On Jan 19, 2012, at 12:45 PM, Dan Henby wrote: > >> I've outlined this before, but it's been a while so I'll go through it again. >> >> You start with your local bookstore. You find out who in your area has a >> good record of author's appearances. Now that Border's is defunct, it's >> either a B&N or an independent, or (occasionally) a local department store >> with a monster book section. Talk to them. They put in a request for me >> when I next tour. If it's a good book store, in a good book city, then it's >> possible. >> >> The publisher weighs variables. There are "locks," towns where they just >> sell a bunch so I'm almost automatic in going there. On the west coast I'll >> do LA, SF, Portland, and Seattle, plus they sometimes toss in Denver. I >> will never go to Salt Lake City, for example, because there's just not the >> readership there, and I've only been to Las Vegas once on a tour, because >> there was only one Borders there for a while with management that worked >> their butts off to bring in authors. I went to Las Cruses NM, once,because >> the local guy there guaranteed x number of books to get me there and >> advertised out to Midlands/Odessa TX to bring in people. I've been to >> Chicago a few times, Minneapolis a couple, Boston once, NYC once, Philly >> three times, Orlando once, etc. It's based on a lot of variables. I >> haven't toured in years for some personal reasons (right after my divorce I >> did 20 cities in 28 days around the world and didn't see my kids for a >> month, so I haven't done one of those around the world jobs since), and >> lately it's been for business reasons--the contraction of the brick and >> mortal book stores in the US, and the distances to travel. >> >> Anyway, that's the long version of "I go where they send me," so it's up to >> you to convince your local folks to make my publisher want to send me near >> where you are. >> >> Best, R.E.F. >> ---- > > Ray, given this process, it's a fair-dinkum miracle that you went to Penrith > back in '98. I'm so glad that you did though, because I love showing my > signed copies to friends, and my oldest child is looking forward to seeing > you when you next come down under. > > Dan. > > >
Any bookstore in Oz they send me to has earned it. For the population, it's a very important market, solid from coast to coast, which is why I've been to Freemantle and Towoomba in addition to the big cities. Best, R.E.F. ---- www.crydee.com Never attribute to malice what can satisfactorily be explained away by stupidity.
