Is there a secret map that will lead authors to the perfect marketing strategy for launching a new title? No. There are, however, ways to increase an ARC's chances of finding its best readers. For author Ellen Meeropol, whose fourth novel, Her Sister's Tattoo, will be published by Red Hen Press in April, the strategy actually did involve a map.
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"Most authors take to the road with finished books, doing events and interviews and signing stock, and I plan to do that in the spring when my novel is published," Meeropol said. "So what was I doing in October and November was driving around New England with ARCs and chocolate bars covered in the image of the book jacket, visiting indie bookstores? The plan was to personally introduce my new novel to booksellers, store owners and fiction buyers. I asked them to take look at my novel, to consider stocking it, making an IndieNext nomination, recommending it to book groups and handselling it to customers."
Meeropol credits her friend and fellow Red Hen Press author Cai Emmons, who made a similar indie pilgrimage for her novel Weather Woman, with inspiring her to hit the ARC road.
"I loved the idea. As a former bookseller at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, Mass., I'm a big fan of indies and love talking about books," Meeropol said. "My publisher provided the ARCs and my map-loving husband helped me figure out the routes. I e-mailed the stores ahead of time about what I was doing, ordered a magnetic sign for the door of my red Subaru, covered dozens of dark chocolate bars with the jacket image, and off we went."
The journey took her to 58 indie bookstores in 15 days, from the Maine coast to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, from upstate New York to Cape Cod. Visiting between three and five stores a day, she noted that "there were a lot of miles between stores.... almost 3,000 miles, mostly on back roads. I met with dozens of booksellers, some of whom I knew from my bookselling and author past, but most of whom I did not.... Most booksellers, even the ones who never saw my e-mail, were welcoming and gracious. A few booksellers were too busy to talk and a couple of stores were closed, but most folks seemed happy to get the ARC and chat for a few minutes about the novel."
Recalling her own time as a bookseller, Meeropol said, "In 2005, I left my longtime career as a nurse practitioner in a children's hospital to have more time to write. I started working part-time at the Odyssey Bookshop then, as their events and publicity person--partly because I'd always wanted to work in a bookstore and loved the Odyssey, and partly to learn about the bookstore part of the publishing world. After two years, I switched to coordinating book groups at the store, including facilitating the monthly Open Fiction Book Group, which I continued doing until two years ago. I've always been involved with the store's First Edition Club and continue to volunteer as a member of the selection committee."
As a reader, she described herself as "passionate about contemporary fiction, especially novels that address global themes and the complicated issues they bring up. I've always particularly tried to champion books by new authors, by women, and people of color. As a bookseller, reader, and author, I love book groups!"
Asked how her bookselling experience helped the ARC odyssey, Meeropol replied: "Hard to say. I think that knowing how busy booksellers are, particularly in the fall, and how much multitasking they need to do, I was conscious of not wanting to take up too much time. And, I brought chocolate!... I didn't use a standard pitch. When I handed them the ARC, most booksellers immediately turned to the back and read the short description and the blurbs. I followed their lead, about offering more information or not. Often our conversations were more about bookselling and our favorite current reads than about my book."
Is there anything she might do differently next time? "It may be too early to answer that question," Meeropol said. "I look forward to seeing some of those booksellers soon at Winter Institute, and maybe some of them will have suggestions for improving the tour."
Having had the opportunity to get an up-close snapshot of so many indies in such a brief period of time, Meeropol expressed optimism regarding the current state of independent bookselling: "The stores I visited were, for the most part, busy and bustling and full of the quiet energy that readers and writers love. What a treat it was to visit so many amazing community literary spaces.... What difference will it make to my novel? I don't know. But in these days of increasing grassroots book promotion, I'm happy to have driven those roads, visited those stores, and met those booksellers."