The Magic of Bookstores

 LUCY BURDETTE: I am certain I am not the only person reading this blog who has an obsession with bookstores. Whenever I visit a new town, a stop to the local bookstore will always be included. Each store has its own personality. Of course, I check to see whether my books or the books of my writing friends are there. Often bookstores are small, and the number of books published every year is enormous, so I am not disappointed if I don’t see familiar titles. It’s a special bonus however, if I do! This year I stopped at the Midtown reader in Tallahassee with my sister, and also visited The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia. While at a family wedding last weekend, we went to Sherman’s Maine Coast  in Damariscotta, where we spotted a full shelf of Barbara Ross books and also Jenn’s Love at First Book. Here is what I found at Thiemers Magazin in Copenhagen. Hooray, Jenn is everywhere!

I feel particularly lucky to have wonderful independent bookstores in both of my hometowns, RJ Julia in Madison CT where I often have a launch party, and Key West Island books and Books and Books in Key West, both of which are extremely supportive of local authors.

Though I don’t do nearly the amount of touring that our own Hank does, I visited two amazing stores in the past month. Jeff Kinney (the writer) established An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Massachusetts. This store is absolutely magical!

And as I mentioned on Wednesday, John and I stopped at Ann Patchett’s Parnassus in Nashville while we were there for the Bouchercon conference. We found Jenn again!

This reminded me that my first real job out of college was working as a clerk at a bookstore. Sometimes I dream of owning one myself, but then I remind myself that I should have thought of this 20 years earlier lol. Instead, I will visit as many stores as I can reach, and support them with as many purchases as my nightstand can hold!

How about you Reds, are you hooked on bookstores as well as books? Any favorites to tell us about?

Introducing Emily Berg of Books and Books, Key West

LUCY BURDETTE: When John and I first came to Key West, we were thrilled to find 3 bookstores in town, Key West Island Books, Voltaire’s, and Borders Express. Within a few years, the town went from 3 to one, as two of those closed. Tragedy! Luckily for Key West and visiting readers, Judy Blume and her husband, George Cooper, banded together with a few other book lovers to establish a new bookstore in the space where Voltaire’s had been.

Today I’m delighted to introduce Emily Berg, the general manager of Books and Books Key West. I know Emily both from time spent at the bookstore and for her invaluable service on the Friends of the Key West Library board. The bookstore describes itself like this: We’re Key West’s locally owned, nonprofit, independently-minded neighborhood bookstore. Affiliated with Books & Books, one of the nation’s great independent bookstores, our home is part of The Studios of Key West, a non-profit arts center and cultural organization.

Welcome Emily! Were you there from the very beginning of Books and Books KW? If not, where did you come from and how did you decide to make the leap? Were you living in Key West, or had you visited?

EMILY: I was there from almost the beginning. The store founders and staff of the The Studios of Key West had done most of the heavy lifting, getting things in place for the stores existence. I began working with the store in November of 2015 about 10 weeks before the opening. I came on to do the buying and set up for the art supply section and be a part-time bookseller. It became apparent pretty quickly that the store needed more than the one full-time staff member originally hired so my position continued to grow. I took over as the store manager in 2018 when the first manager moved from Key West.

Before the store opened, I was living in Key West working as a server and bartender. I moved here from Chicago in 2013.

LUCY: Tell us a little about what a day in the life of a bookstore manager is like? What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the job?

EMILY: One of the things I like most about my job is every day is different. There are so many parts to the job and things to work on so it’s never boring. For this reason, a typical day is hard to describe but usually they start with me checking in with the staff that will be working that day to make sure they’re up to date on all the many things that could have changed since they were last in the store. Then I dive into my to-do. Today for example I need to check in with a couple publicists about events we’re hoping to schedule in the winter, design a poster for an upcoming loyalty member promotion, go over the invoices from the previous month, update our closing procedures, place orders for a few sideline items (non-book products), and look over an order for books that will be published next spring.

And of that’s just what I have planned. Many things will come up during the day such as calls and emails from customers looking for orders placed previously and questions from staff and volunteers.

When staring a computer has gotten to be too much, I’ll talk a little break by cleaning and reorganizing a small section of the store. I like to go to the True Crime section for this because it’s small enough that it only takes about 10 minutes to organize and I like to see what’s new in that genre.

LUCY: As I said in this blog post, Judy Blume is having a moment. And it’s only gotten bigger and bigger with the release of ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT’S ME MARGARET? And a documentary about her career (in which you have a bit part!) and her role in protesting the recent proliferation of book banning. You are living right through this time with her. I’d love to hear about how this has affected life at the bookstore from your perspective…

EMILY: From our end the only thing that has really changed is the volume of people contacting and visiting the store. Judy certainly hasn’t changed. She’s the same Judy. Since opening we’ve always had guests coming to the store to see if they can meet her and get a book signed. With all of the extra promotion of Judy’s other projects in the last few months it’s just exploded to more people looking for her. We’ve had to make some changes to store policies to accommodate. She isn’t able to personalize the signed books anymore and the estimate we give for orders of her books went from 5-7 days to 10-12 weeks. She’s a fast signer but the staff needs a chance to process the order for shipping and with hundreds rolling in a week we just can’t move fast enough.

However, the biggest change is that Judy has had to be away from the store more which has been hard because she does a lot in the general operations. She works very hard in the store so sometimes it’s like we’re down one staff member. I think we all agree that the benefits of the promotion to the store have been worth it but mostly we like having Judy work at the store and miss having her around more.

LUCY: Key West is a lot of people’s dream vacation or retirement spots. With a full time job in the bookstore and volunteer work, do you find time to enjoy it? Tell us about the best and worst parts of the town.

EMILY: I have to say lately I haven’t been able to enjoy it as much. When I first moved here, I’d go paddle boarding a couple times a week. I had a friend visit a few months ago and we went out and I remember how much I loved that but it’s been years since I’ve had a chance to go out during a normal week.

I think the best parts about town is how connected everything is. If I have any idea for something I want to do, a partnership with another organization for example, I probably know someone who knows someone that can make that intro and get a foot in the door.

The worst part, for me, is the misperception that everyone is relaxed and in vacation-mode here. The idea that there’s no stress because it’s this beautiful island with palm trees blowing in the breeze is just false. As we all know it’s very expensive to live here and for many people working on the island this leads to multiple jobs, unpaid bills and lots of stress. That’s just a reality that many have accepted but when someone drinking out of a coconut then tells you to “relax” it can really put one over the edge.

LUCY: Any advice for authors who hope to have their books carried in an independent bookstore, or arrange a signing or speaking engagement?

EMILY: I can of course only speak for myself but… Walk before you run. When working with your indie establish a relationship before asking for an event or any other extra work of them. Most bookstore are run by overworked, often underpaid, staff and volunteers. Even the smallest event is a huge amount of work for them and a financial risk in a business with very thin margins. Most Indies have an online store. See if your book is available through their online store first. If it is, you can link to their store for the promotions you’re doing. I’m more open to discussing events and other special projects for a book I can see we’ve already sold or have had pre-ordered by customers.

(Sidenote, most independent bookstore use an online store system that pulls from a distributor called Ingram. If your book is sold through Ingram, it will likely be available in these online stores. If the book is set with a wholesale discount of less that 20% or if the book is not returnable many stores won’t order it so keep that in mind as well).

Do not ask your local bookstore to sell and promote your book if you’re only linking to Amazon in your own promotions. Amazon is making life for small business such as Indies very difficult. If you sell better through Amazon than stick with that but don’t ask a small business to use their limited resources to help your work if you’re not willing to help theirs.

And finally, don’t drop off or ship books to a store as way of introduction. We receive multiple books a day from people who just want us to see it. Like everyone else our TBR pile is out of control and if we can’t sell them (which we almost never can without a contract) they almost always end up in the recycling. Contact the store and ask about their buying policies and procedures and then follow them.

Lucy: Thanks for your time today Emily! Now I realize I forgot to ask you what you're reading! Red readers, Emily will try to stop by in her spare moments to answer questions and comments, so bring them on! And also tell us about your favorite indie bookstore...

Holiday Madness by Jenn McKinlay

JENN McKINLAY: When I saw the release date for my new romantic comedy THE CHRISTMAS KEEPER,  I winced. Okay, I also cursed -- just a little. As a lover of all things Halloween - my favorite holiday - it physically pained me to have a Christmas book out on OCTOBER 29th. It felt like my publisher was saying, "Yes, we want you to promote your  Christmas book, while gnawing a turkey leg, dressed in your Halloween costume." Ugh.

It's holiday madness, I say!

"McKinlay (The Good Ones 2019) once again serves up her signature literary cocktail of sassy humor and sexy romance expertly spiked with a surfeit of small town charm and holiday cheer." --Booklist (starred review)

But today is Nov 5th and the book has been out for a week. Let's hope it did well. I did promote it online and such, but I just couldn't make myself post about it here before Halloween. It's like wearing white shoes after Labor Day - no, no, no. Yes, I know that's old school but I'm from Connecticut and my people are rather inflexible about these things. Plus, white shoes scuff easily and they make your feet look big, just sayin'.  

So, happy book birthday - plus one week - to me! The Christmas Keeper is my first book set at holiday time and I pillaged my personal life and took all of the  things I enjoy about the holidays, including movies, baked goods, ice skating, and ugly Christmas sweaters and poured them into the book. Yes, my fam enjoys the odd competitive ugly Christmas sweater competition. It's great fun, plus there's a cash prize.

Spolier: The nephew and his gal with the exploding
reindeer won (she made their sweaters!).

Another subplot in The Christmas Keeper taken from my own life is orphaned elephant adoption. Where did that come from you ask?

Well, a few birthdays ago, Hub asked me what I wanted. I said an elephant, because of course I did. Hub and I live a fairly modest life and we've reached an age where we don't need  things as much as we want to make a difference in the world. Thus, Hub and the Hooligans went forth and adopted three elephants for me from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust -- Esampu, Shukuru, and Maktao. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a gift so much as I get to watch them growing up online -- Maktao is a total scamp!

Naturally, when it came time to write The Christmas Keeper, I knew I was going to incorporate ugly Christmas sweaters and orphaned elephant rescue as plot points, significant ones, but how? Well, if I tell you, it will give it away! You'll just have to read it to find out!

As you can see, real life impacts my fiction in many ways, big and small. What about you, Reds? How much of your plot lines come from real life? And, Readers, what story lines have influenced your lives in significant ways? 

True love and holiday cheer combine for an unforgettable romance in this second Happily Ever After novel featuring a North Carolina bookstore from the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Ones.

All he wants for Christmas…
The second Joaquin Solis saw Savannah Wilson, he knew she was destined to be his wife. Unfortunately, Savannah’s sights are set on a happily-ever-after of another kind: skewering the boss who got her fired. Until then, she won’t act on the scorching sexual chemistry that is brewing between them, leaving Joaquin scrambling to find a way to capture her heart. 

When the opportunity arises to use his ranch to boost Savannah's publicity career, Joaquin doesn’t hesitate to invite her into his world at Shadow Pines and woo her with all of his Christmas loving mojo. It’s a gamble since the holidays aren’t really Savannah's thing and helping her might also mean losing her as she plans to shake the dust off of their quaint town in North Carolina and head back to New York City the first chance she gets. 

But Joaquin believes in the magic of Christmas and he knows with a little help from his friends at the Happily Ever After Bookstore, he can convince the woman of his dreams that he’s a keeper…

Wish You Were Here! Manzanita Beach, OR

INGRID THOFT

Readers and writers are lucky.  We get to visit all sorts of exotic places in the pages of books, and sometimes, are literary travels take us to real places we might not otherwise visit.

This weekend I had the honor of being the visiting writer at the Manzanita Writers Series in Manzanita, Oregon. A small beach town on the majestic Oregon coast, it is a place whose residents are deeply committed to reading and writing. Visiting this gem reminds me that there are beautiful small towns all across the globe filled with awesome sights and wonderful people.

So tag along with me on my trip to Manzanita Beach, and tell me, where is your favorite small town or the one you most want to visit?

Manzanita Beach, OR

Amazing jelly fish I found on my beach walk.

The Writers Series sign

If there is a candy store in town, I will find it!

The local bookshop, which thrives thanks to dedicated readers.

The view overlooking Manzanita Beach

 Your turn!  Tell me about your favorite small town.

A Bookseller's Advice to Authors: A Visit with the Poisoned Pen Bookstore

Jenn McKinlay

One of my very favorite places inmy neighborhood is the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ When I moved to Arizona in 1992, it was one of the first places I visited and came to be the place I frequently brought out of town guests to visit, well, after a pop in at the iconic Sugar Bowl, which is right down the street.

As an aspiring writer, I dreamed of one day signing at the Poisoned Pen. While I suffered years of rejection, the Pen was a place I would visit to be inspired. It's shelves are full to bursting with books, the staff always knows exactly what book you need to read when you need to read it, and hanging from the ceilings are dozens and dozens of portraits of visiting authors, smiling down at you in a most engaging way. 

The driving force behind the famous bookstore is Barbara Peters. Full disclosure, when I first met Barbara I was terrified of her. To begin with she holds a BA from Stanford, an MA from Northwestern and an MSLS from the University of Tennessee. She founded the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in 1989 and it is now, and has been for a long while, one of the world's largest mystery-centric bookstores. Together with her husband Rob Rosenwald, they have been recipients of the Raven Award from the Mystery Writer's of America and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Bouchercon, the annual mystery writers conference. She is charming and engaging, no question, but she is formidably brilliant (librarian!), reads voraciously, seriously, I think she reads over a hundred books per month or is that per week, and has traveled the world extensively, next stop Peru!

Jenn reading her dedication to Barbara

Luckily, since my first mystery published in 2009, I have signed at the Pen at least twenty-five times (I'm going for the record of person who has signed there the most) and Barbara has become a very dear friend. In fact, I dedicated my book At the Drop of a Hat to Barbara and the staff of the Pen, which, for all that they do, should really have been entitled --A Tip of the Brim.

When I was invited to blog with Jungle Red (thank you, ladies) I knew that one of the very first posts I would do would be an interview with Barbara. Some might think it is revenge for all of the times she's had me in the hot seat. You would be right! Without further ado, I give you my QandA with Barbara Peters, Bookseller Extraordinaire.
         

1. What was the impetus for opening a mystery bookstore? 

On the fatal day when my new husband Robert Rosenwald (little did he know where it would lead) said to me, "Now that you can do whatever you want, what is it you are going to do?" I replied, I'd like to go back to books. To Rob that meant I'd return to the Library of Congress where I'd been a librarian in its fast track to the top Intern Program (now defunct) and he said, I am not moving to DC. So I said, "Ok, a little bookstore." Drawing from my law background I knew a specialty was the key in the face of the rise of BN and Borders, both huge in Phoenix, so I thought, a mystery bookstore would be fun. In truth I'm a romance history and biography reader as much as a mystery fan, but mystery was just too cool to resist. Besides in 1989 there was a whole community of mystery bookstores which, sadly, is now gone. The Pen has become a bookstore for fiction, and whatever else we like. 

2. What advice would you offer a new author on their first book tour?

Rhys and Barbara in hats!

Assuming it's been arranged by the publisher, email ahead to offer information, a short statement about your book and why you wrote it. Ask what time you should arrive. Be on time. Dress appropriately (seriously, you'd be amazed how many do not). Prepare a short pitch for your book. Reply to questions cheerfully, not contentiously. It can get personal sometimes, you never know, but don't let it get to you. Bring a pen. Fans might like little promo items but most bookstores haven't got room to display them and don't want to keep track of them, so don't go crazy with bookmarks, etc. Leave your email address with the store and/or cell phone in case follow up is needed. If you have any serious complaints, tell your publicist but don't air them on social media.   

3. You've seen a lot of authors break out. What similarities have you seen amongst them?

Sadly it's often a function of whether your publisher is sold on your book (ie did your editor pitch it well to sales?) and thus devoted promo bucks to you. You can never discount the effect of serious publisher push. You can't discount the role of luck either: your topic got hot; someone influential liked your book. Series can gain momentum; a first book can make a small dent but then it builds. Perseverance and patience in building is a key. Another today is social media; how well can you use it? And how often is the author out and visible? Personality, the ability to perform, can propel careers. BUT for me, it's all about your voice, how well you tell your story, your enthusiasm for your work. If an author writes well and believes in the work, the odds rise. It's all very mysterious and a writer is both in charge of his destiny and at the mercy of factors beyond control and unforeseen (like the books that got dumped after 9/11 made them irrelevant). 

Hank at the Pen with CJ Box and  Linwood Barclay

A great example of an author with faith in his work is Craig Johnson. His first book got attention, but hey, it featured a Wyoming Sheriff in a small county. Viking sent Craig to The Poisoned Pen on a small tour. His second book, no tour so Craig asked if he could still come and he rode his motorcycle to Scottsdale. It took the two of us, him determined to showcase his work, me happy to cooperate. Book three might have been Viking, might have been The Pen paying. And then, here's the luck factor, TV came along and now he's a bestseller. 

4. What do you see for the future of brick and mortar bookstores?

Ingrid in the hot seat!

Bright. Digital sales are dropping, print sales rising. 2016, more print books sold than digital. Recent Book of the Month club reporting said a significant percentage of its 70% women members were readers in their 20s and 30s. Bookstores are a place to experience, to browse and make serendipitous finds, and for community. It's a safe night or afternoon out to attend a function or just browse. It's a parent/child bonding place as well as a date place. Every bookstore is different, and reflects its location, its staff, and its community. Many of those that crashed in the wake of the now imperiled BN model were not businesses but hobbies so one positive of more competition online and brick and mortar is that bookstores have to be better run as a business.

5. And lastly because you own the Poisoned Pen Press, as well, what makes you buy a book from a new author?

Voice. I can fix anything else but if you are boring, or offensive, I can't help you.


JENN: And the answer to that last question is one of the many reasons, I adore Barbara.  She cracks me up!

Every month, the Poisoned Pen sends out a postcard of upcoming events (see picture) and note two of our very own Reds are coming to town -- Deborah on Feb 18 and Rhys on Mar 1. To sign up for their mailer or to order autographed books from your favorite authors, visit: https://poisonedpen.com



And now, Reds, tell us what's your favorite bookstore? Do you go to author events? And if you have a question for Barbara, ask away! One lucky commenter will win this snazzy Poisoned Pen tote bag!

Choosing a Town by its Bookstore: The Reds Dish

LUCY BURDETTE: I’m lucky to live in two places that are eminently retire-able with great bookstores. Not only is Madison, CT chockablock with New England coastal charm, it’s home to one of the best bookstores in the country: RJ Julia Booksellers Located on the adorable main street, RJ’s brings in a steady stream of bestselling authors from Anna Quinlan to Jane Hamilton to Linda Fairstein. A close relationship with the outstanding Scranton Library across the street and the local Congregational church means that big-draw authors can be accommodated as well as new writers. The bookstore itself is inviting and well-stocked with the newest releases and an impressive backlist.

Suzanne and Paul Orchard, owners

At the far south end of the east coast, funky Key West has scrapped its way back to becoming a 2-bookstore town. The Key West Island Bookstore, just steps off Duval Street, feels like moving back in time. The shelves are loaded with books by local writers, books about Key West, bestsellers, and a wonderfully interesting array of used books. Books and Books opened a Southernmost outpost last year, shepherded by Judy Blume and filled with new fiction and nonfiction and lots of art books and supplies. (It's attached to The studios of Key West, so art events and classes abound.) The town itself is known for warm winters, a thriving arts scene, and glorious water.

HALLIE EPHRON: If wishes were fishes… I’d retire to Corte Madera, California, a quiet residential neighborhood, a ferry ride from San Francisco and home to the world class Book Passage

bookstore. Go there and you’re likely to find Cara Black, Rhys Bowen(!), and and David Korbett schmoozing. They have a fabulous annual Mystery Writers Conference. One of the first times I was there they had a book signing for Bill Clinton and the line was out into the parking lot for signatures. Owners Elaine and Bill Petrocelli and their daughter Kathryn Petrocelli make those of us who write and read crime fiction feel right at home.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I've only been once to Prairie Lights bookstore in Iowa City, Iowa, but I loved this store! It has a great history, a great staff, and is the kind of general bookstore I could spend hours in every day. And it has a coffee shop, for writing in. Iowa City came as a complete surprise to me. It's a university town with a tree-lined pedestrianized center and beautiful neighborhoods filled with the Arts and Crafts houses I adore. I think this would be a great place to live--although I might find the Iowa winters took a bit of adjusting...

RHYS BOWEN: Like Lucy I'm lucky to live in two places with great bookstores. I'm a hop skip and jump from Book Passage in Corte Madera, I've taught classes and run book groups there. As Hallie said, their list of speakers is mind blowing. And my winters are now spent near the Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale. They are strictly mystery, but again with all the big name speakers and an event every night. Barbara Peters, the owner, is a petite dynamo who interviews her guests rather than let them drone on. The result is always a lively discussion. Barbara puts out a monthly newsletter of recommendations. And they have a giant mailing list to send books all over the world. What's more Scottsdale in the winter is just about perfect with loads of cultural and outdoor activities, classes for older folks and good dining.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I love Boston, and with the Cape nearby and history everywhere and incredible culture, it’s a perfect city for all ages. Do we have to move? We’re thriving right now in nearby Newton. It’s ten minutes away--a diverse and cozy but cosmopolitan suburb comprised of eight separate villages, each with a square and lots to explore. Two fantastic independent bookstores (on opposite sides of the city) can provide every book you could imagine. And each has a brilliant and knowledgeable staff. Newtonville Books  is a warmly inviting nook of a shop, with one room devoted to the cream of the crop of new release-especially literary fiction) and old favorites (used and new shelved together!) and another whole room devoted to kids. We can hardly pry our grandson away. New England Mobile Book Fair is huge–almost a warehouse. Here, you could get happily lost in a world of the very latest bestsellers as well as all those books you meant to buy but didn’t. We can never leave either without purchasing way too many books and making new friends. Both stores–are stellar!

(And a bookstore extra: you’ll never keep me away from Concord Bookshop, in nearby historic Concord, where you can walk the same streets as Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott and Hawthorne. (Patricia Cornwell lives there, too.) Another treasure!

If I had to move from New England? My Midwestern roots might take Ann Arbor, home of Aunt Agatha’s Bookstore.  The bustle and the vibrancy of a college town with lovely tree-lined streets, fascinating homes, arts festivals galore, and…football.  And mystery fans especially will flock to the inimitable Aunt Agatha’s, where owners Robin and Jamie Agnew will wow you with their knowledge, enthusiasm, and shelves of crime fiction treasures.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Agreed, Hank - we're blessed with an abundance of fabulous bookstores in New England. I live in rural Maine - I can literally hear the rooster across the road crowing as I type this! But within a half hour drive, I can visit Longfellow Books, Letterpress Books and Sherman's Bookstore in Portland, Nonesuch in Biddeford and South Portland and the Book Burrow in Kennebunk. If I want to take a pleasant drive for an hour or so - maybe get a nice lunch while I'm out? - I can reach the wonderful RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth, NH, the delightful White Birch Books in North Conway, NH, and the heavy-hitting Maine Coast Books in Damariscotta. (All this stores are near wonderful restaurants, and I know, because I've eaten there after appearances!)So you all now know you should visit Maine, yes? 

If I had to move away, though? Well, if I could stay in New England, I'd relocate to South Hadley, Mass, where the Odyssey Bookshop sits practically across the commons from Mount Holyoke. I love that area of the Bay State - rural, with gem-like small towns that are home to some of the country's most distinguished small colleges. The Odyssey itself is one of those everything bookstores; you can get obscure poetry, the latest big thriller, and Orange Award nominees straight from Great Britain. The staff is cheerful and knowledgeable, and there are lots of nooks and crannies and chairs. Plus, they get an amazing list of authors to appear (including our friend Cara Black, who will be there July 8th!) 
If Ross and I were retiring somewhere warm, I'd head for San Diego and Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore. I love mystery, thrillers, science fiction and fantasy, and Mysterious Galaxy is THE specialty store. It hits all my buttons, with a fantastically knowledgeable staff who make eye-opening recommendations. I've only appeared there twice, but both times I walked away with new authors in my bag. Since sooner or later, they host everyone in the mystery-writing world, I'd get a steady stream of friends coming to visit.  Plus, it's a half hour from the beach! Pretty sweet.

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: I'm going to choose Houston, because of Murder By the Book. OK, I've only been to Houston once, and it was a pretty short trip, but I LOVED it! The book store (of course), the amazing store staff (shout-out to John and Sally!), the BBQ, the hot sauce. Have I ever mentioned my obsession with hot sauce? Well, Texas has some great stuff... After growing up in Buffalo and living in New York City, I think the warm winters in Houston might be perfection. Plus the Museum of Fine Arts, the Butterfly Center, the Space Center....

Jenny Milchman--Road Warrior

RHYS BOWEN: When I started out in the mystery genre I decided the only way that people would hear about my books was to hit the road and visit as many bookstores as I could. My husband and I made three cross country trips, visiting small towns. I thought I had been quite adventurous and hard working, until I met Jenny Milchman. She is the road warrior par excellence. Who else would take her kids out of school and literally car-school them while she cross-crossed the country? So I'm glad to have her back to Jungle Red today to share her story. And if you're a writer, she has some great tips for bookstore events. All yours, Jenny.

Jenny Milchman: On the Road Again

As some Jungle Red Readers already know, I had a thirteen year journey to publication. The first book I published was the eighth one I’d written; I worked with three agents over the course of eleven years, and we had fifteen almost-offers before an editor stepped in and became my literary fairy godmother. But that, as some writer once wrote, is a story for another day.

·         Tip to Get Published: Knock on every single door, then start knocking on things that aren’t doors.

Once I finally arrived at the starting line, I did the next logical thing. Rented out our house, traded in two cars for an SUV that could handle Denver in February, pulled the kids out of first and third grades to “car school” them in the backseat, and hit the road with my husband, touring the bookstores, libraries, and book clubs of this great country for seven months and 35,000 miles.

·         Tip to Put on a Good Event: Get outside the read-from-your-book box. Teach a lesson that pertains to something from your book (craft, recipe, genealogy); lead a writing or publishing workshop; act out a dramatic section.

My publisher thought I was nuts. They actually convened a conference call to tell me I was nuts. My editor, publisher, marketing director, publicist were all in on it. I remember wondering how I was going to differentiate voices from my position at home—everyone in New York publishing tends to be young and female, or at least female—but I needn’t have worried because they all said the exact same thing. JENNY, STAY HOME.

They worried that I’d walk into a lot of empty rooms—and I did.

·         Tip to Bring Out a Crowd: Identify where your FB friends and Twitter followers live, then invite them personally; connect with local chapters of writing organizations; hire a publicist to get local media coverage in advance.

In Goshen, IN there was one person at my event, and he didn’t buy a book. This always troubles me on behalf of the bookseller who has gone to the trouble of setting up an event. (I mean, let’s be honest—one book is not going to cover the cost of my going to Goshen, IN). But this gentleman agreed to buy a book that I recommended, which meant the register rang once that night due to my coming, and salved my conscious. And here’s what happened next.

The man explained to me why he wasn’t buying my novel. It was because he already owned three copies. One to read, one to loan, and one to “keep pristine.” And he had to hurry then—because he had a three hour drive home.

Now. If I were to say to Mr. Bertelsmann over in Germany—or whoever sits at the helm of Penguin Random House these days—“Do I have a marketing plan for you! It consists of me going to some tiny town to meet one reader. And get this, he’s already bought the book!” Well, that’s probably not going to become their line of attack for every author on their list.

·         Tip to Make a Happy Tour: Create little gifts related to your book, and give one to each person who hosts you. For instance, for a wintery book, think pouches of hot cocoa in a mug with your book cover on it.

Book tours may or may not make dollars and cents, but they sure make dollars and sense. Their ripple effect can cause a bookseller to keep my book in stock months and months after it’s no longer new. At another low turnout event, one of the few people in the audience wound up being a book reviewer for a major paper. I’ve had lines from my books quoted back to me by attendees like I was Taylor Swift and the audience was singing my song. One of the deepest exchanges I ever had was with a reader whose brother committed suicide and read my book to feel less alone.  

·         Tip to Engage Attendees at Events: Talk about things beside your books. Ask people what they’re reading that they love. Or hate. Ask what brought them out that night. Have them tell their worst author ever story.

Guess what happened after the world’s longest book tour? My debut novel went into six printings in hardcover. Not mega printings—it’s not like everyone reading this post has heard of me, far less read my work. But my book did better enough compared to my publisher’s expectations that when I returned home, they said, “Hey, if Jenny wants to go out with her second novel, we’re not going to stop her.” And by the third book, they helped set up a portion of the tour.

All told, over the course of three releases in two and a half years, I’ve spent 13 months on the road with my family. Does it “work”? I think that depends on what “working” means. My sales spike each time I’m on tour. It would be hard to separate that spike from the fact of having a new book out—except that they spike for my backlist titles, too.

But my rubric has never been book sales. Book sales are a Medusa’s head of interactions, timing, quality, connections, and luck. If we get too bogged down in a pursuit of numbers, we’ll go mad. We writers have to compute our success by a different schema. A mathematics that counts things one by one. Reader by reader, smile by smile, and word by word.

·         Tip to Try Something No One Else Has: Know that this is your dream and in the end, only you can make it come true.

      Jenny's Bio:    Jenny Milchman is a suspense writer from New York State, who lived for thirteen months on the road with her family on what Shelf Awareness called “the world’s longest book tour.”

    After a thirteen year journey/trek/slog toward publication, Jenny’s debut novel, COVER OF SNOW, won the Mary Higgins Clark award for Best Suspense Novel of 2013, was praised by the New York Times, AP, and many other publications, and chosen as an Indie Next and Target Pick. RUIN FALLS landed on multiple bookstore Best Of lists, was chosen as an Indie Next Pick, and a Top Ten of 2014 by Suspense Magazine. Jenny’s third novel, AS NIGHT FALLS, also an Indie Next Pick and one of PureWow's Top 30, is a summer 2015 release.

J  Jenny speaks nationwide about the publishing industry and the importance of sticking to a dream. She is Vice President of Author Programming for International Thriller Writers, and the founder of Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, which was celebrated in all 50 states and 6 foreign countries last year. She teaches writing and publishing for New York Writers Workshop.

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