The Marketing, or lack thereof, of Graphic Novels

Graphic novels have been consistently increasing in popularity for years. Break out successes such as Persepolis, Watchmen, and Stitches have continued to put the graphic novel in front of mainstream audiences (in other words, they’re not just for comic stores anymore). But, publishers don’t seem to have caught on to this. And, that’s what this post is about. Yes, this post originated due to a panel on the subject of Graphic Novels at Wi5, but the subject itself goes beyond Wi5 to a bigger issue of the need for publishers to work with their valued intermediaries (such as indie book sellers, librarians, etc) to help get the right books to the right readers.

Read Full Post »

Rich Rennicks on Helping Booksellers Expand Their Influence Beyond the Neighborhood, Great Reads, and More.

“We’re at a pivotal moment right now. The taste-making power of newspaper review sections is dwindling, and the discussion is shifting online and diversifying. Part of the risk in this is everyone may talk about the same, few over-hyped titles and ignore the small presses, the artistically challenging books and the new authors. Bookstores have this great opportunity to seize a piece of this online cultural taste-maker role and expand their influence beyond their neighborhood. My role is to encourage, cajole and persuade booksellers on the leading edge of this change to ensure our books remain part of the conversation.” – Rich Rennicks

Read Full Post »