seen much better days, I’m thinking Joe Don Baker might be a better choice.
Not to put any pressure on you, but if you do a TV or radio interview, be wonderful. They don’t actually have to run your interview – unless the station has a hole in its schedule. If you are wonderful, the interview may run more than once, filling other holes in the schedule, and may be picked up. Don’t get your hopes up about being picked up, though. Your chicken/egg problem is a serious hurdle to distribution.
The reason it’s not at the Barnes & Noble stores is that B&N will stock in the warehouse but the individual stores have to order it. The key to success with B&N is to get people to go into the store and request the book. Otherwise B&N stores will not stock it.
Beautiful!
My local Border’s had on copy, which I bought.
B&N has none in the area – whatever the area is. They can order it.
Cheers!
JzB
I hope you enjoy it!
kharris,
Sadly, I’m more adorable than wonderful, but I’ll do my best to branch out.
And yes, I’m expecting this to be a long, slow slog where it will take a lot of luck to get widespread exposure. But I’m willing to try for a while and see what happens.
BB,
Interesting.