Promoting My Book with a Video

[Teresa Edgerton]

The Hidden Stars is still available in large numbers on bookcloseouts.com

I'm pretty sure those will be remaindered copies of the trade paperback, which is already out of print, so those sales wouldn't count toward keeping the mass market edition in print. Well ... except in a negative way, if someone who might have bought the newer edition buys that one instead.

They could, of course have a more positive effect on sales of the sequel when it comes out, if the people who buy the closeout books like Book One enough to buy Book Two. But keeping the first book in print, no.

I hope you enjoy The Grail and the Ring. If you've ever read T. S. Eliot's "The Wasteland" you might recognize some themes and images from that poem.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

So the video seems to be working -- not in any spectacular way, but it's only been around for a little over a week, so I'm guardedly optimistic.

Amazon numbers are, as always, incomprehensible -- not only the weird way they calculate things, but the fiction that there are supposedly three different editions out there (when in reality there are only two), plus adding up the overseas number separately -- but they've been twitching, when they'd been essentially lifeless for months, and that's a good sign. If there are bookstore sales as well ... As I said, I'm guardedly optimistic.

This is where being a self-published author would be handy, because I'd have access to the actual sales numbers. As it is, when I finally see them in April, everything from July 1 to December 31 will be added together, with no monthly breakdown. In other words, not likely to tell me anything.

I think it really would take a video by a self-published author to be able to assess the advertising value of these trailers. (Maybe yours, Carolyn, when the time comes??)

 

[Carolyn Hill]

I think it really would take a video by a self-published author to be able to assess the advertising value of these trailers. (Maybe yours, Carolyn, when the time comes??)

Yes, I'll let you know. It will be easy to tell, because the trailer will be the only way anyone except friends hear about the book.

I need to have you and John take a look at my trailer, to help me brainstorm ways to make it reflect the book's atmosphere.

 

[aarti]

I hope you enjoy The Grail and the Ring. If you've ever read T. S. Eliot's "The Wasteland" you might recognize some themes and images from that poem.

Unfortunately, I've never read it. I was going to, when I saw your blurb here for it, but then realized that it was fairly long and complex for a browse-through.

It seems whenever I take your books on a trip with me, though, Teresa, I end up getting stuck somewhere for a ridiculously long time. So maybe I'll just read them at home from now on! I did enjoy Grail and the Ring, though I haven't gone on to the third in the series yet. I have started Steven Erikson's Malazan books instead. Why I can't finish one series before starting another is beyond me.

But to bring my post back to the actual discussion, you REALLY can't get data on how many books were sold per month? Only those sold in a six-month period? That seems like data that would be easily available (and important) to a publisher. Or is it only Amazon that makes information of that sort available?

I do think that the bookcloseouts.com version of your book is the trade paperback one, so I suppose it doesn't help you much. Also, I think that site, if it has more than 100 books of a certain edition available, just says "100" in the quantity available portion. So one can't tell how many of those were sold, either.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

But to bring my post back to the actual discussion, you REALLY can't get data on how many books were sold per month? Only those sold in a six-month period? That seems like data that would be easily available (and important) to a publisher.

Oh definitely, on the information being important and available to the publisher. I'm sure it exists somewhere in the depths of some accounting department -- although when it comes time for making a decision whether to keep me around as an author they're likely to only look at the first few months. I know an author whose books did well, but was dropped at the end of her contract because the last couple of books didn't do well quickly enough. (A different publisher, I hasten to add, but these policies usually extend to all the larger houses.)

And they aren't in the habit of breaking down the information month by month and sending it out for the convenience of their authors.

Editors and all such people who work directly with the author or on the production of the book are lovely individuals who genuinely care about books and their authors, but the folks who do the accounting don't like to tell authors any more about their numbers than they absolutely must. I suppose because it saves them trouble in sending out too many and too detailed royalty statements, but also because it gives the company leverage when it comes time to make an offer on the next book.

 

[Mark Robson]

... but also because it gives the company leverage when it comes time to make an offer on the next book.

Now isn't that the truth! I still haven't had a royalty statement yet, as I've not had a book out for a full accounting 6 month period (apparently). I'm expecting to see one in the New Year. I'm sure it will make fascinating reading given how *prudent* they were with my second contract and how well my books seem to be selling.

 

[aarti]

Editors and all such people who work directly with the author or on the production of the book are lovely individuals who genuinely care about books and their authors, but the folks who do the accounting don't like to tell authors any more about their numbers than they absolutely must. I suppose because it saves them trouble in sending out too many and too detailed royalty statements, but also because it gives the company leverage when it comes time to make an offer on the next book.

Oh, I see. Wow, that's interesting. As someone in public accounting, I can only assume that internal accounting seems very different than public practice. Not that we are in the habit of giving clients *all* the information we determine about them, but as we do essentially work for the client (and in this case, I'd really think of authors as the clients of a publishing house, as that's where the money is being generated from), we give them most information they ask for.

Though I suppose it's essentially different as our information comes mainly from the client in the first place. I suppose I can see how it can be a slippery slope down the negotiation path for the publishing house, but all the same ... if I were to publish a book, I'd want to know how well it was doing on as detailed a basis as I could. Otherwise, you seem to be left floundering with no real yardstick for comparison. Clearly, the publishing industry is a complete mystery to me!

Teresa, you had mentioned before that you were thinking of self-publishing your previous books. Are you still thinking of doing that?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Carolyn, John and I will very happily help with your video in any way that we can. We've learned a lot in the course of making our own (largely through making mistakes and sometimes being able to fix them) and we may be able to give you a boost over a few stumbling blocks.

One thing we've learned is that green screen works better with video than blue screen (blue screen is for film), which may explain some of your problems with the blue towel.

aarti, I'm sure publishers don't regard writers as clients -- we're more like independent contractors working for them. It's different with agents, where we are the clients, although some of them can be so intimidating writers end up feeling inappropriately subservient.

Unfortunately, plans to self-publish my previous books were put on hold when so much money went into making the video. Maybe if I get another royalty check when April rolls around I will do it then.

Mark, if British publishers keep as big a reserve against returns as American publishers do, your royalties could be in limbo for a while, even if the book is doing very well indeed.

 

[Mark Robson]

Mark, if British publishers keep as big a reserve against returns as American publishers do, your royalties could be in limbo for a while, even if the book is doing very well indeed.

Fortunately my agent braced me against this news some time ago. I guess it was just wishful thinking.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

If you do get royalties at the end of the first period, you'll know the book is a tremendous hit -- and if you don't, at least you'll know there's no cause for alarm.

The fact they recently offered you another multi-book contract is far more revealing.

 

[Carolyn Hill]

Teresa, I've added a page on your Madeline Howard website, with the book trailer embedded. There are links to that page in Fun Stuff, Forthcoming, and the book's page.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Oh excellent, thank you so much for doing that.

(Although when you get the chance, you might want to change that "Forthcoming in January 2007" for the second book to a more accurate "Winter 2007/2008.")

 

[Carolyn Hill]

OK, I've made the change to the forthcoming page. (Dang, though: I wish it was forthcoming in January 2007. Of course, I know that you wish that, too. )

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

The final version of the video is up. Ironically, the "long" version is exactly the same length as the "short" version -- although the new one is more trailer and less time spent just rolling the credits.

As usual, after seeing how good it all looks on our computer here at home, it is a bit disappointing to see how the picture quality goes all to heck on YouTube. I wish there was some way of offering the video for download as an mp4, so that people could play it on QuickTime, RealPlayer, WindowsMedia or whatever they happen to have, and see it as it should be seen.

However, here is the link to YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J30cPmDVQQ8

 

[Carolyn Hill]

I like this version even better than the previous: more action, voiceovers instead of title cards, and more evocative music . . . good job! (I bet falling into the water in the final scene was fun. )

I've changed the links on the thehiddenstars.com to embed the new video and point to the new version on YouTube.

 

[Dean F. Wilson]

Likewise, I think this version is much improved.

Let's hope you get an increase in sales

-D

 

[BookStop]

I do like this trailer even more than the previous, which I thought was fun. This one gives us a much better idea about story content.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

At this point in the life history of the book, I'll be happy if the video just keeps up some level of interest until the sequel comes out.

(I bet falling into the water in the final scene was fun.

Oh yes. It was getting on for mid-December when we filmed that scene, and the bay was very cold indeed.

Our original idea was that everyone would lie down in the wet sand and let the water just wash over their feet as the waves went in and out -- as though the tide had brought them in a while before, dead or unconscious, and was going out. But when we got to the beach, there was about a hundred feet of ankle-deep (or deeper) water between the sand and any wave action. So, in the interest of avoiding hypothermia, we said, "OK, just lie there in the damp sand under a wet cloak for a few minutes while John films you, and that should do it."

Luma -- who has about zero percent body fat, and was sick that day besides -- was fine with that. (She is, however, a very courageous young woman, who had no problem at all a few weeks previously, standing there completely surrounded by real flames when we did the ring of fire scene.)

But while John was filming her, Charles and Daniel, in what they would later characterize as a somewhat immature spirit of competition (although as amateur film-makers John and I could only be highly appreciative of that sort of thing) started daring each other to brave the water. Egged on by their friend Mark -- who had cheerfully allowed them to kick him in the groin, bash him over the head with live steel, and otherwise abuse him during their fight scenes a couple of weeks earlier -- they ended up volunteering to crawl through that frigid water up to the beach.

Throughout the project, it was amazing to me to see what some of our actors were willing to do for the sake of art -- and for no compensation but a meal and our heartfelt thanks.

 

[scalem X]

*pops up*
"meals? Heartfelt thanks? Where, where, where?"
Understands the situation .
ow damn I would have made that trade gladly, but well there is this part where airplane tickets come in and... .

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

And we would have loved to have you, scalem.

(If we ever do a trailer for GOBLIN MOON, or THE QUEEN'S NECKLACE, maybe we'll hire you to take pictures of some of your beautiful old Flemish cities for backgrounds.)