Though not everyone will agree, some in the publishing business are taking the idea that "bigger is better" literally. Take the newest tome on Elvis Presley from Black Dog & Leventhal: the oversized 160-page book—its pages measure 255 square inches (roughly the surface area of a sizable nightstand or, these days, a moderately sized television screen)—is a lavish, glitzy look at the life and impact of the iconic star. With a cover bearing its title in bedazzled rhinestones, The King is intended to be the must-have item for zealous Presley fans at the hefty price of $75.
The King will hit stores next month, and Black Dog has set an initial print run of 55,000 copies. The book features a wealth of archival photos (in black & white, color and metallic shades of gold and silver) displayed across huge pages and accompanied by a narrative from author Jim Piazza. It chronicles Elvis from his youth in Tennessee through his emergence on the rock 'n' roll scene to his early career in Vegas.
The thinking behind the title, according to Black Dog editorial director Laura Ross, is that an extravagant star needed equally extravagant treatment in print. Ross readily admitted the book is more of a gamble than most with its high list price, expensive production costs and difficult shipping needs. "We believed in the potential of this book from the beginning," she said. "Nothing less than over-the-top would do for an icon like Elvis, and we were confident that if we could deliver a really deluxe package for under $100, it would find its audience."
To help stores market the title, Black Dog is providing retailers a "custom-made metal 'lectern-style' " floor display, which, as Ross describes it, "takes up surprisingly little floor space."
'Calvin' a Hit
Black Dog isn't the only publisher showing more of a commitment to big books. Andrews McMeel's The CompleteCalvin and Hobbes, a 23-pound behemoth containing every strip of the comic that ever ran, has been a sizable success for the house.
The book has sold 34,329 copies, as tracked by BookScan, in the first three weeks since its release on October 4. And despite its list price of $150, consumers aren't staying away: after an initial printing of 250,000, a second run of 100,000 copies is due to hit stores in time for Father's Day.
