The Reverse Domino Effect

Does what readers have to say about books matter? If fans started a letter-writing campaign and asked for more, would it make a difference?

I have to say in my own experience it hasn’t. Despite emails, despite even reviewers publicly asking for more, it looks highly unlikely that the sequel to SC will ever see the light of day. Not for any good reason, either, as the book is strong, and the sales for SC make it the strongest title put out by that publisher.

The worst thing is I don’t know what to say to people when they write me about it. I understand mystery readers (and would venture to say anyone who doesn’t has no business publishing in this genre). I know how much we love our series books. We get attached to the characters and want more. It’s why authors often don’t get discovered until book 3 or 4 by a wider audience – we’re measuring how much shelf space they fill before we give them a chance. As one of the reviews I got said,

Suspicious Circumstances is the third great debut from January that I read. It’s a compelling read that makes me wish it wasn’t a debut just so I could go out and buy her other books, but sadly it is a debut and there aren’t more books for me to rush out and buy. I'm tempted to become like an impatient child in the backseat of the car on a long road trip and send "are we there yet" type emails to Ruttan, Sakey & Chercover every day that say " Are you done yet, are you done yet." I love that reviewer. I mean, a good review and he buys books? Can we clone him?

We all know that if we like a series we’ll go back for more. Less promotion behind a series. You start book 2 with an automatic readership. But I’m officially on the record saying that if there isn’t more Lara and Farraday, it’s not my fault. One would think a publisher would want to satisfy a built-up readership. One would think…

I’ve spent a lot of time learning about this business, about how things work, and it seems that just when I’ve got it figured out something comes up that throws everything off.

I’ve been thinking about the discussions we’ve been having here, and I’ve also been thinking about reviews a lot lately, and what I’m going to call the domino effect.

Half the battle is getting people to talk about a book before it comes out. It generates buzz, which builds demand. Booksellers know there will be people looking for that title upon release so they order in plenty. Because it’s well stocked customers think it must be a ‘big’ book. There’s limited shelf time on new books. If they don’t move through sales they get returned to make way for other titles. Orders of new titles are based on previous sales by the author. This all matters when it comes to getting into the stores, and staying in the stores. There’s a certain amount of sales that carry over just from perception… otherwise the publishers in the US wouldn’t pay for prominent display space.

How much of it is more suggestive marketing than actual assessment of a book? Some of the promotional packages I get with books have me wondering. What they tell me is, “We’re spending money on this one.” I mean, in the past few days I’ve had a handful of ARCs arrive. One, not even a promotional letter, the cheap bland cover version… and it’s a HUGE author. Another, a full colour printed folder designed specifically for the book, pages and pages of promo material inside telling me why this book is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I’m a real cynic, so my automatic instinct is to chuck all that stuff out. It’s what’s between the covers that matters… so why do publicists do that sometimes? Well, I can only guess that for some booksellers and reviewers, it makes a difference.

I’ve definitely read reviews of books I’ve read and scratched my head over them. You guys hear me talk about what I like. When I’m not talking about what I’m reading it’s usually because I’m discarding stuff that stinks.

For those books that don’t get the promotional push, the hope has to be that there will be a reverse domino effect: That readers will discover the book and talk it up to the point that it surpasses sales expectations and that the editors/publishers realize they have a solid commodity on their hands, which means they’ll invest a bit more in the next work by the author. Or maybe at least not drop the author.

This is part of the reason I have always tried to talk up books and authors I like. I hope they’ll stay in the game. I hope more people will discover their work and enjoy it and that it will help the author build a solid career.

Lately it’s been feeling pretty pointless. My own experience proves to me that not even sales and reader support always make a difference. I would really like to believe that when people come out with solid writing, get strong reviews and demonstrate that their work does sell that it will help them build a career…

But I think they’ll have to start getting their reviews somewhere else.

A few things have really been getting to me. One is the authors who are only interested in themselves. If it doesn’t sell their book they aren’t interested. They won’t blurb, unless you’re ‘important’ enough so their name will get enough prominence from endorsing your work. Everything is one-sided. Wonderful if people talk them up but they wouldn’t lift a finger to help anyone else out.

Another is seeing some big-name people who do help others out, who get stabbed in the back for it.

And then there’s this, commentary on the declining review coverage out there. Publishers defend themselves against charges that they’re denying readers books coverage, by saying that there’s now a superfluity of literary blogs available for people who really care about the written word. So why duplicate efforts in the daily broadsheet?

That’s just wonderful. There are books here I’ve bought – bought! – that I haven’t had time to read yet because I’m wading through review copies and writing reviews in my free time, and now I get to carry some blame for declining review coverage in newspapers?

Do you ever feel like you just want to throw in the towel and call it quits?

I’ve got things through to the new year that I was already planning to deal with, but I think it’s safe to say this time next year I won’t be reviewing books anymore. It’s been a whole lot of time chasing smoke, and kidding myself that anything I say or do might actually help those I think have talent. Instead, it sounds like it's actually hurting them.

You know, interview after interview, conversation after conversation, I hear very successful authors credit not just hard work and persistence, but luck. I've also had one of the strongest lucky streaks anyone can have in this business and luck should not be under-estimated as a force in anyone's career. ~ Laura Lippman (in her interview in the Winter 2005 issue of Spinetingler). Maybe some authors shouldn't be so cocky and think it's all down to their brilliance. Most of the bestsellers I've met know better. There's luck, publisher support, agent support - and support from booksellers, librarians and reviewers - all in the mix. We don't even get that many books here by comparison to some places and there are tons I haven't read. And if you can't get your book read, you can't get someone enthusiastic about it. The writing only carries you so far... luck carries you further.

Or maybe I should say that luck is what enables the writing to carry you.

Maybe the only thing I should be surprised by is the fact that more readers aren’t jaded. Today, I definitely am. I’ve been trying to do something for several months now, and am officially throwing in the towel. Why? Because I’m tired of feeling like I’m swimming up a waterfall. I feel like I’m back in school, when everyone wanted to be my partner for group assignment because they knew if they didn’t do their work I’d do it for them because I didn’t want my grades to suffer. Okay, it's not the exact same scenario, but that's how I feel.

You know, I could be working on my own stuff. There's a thought...

And here’s the most depressing thought of all. If after years of giving up free time for Spinetingler I feel it’s pointless, what’s to entice the silent middle majority to start speaking out for the books and authors they love? I can’t blame them for not expending the energy. After all, once you do you become a bit more invested in the work and want to see a result. When you don’t, it’s that much more disappointing.

On a complete aside

I do pay a lot of attention to what readers have to say. Particularly avid readers, like the ones on 4MA. When that crowd dissects a book, they really dissect it. I had one member read SC and do discussion questions for the book, and I was stunned. She’d really scrutinized the book.

So, I let her read the draft of What Burns Within, as a thank you. And this is what she said:

I stayed up till three thirty this morning reading it. WHY did that publisher turn it down? … whoever it was has made a mistake - this is really good. I am totally enjoying it, I like the characters and the story has me totally sucked in.

Nothing matters more than readers who get what you’re doing and love it. Here’s to hoping their opinions still matter a bit.