The Best Seller Payoff
By Allison Winn Scotch | July 9, 2009 |
So about ten months ago, when the hardcover of Time of My Life hit the New York Times best-seller list, I posed the question: just what does becoming a bestseller really do for you? I wasn’t sure, but thought, because I didn’t see much of a difference in, well, much of anything, after it hit the list other than a lot of people congratulating me (which, hey, I didn’t mind), that the payoff might come for the paperback release. And, with said release just three weeks out, yes, I wanted to report back that indeed, becoming a best-seller does change the trajectory of your book and perhaps your career, albeit with delayed gratification.
Here’s what I know now: I see a pretty huge difference between the release of this paperback and the release of my first book’s paperback. With the ammunition of that fabulous New York Times Best Seller blurb on the cover, I’ve landed a big order from Target, which, according to those in the know, is a very, very good thing for my book. I’ve got a PR budget, a marketing/advertising budget, and I’ve been granted a very ample print-run. Did any of these things happen for my first book? Ahem, no. Would they have happened if it hadn’t landed on the list? Well, who knows? Maybe sales would have been healthy enough that my (fabulous) publisher would have set aside a budget anyway, but maybe not.
One thing I am pretty certain of is that hitting the list ensured strong orders from booksellers. From these orders comes my print run. And from the print run size, I have a said allocated budget. (Again, because I’m not behind the scenes, I don’t know if this is exactly how it works, but it’s all linked together like this somehow.) Because the book has been well-received by booksellers, my publisher is likelier to pour money into it. The fact that it hit the list means that somewhere, somehow, readers have responded to it, and well, as crazy and non-sensical as this industry can be, that’s one thing that everyone agrees on: getting books that have positive word of mouth into the hands of readers is the bottom line.
So, it’s been an interesting lesson. I guess I thought, back in October 2008, that everything would be different once I hit the list. Not at all. At first, to be honest, I was a little demoralized – I mean, what the heck is the point of the euphoria I felt upon being named a New York Times Best Seller, if not to receive, what? I don’t know. A billboard in Times Square? A full-page ad in the book review section? Okay, maybe not those, but…something. It turns out that I am getting something, a lot, actually, albeit ten months later. Which actually is pretty great by me. I’m thrilled at the prospects of what the paperback can do, and am hopeful that the little New York Times Best Seller blurb on the cover of the paperback will propel it even farther. Stay tuned. I’ll keep you updated.
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 just read your book in hardback and I loved it! (Btw, I loved the ending. It completely surprised me and left me thinking, but it also felt right.) Good luck with the paperback! I’ve told my mother-in-law to buy it! :)
Thank you, Maya! I’d meant to reply to your comment on my blog and got distracted. But thank you, thank you, thank you! I appreciate reader feedback so much and am thrilled you enjoyed it.
Thanks for sharing the inside scoop on how the dominos fall once you hit The List, and big congrats on that Target order. So happy for you, Allison!
A huge congrats on the Target order!
Ah, patience… but it looks like your world did change, in a very good way.
Good work, Allison.
Oh, best of luck with the paperback!
As a newbie author with a smallish press, your story is one of awe and excitement. The delayed gratification seems to have worked for you.
Congrats on the big order — I guess what they say is true. the best thing you can do after your first release is… write the 2nd one. :)
Best wishes for many sales!
Ashley
Yay! Congrats! And now (especially after Maya’s comments) I definitely want to read it. :)
The premise of your storyline is so incredibly engaging..I think we all wonder from time to time about how (if we had it to do over) what we would/would not change. Intriguing and heartwarming. Thanks for being so talented and sharing your passion with the world and congrats on your achievement, NY Times Best-Seller!
I put your books on my to-read list. They look great!
Allison, I really enjoyed your book, which I read hardcover. I see how your current success (with its sense of delayed gratification) is like reinvesting your salary and profits back into your business so you can expand. All the best to you!
Nice article. I am now compelled to go buy your book and read it. It sounds wonderful and I am looking forward to reading it.
Best wishes for much continued success!