On Monday evening I spoke on a panel at a bookstore in Boston with two other craft book authors and an
editor from a craft publisher. We talked about how to write a book proposal, we discussed what editors are looking for, and we shared our experiences writing and marketing craft books. It was a terrific discussion.
The panel got me thinking about what goes in to creating a great craft book and what makes craft books sell. It also made me think about the issue of secrecy and the idea of “the big reveal.” Specifically, keeping the content of a new book under wraps while it’s being created so that it’s content will be “fresh” once it hits bookstore shelves.
I woke up this morning to find a newsletter from Interweave in my inbox. Interweave is the publisher of my first book, The Artful Bird, and, after being bought by F+W, they began sending out a special enewsletter to their authors. This one included answers to “Frequently Asked Questions From You.”
Here are they are. From the Interweave Author Newsletter, May 24, 2013:
Frequently Asked Questions from You
Q: When can I talk about my book in my blog/website/workshops, etc.?
A: We know you are excited about your book, and want to shout it from the rooftops. Be aware though, that books have a long lead-time—as much as 2 years from the time you sign your contract. While people might be excited to hear about your book, interest can wane when they realize how long they have to wait. It’s best to talk about your book in a slow reveal.
Once you have your contract, it’s ok to mention that you are working on a book and mention Interweave. Don’t talk about the subject beyond the broadest strokes (“knitting” “quilting”). As the months go by, you may want to drop little tidbits without giving anything away. “I sent in my book projects last night!” “I’m getting ready to go to Colorado for my photo shoot.”
Q: Can I show things from my book?
A: It’s not okay to show projects or photos—you want to keep these under wraps, particularly if you are featuring a new technique or design idea. You should feel free to show the box of yarn or the pile of fabric that arrived for projects, but not the projects themselves. If you are doing a photo shoot, it’s
great to talk about your trip, maybe showing travel photos you took along the way. This will help build a sense of excitement among your fans as they follow your progress.
That’s one approach. In fact, it’s more liberal than some. An author recently told me she can’t reveal the topic of her new book yet, much less the cover or title, even though the book is coming out this fall.
Why bring this up? Because I think these words of wisdom are based on assumptions and not real data. Many (all?) of you are craft book buyers and readers, and some of you are also craft book authors. How does this strike you? Is this what you would say to your authors if you were a craft publisher?
There’s a sharp contrast here to a recent announcement by Stash Books. Stash will be doing a blog series in conjunction with a newly acquired author about the entire process of creating a new craft book from both the author’s and the publisher’s perspectives. Here’s their announcement, taken from the Stash Books blog:
We are launching a new blog series about the process of writing a book with us – specifically, with Stash Books.
When newly acquired author, Casey York, approached us with the idea of her writing a blog series about her own experience of proposing, writing, editing, and actually making the projects – we thought – what about taking that one step further?
What if we wrote about the process of writing her book from our point of view?
What happened when we received her proposal? What do WE do with the items she submits – from beginning to end – we plan to share the process of Crafting a Book!
Stay tuned for the first post in this series towards the end of this month!
This idea seems really fresh and new to me, and more in keeping with the behind-the-scenes approach taken by craft and lifestyle bloggers now.
The author, Casey York, emailed me a few weeks ago to tell me about the project. Here’s an excerpt of her blog post explaining what she’s doing:
Based on the attendance at Quilt Con’s book publishing panel, there is a lot of interest in book writing in the on-line quilting community, so I’m also excited to be announcing the beginning of a new series here in conjunction with the Stash Books blog.
“Crafting a Book” will detail the publishing process from the author’s and editors’ points of view. I’ll describe the my experiences putting together a proposal, what happens early in the development of the book, writing the manuscript, and other steps as I work through them. I’ll also be happy to answer any questions you have to the best of my ability, although keep in mind that my perspective is only one of many that go into producing a book like this.
Over on the Stash Books Blog, my editors will weigh in on their end of the process. I hope this series helps all of you aspiring authors out there get a better sense of the steps a book goes through on its journey from concept to finished product, and perhaps prepares and encourages you to propose your own projects in the future!
I really applaud Casey for approaching Stash with this idea, and Stash for taking her up on it.
I understand that book projects should be fresh, and that book ideas get old if they’re overly discussed. I get that books have a two-year lead time and that’s a long tine for consumers to wait for a new title to be released. But is secrecy necessary, and is it best? Will you be less likely to buy Casey’s book after reading about it for so long?
On April 1, 2011 I announced that I was writing a book about soft toy design. The book came out May 7, 2013, two years and one month after the announcement. If you were around then, did your interest wane? (You can tell me. I’m okay with honesty.) And how many of you were even around then?
I asked Lark, the publisher of my new book, about the question of secrecy when I was signing my contract. Here’s what they said, “Regarding sharing info about the deal/new project: go forth! And going forward, I really trust your instincts with regard to your readers!”
As you can see, my publishers disagree.
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Okay, so here’s what I’d like to talk about with you:
The web moves fast and there’s a lot to see and read all day, all the time. Is it really necessary to not “talk
about the subject [of your book] beyond the broadest strokes” as Interweave advises?
Is secrecy more important now than ever? Every one of us has to ability to show anything we want, any time we want, to an audience of many. Perhaps it’s more important in today’s media landscape to remind authors to keep quiet?
As authors it’s in our best interest to drive sales. Is Casey shooting herself in the foot? Is Stash? Or is their bold move one that will bring you closer to both author and publisher, and bring your mouse closer to the “buy it now” button when the book is released?
I know there’s an idea of not releasing anything about your project so no one else steals your idea, but more than once I’ve seen two books about the exact same topic come out at the same time. In some ways, announcing early what you’re doing “claims your spot” in the market as someone who’s writing about a topic.
This is such exciting news to me! I’m all for transparency. & I think this topic goes hand in hand with the blog post from Ebony Love talking about the dumbing down of the craft industry. I’ve bought a few books that were terrible & had poorly constructed projects in them- If I had been exposed to process photos on that person’s blog, would I have bought the book? If a certain quilter had taken one photo of the BACK of her quilts & let everyone see her awful tension problems, would everyone have bought her book about being an expert quilter? Secrecy in crafts is like pretending you have a clean house after throwing everything into the hall closet. I appreciate the current wave of bloggers who are “warts & all”. It’s refreshing! & more human.
I think blog followers really appreciate honesty. Knowing that their favorite blogger has been keeping a secret for two years damages the relationship between bloggers and readers.
Personally, I buy books written by my favorite bloggers because I am interested in what they have to say (obviously!) and I am a fan and want to support them. It doesn’t matter how long I have known the book is coming. The secrecy is not necessary.
What Stash is doing is a great idea. Besides, everyone is interested in the inside story!
Thanks for the interesting discussion. 🙂
I have mixed feelings about this. I am working on a book now. Part of me would love to show the projects along the way but part of me is very guarded. For example, say I made a cute handbag that had a really innovative construction or a unique decorative technique. If I were to blog that and the idea really took off and lots of crafters emulated that, by the time my book comes out the concept would look old and tired. Books move so slowly through the publishing process!
I’m looking forward to the Stash series!
Movie studios announce movies well ahead of time, and the buildup is part of what makes those movies so successful.
I understand keeping certain aspects secret, like special projects or techniques, but I’m much more likely to lose interest in a mystery book than one on a topic I’m really interested in. When I heard about your Stuffed Animals book I was elated and wished it would come sooner, but I just got more excited the closer the date came. If the subject had been kept secret, I’d have only been mildly interested, and if I wasn’t a regular follower, I’d have forgotten there was a project a long time ago.
It seems counter productive to keep everything about a project so secret. It gets buried under the secrecy.
If I buy books in a bookstore, I can have a look in it and know before buying if I will like it, do I need it, or just the opposite.
I buy craft books only online now, as in the bookstores here I cannot find what I need or want to buy. If I cannot see what is in the book when I order online I usually do not buy it.
I sew clothes a lot, so if I consider a book with garment sewing projects with no preview and no information on the author’s website – well, in most cases I do not buy it.
So, from my point of view, the more information I have, the more likely I am to buy the book.
I do not need to see what are the exact techniques outlined in the book, but I definitely need to see what the projects will be before I buy.
For “Stuffed Animals”, for example, I do not need to research the book before buying – I know what you can offer as an author thanks to your blog as a whole and the softies construction series, and I will not search for another book on the topic for now.
Too much secrecy can hurt sales in my opinion. We do not need to know all that will be in the book, but we do need to know what the book will offer.
I don’t get secrecy. I really want to know what’s going on and I think talking about it really seeds excitement. I don’t get why it’s something that’s done in the publishing world but not other parts of the craft industry. For example, it doesn’t really work to open an Etsy shop and expect tons of sales as soon as you hit the list button. You need to talk about it and get people excited.
I see writing/talking about an upcoming book just another form of essential marketing.
So I found your blog because of the series you did on making softies (I think it was linked from another crafty-aggregator type blog?) and when I read it, I assumed you were doing it, in part to be awesome, but in part too to pitch a book. And then I kept reading because its a good blog and I like your patterns. And now I have your book. I knew it was a while ago but I couldn’t have said how long. So I don’t think its too much to share bits and pieces of the process – though I am more interested in making softies than in making books 🙂
I agree with those who would like less secrecy. I don’t think you should show too many details, but I am apt to STOP reading a blog if someone constantly says “Sorry I haven’t blogged much lately, I’m working on a super exciting project but I can’t tell you anything about it!” That comes off as bragging and annoying. I can’t see feeling bored by an idea or not buying a book just because I knew about it for a long time in advance.
Thank you so much for mentioning the blog series Stash and I are doing, Abby! I’ve been reading the comments with much interest and look forward to reading those to come.
I hope I’m not shooting myself in the foot, but I approached this idea as a consumer. I know I personally am not dissuaded from purchasing books by my favorite authors even when I have known about them–and even read excerpts–before publication. On the other hand, I think a certain amount of secrecy, especially about the specific projects, is justified–no one wants to be scooped. It’s a balancing act of sorts, but I hope knowing what goes on behind the scenes will be interesting (and maybe useful) to readers and aspiring authors alike.
A writer gets a book deal because they have an established audience through their blog (or whatever). Instead of working on building excitement about the project, the secrecy kills the audience since the author is focusing on stuff they can’t talk about. That seems ridiculous to me.
I remember the early days of blogging when publishers were contracting with some humorous bloggers and basically just republishing their posts. The craft book publishers obviously wouldn’t want to go there!
I’m all for more information! It keeps us engaged, and gives us an idea of what to expect in the book. It doesn’t have to be whole projects, but teasers are nice, especially if your normal content suffers for working on the book. As a person who prefers to take pattern or instructional books out of the library for a test drive before buying them (after too many years of buying books only to make two recipes or one sweater out of them) – I think that blog posts and online content gives me that kind of preview as well. I pre-ordered your latest book and was not disappointed!
I feel similar to others here then. If a favorite fiction author has a new book coming out we all know in advance basically what it’s about. That makes me more likely to get it. Now, how-to books are a bit different in that there are specific tips, techniques and special things that should be saved. I think that’s fine too. I think it’s wonderful when someone gets a book deal and maybe that should be announced. I think the problem comes when the publisher/author/blogger tries to then hold our interest for the two years it takes for development. Which is, of course totally impossible, so why try? Maybe post something every 6 months or so until the time gets closer. Then perhaps every other month until just before the release. Then we are reminded without having to suffer through the “I can’t show you anything’s” and get bored before it comes out. I don’t think people should show what will be in their books but perhaps companion projects or the same fabrics. Something like, “Here are some small funky Dresden such and suches and the technique and pattern will be expanded upon in the book coming out in three weeks!” There’s three cents for you 🙂 and maybe I should also say that it is because of the information you have already shared on your blog that I have your book on my wish list. I know you know and love what you’ll be teaching in it.
The next question is: would/could/should feedback from the author’s blog audience cause the author to change the direction of a book (even subtly)? Emphasise certain aspects, change the language used or add explanations?
Ginevra, you ask such a great question. When I decided to make my elements of soft toy design series into a book I felt the loss of the amazing, interesting comments that I had been getting from my blog readers. I learned so much from the skilled doll and toymakers who had found my blog through the series and were generously adding their own tips and tricks in the comments of each post. Going forward I had to work without their input and that did feel really sad to me!
Thank you so much for this perspective, Jeifner, and I hope you enjoy the book!
A blog builds your standing as an expert in your field. The informative posts and valuable information that you share on your blog is what gives people confidence that you know your craft and are worth spending money on. It’s very difficult to continue to share that sort of information while working on intense, tight book deadlines. It’s truly a conundrum for authors.
Saying you have a secret that you can’t share makes people feel excluded on a site where they once felt part of a community.
I know it will, Casey. I think it’s brave and generous and I will certainly be more likely to buy a book that I’ve watched come into existence.
Generally I feel that there’s never a reason to begin a blog post with, “Sorry I haven’t blogged much lately.” Whether you’re writing a book, or you’ve been sick, or you just flaked out and didn’t write for six months, just pick up where you left off. No apology necessary.
That’s interesting, Lina. I’m glad that knowing about it in advance didn’t have an adverse effect on your willingness to wait for the book’s release. I hope you really enjoy it now that it’s finally here!
I agree that content marketing is essential to making sales online, whatever the product you’re selling may be. I think what Stash has chosen to do with Casey is an excellent example and my bet is that it will push sales, not harm them.
I’m glad the balance worked for you, Nicky, and I like your analogy to movies. You’ve got to build excitement without coming on too strong.
Emily, I think you hit on something here that’s really important. A blog is a way to develop relationships with people, at least that’s the way I see it. When you have a secret that you can’t share, those relationships change in some way. Trust, openness, and the honest interaction between writer and reader is eroded.
Have you seen how many books there are on crafting with duct tape? There was a moment a few months ago when it seemed that every major craft publisher released a title on that topic. In some cases the more popular a particular topic is at the moment, the more likely you are to get a book deal.
My reply would be “a little” and my experience comes from my patterns. There is no reason for ALL THE SECRECY that some hint at. No one likes a secret you can’t spill any time soon. So the “I have something fun I can’t talk about” posts are lame.
That said, I write my patterns slowly. Sometimes I make a prototype then change my mind and do something else first, but I use my prototypes personally to test for size and functionality, so I’m excited about them and I post them on Instagram or Facebook as finishes. I think the longest between first prototype and pattern was about 18 months, with a dozen variations in between, but those “when will this be a pattern?” questions never end. Daily, sometimes. So… Only post things you can give those sorts of details about, unless you want to be in my situation. 🙂 But there is nothing wrong with saying “this will be part of my new book, Spring 2014” and I kind of like the idea above of posting fabric scraps and hints but not finished projects. We all love looking at pretty fabric. 🙂
I think it’s ok to share your ideas with your audience. It build interest and it gives people the opportunity to ask questions and even contribute their ideas and thoughts. You probably want to keep some things as a surprise, but not the whole book in my opinion.
I think this subject ties in with what I’m seeing as a slow evolution in how craft books are written. Over the past five years especially, craft books have been mostly collections of projects. But I’ve been excited lately to see more technique-based books (like yours) cross my field of view.
I think many publishers’ hesitancy to share details of a book comes, understandably, from not wanting to have the project ideas “stolen” before they can be sold in book form. But as other commenters here have pointed out, the web simply moves too fast for that intention. And I think that as technique books become more prominent, they’re also easier to share in progress, because each component idea is a tiny part of a greater whole (as opposed to being 1/20th of the book in project form).
When I follow a blogger, I love being able to tune into the story of her book’s creation. When I’m writing a book myself, I love being able to share glimpses of the process when I can. And let’s face it, most of us are savvy enough at this point to interpret a long blog-silence and multiple references to “secret project” as “she’s writing a book.” 🙂
From my perspective, which is one of a passionate craft book buyer and reader, secrecy usually means I am not buying that book.
If I buy books in a bookstore, I can have a look in it and know before buying if I will like it, do I need it, or just the opposite.
I buy craft books only online now, as in the bookstores in my country I cannot find what I need or want to buy. If I cannot see what is in the book when I order online I usually do not buy it.
I sew clothes a lot, so if I consider a book with garment sewing projects with no preview and no information on the author’s website – well, in most cases I do not buy it.
The more information I have, the more likely I am to buy the book.
I do not need to see what are the exact techniques outlined in the book, but I definitely need to see what the projects will be before I buy.
For “Stuffed Animals”, for example, I do not need to research the book before adding to my wishlist – I know that it will be useful and interesting thanks to your blog as a whole and the softies construction series, and I will not search for another book on the topic for now.
I think for some of the bigger vertical publishers in the market (like Interweave) have a valid concern of getting “scooped” by their competitors and thus their call for secrecy. I also know of several situations where a book ultimately never happened due to any number of issues between the various parties involved in making a book a reality. And obviously you don’t want to reveal too much or as another reader mentioned, by the time the book comes out, it all seems like “old news”.
However, assuming you are not breaking a contract, I think sharing enticing bits, teasers, the joy of find the right materials, working with those materials and other similar pieces is a great idea. Blogging about it constantly will probably not be so useful, but well timed posts becoming more frequent as the release date gets closer I think does build anticipation, excitement and buzz. And it is all the more true with authors that have a strong following already in place.
I don’t know if I will ever write another book, but I will definitely keep this post and the comments that follow in my mind when discussing the contract and secrecy with the publisher. Thanks for starting a great conversation!
I found your blog via your first book, the artful bird, and because I enjoy the content in your blog I keep on coming back. In answer to your point I think it helps to give a bit of background and a taster about the projects that will be in a future book on a blog because it builds confidence in the end product. Based on my positive experience with your first book, backed up by your blog I was interested in the second. The background info and also the blogs that predate your period of of secrecy also gave me confidence in the new publication. Both blog and book are linked and they support each other.
I imagine that in the current climate publishers are nervous about loosing the impact, and wasting resources, but I think that they are misjudging their audience.
These are great points, Diane. I love the rise in technique based books, or reference books, in craft. I’m still very willing to buy those because I find them so useful, whereas projects are easy enough to buy one by one online.