Promoting Crush…and: what else have you been doing??

You’re now caught you up on what happened after I handed in my copyedits for Crush. But what else have I been doing? Well, LOTS. To borrow from a cliché (because I can’t use them in my novels, and sometimes they’re fun to throw around), it’s been pedal to the metal. Here’s what’s been going on, in a nutshell (and I’m leaving stuff out because I can’t remember it all!)…

With Crush now “in the can” and rolling off the printing press, the task of promoting it—letting people know it’s out there—is crucial. My publisher is unusual in that it encourages (and requires) authors to be involved in the promotion process. In sum, promotion has been going on for months. I’ve written material that’ll be used to promote the novel…for websites, like AuthorBuzz, for blogs, and other web-based venues; I’ve worked with my publisher to rewrite and finalize the jacket text (the descriptive passage that’s on the book flap); I worked extensively with the Audio publisher to select the best voice actor, listening to clips of actresses who’d make the best Karen Vail (talk about tough!); I’ve notified key people of Crush’s release and had galleys sent (or sent them myself) to reviewers, booksellers, and others; worked with one of the Napa Valley wineries mentioned in Crush to coordinate our big book launch event.

I’ve worked with my publicist on polishing the press release; updated my website, and prepared my newsletter (yes, I’m way behind on that); been on the time vacuum (I mean Facebook), fiddled with Twitter; shot interviews with FBI Profiler Mark Safarik regarding the writing of Crush; shot an interview with WritingRoom.com regarding advice for aspiring writers, as well as an interview about Crush; shot a commercial (“book trailer”) in the Napa Valley (12 hours to get 2 minutes of footage!).…worked with my publicist on constructing the book tour; called booksellers I met during The 7^th Victim tour…(I’m out of breath here)…

What else? So much I forget. But off the top of my head: I went to NYC for Thrillerfest to promote Crush and to sit on panels, meet fans and colleagues; met with my agent to discuss new projects; met with my publisher to discuss the current state of the book industry and items related to Crush’s launch; submitted an application to sit on a panel at Bouchercon–then, once I was named a moderator, coordinated our panel’s talk; spoke with a law enforcement officer about a collaborative nonfiction book we may write…and, oh yeah, I’ve been writing the sequel to Crush!

About that…I’ve spent a ton of time researching the story, worked with numerous federal agents (and completed and filed applications for access because I’ve never worked with one particularly sensitive federal agency); I’ve traveled to the cities where the novel is set so I could walk (and run) through the places Karen Vail and her colleagues walk and run through.

Am I ready for a vacation? Yes—but, no. Crush launches 9/22, so my book tour starts soon. See you in the stores…or on the shelves.

The 7th Victim is now in Paperback

The 7th Victim, by Alan Jacobson

The mass market paperback for The 7^th Victim is now available. I’ve made a few minor corrections to the text and helped with tweaks to the interior layout design. Mostly, however, this is a process that’s handled by the publisher, particularly my project editor, who oversees the production and printing. The 7^th Victim paperback is available in bookstores nationwide, at your favorite online retailer, and on Kindle. For those who don’t know, The 7^th Victim was named to Library Journal’s “Best Books of the Year” list—a tremendous honor, considering it was chosen from amongst 7,000 entries.

In my continuing blog series of an author’s behind-the-scenes life (actually, it follows the process from the time a novel is readied for submission through publication and book tour) it’s only fitting we talk now about the next step that happens in a novel’s life: the paperback edition.

Sometime around the point I was handing in the final tweaks to the galleys for Crush, I had to submit changes I wanted made to the text for The 7^th Victim.

If you’re fortunate to have a hardcover publishing deal, the hardcover is the first version to be released. The reasons are obvious from an economic perspective: these books cost more (around $25-29) and generate more profit for the publishers, the distributors, and the booksellers. They’re also preferred by many readers because the font is larger, the quality of the paper is better, and the “packaging” is superior to that of a paperback. They’re also much easier to read on a treadmill or elliptical.

Typically from ten to twelve months after the release of the hardcover, the “mass market” edition is released. [Some publishers also release a more expensive, larger “trade paperback” edition, (typical cost: $15)]. The mass market paperback sells for around $8 or $9 and is designed for mass production.

Since hardcovers are taken on consignment by the bookstores, any unsold copies after four to six weeks are typically shipped back to the warehouse. They then remain there until a different bookstore puts in an order for that novel. They’re then shipped to that bookstore. Clearly, this is a very expensive and wasteful model. With concern over energy efficiency and carbon emissions, this current model is inefficient, costly, and—what’s the opposite of green? (Let’s choose charcoal, for carbon.)

Paperbacks are an entirely different story (pun intended). They are not shipped back when they go unsold. The covers are torn off (“the book is destroyed,” in industry lingo) and the remaining cadaveric bound pile of paper is dumped.

So there you have it. Don’t let a fantastic read like The 7^th Victim be “destroyed.” Buy it now. And enjoy a thrilling read.

Reviews of “Crush” flowing in

The reviews are arriving—and I’m very, very pleased. I wanted to share them with you. I won’t bog you down with the full text, which repeatedy recaps the storyline, so here are pertinent excerpts:

Crush is “addictive…(with) a shockeroo cliffhanger.”
–Publishers Weekly

“As a bookseller, reviewer, and avid reader of thrillers, this novel blew me away. (It’s) the best the industry has to offer…from one of the very best writers in the industry today. In these uncertain times, getting lost in the grips of the best thriller to come along in years is just what we need. Be one of the first in line when Crush hits the stores; it is sure to be a HUGE contender for major awards.”
–BestsellersWorld.com (Russell Ilg)

“Told from the viewpoints of the protagonist and the antagonist, readers see fascinating perspectives of a predator and a hunter challenging one another. CRUSH is a very exciting and chilling thriller.”
– Midwest Book Review (Harriet Klausner)

“Jacobson has done it again. Crush is a fantastic page-turning thriller which should be on your reading list.”
–The Strand Magazine

“Plenty of bark and bite, sizzle and emotion…a tangled tale of delightful intrigue. Well done.”
–Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author

“Crush rocks from the opening page to the jarring conclusion.”
–Steve Martini, New York Times bestselling author

“Karen Vail is one tough character. Crush will keep you reading late into the night.”
–Kathy Reichs, New York Times bestselling author & creator of TV show “Bones”

“A smart, stylish whodunnit with lots of surprises, and a finish with all the punch of a blockbuster Cabernet.”
–Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author 

“Jacobson breathes life into the killer in a way that made my heart pound—and I do this for a living.”
–Mary Ellen O’Toole, Senior FBI Profiler and Supervisory Special Agent (ret.)