What are some pet peeves about working with authors?
• Bypassing the publishers marketing department by contacting producers and potential reviewers on your own. • Getting too wedded to a title or cover concept. Best to defer control on these issues to the expertise of the publisher, says Jackie. • Unrealistic expectations. Its a problem when authors complain about the publicity effort. Theyre disappointed if their books dont land on Oprah. But publicity can be slow going. If an author makes a name locally first, then regionally, it goes smoother for everyone involved. Developing on-line promotions helps, too, comments Laura. What can authors do in partnership with the publisher to have a top-selling book? • Choose a slant that hasnt been done to death. • Stay in tune with manuscript deadlines, production and marketing schedules. • Make yourself available and willing to seize publicity opportunities as they come along. • Work synergistically with the marketing and sales team so we dont duplicate our efforts. Allow the publishers marketin
