Self-Publishing Today

still alice
Great piece by Jonathan Fields in The Huffington Post about the changing face of self-publishing. It is especially delightful because two of my clients, Lisa Genova and Brunonia Barry, are referenced in the piece.

We worked with Brunonia Barry when THE LACE READER was self-published and we were able to secure her coverage that brought the attention of agents and a major seven figure deal with William Morrow. We were then hired by Lisa Genova to help promote her self-published novel, STILL ALICE, about a woman suffering from early onset alzheimer’s. Once again, the coverage we secured led her to a dream agent and a major deal with Simon & Schuster.

Here is a quote from the Huffington Post piece.

“What so many people don’t realize is that self-pubbed writers are not a group of frustrated, no-talent writers. Rather they include established authors like Stephen King, intellectuals like Noam Chomsky and Lisa Genova and Brunonia Barry, writers who couldn’t find anyone to publish their books, did it themselves, and landed on the NY Times bestseller list. It is my belief that there are many more great works and writers out there, just waiting to be found by adventurous readers.”

I was thrilled to work with both of these authors at the very beginning of their careers and to help provide them with the guidance and publicity they needed to lead them to immense success. As the publicist, I am the behind-the-scenes person, but I truly love seeing my hard work and dedication to my clients pay off…BIG TIME!

Barnes & Noble’s Nook

nook

According to the Wall Street Journal, a new electronic book reader is expected *TODAY* from book seller Barnes & Noble Inc. that will challenge readers from Amazon.com Inc. and Sony Corp. with a color touch-screen and $259 price, according to a planned ad for the device.

The price for the reader, called the Nook, matches that of Amazon’s Kindle. The Kindle controls about 60% of the burgeoning e-book market, according to Forrester Research.

Engadget.com’s sources say the Nook will be partnering with Best Buy for sales of this device that will be available Thursday.

Fiona Robyn

British author, Fiona Robyn, is going to start blogging her next novel, THAW, on March 1, 2010. The novel, which will be in the form of the the main character’s diary, will chronicle three months during which Ruth is contemplating suicide.

To help spread the word she’s organizing a “Blogsplash” where blogs will publish the first page of Ruth’s diary simultaneously with a link to the blog.

It is certainly an interesting way to get attention and the viral marketing aspect of it is sure to create some media attention. We will have to wait and see if THAW makes the desired splash.

Social Media Examiner

PRNewser just brought a new website to my attention. Social Media Examiner is a web site that targets businesses who want to learn how to use social media to find leads, increase sales and build brand awareness.

From Social Media Examiner:

Social media is no more a one-off playground for brands than television advertising, direct mail campaigns or customer relationship management programs. It’s serious business and should be treated as such.