Biggest, Friendliest Bookstore in Texas
James Ellroy at a BookPeople reading and signing.
Everything's big in Texas, including the bookstores. There's Larry McMurtry's Booked Up, occupying four buildings his boyhood home of Archer City, and BookPeople in Austin which calls itself "The Biggest Bookstore in Texas." Big as it is, author Fannie Flag calls Bookpeople the Friendliest Bookstore in Texas: "You never know how many or even if anyone will come and see you, so imagine my total surprise as the friendly General Manager led me through the store and lo and behold there was a huge crowd waiting just for me! Not only was it the biggest crowd, but it was also the most fun and the most brilliant and the most receptive (i.e., they laughed at all my jokes). I could, of course, take all the credit, but the real truth is that the crowd at the bookstore had much less to do with the author on tour, and more to do with the loyalty of the store customers and their willingness to support the store's event. Just for the short time I was there, I could feel why. The staff made me feel so at home, and the store had an inviting atmosphere that made you want to spend hours there, browsing through the shelves."Read Fannie Flag's essay at the BookPeople Bookstore website.
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Small Town Texas, Big Time Marketing
Texas Publishers' Tactics Firmly Based on Home & Family
It's no secret that the competition is fierce to obtain media coverage for books. Because smaller publishing houses usually do not have the six-figure publicity budgets of New York firms, they must think big through savvy marketing tactics. There are two examples of success in Texas that we can all learn from to build our repertoire of marketing knowledge.Janice Woods Windle has authored three historical novels, all based around her hometown of Seguin, Texas (population: a few thousand). Her first two novels, True Women and Hill Country, were both bestsellers and sold over one million copies; and, CBS turned True Women into a mini-series. Her third historical novel, Will's War, debuts in March. Windle's publisher, Longstreet Press of Atlanta, GA, together with her long-time publicity firm, Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists, will once again apply the Windle-esque marketing techniques to hopefully create another bestseller.
Her novels have centered on similar themes: the strength of family, amazing women on the Texas frontier, and research into family history. A new ingredient has been added to Windle's winning recipe for a historical novel-legal drama. In Will's War, her female forebears are caught up in a tale of wartime passion and adventure that climaxes in a heavy-hitting courtroom drama. Windle tells the story of her grandfather, William Bergfeld, who was accused of treason and put on trial for his life.
The marketing campaign will focus on Windle's best-selling reputation, the importance of family during wartime, women accomplishing amazing tasks, and the parallel angle of the problems associated with judging people by their race/ culture, which we're currently seeing in America. Windle's passion for writing historical novels derives from her love of storytelling and her fascination with her family's past. This enthusiasm has prompted her to create a Will's War tour in Seguin, which takes readers to historical sites featured in the book. The press is invited to take the tour, in hopes that it will result in a feature article.
A savvy marketer, as well as author, Windle devotes a great deal of time and energy to each book tour. Windle understands the value of tour media and making a personal connection with fans. Because of this, she commits herself to a two-month book tour, visiting her fans and entertaining media interviews at every stop. Unlike other big name authors, Windle takes the time to visit small and medium-sized cities, such as Corpus Christi, Texas, because she realizes her fans live there, too.
"The book is an art form while it's being written and a product when finished--market it as a product," encourages Windle. "Overall, you must have a willingness to travel and spend time with readers. They are your fans and advocates. You must also be willing to do those 5 a.m. interviews." Another example of successful marketing techniques based on home and family is the promotion of BOW Books, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. Phenix & Phenix, also their publicist, is promoting both the company and their children's book series, Marky. Because BOW Books was created as a generational transfer for the grandchildren, the story is prime for pitching.
The grandkids read manuscripts before they are accepted for publication and give their honest feedback. Nicole, 7, Miles, 6, Susannah, 3, and Timothy, 2, are the company's litmus testing board. Their grandparents, Deanna and Jerry Luke, founders of the children's book publishing company, don't pay them because the company belongs to the grandchildren.
"We really believe in this generational transfer. It's more than financial. It's about sharing principles you want your family to carry on," explains Deanna Luke, author of the Marky series of books.
After selling their aircraft hardware firm in 1996, the Lukes retired. However, after a few years of reading and traveling, they decided to read and travel with a new purpose. The Lukes founded BOW Books with the hope of creating books and audios that provide values, integrity and principles in a fun way for kids. Additionally, they want to give it to their four grandchildren when they are old enough to run it themselves.
"They really feel ownership in the company," says Deanna of the grandchildren. "The other day, Miles walked into my office and said, 'What do we have that's new?' just like a grown businessman. They know and feel they are a viable part of this business."
BOW Books is truly a family affair. Not only is the company designed for the grandchildren to inherit, the entire family is involved in making it happen. Deanna and Jerry Luke have three grown daughters, all of who take part in the company. Sunny, who lives in Fort Worth, assists with editorial and web content development. Keily, who lives in New York, researches book awards the company should enter. Jennifer, who lives in Arkansas, is an eighth grade English teacher and copyedits all of Deanna's work. Sunny's husband, Steve, develops the website.
It is this family approach to business that is the marketing cornerstone for BOW Books. And it's the family approach to writing and storytelling that has helped create two bestsellers for Janice Woods Windle. It is all about discovering what is truly unique about your company or your book and capitalizing on this premise.
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Marika Flatt is National Media Director at Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists of Austin, Texas; ph: (512) 478-2028, ext. 201 email: marika@bookpros.com