The 2016 Los Angeles edition of Writer’s Digest’s conference was again this year a craft-focused outing. With some 300 in attendance, it was notable for the fact that it never skirted industry issues while emphasizing craft. When a panel on backstory, for example, turned to how to introduce information without letting it overwhelm your narrative, no one hesitated to say that it’s the reader’s ability to follow what you’re doing that should govern the decisions you finally make: you want readers to buy your next book.
Garth Stein gave a keynote address that went beyond the craft issues he has encountered; for example, he was told by his own agent that his book The Art of Racing in the Rain wouldn’t find a publisher because it was narrated by a dog—which is the point of the book, of course.
He then elaborated on the craft of marketing, saying, “This is my iPad. I have a program on here that I use to send out emails when I do signings. I send out a newsletter every few weeks. Just to be in touch. Tidbits of information … updates on the alleged movie they’re going to make of The Art of Racing in the Rain.”
Stein showed the audience pin-on buttons he made for his new book, A Sudden Light, for reading groups. Several more tips Stein offered:
- “Librarians and booksellers have a love for the written word. Get to know them. When you have your book out,” they’ll be ready influencers to help your sales.
- “Social media is the way of the world. Get used to it. Suck it up. Open a Twitter account.”
- “If you get interviewed, turn on CNN. You’ll see [political campaign] surrogates ignore questions” so they can make points they want to make. Writers, Stein said, need to learn such interview techniques as “pivoting” on a question to take it in the direction of your own message, to make interviews valuable as marketing tools.
Bottom line: Stein’s speech was not what some of the Writer’s Digest Novel Writing Conference attendees expected to hear from Stein—who went on to sell and sign a lot of books—but it was one of the most refreshing, clear-eyed admissions we’ve seen of how central marketing has become for many major bestselling trade authors. “As much as we like to think of ourselves as creators of literature,” Stein said, “we’re actually part of a very delicate ecosystem,” an industry dependent on its outreach to consumers. “We, as writers, have to be sure we do our job to encourage readers to read.”
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
