The Big Bad Book Blog

Last month, Fast Company did a great story on bookstore co-op deals, in which publishers pay booksellers for inclusion on front tables, end caps, face-out placements, etc. So, yes, those books out front at Barnes & Noble are there because someone paid for them to be there, not necessarily because they’re the best or most important—although, of course, bookstore buyers only allow placement for books they believe will move. (Also, the two indie booksellers we’ve asked, BookPeople and Vroman’s, say that featured “employee picks,” an upaid form of co-op, are completely at the employee and bookseller’s discretion.)

It’s an interesting negotiation, and as bookstore space shrinks and brick-and-mortar book shoppers dwindle, co-op placement for books becomes increasingly important. Adam L. Penenberg, author of Viral Loop, gives an good overview. Read it here, and have a Happy New Year!

We often hear from authors who would like to add video—book trailers, interviews, etc.—to their Amazon product pages. While Amazon currently does not allow most publishers to add video content to product pages, they announced last week that authors may now upload video directly to their Amazon Author Page.

If you don’t have an Author Page already, now is a great time to get one by signing up at Author Central. Author Pages gives customers a summary of you and your work, and the new video content makes the pages an even richer way to make yourself visible to readers. If you already have an Author Page, uploading video is simple—just sign in, click the new “Videos” tab at the top of the screen, and upload the file. Videos must be less than 10 minutes and under 500 MB. See additional video content guidelines here.

Along with video, Amazon announced an updated Events section, which you can use to post upcoming signings and other appearances (like this author); they also announced more links to Author Pages, which will now be linked in search results. Read more about what you can do with Author Central here.

As leaves begin to shed their green coats in favor of warm reds, yellows and oranges, the weather cools and the days grow shorter, publishers too are feeling a shift in the season. Fall has traditionally been the most important time of the year, when publishers release some of their biggest and most-anticipated books by authors well-loved and brand new.

This past year and a half has been a difficult time across all sectors, and publishing’s ever-changing landscape has felt oftentimes brutal shifts, from mass layoffs to the closure of publishing and printing houses, the continuing fight over the Google settlement and the struggles of bookstores big and small. Interspersed within this is the consistent re-examination of the industry itself, changing ever-more quickly due to technology, and leaving us wondering how today and tomorrow’s readers will find and share and read their books.

Yet the excitement of fall prevails. And this year, some are even calling it a “storybook season.” Joseph Kahn of the Boston Globe notes that “the number of quality novels and story collections coming out this fall compared with last is striking,” reflecting upon this season’s major focus on fictional tomes from big names such as Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol and Stephen King’s Under the Dome. At latest counts, The Lost Symbol has already sold over 2 million copies in under two weeks. The focus is not just fictional, however, and popular nonfiction authors and works will be represented in force. But, as happens, fiction garners a more vocal fanbase.

Publishers are counting on this particular fall to help buoy the slumps we’ve all felt. And their efforts are already showing promise: aside from Dan Brown’s record-breaking numbers, bookstores are pre-ordering books in larger quantities in anticipation of readers hungry for something new.

Below are some of the season’s more notable and anticipated titles:

Notables of the season:

• Catching Fire by Susanne Collins (9/1)
• The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks (9/8)
• The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (9/15)
• Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (9/29)
• The Wild Things by Dave Eggers (10/1)
• A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris (10/6)
• What the Dog Saw by Malcom Gladwell (10/20)
• Ford County by John Grisham (11/3)
• Under the Dome by Stephen King (11/10)
• Too Much Happiness (11/17) by Alice Munro
• Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton (11/24)

Do you have any books being released this fall that you are excited for—either as a reader, author or publisher? Let us know!

Publishers Weekly has announced the date of their first annual National Bookstore Day, which will take place on Saturday, November 7, 2009. This special day was designed to to celebrate bookselling and the vibrant culture of bookstores, but authors can also find ways to contribute. One suggestion is to offer free copies of your book to bookstores for use in promotional giveaways or raffles. If they stock your book, you could mention their bookstore event to your email list. You might also offer to contribute to free workshop or seminar series that your local bookstores might be planning for that day. Email PWEvents@reedbusiness.com for more information and to find other ways you can participate.

It’s more obvious than ever that the publishing industry is changing, and combined with the current retail slump, it is even more difficult to get independent books onto bookstore shelves. However, in addition to keeping your book distributor updated on your upcoming media appearances, there are some other things that you can do as an author to help make headway. One recommendation is to develop a strong following in your local community from which you can expand upon into other markets. Click here for some great tips from Penny Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., on how to get in good with your local bookstores.