Ok, I'll admit it, I didn't know that HarperCollins started author tours. And I have never even heard of Jane Friedman. But considering how big I am on author events, tours, and book publicity in general— I was happy to read this article.
Michael Crichton? He’s Just the Author” by Edward Wyatt, New York Times
While we authors struggle to build our names, note that some publishers are trying to do the same.
“HarperCollins is beginning its branding effort with the United States start-up of Collins, a British imprint that accounts for half of the HarperCollins name yet is all but unknown to Americans….
The new Collins brand will focus on reference, lifestyle and business books and is expected to make its debut in the United States this year. Also coming this year is the redesign of HarperPerennial and Perennial Classics, two paperback imprints whose books straddle the line between commercial and literary fiction. Among the authors popularized by the Perennial imprints are Rebecca Wells, author of “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” and Barbara Kingsolver, author of “The Poisonwood Bible.”
The overhaul includes putting special material like author interviews in the backs of books and creating a more uniform design and format, to help readers recognize that “if you pick up a HarperPerennial book, you know what you’re getting,” Ms. Friedman said.
All the efforts, she said, are aimed at reducing the company’s reliance on finding the next hot author. “We can no longer keep chasing the big best seller,” she said. “I feel we can really build an audience for our brand.”
It is refreshing to hear the publisher’s side of the workload. Because even though you wouldn’t think it, it’s not all about the authors. Oh, did I hurt your big writer’s ego? Let me say it again, it’s not all about you. Read this all the way to the end, Jane has a healthy positive attitude.
Want to know more about HarperCollins? Here is their website.