Galley Ho!
By Allison Winn Scotch | May 8, 2008 |
So I’m getting the galleys of Time of My Life tomorrow. Yay! For those of you who don’t know, a galley – or an ARC (advanced review copy) – is essentially an uncorrected paperback version of your book. Which means that there will still be some typos and whatnot, but that mostly, this is the finished product. So it’s pretty dang exciting. Especially because, unlike with my first book, this time around, my publisher – Shaye Areheart books, an imprint at Random House – is doing some really cool things with these copies.
The big push that they’re doing involves something called “blow-in” cards. Essentially, they’re sending a bunch of galleys to avid readers and folks with big mouths and such, and along with the book, they’re including a card that says, “Want to share your ‘what if’ moment with a friend?” And then, if you fill out the card with your friend’s address (and sharing your ‘what if’ moment), your friend will receive a copy of the book.
At first, while I was thrilled about the cool idea, I didn’t quite get it. I didn’t quite get the idea of a big galley push. I knew that these blow-in cards had helped generate buzz for a few select books in the past, but still…I don’t know, it just didn’t click. But then, it slowly dawned on me: galleys are for more than just garnering reviews and getting the book in front of booksellers. Galleys are an incredible marketing tool to get readers, not just the media and bookstores, excited for the book. Which sounds simple, logical even, but if you haven’t been fortunate enough to have this push in the galley phase, really, it might not seem so clear. (Or maybe I’m just slow!) As we’ve often discussed on this and other blogs, co-op space aside, word-of-mouth might be the single most important marketing tool you can hope for when it comes to your book’s success. And these blow-in cards, among other things, are designed to do just that: get people talking, get them buzzing, get them to spread the word and the excitement and hopefully, the love, about Time of My Life. Sort-of like advanced movie screenings. Such that by the time it hits the shelves in October, readers will say, “Oh yeah, a friend told me about this book, and I have to have it.”
These days, you have to do just about anything you can to set your book apart from the rest. Just this past week, I read about an upcoming book whose ARCs had been printed in hardcover! But the publisher was hell-bent on having those galleys stand out in the crowd, and so far, at least according to the publisher, the (very expensive) trick is working. So I’m thrilled, thrilled at the prospect of these blow-in cards. Rather than cannibalize my potential future readers, they will, if all goes according to plan, spread pixie dust through bookstores everywhere and help my book land on nightstands across the country.
So tell me, have you ever caught wind of a book in the galley phase, and if so, did it lead to a purchase when the book hit stores? Or what other innovative ideas have you heard of in the galley phase? I’d be curious to hear them.
Allison Winn Scotch is the bestselling author of six novels, including IN TWENTY YEARS, THE THEORY OF OPPOSITES, and TIME OF MY LIFE. Her seventh novel, BETWEEN ME AND YOU, will be released on January 9th, 2018. In addition to fiction, she pens celebrity profiles for a variety of magazines, which justifies her pop culture obsession and occasionally lends to awesome Facebook status updates. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. For more about her and her books, go to allisonwinn.com or follow her on Twitter at @aswinn.
I’m as clued out as you, Allison, because I’ve never heard of stealth marketing via the galleys. We get ARCS to prepare our author interviews, but I’ve never seen them utilized in word-of-mouth campaigns. But whatever works! I’ll be interested in hearing what your experience with it will be.
Love the cover, btw! And hey, it’s the face, not the back of the head! :-)
This publicity thing is generally over my head, but that seems like an excellent idea!
Some of the ARCs I’ve seen recently have had “extras” like bookmarks and tour dates, but no blow-in cards. That’s an interesting idea. I think what it does, too, is help you hone in on your market via someone who’s already read your book. That targeted thinking can spread like wild fire if you find someone who’s, say, in a book group. I think if I was a marketer, I might plant that seed on the blow-in: “Do you know of anyone in a book group who might like this novel?” …something like that, or a list that includes that as one option, just to be certain the idea’s working as hard as it can for you. Just my two unvarnished cents.
Yay on your galleys, Allison! I just adore the cover of this new book, and I can’t wait to read it for myself.
Congrats on your progress – those first signs that you actually have a ‘real’ book are brilliant and, hopefully, the thrill never fades.
The downside of spraying gally-proofs all over the place is that they end up for sale on eBay. My publisher, HarperCollins, does not do blow-in, or lob proofs about lightly, but copies of my first book The Whale Road, were on eBay before the publication. I don’t mind people making a buck (though it hacks me off that ‘respected’ reviewers seem to take it as read – no pun intended – that they can flog the uncorrected proof on the Net) but I can’t believe readers want the warts-and-all version, with typos, continuity errors etc etc. It isn’t value for money as far as I am concerned. Besides – who wants people to see what an arse you were before someone competent got involved?
Robert Low
I’ve never seen blow in cards for galleys, but I’ve gotten other PR stuff with a book. I just used one such beach towel a few months ago when my toilet overflowed :-)
Seriously, though, galleys are expensive but I think important, at least for someone like me who had to get books way in advance to pitch them to magazines. That’s what was so frustrating about doing PR for my book — no galleys. But my publisher was great enough to print out the book and bind it for the few big magazines that wanted to pick it up.
But I think even better than galleys for word if mouth is going to be your blog. I learn about books via blogs, and I’m seeing right now what kind of buzz a blog can do. It’s because of my blog that my book was already on the radar even before review copies got sent out. I think you’re doing great!
Allison, what a neat idea!!! How wonderful that Shaye Areheart is doing this for you! And I think you are SO right about word of mouth being HUGE for a book’s success.
I’ve gotten a few ARCs directly from the publisher, but I do confess I didn’t buy the books later (because I’d already read them)…BUT those ARCs did entice me to purchase backlist and future novels by those authors.
Ooh ooohhh ooooohhhh meee meeee meeee!
(Raising hand wildly and obnoxiously in the front row like the obnoxious kid in class we all couldn’t stand!)
Cannot wait to read this one!
The blow-in cards are a terrific hook, particularly with the “what if” factor connected to the book. It should have ARC readers thinking, talking and even wishing? ;)
Also, I always purchase the Hardcover even after reading an ARC…actually pre-order more than a few as “just because” gifts. My feeling is that ARCS are not freebies but rather a special invitation to preview.
And, yes, this sounds very exciting, Allison!