I did promise something new this week. Have a look at
https://www.facebook.com/PenguinCanada?ref=ts&fref=ts
As of today, my two North American publishers are offering an early look at the beginning of River of Stars. They are making it a bit of a game (why not, they said) so chapter 1 will be ‘unlocked’ once 150 people ‘Share’ their cutesy locked cover image on Facebook.
If this goes smoothly then, yes, the plan is to unlock chapter 2 at some level of sharing, and likely in two parts (it is a long chapter).
I wasn’t so much arm-twisted as skillfully cajoled this time. It is kind of interesting (I think): I do a book every three years or so, and the market changes a lot in that time. Chapter reveals are becoming more normal, though I am told this particular process is a bit newer, just for the fun part, I guess. In addition, as pre-orders become easier at the major online booksellers (with, I really hope, good discounts for buyers) that’s another factor.
They originally wanted three chapters. I am drawing the line. (No, do not ‘share’ arm-twisting, OR cajoling.) As it happens, chapter 1 introduces one of the major protagonists, and chapter 2 introduces another so together the two chapters do a nice stage-setting job. Chapter 3 starts to complicate that. (As I tend to, I guess.)
And, not incidentally, for all those who prefer to wait and read the whole thing in what I (and Mrs Malaprop) like to call one swell foop … don’t peek! I get that! But I also know, over the years, that many people do like an advance taste, like the small spoons at an ice cream parlour.
So if you want to taste River of Stars, and meet Daiyan, and then Shan, when they are young … they are there. Or will be when unlocked. Enjoy.
I tend to think of “reveals” as outreach to readers who don’t know your work, and who need some persuasion to cross over the line. I’m content to wait for the entire book to be available and devour in one swell foop, accompanied by large teapot and something made of chocolate. Looking forward to it!
Janie, Honestly … I don’t know. I can see some people wanting that ice cream taste of a writer they don’t know. Can also see longterm readers wanting the taste of what the new one might be. And can easily see people wanting to know nothing (like Manuel in Fawlty Towers) before they can read it all.
I think publishers view an exercise like this as partly having the ‘I’ve read everything he or she wrote!’ group triggering interest from the ‘who is this writer?’ segment.
No matter the portion of the market this strategy appeals to, I believe this will only help your work reach a wider audience, Mr. Kay. It can’t hurt. And who knows, in three years’ time, your next novel may be previewed one 140-character “tweet” at a time!
So, would you say you’re “leveraging the sandbox?”
I have to say that I am in the camp of “I want to read the whole book in one fell swoop once its released” . Presumably the publishers have done their market research and proven to themselves that these recent chapter releases help with exposure. However, I can’t help wondering if this trend might impact the writing process. Mr. Kay, can you honestly say that foreknowledge of a chapter’s early reveal would not effect how you wrote it?
Pingback: Get a Sneak Peak at River of Stars! |