Professional Documents
Culture Documents
c o m
W E ’ R E H E R E F O R
indie.baker-taylor.com
The opening reception for the 2018 Winter Institute, which was held in
Memphis.
EXPERIENCING
Kira Wizner, owner of Merritt Bookstore in Millbrook, N.Y., speaks at the
ABA Town Hall Forum.
THE ALBUQUERQUE
HIGH By Judith Rosen
T
The ABA’s leading educational
conference heads to one of
cover illustration © jeff drew
the country’s most elevated his year, the American Booksellers Association’s 14th
annual Winter Institute, its premier educational con-
major metropolitan areas, ference, promises to be its biggest yet. The four-day
gathering (January 22–25), which outgrew its tradi-
known for its diverse cultures tional hotel venues and moved into a convention center
for the first time in 2018, will primarily take place at
the Albuquerque Convention Center.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 3
ABRAMS at
WINTER INSTITUTE Nearly 1,200 booksellers, publishers, authors, and guests will
attend the Albuquerque conference, up from 1,000 last year.
4 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
ARE YOU READY TO STEP INTO YOUR FUTURE?
SPRING 2019
6 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
ARE YOU READY TO STEP INTO YOUR FUTURE?
MARCH 2019
POWERFUL FORCES.
GODS AND DEMONS. NEW ZOMBIE FICTION IN THE A BRILLIANT YOUNG SCIENTIST
THE SAGA OF THE FORGOTTEN
WARRIOR CONTINUES BLACK TIDE RISING UNIVERSE IS IN A RACE TO TEST HER SKILLS
O
ver the past three years, Hanif Abdurraqib has
© andy cenci
earned a reputation for his poetry and cultural criti-
cism. His first book, 2016’s The Crown Ain’t Worth
Much (Button Poetry), a poetry collection about
being young and black in America, was nominated
for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. His next
book, 2017’s They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us (Two Dollar
Radio), a collection of essays that earned a starred review from
PW, offers a fresh take on music criticism, blending it with
articulate, polished critiques of our cultural moment, particu-
larly as it relates to race and the state. Hanif Abdurraqib
Now Abdurraqib is poised to publish Go Ahead in the Rain:
Notes to A Tribe Called Quest (Univ. of Texas, Feb.), a book-length
essay about the seminal rap group. He also has a book due out
in 2020 from Random House, titled They Don’t Dance No Mo’,
about the history of black performance in the United States.
“A big reason I write is rooted in the idea of building relation-
ships,” says Abdurraqib, who lives in Columbus, Ohio. “That
is really what is happening at a base level at indie bookstores,
so it stirs me to be addressing that community.”
Go Ahead in the Rain is a literary hybrid: part academic mono-
graph on the group and its music, part pocket history of hip-
hop, part memoir, and part epistolary elegy. It is a book that
conveys the wonder of being a fan and the visceral impact of
experiencing the feeling of having oneself reflected back in
music and pop culture. This experience is one Abdurraqib hopes which recently closed, was another I truly loved a great deal.”
will translate to booksellers and, by extension, to readers. Having spent much of 2018 on a speaking tour across the
“People should know that there is a part of their childhood and U.S., Abdurraqib says that his stops at independent bookstores
history in this book, even if they don’t know the music,” he says. have been some of the highlights of his schedule. “I’ve been
“This book is about finding oneself through the confusion of blessed to be supported by so many bookstores across the U.S.,”
growing up, living on this spinning rock, and still not having he says. “Chicago is close to home and has so many great book-
answers.” stores. Seminary Co-op is one that has been especially good to
Though Go Ahead in the Rain touches on our divisive, cacoph- me.” He also praises Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn, Housing
onous political scene, it doesn’t seek to explain it. “This moment Works in Manhattan, Milkweed Books in Minneapolis, and The
is not something a writer of color should be tasked with making Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kans. One of the reasons he
sense of,” Abdurraqib says. “For some folks, this moment isn’t enjoys bookstore appearances so much, he says, is because
a moment, but a lifetime.” “people are not often there for your work, but because they love
Abdurraqib, who worked in the music section of a Borders the store and are interested in the growth of the bookstore. That
bookstore in Columbus in 2007 and 2008, says that his literary passion for books and literature, or even just for bookstores, is
education began at independents. “Columbus is a really great great to see.” ■
place for indie bookstores,” he says. “The first bookstore I fell
in love with was the Book Loft, which has a bunch of sprawling Abdurraqib will give an afternoon keynote on Wednesday, January 23,
rooms to get lost in and discover things. And Acorn Books, 3:25–4:25 p.m., in Kiva Auditorium, Upper West ACC.
8 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
INDIE STORE SPECIAL GREG BOGUSLAWSKI
• Free shipping with no minimums Director of Sales and Merchandising
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Conversations
with
Feeling like Cassandra
Keynoters A Q&A with Margaret Atwood By Ed Nawotka
N
ext month, a graphic novel edition of Canadian How does it make you feel that it has resonated with so
author Margaret Atwood’s classic dystopian story, many people at a point this distant from its publication?
The Handmaid’s Tale (Doubleday/Talese), which Given a choice between literary obscurity for me but a strong,
has sold over eight million copies globally in the stable, and fully democratic United States, and my present noto-
English language, will be released. Canadian riety coupled with the current state of affairs, I feel much as
artist Renée Nault did the adaptation and illus- Cassandra must have felt as the axe descended. “I did tell you so.
trated the book. In September, fans’ long-hoped for sequel to But you didn’t listen.”
the novel will be published. The Testaments is set 15 years after I hasten to say that all is not lost, the true America will pre-
the final scene of The Handmaid’s Tale, and publisher Nan A. vail, and so forth. But then, I’m a screamingly optimistic
Talese has announced a first printing of 500,000 copies. Pollyanna, or I wouldn’t write these books, would I?
Following the success of The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu
and a Netflix miniseries of her novel Alias Grace, Atwood Is there something distinctly Canadian about the vision of
spoke with PW in 2017 about the resurgence of interest the book?
in her work. Canada has been, historically, the place you run away to when
you’re running away from the northern part of the United States
How surprised, if at all, are you by the reignition of interest (or even the southern part, as in the days of slavery)—so there’s
in The Handmaid’s Tale? that feature. Also, Americans tend to be up close and personal in
During the 2016 election campaign interest was already picking their encounters with their own country. Their view is intro-
up, since what was coming out of the mouths of some of the poli- verted: it’s focused on themselves. This is the prerogative of a
ticians was eerily close to the regime’s views in the book. Then, large and powerful country. Canada—a much smaller country—
right after the election, it shot up further, and even more during is extroverted: it depends on trade to a large extent, and is very
the series. None of this was anticipated when Hulu and MGM aware of what others think of it. So it goes in for overviews—
started making the series. They just saw it as a good drama series the foundation of The Handmaid’s Tale. An overview is the
potential. But they woke up on November 9 to find themselves underpinning.
in a different frame. As for me—I always saw this as a direction I set the historical notes at the end of the book at a conference
the United States could conceivably take, knowing what I did taking place in the northern part of what is now Canada, as that
about its history. So surprised is not exactly the word. Alarmed is where populations will move as the heating and flooding set in.
might be better. And yes, I was already thinking about that in 1985.
© liam sharp
10 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
BOOM! STUDIOS BRINGS THE MOST ANTICIPATED
GRAPHIC NOVELS OF 2019 TO ALA MIDWINTER!
THE MAGICIANS © 2019 Lev Grossman. All Rights Reserved. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER ™ & © 2019 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
All Rights Reserved. Ben 10, CARTOON NETWORK, the logos, and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Cartoon Network.
A WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. (S19) JUST BEYOND ™ & © 2019 R.L. Stine. All rights reserved. WWW.BOOM-STUDIOS.COM
Conversations
Talking Murder with Karen
with
Keynoters Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
By Alex Green
T
rue crime enthusiasts Karen Kilgariff, a stand-up the book for serious reasons. By sharing their own problems,
comedian and television writer, and Georgia they say, they want to “make people feel less alone in their issues
Hardstark, a writer and host for the Cooking and experiences, whether that’s identifying with us or with the
Channel, launched their true crime podcast, My people in their own lives,” Hardstark says.
Favorite Murder, in January 2016 with an episode Given the focus of My Favorite Murder, it’s clear that the
that was at once humorous and dark, personal authors are voracious readers who pore over books that tell the
and probing. Three years and 250 episodes later, the format of tales of unsolved murders and murderers. They each have
the show has changed a bit, but the spirit remains the same. The a be-all end-all book on murders: “I still think about Case
pair have also picked up more than 250,000 Facebook fans for Histories by Kate Atkinson, even though I read it five-plus
My Favorite Murder. years ago,” Hardstark says. For Kilgariff, the best book is
In May, Kilgariff and Hardstark will have something new to Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me, which she calls “perfectly
share with their “murderino” fan base: their first book, Stay Sexy horrifying.”
and Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-to Guide (Forge), a They are also avid bookstore fans and have worked together
2019 Indies Introduce debut. “It’s basically a cautionary tale in with such places as Skylight Books in Los Angeles to host con-
the form of a dual memoir,” Kilgariff says. “We write about all versations and live episodes of the podcast. Kilgariff says
the mistakes we’ve made so the reader can attempt to avoid she’s haunted bookshops since she was in her 20s. “We went to
them, or just laugh at them.” bookstores sort of like they were daytime bars.”
The duo decided to write the book after realizing how much “What I love best about independent bookstores is their
of their own stories they were already sharing in each episode. unique displays,” Hardstark says. “I always head to the ‘recom-
“The way we talk on the podcast is very autobiographical,” mended by staff’ display at Skylight, since the staff are true book
Hardstark says. “So we didn’t so much realize we wanted to lovers, so they usually have interesting tastes. I’ve found so many
write a book, rather we looked back at the episodes and said, unexpected great books and authors that way, and that has
‘Hey, if we wrote a book it’d probably be half-done already!’ ” helped me realize that writing doesn’t have to be mainstream
Yet beneath their self-effacing and funny banter, the two wrote to be good.”
Hardstark and Kilgariff remain
© robyn von swank
12 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
Grab the year’s
Conversations with Keynoters best fiction from
Bloomsbury at
© allan amato
Winter Institute in
Albuquerque!
Adult
Erin Morgenstern
Turning a World
into a Novel
A Q&A with
Erin Morgenstern
By Brigid A lverson Kids
N
ovelist Erin Morgenstern’s debut, the fantasy
novel The Night Circus (Doubleday), has sold more
than three million copies and been translated into
37 languages since its release in 2011. A feature
film based on the book is in development with
Lionsgate. A stage play based on the book is also
being developed. Her newly announced sophomore effort, The
Starless Sea (Doubleday, Nov.), tells a love story set in a secret
underground world. Morgenstern talks about which comes first,
the novel or the world, and how she translates her vision.
You have said that you wrote The Night Circus by creating
the world in your head and then turning it into a novel. Are
you imagining your new book the same way?
I seem to always have a setting before I find the right story to
navigate through it. With The Night Circus, I had a circus before
it had a story. And it was the same with The Starless Sea—the
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 13
space was there first. It makes for an often messy writing process I think the difference was part of the challenge: people were wait-
of wandering down hallways and finding stray plot points and ing for this one. I got to write The Night Circus in a bubble, and,
dead ends, and then looping back and trying another path to dis- while working on The Starless Sea, I had the internet constantly
cover where the story is. It leans more toward literary excavation inquiring as to when the new book was coming out and why it
than writing sometimes, but I’ve learned that this is just how my isn’t finished yet and whether it’s a sequel (it’s not). I tried my best
writing brain works. And I felt slightly more comfortable with it to tune it out and create an artificial bubble to write something
this time around. new in, to give the book room to breathe and grow and become its
own story separate from the expectations set by The Night Circus.
Clearly, the visual aspects of your stories are important to
you. How do you convey those visuals in words to help the How are you preparing for your onstage appearance with
reader “see” the story? Margaret Atwood at the Winter Institute?
I have a very visual imagination. I paint and I also spent a long I’m trying to remember how to speak in front of people, since
time doing theatre, so I visualize everything, and then I have to I’ve been hermiting away writing for so long. It’s nice to start
translate it into words. I always think of a bit from Stephen King’s On with something easy and not at all intimidating, like a casual
Writing, about writing as telepathy, where the goal is to transmit chat with Margaret Atwood. Most of my preparation involves
a picture in my mind into the reader’s. I try to hit as many different trying not to freak out about it. I’m very much looking forward
senses as I can. I have a tendency to include scent and lighting to discussing her new book, of course, and hearing how she
because they can change the mood of a room or a scene. Part of the approached revisiting The Handmaid’s Tale, but I’d also like to
trick is finding a balance describing just enough that the reader has talk about books and bookstores and social media, and how the
an appropriate picture in their mind, but also has room to embellish world we live in shapes the books we write—and maybe cake.
it themselves, so the end result is an author/reader collaboration.
Morgenstern will be in conversation with Margaret Atwood on
What’s the biggest challenge of writing your second Thursday, January 24, 7:45–9 a.m., in Ballroom B/C, Upper
novel? How is it different from writing the first one? West ACC.
TWO GREAT DYNASTIES. ONE TERRIBLE WAR.
AND A LOVE THAT CONQUERS ALL.
THE COURTNEYS AND THE BALLANTYNES MEET AGAIN.
G
irls Who Code founder and CEO Reshma Saujani’s “The teacher will look at her screen, and she’ll see a blank
new book, Brave, Not Perfect: How to Fail More, text editor,” Saujani says. “If she didn’t know any better, she’d
Care Less, and Live Bolder (Currency, Feb.), was think that her student spent the past 20 minutes just staring
born out of her 2016 TED talk, “Teach Girls at the screen. But if she presses ‘undo’ a few times, she’ll see
Bravery, Not Perfection.” Her insights as the that her student wrote code and then deleted it. She tried, she
daughter of high-achieving Indian immigrants came close, but she didn’t get it exactly right. Instead of
and from her work with teenage girls to close the gender gap showing the progress that she made, she’d rather show nothing
in technology clearly resonated with those raising girls; at all. Perfection or bust.
her talk has been viewed more than four million times on “I hear a version of that story all the time in every single
TED’s website. different industry,” Saujani says. Following her TED talk,
“Girls are afraid of not getting it right, of not being perfect,” women of all ages have contacted her to say that they were
Saujani asserted during the talk. To prove her point, Saujani inspired to face their own fear of failure head-on. After
related a story that every Girls Who Code instructor has told receiving such positive feedback, Saujani decided to write
her: during the first week of classes, at least one student will Brave, Not Perfect, which explores how girls traditionally
complain of not knowing how to begin writing code. have been socialized to play it safe, to be quiet and polite,
© kinloch
successfully move beyond failure. That’s something she did
herself, when she left a prestigious job in the financial sector
to become the first Indian-American woman to run for U.S.
Congress. “I lost, but I did not die,” says Saujani, who received
only 19% of the votes cast in the 2010 Democratic primary in
the 14th Congressional District of New York. “It inspired me
to found Girls Who Code, when I myself didn’t even know
how to code.” Acknowledging that times are changing—and
so are women, as demonstrated by such recent movements as
the Women’s March and #MeToo—Saujani insists, “We are in
the throes of a bravery revolution—and I want to ignite it with
my book.”
While Brave, Not Perfect focuses on women, Saujani insists
Reshma Saujani that the book contains truths for everybody, including indie
booksellers. “For a bookseller, bravery means being authentic,”
while boys are expected to speak up, play rough, and get she says. “Perfectionism stands in the way of our power and
dirty. our happiness. Let yourself be guided by your passion. If we
“Boys are taught to be brave, while girls are taught to be can have the courage to do the things that are most important
perfect,” Saujani argues. “As a result, girls grow up to be to us, not only will we live a more joyful life, but also a life
women who are afraid to fail.” Such a mentality can lead to a where we are reaching the highest levels of power.” ■
lifetime of disappointment and regret. But Saujani doesn’t just
end it at that: Brave, Not Perfect also provides readers with See Saujani’s opening keynote on Wednesday, January 23, 7:45–9 a.m.,
solutions. Her strategies for creating a bravery mindset include in Ballroom B/C, Upper West ACC.
★ “. . . delightful and
engaging . . .”
“Really, Mr. Collins,” cried Elizabeth —Foreword Reviews, starred review
with some warmth, “You puzzle me
Meet us at the
exceedingly. . .”
Author Cocktail Reception
January 24 at 5:00 p.m.
978-1-62354-533-8 PB $14.99
978-1-58089-796-9 HC $17.99
• @charlesbridge
New from
Columbia University Press
OLGA SLAVNIKOVA
Bookselling in
The Land of
Translated by Marian Schwartz
Enchantment
By Jason Boog
F
“Slavnikova is a writer American readers
will want to have more of.”
or centuries, immigrants and indigenous peoples have converged in New
—Kirkus Reviews (*starred review)
Mexico, nurturing one of the most unique communities in the country.
“New Mexico is truly of the heart of Mother Earth, a wonderful and
diverse place,” says writer Denise Chávez, owner of the Casa Camino Real
The Politics of Losing Book Store & Art Gallery in Las Cruces, a town at the historic crossroads
Trump, the Klan, and the Mainstreaming of between the U.S. and Mexico.
Resentment The shelves at Casa Camino Real embody the region’s diversity, featuring books by
RORY MCVEIGH Native Americans, settler families, Latin American immigrants, Chicano leaders,
ANDKEVIN ESTEP
regional authors, and world literature. The bookstore’s most popular titles in 2018 also
reflect this spirit: When a Woman Rises by Christine Eber and Bless Me, Ultima by
Rudolfo Anaya.
At Winter Institute, Chávez, who is a member of the ABA advisory council’s diver-
sity task force, is leading a “Books for the Journey” initiative to collect books for
immigrants held at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services tent city
facility in nearby Tornillo, Tex. “American booksellers have embraced the healing
power of books for all people,” Chávez says.
Three hours north of Los Cruces, Bookworks, in Albuquerque, is part of a vibrant
cultural scene. The 34-year-old bookstore hosts more than 400 events a year and saw
sales jump 30% during last year’s Small Business Saturday compared to 2017’s. “This
is a great place to be an entrepreneur and an independent business owner,” Bookworks
marketing and events manager Amanda Sutton says. Sutton points out that Mayor Tim
Keller declared December “Buy Local Month” and challenged residents to spend $35
“Erudite and surprisingly evenhanded. . . at local retailers.
A substantial contribution Bookworks, which was founded by Nancy Rutland in 1984 and is co-owned by
to understanding an increasingly Danielle Foster, is part of a statewide trend. According to a November report from
polarized country.”
Frontier Business, almost 52% of New Mexico businesses are female-owned—the
—Publishers Weekly highest percentage in the country. Sutton, who has a six-month-old daughter, regularly
brings her to the store when she works. “That’s just a really special thing about our
COLUMBIA industry,” Sutton says. “It really does support people and their families. Our customers
UNIVERSITY love coming in to see my daughter. She’s become our bookstore baby.”
PRESS In nearby Santa Fe, 25-year-old Garcia Street Books cultivates a smaller but intensely
CUP.COLUMBIA.EDU artistic scene. Jean Devine, who purchased the store in June 2017, describes it as “very
unique” in terms of its offerings and its longevity. “The store has its own personhood
18 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
From LAUREN MYRACLE, the New York Times bestselling author of
ttfn and ttyl, and artist Isaac Goodhart, comes a new graphic novel
that tells the poignant story of a teenage Catwoman.
MARKETING PLANS
5,000-copy ARC print runs • Author appearances at ABA Winter Institute 2019 and ALA Midwinter 2019
National publicity campaign • Major online advertising campaign including book trailers
Massive social media & influencer campaigns • Extensive library and academic marketing •10-city author tour
in the community,” Devine says
The store focuses on art books and literary fiction and nonfiction. Garcia Street’s
bestsellers last year ranged from photographer Jimmy Nelson’s oversize collection
Jimmy Nelson Homage to Humanity, with a $125 cover price, to Annie Leibovitz at Work
by Annie Leibovitz; The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson; and There There by
Tommy Orange.
In addition to bookstores, Santa Fe is home to a number of inspirational writers,
including Jen Sincero (You Are a Badass), Natalie Goldberg (Writing Down the Bones),
and Julia Cameron (The Artist’s Way). “People call this ‘the Land of Enchantment,’ ”
Devine says, reflecting on New Mexico’s cultural history. “All of this creativity, open-
ness, and sharing is perfect for writers and artists. People want to feel it, taste it, touch
it. So it makes sense that this would be a good place for bookstores.” ■
W
inter Institute has long been a favorite event for small presses, one
that directly results in increased sales. “In terms of bookstore mar-
keting outreach, it is one of the most important things we do,” says
Biblioasis publisher Dan Wells. He has attended the conference for
the past five years and found “through face-to-face interactions,
booksellers can now identify who we are and what we do well,” he
says. “Also, we get to know what they like, so we don’t waste their time. We just can’t
get that anywhere else.”
Dan Simon, publisher of Seven Stories Press, credits the “aha moment” for creating
the Independent Publishers Caucus, a coalition of small presses, to the 2016 Winter
Institute, when he realized that he wanted a similar experience for indie presses that
indie booksellers get at the conference. With the support of the American Booksellers
Association, IPC officially launched two years ago at Winter Institute and will be
hosting a half-day of education for members at this year’s institute. “For us, as indie
publishers, Winter Institute is a reminder of how much common ground there is
between independent booksellers and independent publishers,” Simon notes.
“Independent bookstores are the lifeblood of our business, and there’s a tangible value
to being around them,” adds Ibrahim Ahmad, editorial director at Akashic Books and a
steering committee member of the IPC. “For a start: every conversation is about books.”
This year, ABA switched to an à la carte payment system to encourage more small
presses to attend. “I really like the new system, because it means we get to focus on
what works well for us,” says David Caron, copublisher of ECW Press. “Rep picks and
having galleys in the galley room are important. It’s a way for us to start conversations.
But every single part of the day is worthwhile, and it is a great chance to meet with
booksellers on a human level.”
Some small publishers have gone a step further to mix with booksellers. For the past
three institutes, Andy Hunter, publisher of Catapult, Counterpoint, Soft Skull, and
Black Balloon, has rented a large house for staff and hosted several booksellers for free
A panel at last year’s Independent Publishers Caucus (from l.): Terrie Akers, Other p r e s e n c e a t Wi n t e r
Press; Stephanie Valdez, Community Bookstore in Brooklyn; Rachel Cass, Harvard Institute, as well. This
Book Store in Cambridge, Mass.; Sarah Bagby, Watermark Books & Café in Wichita, year, the University of
Kans.; Ben Rybeck, Brazos Bookstore in Houston; KJ Grow, Shambhala; and Michael Texas Press is providing
Reynolds, Europa Editions.
one of the institute’s key-
note speakers for the first
time. “We were among
the first university presses
to go to Winter Institute
four years ago,” says UTP
assistant director Gianna
Lamorte. “This is our one
chance to stand in front of
a room, say ‘These are our
books,’ and dispel any
myths about what we do.
When our commission
reps sell our books, they
have another 20 pub-
lishers to plow through.
get-togethers with his colleagues from Literary Hub, for which At last year’s IPC,
Hunter also serves as publisher. “It’s cheaper than renting a hotel New York Times Book
Review editor and
room for each of our staff, and this way we can give back to the columnist Gregory
booksellers who do so much,” he says. Hunter’s “Lit Lodge” has Cowles gave a
helped him build strong relationships with booksellers his team talk as Beacon’s
doesn’t routinely see. “Brad Johnson, who owns East Bay Tom Hallock
Booksellers in Oakland, stayed at Lit Lodge, and he’s become a looked on.
big advocate,” Hunter says.
In the past, Hunter has joined with several small presses to
host drinks at the Lit Lodge. This year, Catapult is among sev-
eral independent presses that are cohosting an after-party on the
opening night at the Hotel Andaluz. Other sponsors include
Archipelago, Europa Editions, Graywolf, New Directions, New
York Review Books, and Other Press.
University presses, including the University of Nebraska
Press, University of Nevada, and Yale, have been growing their
22 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
Sponsored by Disney-Hyperion
A UNIVERSAL ADVENTURE:
Spotlight on
Carlos Hernandez
Two amazing middle schoolers mess with the fabric of space and time
in this hilarious and poignant middle grade debut from Hernandez
A
13-year-old magician and a stu- cryptic and the fantastic—unicorns, uploaded
© C. S. E. COONEY
dent council president inadver- brains, that sort of thing.” Hernandez liked
tently disrupt the space-time con- them so much, he wanted to get to know
tinuum in Carlos Hernandez’s them as kids, too.
middle grade breakout, Sal and Gabi Break Serendipitously, it was by way of The
the Universe. Set in Miami in the near future, Assimilated Cuban’s Guide to Quantum
the novel is the fourth book in the Rick Santeria that Rick Riordan, author of the
Riordan Presents line from Disney-Hyperion, Percy Jackson series, found Hernandez.
which specializes in middle grade fantasies Riordan gave the story collection a
that integrate world folklore and mytholo- Goodreads review—which was, needless to
gies. In this case, Hernandez draws on his say, quite a boon for a rising author—and
Cuban background and seamlessly mixes reached out to Hernandez to see if he had
sci-fi and supernatural elements with typical considered writing for kids. “So, here’s the
middle school problems, deal,” Hernandez reflects. “I
such as bullying and don’t get to win Powerball.
schoolwork. Sal, for I used every drop of luck
instance, is able to conjure I had in order to be found
objects out of nowhere by Rick.”
and even reach into an It’s important to
alternate universe to bring Hernandez to create
his dead mother back to diverse characters who
The function of life; this is not your typical
tale of cafeteria drama.
face challenging realities
that might resemble the
diversity in books, Pairing the fantasti- lives of his readers; Sal and
cal and the ordinary Gabi are Cuban-American,
whether fiction feels perfectly natural to and Cuban Spanish
Hernandez. “Life is compli- appears throughout the
or nonfiction, cated, plotless, shocking, novel. But Hernandez
and unpredictable,” he believes diversity in litera-
is to diversify says. “It doesn't wait for ture has an even grander
the ‘right time’ to drop a role to play. “The function of
your mind. tragedy in your lap, or joy, diversity in books, whether
— Carlos Hernandez or beauty, or a difficult fiction or nonfiction, is to
choice.” diversify your mind,” he says. “Readers are
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe finds drawn to expanding their understanding of
Gabi Real and Sal Vidón in middle school, the human condition. But they also crave the
but Hernandez based them both on adult way that reading evokes connection, fellow
characters he had previously written about. feeling, and even love, across space and
“Sal,” he says, “appears as a grown-up theo- time, via our imaginations.”
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe retical physicist in a short story called ‘The Hernandez is planning more adventures
Carlos Hernandez Assimilated Cuban’s Guide to Quantum for Gabi and Sal, who become much more
Introduction by Rick Riordan Santeria,’ ” published in a collection of the accustomed to manipulating space-time.
978-1-368-02282-8 same name. The adult version of Gabi also The next book is called Sal and Gabi Fix the
Mar. appears in Hernandez’s short fiction. “She’s Universe, and they do, “kind of,” Hernandez
a journalist,” he says, “and her beat is the says. “They also break it some more.”
ECW PRESS • @ecwpress
entertainment. culture. writing.
978-1-77041-472-3
January 2019 Five of ABA’s Pa
on Changes to Bo
$15.95 US • $19.95 CDN
“Leong’s breezy, relatable
writing style will appeal to
a broad range of readers.”
— Booklist the Past Decade
This book distills
happiness psychology A focus on the customers, commun
W
and personal finance
into an indispensable
starter guide. e asked five former presidents of the American
Booksellers Association who remain active in
bookselling to look back on the past decade
978-1-77041-456-3 and identify changes that have had the big-
March 2019 gest impact on indie bookselling in general,
$15.95 US • $19.95 CDN and on their stores in particular. Some cite a
single change in strategy, such as adding more events. Others
“Adam Sol is the perfect cite several changes, such as rethinking remainders, gifts, and
companion on this tour of the social media. Taken together, their responses show why indie
bookselling is thriving.
sounds, sights, and emotional
delights of poetry.” Betsy Burton (2015–2017), co-owner
of the King’s English Bookshop
— Tracy K. Smith, U.S. Poet (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Laureate and Pulitzer Events: “We have held readings at the
King’s English for over 40 years, but in
Prize–winning author
the past decade we have increased our
focus on events by both local and nation-
ally known authors—to the point that
they are part of the store’s lifeblood. Whether they feature adult
978-1-77041-452-5 or children’s authors, such events anchor us in the minds (and
April 2019 hearts) of the public, placing us at the very center of their com-
$15.95 US • $19.95 CDN munity. And we believe that is exactly the place we need to
occupy if we are to continue to grow and thrive.”
A lush and
heartbreaking novel Becky Anderson (2011–2013),
set on a Caribbean co-owner of Anderson’s Bookshops
(headquartered in Naperville, Ill.,
island from the author with four stores in the Chicago
of The Amazing metropolitan area)
Absorbing Boy. Communication and events: “What goes
hand in hand with increases in events is
the way in which we communicate. Our
social media presence has increased tenfold, as has the way in
which we connect with all types of organizations within our
ecwpress.com communities. That would be school districts, not-for-profits,
24 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
THE RIVETING
LIFE OF A PIONEER
JOURNALIST
st Presidents
okselling in
By Ed Nawotka
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 25
integrated into the book sections and in small areas of their own, ticipating publishers by 100%, 200%,
but in the past 10 years we’ve increased the gifts tenfold, and and 300%.”
the higher profit margins on those gifts has enabled us to give ABA: “I cannot imagine where we’d
raises, keep books on the shelves longer, and maintain be as indies without the American
profitability.” Booksellers Association having our
backs. To be a small business owner over
Mitchell Kaplan (2004–2006), president of Books & Books these last 36 years, and being buffeted by
(headquartered in Coral Gables, Fla., with seven stores in all the changes I’ve seen, and having to
and around Miami; one in Key West, Fla.; and another in the weather it all alone would be something hard for me to con-
Cayman Islands) template. The ABA has helped us fend off the vagaries of the
“Scan and pay,” or consignment: “We’ve increased sales with par- marketplace that have defeated so many other indie entities.”■
F
ollowing the 2016 presiden- in Raleigh, N.C., hosted events earlier this
tial election, staff at the month. Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville,
American Booksellers Ill.; Gibson’s Books in Concord, N.H.;
Association discussed ways to Schuler’s Books in Grand Rapids, Mich.;
support booksellers in a time and Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena,
of deep political division. The Calif., will launch the program shortly.
conversations led to the creation of the Initial events will focus on how to have dif-
Open Discussion Project, a joint initiative ficult conversations. Subsequent programs
of the National Coalition Against will be based on books from the Right and
Censorship, the ABA, and the National the Left, including Bruce Canon Gibney’s
Institute for Civil Discourse. The pilot pro- A Generation of Sociopaths: How the Baby
gram, which is designed to get conserva- Boomers Betrayed America, late conservative
tives and liberals to engage in dialogue commentator Charles Krauthammer’s
with each other through book conversa- Things That Matter, and education expert
tions, debuted this month. Diane Ravitch’s The Death and Life of the
Chris Finan, executive director of the Great American School System.
NCAC, sums up the program’s aims with Finan credits Quail Ridge manager
a simple tagline: “The goal is not conver- Chris Finan Sarah Godden with being instrumental in
sion; it’s conversation.” The program is transforming the concept for OPD from
designed to help foster discussion among people with very dif- simply providing stores book lists to facilitating events. In
ferent views on challenging issues by providing participating 2017, Godden launched a monthly series called Bridging the
booksellers with trained mediators, book lists, question lists, Divide, in which books and hosts alternated by political persua-
and other support materials. sion. She quickly discovered that there were challenges for the
Six stores have signed on to participate in the initial pilot. moderators as well as the attendees. “It’s been kind of hard
Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C., and Quail Ridge Books sometimes for some of the moderators to be nonpartisan and
26 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
THERE ARE TWO SIDES
TO EVERY STORY.
AND EVERY PERSON.
“A dark thriller with real
psychological depth.”
—JP Delaney
“Filled with
unexpected twists.”
—Sarah Pekkanen
to pick up a
complimentary
March April
hup.harvard.edu
Sponsored by Henry Holt & Co.
WITCH HISTORIAN:
Spotlight on
Katherine Howe
In The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs, Howe revisits the
world of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane to delve into
the era of the Salem witch trials
I
t’s been a decade since Katherine As Connie, an expert in early American history, says she hopes the book allows
Howe spent time with Connie history and witchcraft, explores what she readers to learn about the past and “bring it
Goodwin, the heroine of her New is to others, she’s pulled into a race to pro- to life,” as all great historical fiction should.
York Times–bestselling debut histori- tect her partner. While keeping secret her Howe is also a descendant of
cal novel, The Physick Book of Deliverance identity as a direct descendant of a woman “witches” herself. A distant relation of
Dane. In The Daughters of Temperance tried in the Salem witch trials, Connie Elizabeth Proctor and Elizabeth Howe,
Hobbs, her third adult historical novel, must uncover the mysteries of a deadly both tried at Salem, Howe says that, as a
Howe revisits Goodwin, a Harvard grad curse that’s more than a century old. teenager, she thought the connection was
student turned professor, as she is pulled While readers new to Howe will be “the most metal thing ever.” As she grew
into a mystery involving the Salem witch hooked afresh by this drama, fans of The older, though, the connection became a
trials and her own family tree. driving force in her studies. When she
As it happens, Connie’s life has paral- moved to Marblehead, Mass., which is
leled her author’s. Howe was in graduate next to Salem, in 2005, she began thinking
school when she wrote The Physick Book; about witches and their place in America’s
story in “a more structured, historical way.”
The Physick Book, Howe says, resulted
Here is an instance from that thinking. “There had never been
a story that took seriously the colonial
in which 19 people belief in witchcraft,” she says. “I couldn’t
were put to death by think of a magical realist approach to the
Salem witch trials. That’s where the story
the state for a crime in The Physick Book came from.”
that would essentially And, in a way, the stories both novels
tell—about our own history—feel more
be imaginary a pressing than ever. The trials, Howe says,
continue to fascinate, because they force
decade later. us “to reckon with how fragile American
— Katherine Howe ideals really are. We want to believe that
we are a tolerant society, that we accept
differences in religion or outlook, that we
now, both she and her character are care for people who are poor or mentally
enmeshed in their careers and family ill. But here is an instance in which 19
lives. “Connie is sort of like my best and people were put to death by the state for a
worst self,” Howe says. “She has secret crime that would essentially be imaginary
skills I do not possess, but she’s more pre- a decade later. The mind balks that such a
occupied with her work, more in denial Physick Book will find answers to some clear injustice could be carried out under
about her life.” lingering questions. Daughters not only the aegis of authority and legal precedent.”
In the first book, Connie was on the cusp revisits other members of the Dane family
of adulthood, and in Daughters, Howe says, but also explains what the key found in
The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs
she’s figuring out who she is in relation to the Bible in The Physick Book unlocks. But
Katherine Howe
the grown-up world, something many of readers with only a passing interest in
$28 (352p)
us go through. “Our first task is to know witchcraft and magic will also find some-
978-1-250-30486-5
who we are,” she says. “And our next task thing in Daughters. Howe, who, like her
June
is to understand what we are to others.” protagonist, is a scholar of early American
Authors and Books
to Watch for at WI14 Compiled by Judith Rosen
ADULT FICTION
cards, and other extras; giveaways on Goodreads; book trailer;
featured in Little, Brown ambassador email blasts; sweepstakes
The Age of Light with Moon Guide travel; extensive book club outreach; Little,
Whitney Scharer Brown Book Club Hub pick for February.
Little, Brown, Feb. Opening: “Hot July. The downs have greened up from the past
$28 hardcover week’s rain and rise into the sky like mossy breasts.”
Announced first printing:
150,000 Bowlaway
Why the buzz: “The Age of Light Elizabeth McCracken
is the rare novel that hits all the Ecco, Feb.
notes exquisitely. A love story, a $27.99 hardcover
historical novel, a story about Announced first printing:
food, sex, and art. And at its 100,000
center is Lee Miller—a woman Why the buzz: “As longtime fans
almost modern in her sensibility, who transforms herself from of Elizabeth McCracken, we were
muse to artist, who has to make a devastating choice. This is a just overjoyed to get the opportu-
novel which is the best of literary and commercial fiction. The nity to read Bowlaway on submis-
blurbs, the early reviews, and dazzling author have everyone at sion. It absolutely blew us away—
LB hoping this will be the debut of 2019.” we were charmed by the characters,
—Judy Clain, v-p, editor-in-chief, Little, Brown wowed by the writing, and couldn’t
Publicity & marketing plans: 10-plus-city author tour; pre- stop turning the pages. It’s a true
sell events; major print and digital advertising campaign; honor to publish Elizabeth McCracken’s first novel in almost two
reading group guide, cast of characters carousel, cocktail recipe decades.”
© edward carey
publisher, Ecco
Publicity & marketing
plans: Seven-city author
tour; online and print adver-
tising; social media cam-
paign; library marketing;
ABA white box mailing; big
mouth mailing; reading
group campaign.
Opening: “They found a
body in the Salford
Cemetery, but aboveground
and alive.”
30 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
Say Hello to Spring With
D i s n e y P u b l i s h i n g ’s N e w R e l e a s e s
On Sale: 3/5/2019
978-1-368-02282-8 • $16.99
Z
DE
N
RN
A
CARL E
OS H
On Sale: 4/2/2019
ST
978-1-368-02496-9 • $18.99
IN
LY
E
NN
H E RM AN
Lot: Stories
© dailey hubbard
spread so quickly that it soon
Bryan Washington became a favorite book of the
Riverhead, Mar. Simon & Schuster sales force for
$25 hardcover spring 2019.”
Announced first printing: —Alison Callahan, v-p, executive
25,000 editor, Scout Press
Why the buzz: “When I first Publicity & marketing plans:
read Bryan’s manuscript, I felt Author appearances; adver-
his electric voice and experi- tising; Goodreads promotional
enced a look into a world of a campaign and giveaways; exten-
diverse Houston that I hadn’t sive ARC distribution to
read about before. In the end, accounts and big mouths;
it’s the people, the sexiness, the reading group guide; mailing to
hard-fought battles, the sense of book club coordinators; exten-
personal discovery and identity, sive Bookstagrammer outreach.
and the family that draw you into Opening: “[Text message from Queenie] ‘In the stirrups now.
Lot.” —Laura Perciasepe, editor, Wish you were here....’ [End text] I locked my phone and carried
Riverhead on looking at the ceiling before unlocking it and sending a
Publicity & marketing plans: follow-up ‘xx.’ That would prove to Tom that I wasn’t as emo-
Regional author tour; online tionally detached as he accuses me of being.”
advertising; social media and
online promotion; academic mar- Run Away
34 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
Join your Ingram friends at
Winter Institute
IN ALBUQUERQUE!
Wi14
Chat by the fire and browse an array of brilliant and beautiful books from our
distributed publishers. Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate – add a splash of Bailey’s Irish
Cream Liqueur, if desired! Pickup your commemorative mug and enter to win a
Wi15 scholarship.
Join us for a fun night as we celebrate Winter Institute with drinks and appetizers.
Make sure to wear your Wi14 bandanna for a unique photo opportunity.
Consultation Stations
Consultation Stations
Albuquerque Convention Center
Albuquerque Convention Center –– Upper
Upper West
West Foyer
Foyer
Thursday, January
Thursday, January 24th
24 || 9:00
th
9:00AM
AMto to12:00
12:00PM
PMandand2:00
2:00PM
PMtoto5:00
5:00PM
PM
Friday, January 25th
| 9:15 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 5:00
Friday, January 25th | 9:15 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM PM
Learn more
Learn more about
about our
our programs
programs and
and services
services for
for indie
indie booksellers
booksellers including
including our
our
rewards program, Booklove and Indie Vault where we reserve inventory specifically
rewards program, Booklove and Indie Vault where we reserve inventory specifically
for independent
for independent booksellers.
booksellers.
MEET
HOLLY RINGLAND
WINTER INSTITUTE 2019
Cape May
Chip Cheek
Celadon, Apr.
$26.99 hardcover
Announced first printing:100,000
Why the buzz: “I fell in love with Cape May the
second I started reading. Chip’s stunning writing
grabbed me and didn’t let go. This novel stays with
you long after you
turn the final page.
It’s perfect for book
club debates—as
soon as you finish, all
you’ll want to do is
talk about it.”—Deb
Futter, senior v-p and
copublisher, Celadon
Publicity & marketing plans: Three-city prepub tour;
advertising; GoodReads ARC giveaway; extensive early
reader review campaign leveraging influencers across
social media; preorder campaign; book club giveaways
via Macmillan and Celadon channels; reading guide
online for book clubs.
Opening: “The beaches were empty, the stores were closed, and after sunset, all the
houses on New Hampshire Avenue stood dark.”
Trust Exercise
An enchanting and captivating Susan Choi
novel about how our untold Holt, Apr.
© heather weston
stories haunt us — and the $27 hardcover
Announced first printing: 75,000
stories we tell ourselves in order Why the buzz: “How could I not be overjoyed
to survive. by Susan Choi’s Trust Exercise? It’s the latest from
an unfailingly interesting novelist—and it’s her
Set between sugar cane fields breakout, a book that sweeps us up in a story of
by the sea, a native Australian love and artistic striving, then shocks with a plot
twist that upends and, ultimately, expands our
flower farm, and a celestial understandings of trust, of memory, and of con-
crater in the central desert, The sequences.
Lost Flowers of Alice Hart follows Trust Exercise is
a young woman’s unforgettable fun and it mat-
journey, as she learns that the ters. I’m impa-
tient to get it
most powerful story she will ever into readers’
possess is her own. hands.”
—Barbara
Jones, executive editor, Henry Holt
Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour; influ-
MARCH 2019 encer campaign; Goodreads promotion and advertising;
print and digital advertising campaign; influencer cam-
paign; reading group guide; library marketing.
Opening: “Neither can drive. David turns sixteen the
following March, Sarah the following April.”
MEET
JOSHUA FERGUSON
WINTER INSTITUTE 2019
Lanny
Max Porter
Graywolf, May
$24 hardcover
Announced first printing: 50,000
Why the buzz: “Max Porter manages a rare trifecta
with Lanny: he’s written a novel that is at once wildly
innovative, definitively heartbreaking, and hugely
relevant to the age we’re living in. He’s a literary writer
who dares to write with sentiment without ever
crossing the line into sentimentality. That’s not an easy
thing to pull off, but he did that in his much-beloved
debut, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, and he does it
again here.”
© lucy dickens
—Ethan Nosowsky, editorial
director, Graywolf
Publicity & marketing plans:
Author tour; targeted adver-
tising; social media campaign.
Opening: “Dead Papa
Toothwort wakes from his
standing nap an acre wide and
scrapes off dream dregs of
bitumen glistening thick with
liquid globs of litter.”
© julie r. keresztes
Mills tackles many sub-
jects: the evolution of the
African-American South
over the last century, the
vital story of a woman who
chooses to live by her own
rules, a contemplation of
how queer life has inter-
sected with traditional
black communities. And
yet, for all these big
themes, this novel is all
about people and the
strange, surprising, heart-
breaking, and moving ways they
lose and find one another.”
He is polite . . . —Liese Mayer, editorial director,
fiction, Bloomsbury
Publicity & marketing plans:
Five-plus-city tour; advertising;
social media campaign with
posts from influencers; book
club outreach, including discus-
sion guide; included in lead fic-
tion media lunch; early q&a’s in
and graceful . . . Lambda Literary Q&A and T
magazine’s “Black Male Writers
of Our Time.”
Opening: “In October of ’41, Azalea Centre’s man told her that
he was sick and tired of West Mills and of the love affair she was
having with moonshine.”
38 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
Sometimes life isn’t
kind. I fell for this book from its a piece of cake . . .
opening paragraph, but I wasn’t
prepared for the way it’s continued
to rattle around inside my head.
It’s been thrilling to see readers
react the same way.”
—Tony Perez, editor,
Tin House Books
Publicity & marketing plans:
Author tour; major print and dig-
ital media confirmed; social media
influencer campaign.
Opening: “How we slice the skin:
Carefully, that’s a given.”
Coming
May 14, 2019
Deep River
Karl Marlantes
Atlantic Monthly, July
$28 hardcover
Announced first printing: 55,000
Why the buzz: “Karl Marlantes’s extraordinary debut,
A
Ann imprint
imHenry
print Holt
of
of Macmillan
MAnac millaofnMacmillan
imprint Children’s
ChildrChildren’s
en’s Publishing
PuPublishing
blishinGroup
g Group
Group
Matterhorn, was launched at Winter Institute to great bookseller
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 39
© devon marlantes
Facebook, Goodreads, and Literary Hub; backlist e-book
promotions.
Opening: “A thread of light on the eastern horizon announced
the dawning of full daylight and with it the end of a night the
Koski family would never talk about and never forget.”
ADULT NONFICTION
Greek to Me:
Adventures of the Comma Queen
Mary Norris
Norton, Apr.
$25.95 hardcover
Announced first printing:
enthusiasm. His second novel, Deep River, is a big, epic American 60,000
story about the immigrants who settled the Pacific Northwest, Why the buzz: “What thrills me—
told through the lives of three Finish siblings. Set against the in addition to the return of Mary
logging of the first growth forests, with all the danger and profit Norris’s funny, wise voice—is that
that entailed, it is a story of adventure, love, loss, perseverance, she didn’t stoop to writing a sequel
and the making of modern America.” that just rehashes a previous book’s
—Morgan Entrekin, publisher, Grove/Atlantic subject matter; instead she bounds
Marketing & publicity plans: 12-city tour; library marketing, off over a new hill, and so seems sure
including ALA; prepub buzz campaign with giveaways on to please her many existing fans and
Goodreads and Amazon Vine; online advertising, including on win new ones. I also love that the
Experience America’s
National Parks with guides
for all ages
© alice o’malley
© matt may
book is a rallying cry
for making your own of Loss, Courage and a
way in the world, a Girl Saved by Bees
celebration of Meredith May
teachers and librar- Park Row, Apr.
ians, and a perfect $24.99 hardcover
introduction to the Announced first printing:
delights of Greek lit- 175,000
erature and Why the buzz: “The Honey Bus
mythology.” is a powerful story of the bond
—Matt Weiland, between a girl and her grand-
v-p, senior editor, father, and a love letter to
Norton nature and the secret wisdom of bees.
Publicity & mar- Bursting with love and hope, this is
keting plans: a story that will make you see the
12-city author tour; advertising; satellite radio tour; op-eds world differently. It is a rare book
timed to publication; featured at ACES: The Society for that readers feel a profound personal
Editing; extensive social media promotion; giveaways and pro- connection with, but this is that
motions on book club sites; library and academic marketing. book. It’s a gem that’s getting incred-
Opening: “Sing in me, O Muse, of all things Greek that excite ible early buzz (pun intended).”
the imagination and delight the senses and magnify the lives —Erika Imranyi, editorial director,
of mortals, things that have survived three thousand years and Park Row
more, since the time before the time of Homer, things that were Publicity & marketing plans:
old then and are new now—you know, the eternal.” Author appearances; extensive adver-
AVA I L A B L E D E C . 3 1 , 2 0 1 8 W H E R E V E R B O O K S A R E S O L D
NatGeoBooks @NatGeoBooks © 2018 National Geographic Partners, LLC
tising campaign; early reader campaign to book groups and Once we can start paying a new
social reading networks; promotion through early reader review kind of attention, she argues, we
programs, including Goodreads; bookseller and librarian out- can undertake bolder forms of
reach; online promotion, including social media and book blog- political resistance, re-imagine
gers; support through BookClubbish, social media properties, humankind’s role in the environ-
and newsletters. ment, and arrive at more mean-
Opening: “Swarm season always arrived by telephone.” ingful understandings of happi-
ness and progress.”
How to Do Nothing: —Ryan Harrington, editor, Melville
Resisting the Attention Economy House
Jenny Odell Publicity & marketing plans:
© ryan meyer
Melville House, Apr. Eight-city author tour; social
$24 hardcover media advertising, including
Announced first printing: Google Adwords and Facebook;
50,000 targeted booksellers email blast; author commentary on current
Why the buzz: “Jenny’s book events and trends, published on blog; outreach to DSA and
stands out for not being the other like-minded organizations.
simple antitechnology screed Opening: “Nothing is harder to do than nothing.”
or back-to-nature meditation
we encounter so often. It refuses I Miss You When I Blink:
© heidi ross
that type of reductive thinking. Essays
Instead, it identifies our atten- Mary Laura Philpott
tion as the most precious (and Atria, Apr.
overdrawn) resource we have. $25 hardcover
Announced
first
printing:
CHECK OUT THESE UPCOMING TITLES 50,000
Why the
FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS! buzz: “This
memoir in
essays is by a
f u n n y, v e r y
relatable writer
(and bookseller
May April at Parnassus)
2019 2019 who did every-
thing right and
in her late 30s
found herself
‘having it all’—
but with a very
convincing
feeling that she
needed to blow
it all up. The story of how she redid her
life is like an evening with your very
smart, very creative best friend, complete
The first book to consider how A lively, inspiring with lots of wine, laughter, and maybe
the fabric of the U.S. contributes beginner’s guide to how even some tears.”
—Trish Todd, v-p and executive editor,
to shorter, less healthy lives the universe works
Atria
Publicity & marketing plans: Five to
@OUPAcademic
global.oup.com
facebook.com/OUPAcademic
January 2019 February 2019 February 2019 February 2019
978-1-4422-7456-3 • $34.00 • Cloth 978-1-5381-0953-3 • $34.00 • Cloth 978-1-5381-1393-6 • $30.00 • Cloth 978-1-5381-1242-7 • $28.00 • Cloth
WWW.ROWMAN.COM | 800-462-6420
Who Were
the Men seven–city author tour with kickoff in Nashville at Parnassus Books; advertising;
in Orange?
prepub regional e-blasts; extensive ARC distribution; Goodreads giveaway campaign;
extensive outreach to Bookstagrammers; digital promotion campaign, including
reading group guide and giveaways on Atria’s social media.
Opening: “It’s the perfect sentence, but I didn’t write it. My six-year-old did.”
ADULT POETRY
The Tradition
Jericho Brown
Copper Canyon, Apr.
$17 trade paper
Announced first printing: 10,000
Why the buzz: “What strikes
me most about The Tradition is
its ability to find and hold on to
joy. I am envious of Brown’s
superpower to deliver love—
A Beautiful Day even among the pains of sexual
trauma and racism. This is resis-
in the Neighborhood
tance. Brown, in his wonderfully
capacious online and offline per-
sonality, has the ability to engage
the world.”
The Poetry of Mister Rogers —Laura Buccieri, publicist,
Lyrics by Fred Rogers • Illustrations by Luke Flowers
Copper Canyon Press
Publicity & marketing plans:
I
ntroduce children to Fred Rogers’s Author appearances at AWP, LA Times Book Festival, and
others; extensive galley and review copy mailing; social media
powerful lessons of kindness, love, campaign, including cover reveal.
self-awareness, and self-esteem with Opening: “A man trades his son for horses.”
this treasury of 75 beloved songs.
/quirkbooks
quirkbooks.com
46 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
QUIRK BOOKS PRESENTS
© jacob m. murphy
Another Planet
Stephen Savage
Holiday House/Porter, Feb.
$17.99 hardcover
Ages: 4–8
Announced first printing:
50,000
Why the buzz: “Gleefully riffing
on the popular mid-century
modern design aesthetic,
award-winner Stephen Savage
creates an ideal bedtime read,
with visual references to
everything from ’50s science
fiction movies to E.T. The
hilarious writing will have On s
Febru ale
kids laughing out loud and
yearning for their very own babysitter from another planet.”
—Neal Porter, v-p and publisher, Neal Porter Books
1/2 Page ary 2
6
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 47
A Little Chicken Tiny T. Rex and the
Tammi Sauer Impossible Hug
Sterling, Mar. Jonathan Stutzman
$16.95 hardcover Chronicle, Mar.
Ages: 4–8 $15.99 hardcover
Why the buzz: “Who else has an Ages: 3–5
official day named for them in their Announced first printing: 35,000
home state? Named by Best of Why the buzz: “Tiny T. Rex is impos-
Books in Edmond, Okla., July 9 is sible to resist. And these days, Tiny’s
Tammi Sauer Day. I’ve been working message of loving friendship is more
with Tammi for several years now, important than ever. Jonathan
and it’s always a treat when a new Stutzman and Jay Fleck really are a
book of hers hits our list. A Little dream team, and we can’t wait for the
Chicken is a funny, sweet story that’s world to fall in love with Tiny, just as
all too relatable for kids every- we have.”
where—the world can be a scary —Ginee Seo, executive publishing
place, and sometimes you need a director for children’s books, Chronicle
little push to find your courage.” Books
—Lauren Tambini, assistant manager, marketing and publicity, Publicity & marketing plans: Author and illustrator appear-
Sterling ances; poster; animated video; print and online advertising;
Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour, including school social media campaign; major promotion at school and library
visits; advertising; social media outreach. conferences.
Opening: “Dot was a little chicken... who, let’s face it, was a Opening: “I have tiny arms. It is very difficult to hug with tiny
little chicken.” —Illustrator Dan Taylor is not attending. arms.”—Illustrator Jay Fleck is not attending.
Discover how worry and intrusive Awaken the feminine mystic within through
thoughts are gifts to help you heal. the luminous wisdom of saints, goddesses,
and wild women across the world.
978-1-68364-250-3
978-1-68364-156-8
TAD960
Llama Destroys the World
Jonathan Stutzman
Holt, June
$17.99 hardcover
Ages: 4–8
Announced first
printing:100,000
Why the buzz: “Almost daily,
I’m in desperate need of a good
laugh, and Llama Destroys the
World, the debut picture book by
author-illustrator team Jonathan
Stutz and Heather Fox, never fails
to deliver. Jonathan and Heather
are the real deal; I’ve already
acquired five books by them, each
one as spirited and funny as the
next. So if you and your young
ones love dragons, pigeons, and/
or crayons, you’re sure to lose it for this llama.” —Christian
Trimmer, editorial director, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances, including
regional trade show and book festivals; advertising; promo-
tions at San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con;
parenting and educator blog tour; book trailer; MacKids social
media engagement campaign; email marketing campaign;
promotion at national school and library conferences; exten-
sive outreach to key educators and librarians.
Opening: “On Monday, Llama found cake.”
—Illustrator Heather Fox is not attending.
CHILDREN’S
MIDDLE GRADE/YA
The Storm Keeper’s Island
Catherine Doyle
Bloomsbury, Jan.
$16.99 hardcover
Ages: 8–12
Announced first
printing: 50,000
Why the buzz: “We won
this series in a global
auction, and could not
be more excited for
readers to dive in to this
gripping and enchanting
tale. The first book is
© katherine webber
50 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
More to
EXPLORE
Independent Booksellers’ Children’s
Book of the Season. Catherine
Doyle’s masterful and evocative
writing is reminiscent of the very
best classic fantasy, and her story
will be sure to captivate readers
young and old.”
—Allison Moore, editor, Bloomsbury
Children’s Books “Powerful and searching…
Marketing & publicity plans: an unforgettable account
Author tour, including school visits; of how one woman’s
advertising; buzz-building social humanitarian gestures
media campaign to influencers and consumers. not only changed her, but
Opening: “In a field full of wildflowers, a boy and a girl stood also made a difference in
the lives of people living
side by side beneath an ancient oak tree.”
in unimaginable misery.”
Kirkus Reviews
Two Can Keep a Secret
On sale February 26, 2019
Karen M. McManus
Delacorte, Jan.
$19.99 hardcover
Ages: 14 and up
Announced first printing: 250,000
Why the buzz: “It’s been so 1/2 Page
© kaitlyn litchfield
Opening: “If I believed in omens, this would be a bad one.” OR via NetGalley tinyurl.com/pwnetgalley
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 51
The Music of What Happens
© sam wylie
Bill Konigsberg
Scholastic/Levine, Feb.
$17.99 hardcover
Ages: 14 and up
Announced first printing:
20,000
Why the buzz: “What does it mean
to be a man? Jordan and Max explore
Borderlands / La Frontera:
The New Mestiza that very question in The Music of
Gloria Anzaldúa
Aunt Lute Books
What Happens as they fall in love one
978-1-879-96085-5 summer working on a food truck.
They are characters in a book, yes,
but Bill Konigsberg writes with an
Wild Milk
Sabrina Orah Mark
open heart and a singular voice that
Dorothy, a publishing project has made them people I will hold
978-0-9973666-8-6
close for the rest of my life—and so, I think, will you.”
—Nick Thomas, senior editor, Arthur A. Levine Books
The Taiga Syndrome Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances;
Criztina Rivera Garza, trans.
Suzanne Jill Levine & Aviva Kana
advertising; featured at teen festivals and educator and
Dorothy, a publishing project librarian conferences; extensive social media campaign
978-0-9973666-7-9
via I Read YA community; social media assets; digital
chapter sampler and audio clip; feature in Read with
Pride campaign; feature on Scholastic social media net-
Sister Love: The Letters of Audre Lorde
and Pat Parker 1974-1989 works and websites for parents, educators, and
Audre Lorde, Pat Parker & Julie R Enszer, ed.
A Midsummer Night’s Press librarians.
978-1-938334-29-0 Opening: “There was this thing my dad taught me when
I was a kid.”
Belly Up
Rita Bullwinkel
To Night Owl from Dogfish
A Strange Object Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer
978-0-9985184-3-5
Dial, Feb.
$17.99 hardcover
Ages: 10 and up
Nepantla: An Anthology Dedicated
to Queer Poets of Color Announced first printing: 150,000
ed. Christopher Soto Why the buzz: “The novel begins with a furtive email exchange between bookish
Nightboat Books
978-1-937658-78-6 Avery and fearless Bett when they discover that their gay dads have fallen in love and
are planning to send them to sleepaway camp in the hopes that they will become best
friends. Things don’t quite go according to plan. The authors bring their great wit and
Lo terciario / The Tertiary warmth to a story that readers of all ages will embrace, proving that family comes in
Raquel Salas Rivera
all varieties.” —Elyse K.
© gary a. rosen
52 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
Advertisement
tion, and social media outreach; major promotion at school and library conferences and
outreach to librarians and educators.
Opening: “From: Bett Devlin/To: Avery Bloom/Subject: you don’t know me but I’m
writing to you anyway.” —Coauthor Meg Wolitzer is not attending.
Opposite of Always
T
Publicity & marketing plans: Epic Reads Meet-Up
heologian Patenaude’s masterful tour; major online advertising campaign targeting YA
debut novel tells a gripping story of the near and crossover readers; promotion at consumer festivals, including galley giveaways and
future. In 2088, life in outer space is now custom promo items; buzz-building social media campaign, including video content
a reality thanks to advanced 3-D printing and influencer outreach.
technology. A seemingly orderly world
is shattered by the news of outer space’s
Opening: “My face is mashed sideways against the trunk of a police cruiser when Kate
first homicide. The victim is a Catholic dies for the third time.”
priest, leading to much speculation about
both the priest’s reasons for going up to The Revenge of Magic (Book 1)
atheistic outer space and the suspected James Riley
murderer’s motives. With political stability
threatened, the Vatican, still powerful on a
Aladdin, Mar.
war-torn, environmentally damaged Earth, $17.99 hardcover
sends a parish priest and former Marine, Ages: 8–12
Father John McClellan, to investigate. Announced first printing: 75,000
McClellan’s experience with 3-D printers Why the buzz: “It’s no easy feat to find a fresh way
may be the key to solving the mystery. This
is a superb morality tale in which the power
to write about magic
of free will and the implications of making school, but James
good choices are carefully woven together. Riley is an author
Patenaude’s take on the possibilities of who consistently
technology is inventive and in line with delivers unique con-
contemporary science, and his work truly
shines as a nuanced, character-driven
cepts. He’s done it
drama. This work is a must-read for those again here in Revenge
who enjoy thought-provoking, challenging of Magic, a series rich with layers and fantastical twists
speculative fiction. (BookLife) that will thrill readers, and also driven by a moving
undercurrent of a father/son bond that gives the books
—Publishers Weekly
beautiful resonance.”
December 17, 2018 —Liesa Abrams, v-p and editorial director, Simon Pulse
Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour; book fes-
tival appearances; advertising; education and library
www.izzardink.com
54 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
campaign; digital promotions. snort, this book is for you.” display; event kit; author video; comic
Opening: “Just minutes before the attack —Maggie Lehrman, executive editor, Amulet con promotion; school and library con-
in Washington, D.C., Fort’s father was Books and Abrams Books for Young Readers ference promotions; extensive social
embarrassing him at the Lincoln Publicity & marketing plans: Author media outreach; branded web page.
Memorial.” tour; prepub author appearances and Opening: “It almost never snows in
buzz campaign; preorder campaign and Ireland. Ireland is a temperate zone.
Ronan Boyle and the merchandising kit; print, online, and Snow-wise, the best you can hope for is a
Bridge of Riddles social media advertising; nine-copy floor dusting.”
Thomas Lennon
Amulet, Mar.
in Albuquerque!
Why the buzz: “Hollywood actor and
writer Thomas Lennon has delved into
his Irish ancestry to create a hilarious
world of troublemaking leprechauns,
harpies, trolls, and other magical crea-
tures. Our hero, Ronan Boyle, is a
14-year-old recruit in the Garda, a
human police force in charge the world
of magical creatures. He’s also intent on
proving the innocence of his parents,
who are in jail for a crime they did not
commit. If you like to laugh so hard you
h 2019
© jason la veris film magic
000 | Marc
9781454929
Meet Sterling author Tammi Sauer
at the Author Reception
a b ga l ley!
to g r
a
Be sure
@sterlingkids | sterlingpublishing.com
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 55
See You in
Albuquerque!
Sal & Gabi Break the Universe
Meet author Leslie Carol Roberts Carlos Hernandez
Disney/Rick Riordan Presents, Mar.
at the Author Lunch Reception $16.99, hardcover
Friday, January 25th Ages: 8–12
Announced first printing: 75,000
Why the buzz: “After
© c.s.e. conney
reading his book of quirky
COMING 4.3.19
sci-fi stories for adults, I
knew Carlos Hernandez
had the imagination
required to write compel-
ling sci-fi for middle
schoolers. But he exceeded
my expectations when it
came to delivering unique
A profound meditation on and fully developed charac-
all aspects of life, from the Presidio in ters, inventive storytelling,
San Francisco to personal tragedies and riotously funny scenes.
“I found myself seeing the world differently after finishing In addition, the book cap-
this book, asking more questions, and experiencing more tures Cuban culture beau-
of its mysteries and beauty.” tifully, and it offers readers
—Tom Barbash, author of The Dakota Winters profound ethical questions to
LOOK FOR TWO HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ponder. Best of all, it’s wrapped
TITLES IN THE GALLEY ROOM with a big bow of love.”
—Stephanie Lurie, editor-at-large,
A powerful collection of essays that Disney-Hyperion
COMING 3.6.19
56 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
children life lessons. We hope this novel ignites their imagina-
tion and inspires them to be better versions of themselves. We
know no better way to introduce readers to Granity than
through the tale of the West Bottom Badgers and their magical
coach, Rolabi Wizenard.” —Kobe Bryant, CEO, Granity Studios
Publicity & marketing plans: New York City book signing;
high-profile press appearances; librarian outreach; partnership
with major national sports, youth, coaching organizations, and
influencers; detailed day-to-day social media campaign.
Opening: “Rain pulled open the doors and found darkness.”
1/2 Page
—Author Wesley King is not attending.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 57
Publicity & A Place for Wolves
marketing Kosoko Jackson
plans: Sourcebooks Fire, Apr.
Author $17.99 hardcover
tour; adver- Ages: 14 and up
tising; Announced first printing: 75,000
prepub buzz Why the buzz: “When I first read this on sub-
campaign; mission, I knew I had a very special book on
school and my hands. Kosoko Jackson has written a book
library con- that at times reads like a thriller, at others a
ference pro- tender love story, and still others a poignant
motions; and funny coming-of-age novel. I fell in love
nine-copy signed floor display; book club with the devo-
guide and promotion; social media out- tion and passion
reach and shareable social media graphics; these two boys
LBYR.com feature; librarian and edu- have for one
cator outreach; LB school podcast, another. And
e-newsletter feature, and networking my heart was in
promotion. my throat as I
Opening: “If the whole thing really had turned the pages, praying these two characters would not
been a TV show, like everyone kept pre- only survive, but live.”
tending it was, there are a million places —Annie Berger, senior editor, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and
the first episode could have started.” Sourcebooks Fire
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances;
prepub buzz campaign; preorder campaign; advertising,
including Goodreads; major social influencer outreach and promotions; library
marketing.
Debra Gwartney Opening: “I’m going to die here.”
58 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
WINTER INSTITUTE’S GREAT READS
from William Morrow
Get an ARE Signed at the Author Reception
February March
NEVER
HAVE
I EVER
JOSHILYN
JACKSON
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Ones to Watch
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
GR EG
ILES
C EM E T ERY
R OA D
A NOVEL
@williammorrowbooks /williammorrowbooks
GET LOCAL advertising; dedicated bookseller mailing: Jewish community
outreach and advertising; social media promotions; partnerships
WITH US AT with YA bloggers, BookTubers, and Bookstagrammers.
Opening: “The cars screech to a/ halt, officers pull/ us out by
the arms, haul/ us inside and off to/ separate/ rooms, my heart-
Finale
Stepsister
Jennifer Donnelly
Scholastic Press, May
$17.99 hardcover
Ages: 12 and up
ARCADIA’S YOURTOWN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Announced first printing: 200,000
THE ABA IS YOUR LOCAL SECTION SOLUTION! Why the buzz: “Jennifer Donnelly’s ‘Cinderella’ retelling opens
with one of the stepsisters cutting off her toes to squeeze into the
60 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
an “D
d e
ar
tis eply
tic p
all rov
Bo y re oca
ok s t
lis plen ive
THE MOST HONORED LITERARY SERIES IN AMERICA
t de
nt
.”
2 019
PUSHCART
PRIZE XLIII
BEST OF THE
SMALL PRESSES
© doug dundas
Now, it places black teen girls and their families front and center
in a story with heart, humor, and important takeaways.”
—T.S. Ferguson, editor, Inkyard Press
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances, among
them TLA conference; print and digital advertising; extensive
galley distribution, as well as Goodreads giveaways; major dig-
ital outreach and influencer outreach; feature title at BookCon;
web exclusives, including excerpts, author features, and give-
aways; backlist price promotions, including in-book excerpts;
feature in Inkyard Press social media and newsletter; library
outreach with live book previews.
Opening: “My hands tighten around the rusted metal scaf-
glass slipper and only grows folding as I pull myself up onto a pair of wooden planks near
more startling from there. the rooftop of an old industrial warehouse.”
We’re used to stories about ugly ducklings who become beautiful,
but what happens to the girls who reject that narrative and decide Queen of the Sea
to embrace ‘ugly’? That’s what inspired Jennifer to explore our Dylan Meconis
culture’s toxic obsession with beauty, and the result is nothing Walker Books US, June
short of masterful.” $24.99 hardcover
—Mallory Kass, senior editor, Scholastic Press Ages: 10–14
Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour; advertising; exten- Why the buzz: “Queen of the Sea represents the intersection of
sive prepub buzz campaign; extensive social media campaign three childhood obsessions: female spaces, illustrated fiction,
via I Read YA Community; feature on Scholastic Parents, and the Tudors. With Queen of the Sea, Meconis captures in won-
Educators, and Librarians social media networks and websites; derful detail the rhythms of a convent, as it is disrupted by the
social media assets; dedicated Tumblr site; feature at teen festi- arrival of a young
© doug dundas
vals and educator and librarian conferences; digital chapter E l i z a b e t h Tu d o r –
sampler and audio clip. inspired character,
Opening: “This is a dark tale. A grim tale.” imprisoned there by
her half-sister. With
The Voice in My Head 400 pages of full-color
Dana L. Davis illustrated and sequen-
Inkyard, May tial-art pages, this
$18.99 hardcover hybrid novel is repre-
Ages: 12–18 sentative of a new
Announced first printing: 75,000 golden age of illus-
Why the buzz: “Dana Davis has a talent for tackling weighty trated fiction, led in
subjects with a lightness that leaves readers feeling hopeful. The part by women comics
Voice in My Head is a story about a girl who, on a family road artists, and is a wel-
trip, must learn how to live without someone she can’t imagine come layered portrait of a woman
on the verge of great power.”
—Susan Van Metre, executive edito-
rial director, Walker Books US
Publicity & marketing plans:
Author appearances, including
San Diego Comic-Con; adver-
tising; librarian and educator out-
reach; outreach to bloggers;
online galley giveaways; galley
and blad distribution; discussion
guide.
Opening: “A queen does not
abandon her people.” ■
62 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J A N U A R Y 1 4 , 2 0 1 9
Join DK at ABA Winter Institute
Meet Publisher
George Dee and
celebrate the
relaunch of
Eyewitness Travel.
A WORLD OF IDEAS:
SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW www.dk.com