ICRS: Day 1

In true publicist form, I thought I'd boil down my day one observations into a few bullet points:

- David Tyree's new book, More Than Just a Catch, is going to be a big, big title from Strang this fall. Strang Senior Publicist Woodley Auguste left the floor at 4 PM to head to LA to attend the ESPY awards with Tyree, an event that is a prelude to a very hectic book tour commencing before the Super Bowl hero heads off to training camp. Auguste is orchestrating a savvy launch amisdst challenging circumstances--Strang & Tyree are lucky to have him at the wheel.

- Tony Dungy seems to be making himself at home in the publishing industry. After he and Tyndale launched his blockbuster Quiet Strength at last year's ICRS, he was back on the floor today to sign his new children's book You Can Do It.

- Karen Kingsbury remains one of the most personable best-selling authors within the CBA. She spent Monday bouncing around from booth to booth signing several of her new titles.

- Our press kits went a lot faster than I thought they would. I brought 20 of them with me, dropped them off in the press room yesterday and by 3 PM today there were only three left. Thanks to Katie and DHL for making sure more arrive in the morning (DHL: your thank you is a bit premature).

- One of our clients, Dr. Kevin Leman, was a popular man today--signing copies of his best-selling parenting book from Baker Publishing Group, Have a New Kid by Friday (not a P&P book). I thought about waiting in line to say hi but I knew he'd be disappointed when I told him Tolly didn't make the trip with me.

- Thomas Nelson's absence was definitely felt.

- I had several meetings with publicists, media contacts and publishers who "just LOVE Austin," making me wonder why ICRS, BEA and other industry conferences don't head to town for future events. Why not Austin?

- Though I sense trade shows are starting to lose some of their steam, it is amazing how much a firm like ours can get accomlished at these events. We are able to pack face-to-face meetings with clients, authors, agents, publishers, media contacts, competitors and other industry contacts into a very short period of time and nothing is as powerful as a good personal impression.

ICRS: Day 0

Though ICRS formally gets underway Monday morning at 9 AM, the Sunday before the show is always full of important events. For that reason, I left Austin a day early and took a direct flight from Austin to Orlando (thank you JetBlue!) yesterday afternoon. I got into Orlando about 7:30 PM, checked into the hotel, grabbed dinner and watched SportsCenter before drifting off to sleep. Since we have a nine month old at home, I appreciated every minute of sleep that was available to me.

This year I am flying solo--I usually have Stephanie or another member of our team at the event--but since we've been at several events over the past few weeks and we are in the middle of a full campaign schedule, I decided to make the trip on my own this year.

After checking in at the ICRS registration desk, I dropped P&P press kits off in the ICRS media room. Our cover page read "P&P is proud to represent the leading voices in the CBA" and this year we have a number of great books. They include A Tale of Two Sons, by Dr. John MacArthur (Thomas Nelson), Two Wars, by Nate Self (Tyndale), Between Us Girls, by Vicki Courtney (B&H), God in the Marketplace, by Henry & Richard Blackaby (B&H), Trading Places, by Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott (Zondervan/HarperCollins), Coming Unglued, by Rebeca Seitz (B&H), Castway Kid, by r.b. mitchell (Tyndale), The Nehemiah Factor, by Dr. Frank Page (New Hope Publishers), Designed for Success, by Dondi Scumaci (Strang), Compelled by Love, by Ed Stetzer & Philip Nation (New Hope Publishers), The Gift of Christmas Cookie, by Dandi Daley Mackall (Zonderkidz), We Believe in Christmas, by Karen Kingsbury (Zonderkidz) & others.

Though ICRS is not near the media event it used to be, it's nice for outlets that are present to be able to see the entire P&P roster in those press kits.

After I dropped the press kits off, I headed to the Alive Communications event at the Peabody Hotel. Alive is one of the best literary agencies in the country and this event was a savvy way to honor their clients and industry contacts before the show got underway.

Rick Christian, who started Alive in 1989, opened the event by thanking attendees and telling a few stories before highlighting three new Alive Communications books featured at the event. One of those books was Two Wars, by Nate Self, and when Rick introduced Nate (after saying a few words about him) the crowd gave Nate a well-deserved standing ovation. Ann Graham Lotz (Billy Graham's daughter) then gave a great presentation before the networking got underway.

It was great to see Lee, Rick, Beth & Joel and a number of our clients at the event. One of the many great things about ICRS is the family atmosphere at events like this.

After the Alive event finished, I headed back to the convention center for the media meet & greet session, which featured a panel discussion moderated by the CBA's media maven, Nancy Guthrie. I always enjoy this event because it puts all the industry publicists in one room before the show gets underway. This year's panel included Kelly Hughes (one of the CBA's most respected publicists), Dan Merchant (who wrote and directed a very interesting documentary titled "Lord, Save Us From Your Followers") and David Kinnaman (author of unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters).

It was a very progressive panel that brought a refreshing perspective to the table. The main question looming for publicists that represent Christian authors was how can I get top secular media contacts past a) the disdain they have for 'religious' authors and b) the desire to only put Christians on the air to argue a far right-wing perspective in a point/counterpoint debate?

Dan Merchant told an interesting story about his recent Today Show appearance where he had a producer confess "we usually don't do religion because it just makes everyone mad." That same morning The Today Show also covered stories dealing with crime, drugs and other societal ills.

Kelly Hughes closed with some advice that I agree with: publicists have to be honest with their media contacts about the perspective their client is going to bring to the table. If the author is going to rock that producer's notion of what a Christian is (i.e. David Kinnaman), tell them so.

We've always found that the best way to package "CBA" authors for general market exposure is to focus on the mainstream issues that their books deal with (and that they have expertise relating to). FOX News, CNN and other national outlets look to Vicki Courtney as an expert on issues affecting teen and tween girls. CNN Headline News, Nancy Grace and others look to Dr. Les Parrott as an expert on relaitonship issues. The Associated Press, Newsday and others look to Nate Self as a great resource on PTSD and the War on Terror. As with an interview opportunity, an author's focus simply has to shift depending on the market the media outlet is trying to reach.

Sex in Another City

Like the lonely girl who didn’t get to go to the prom, I sat home this weekend watching a chick flick. No, I did not attend BEA. No, I did not see the bright lights and big city of Los Angeles. I shunned all books in protest, wiping my tears on a bone-and-ivory vintage Yves St. Lauren drape blouse. Didn’t sleep. Didn’t eat. (Unless you count reading this month’s Vogue, which fed me more than food itself).

Meanwhile, while I was wringing my hands – hands ensconced in Zac Posen distressed leather gloves - Samantha was relishing BEA's past. The place? BEA Manhattan. The crowd? Literati. My heart? Breaking. I mean, wasn't I the writer here? Why did she get to go mingle with all the hot literati? And, she went back in 2005! I never went! I was just about to go affix a nasty Post-It note to her high-rise loft door, when I remembered: I had a movie to see.

So that night, with the girls on-hand and Manolos on-foot, I was off. The theater was packed. Perhaps not quite the crowd at BEA, but then, this crowd was holding Cosmos, not galley books. (Take that, Samantha). True, there was nary a Y chromosome in sight - but then, who wants those eye-rolling, buzz-killing, one-thing-wanting men to ruin a perfectly good Ladies Night, anyway?

With the lights low and music cuing, I was happy as a Derek Lam. Here we were, out on the town! Four girls as fearless - and fierce! - as they come. And yet - as I looked around at the sea of pink, glitter, and Vera Wang clutches, a sea that was still just a drop in the bucket for BEA's crowds, I couldn't help but wonder: when it comes to sex, are books the new black?

Barbara Walters recently revealed her steamy affair with Senator Edward Brooke in her memoir Audition - not on TV. Prince just released 21 Nights - a book, not an album - and I don't think I have to tell you what he did on each of those nights. It seems that sex is between all the covers these days - and I don't mean just chick lit.

So during two of the biggest events of the year - BEA and Sex and the City film release, both held on a single, fateful weekend - it's clear that sex sells. But when the pink book is closed, the martini is put down, and this monologue finally comes to an end - the real question will be, "will sex continue to sell?"

Judging from the impressive Amazon rankings of this hardcover, movie tie-in book, it would appear so.

Day One Reflections

Before I get into my reflections I must mention that fellow Texan and Dallas Morning News Book Review Editor Michael Merschel is doing an excellent job of covering this year's event on his Texas Pages blog. Amidst several anecdotes from day one of the event, Mike tells a very funny story about trying to navigate his rented Ford Focus to Prince's mansion [and secret book party]. Apparently the fact that one of his three passengers had an invite to the secret party was not enough to get his Focus through the gate. If it makes you feel better Mike, I wasn't in one of those limos that rolled by you into the party.

The LA Convention Center is both a)huge and b)spread out. This year's convention floor is divided between the West (where the action is) and South (home to signings, indie publishers and, sadly, the international rights center) halls. We always get a table in the rights center for meetings during the show and it is normally a great location.

Not this year.

It's not enough that the rights center is miles up the coast from the main convention floor, but it's also completely separated from the actual event itself--off in its own room. Not sure we'll take a table the next time we're back in LA.

Enough grumblings. Here are a few quick hits from day one:

- The best promo button I was handed came from a group of ebook designers and read "*&#^ the Kindle!" Apparently they are not fans. I, however, got my first demonstration of Amazon's new digital reader and I have to say I am impressed. Easy to navigate, compact and very readable. I'm not sure I'm quite ready to make the switch but I'm more open to it than I thought I'd be.

- NetGalley is getting a LOT of buzz this year. Their reps have been filling up seats on panels throughout the week and have heard their name in several of my meetings with top PR directors. It sounds like they are still working out some kinks but it is clear that e-galleys are here to stay. To me, the electronic medium of galley submission is not nearly as important as the dialogue NetGalley plans to create between publicists and reviewers through its service. I'm meeting with them at 11 AM today and am curious to see how we can get in the game.

- There is a reason why Karen Kingsbury is the queen of inspirational fiction (or as she calls it, "Life-Changing Fiction"). She is notorious for creating lines that go for miles atICRS but yesterday's autograph session was proof that her work is crossing over in a major way. Her line was not only the longest in her timeslot but she was the only author standing in front of her autograph table to greet her fans. That's the way to do a signing.

- Primetime BEA shuttles (either 8-9 AM or 4-5 PM)are never a lot of fun. Always full of cranky literati feigning interest in the work of the attendee sitting or standing next to them, they are a necessary but unpleasant part of the experience.
Apparently folks have been spicing it up a bit this year. As I was getting off the bus yesterday I noticed a sign reminding passengers that no gambling is allowed during the trip. Not no smoking or no standing but "NO GAMBLING". Maybe people didn't get the memo that we don't head to Vegas until 2011.

On the eve of BEA

It's 7:32 AM on day one and I'm gearing up for the madness of BEA--appointments, old friends, free books, sore feet, parties, $10 sandwiches and other trade show accessories.

Yesterday, after our flight landed on time(!), I headed over to the convention center to attend a panel discussion I had been looking forward to. Titled "Strategies for New Publicity Opportunities in an Expanding Media Universe," this discussion featured a panel that included John Pitts (VP & Marketing Dir., Doubleday), Ron Hogan (Founder, Beatrice & lead writer, GalleyCat), Matt Baldacci (Dir. of Marketing, St. Martin's Press), Ami Greko (Marketing Director, Folio Literary Management) and Cindy Dach (General Manager, Changing Hands Bookstore).

It was a lively panel, with Pitts discussing his house's marketing efforts for Chuck Palahniuk's new release, Snuff. Not only did Doubleday start a MySpace page for the porn star protagonist, but they actually created trailers for three of her supposed movies. We were treated to one of them to open the panel. Brilliant idea for reaching the target market for the book (135K views on YouTube in the first week) but I'm not sure the footage itself was right for everyone in attendance. I mean, it was a trailer for a fake porn movie after all.

It was also interesting to hear from Ami Greko, who heads up Folio's internal marketing department. I am seeing this more and more from literary agencies--bringing PR and marketing folks in-house to assist publishers, publicists and authors in the promotion of all of their books. I think it's very smart.

Finally, Ron Hogan had some insightful thoughts on what book trailers should and shouldn't do. I thought his best line was "trailers shouldn't tell me about a story--they should tell me a story." That is what we have been shooting to do with the trailers we have just produced--and I hope we've accomplished it.

Ok, off to the convention center for what should be a very interesting day. More soon.