Monday, May 21, 2012

Uncorrected Proofs - and their secrets...

The Crown of Embers
I got a healthy stack of YA galleys from my local indie, Park Road Books, and Rae Carson's new one was in the pile. *hops up and down* It comes out in September. :)

I read it yesterday, in one sitting. I<3 fantasy!

I'm not going to review it. I'm going to pass my gently used copy along to the person who can tell me the name of the guy I think Elisa should marry. If you read Girl of Fire and Thorns, you'll know. If you don't remember, here's a big hint:

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.


Leave me a comment with your email address.

If you haven't read Rae Carson yet, just know she's like a Kristin Cashore/Tamora Pierce/Robin McKinley, ie: awesome fantasy writer!

So, the secret of an uncorrected proof:

On the back of each galley there's a bulleted list about the National Marketing Campaign.

Everyone talks about a "National Marketing Campaign" like we aspiring writers should know exactly what it means. Did you nod your head? I used to nod my head. I sort of understood the concept: What is the publishing house going to do for my book?

All the while, I really thought publishing houses didn't support author marketing anymore, and the 'marketing plan' was a compilation of my efforts and their prêt-à-porter house platform. I was right, however...You know how they tell us to be specific? Well, that's the secret I learned.

"Online consumer advertising campaign" is not "Featured title on (insert site here)".

I'm guessing the more specific "featured title" is the one where the publisher is definitely laying out some money. The vague "online campaign" seems more like "if we get good feedback from your galley release, then we might think about spending some money." And what exactly does "extensive" mean?

Maybe you knew all this already, but it's what I learned today. :)

Now. If I could just get someone to offer me one of those "nice deals".

8 comments:

Sarah said...

I don't know--I imagine that sometimes it's a matter of timing and how set things are before the ARC goes to print. My timeline for the release of Sanctum is incredibly compressed, so details are emerging and things are developing every day, but the ARCs went to print a few weeks ago. I think your assumption is probably correct sometimes, but I wouldn't assume it's always true, you know?

And--I haven't read The Girl of Fire and Thorns, but that's quite an endorsement! Glad you got to read an advance copy!

Creepy Query Girl said...

I haven't read any Rae Carson yet but that cover art is gorgeous!

Stephanie Thornton said...

I've heard of Girl of Fire and Thorns, but haven't read it yet. I just read Graceling a couple months ago, so I'll have to pick this one up.

KatOwens: Insect Collector said...

I too have not read this series, but I just read a review today that had me thinking I should pick it up. Very interesting to hear some scoop about marketing. I think especially in an internet age marketing feels so malleable-- I wonder how often publishers alter plans based on the response (good or bad) a book is getting. Something to think about.

LTM said...

I read Daughter of Smoke & Bone instead of Girl of Fire & Thorns... LOL! But I've heard good things about it! Now I'm intrigued...

but that marketing stuff you just said was kind of mishmash in my brain. Huh? :D very cool that you got those galleys~ <3

Matthew MacNish said...

I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read Fire and Thorns yet. Rae is friends with a lot of my friends, and we shared meals and drinks several times at WFC, and I have the book, and my daughter loved it ... and I still haven't read it. Shame on me, I know.

Carol Riggs said...

Oh! I read FIRE AND THORNS and enjoyed it!! I always thought she should marry Hector the guard commander, frankly. :D Even though he's older. But I suppose she'll marry the Humberto guy (seemed more of a shallow relationship, but maybe it gets developed).

Deniz Bevan said...

I didn't know that! Thanks for sharing these titbits!

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