I often find myself saying that never a week goes by without me learning something new about the publishing business. One of the best tips I received in 2015 was from an old schoolmate, Mike Aitken, the former senior sports writer at the Scotsman. Before switching desks, Mike was actually first employed as an assistant literary editor, and his advice about marketing books was to give it plenty of time – get review copies out as much as six months in advance, for instance. It gives reviewers a chance to read and say what they think about the book, and to prepare a review or some publicity around the time the book is first released. The public has to be properly primed.
Take Star Wars: The Force Awakens, for instance. Can there ever have been a film with more pre-release hype? We've been hearing all year about the return of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2D2 and C3PO that by Christmas everyone was desperate to see it. Someone I know planned to take over an entire small cinema for a private showing for his friends, but the cinema's booked out for weeks to come. The distributors have had us wound up like a coiled spring.
Another interesting case is Shakin' Stevens. (Incidentally, I'm inclined to think that Mr Stevens might be a slightly underestimated talent: most things he sings pretty well.) This year he's released a new version of his 1985 No.1 hit "Merry Christmas Everyone" in conjunction with a YouTube video of the Salvation Army in action. Here he is in 1985:
Another interesting case is Shakin' Stevens. (Incidentally, I'm inclined to think that Mr Stevens might be a slightly underestimated talent: most things he sings pretty well.) This year he's released a new version of his 1985 No.1 hit "Merry Christmas Everyone" in conjunction with a YouTube video of the Salvation Army in action. Here he is in 1985:
The point, though, is that Shakin's No.1 1985 Christmas hit was actually intended for Christmas 1984. That's right, 1984, a whole year earlier. But that was the year of Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas and it was quickly realised that Stevens' song would quickly be lost against that. So it was delayed for an entire year until the moment for release was right.
Finally, there's Jane Tulloch's book Our Best Attention, which is to be published early next month. It's been ready for ages, but we at Comely Bank Publishing needed time to set everything up, get books to the attention of local booksellers and give them a chance to order, prepare posters, press releases and so on. We think it's made a difference. Customers are asking when the book is coming out
So what we'd say to all self-publishing authors is this: don't be in too much of a hurry to publish your book. Wait until the moment is right, and you can always sell copies privately to your friends and family if you're in a hurry.
As Shakin' Stevens would say, timing is everything. He'd also say something else – Merry Christmas, Everyone!
-– Gordon Lawrie and the Comely Bank Publishing team
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