Margaret Langstaff writes about books and the book business for several national periodicals. OverBooked reflects her views on insider news and trends in the book industry.
|
O V E R B O O K E D Curiosities of the Spring List BY MARGARET LANGSTAFF
Of the Mind of Man -- Poverty be justifying For so foul a thing EMILY DICKINSON Of course, this story line is also a frequent excuse for rejecting a book because it stinks, but that is the subject of another column, perhaps. Traditionally, the Spring Lists are sculpted to suit the spring and summer gift-giving season, which includes Valentine's Day, Easter, Passover, Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduation and weddings. In theory, at least, publishers try to shape the lists according to consumer purchasing patterns and schedule the release dates for specific titles so that they will be in stores at precisely the moment when book buyers are most likely to respond to their individual charms and seductions. The actual winnowing process is a mystical-artistic ritual that the average person couldn't possibly understand, because the publishers don't understand it themselves. It is acquired through years of gnostic initiation into the characteristics and qualities of books that sell and books that don't. And lists that are "strong" and lists that are "weak." And even so, the cognoscenti have room for improvement. Statistically, only one in 10 titles is a financial success (or "works" in publishing parlance). Oddly, the average person never views publishers' seasonal offerings as a group (e.g., List). Only retail and wholesale book buyers look at them that way when they are doing their seasonal buying, which somehow begs the question of the whole effort in a reader's mind. No, the readers of the world don't go into a bookstore and say, "I'm looking for something really good to read. I wonder what Putnam's offerings are this spring." If a shopper finds a book from Putnam that looks interesting or appealing, he/she is likely to consider it individually, without any thought as to what other books Putnam is publishing this spring. All of this was in the back of my mind as I scrutinized, mouth open, the Spring Announcements issue of Publishers Weekly recently. For the life of me, I cannot figure out where some of these titles "fit" on anyone's list. I cannot even imagine the query letter the editor chanced to receive that started the title on its way toward publication. Out of fear of reprisal (for biting the hand that feeds me), I will refrain from citing publishers by name, but would you believe Masturbation: The History of a Great Terror, is a real, true April publication? What sector of the spring gift market do you suppose it has drawn a bead on? Perhaps the acquiring editor just knew it when he saw it: "Perfect! There is nothing like it out there! This is just the thing to tuck between the Regency romance and the biography of Harry Truman in April. Sales will soar." Other spring titles that made me scratch my head over the wonderful mystery at the heart of publishing, include:
I Watched a Wild Hog Eat My Baby! (March) Casual Rex (March), Vincent and Ernie probe the death of a fellow dinosaur and the disappearance of a large prosthetic male private part. One Nation Underground: A History of the Fallout Shelter (August) Too Lazy to Work, Too Nervous to Steal (March), which explains the process of becoming a freelance writer. So look for these gems the next time you're in a bookstore. They have been strategically developed and marketed to leap off the shelf and into your arms at the appropriate moment.
|
