ATRIA
"The best strategy for increasing market share is not to have so many boundaries around the marketplace. We're redefining and blurring what we would call romance," reports Judith Curr, publisher of Atria and Washington Square Press.
A case in point: early next month Atria will publish about 100,000 copies of Star, which Curr describes as "the story of a small-town girl who makes it into the big time and becomes a centerfold." However, it's not so much the plot that will distinguish this title as it is its author: Pamela Anderson, heretofore better known for her performance on TV's Baywatch and tabloid-worthy personal life. The hardcover is the first in a deal for two romans à clef.
To exploit the notoriety of the actress-cum-author, Star will be available with two different jackets, one of which can be removed and unfolded into a poster. Anderson, whom Curr calls "an instant brand," will embark on a two-week tour for the book.
In the interest of further expansion of the definition of romance, Curr also includes under that umbrella the works of Jennifer Weiner, author of Good in Bed (2001) and In Her Shoes (2002) and the forthcoming Little Earthquakes (Sept.), as well as this month's The Dog Walker by Leslie Schnur.
Curr is also enthusiastic about forays into the African-American market with writers like Zane and Karen Siplin. And Atria has seen success with Posie Graeme-Evans's The Innocent (Mar.), a romance set in medieval England.
But this summer's hopes rest squarely on the, um, shoulders of Pamela Anderson. Curr says, "To me it's the perfect marriage of content and credibility. The platform is there. And of course, it's sexy. It's a little out of the box, and we're waiting to see if we can create this new voice and fun in the women's romantic fiction genre."
AVON
At Avon, finding new twists on romance has been the main strategy for increasing market share. The watchword is variety, and no niche is going unexplored.
"We're trying to go beyond the girl-working-in-a-cubicle-in-the-city books, not that those aren't fun," explains executive editor Carrie Feron. "We've aggressively looked for multicultural and African-American books, and we've done a couple of books that are about women's experiences that aren't specific to the city, like Marsha Moyer's The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch [2003] and The Last of the Honky-Tonk Angels [Aug.]. " (Both are Avon paperback reprints of Morrow hardcovers.)
Other developing subcategories include modern romances with paranormal elements, such as Sonia Singh's Goddess for Hire (July) and Jenna McKnight's A Date on Cloud Nine (Oct.).
"There are a lot of different experiences in this age group, and other age groups too," says Feron, who recently bought a book about a woman celebrating her 50th birthday. "How often does the category change unless you try things that don't fit strictly into the middle of the category?"
All this innovation doesn't indicate a lack of respect for tradition. Avon remains firmly grounded in more traditional genres like historical romance as well. "Julia Quinn, who has When He Was Wicked coming out this month, has been one of our amazing homegrown success stories, as has Eloisa James, who we published back-to-back and then she hit the New York Times bestseller list," says Feron.
The imprint won't, however, increase the number of titles from the six to eight it publishes monthly in order to grow its market share. Instead, says Feron, "We're spending a lot of time thinking about the marketing of our books and trying every angle for each book."
BALLANTINE
Clipping coupons isn't just for grocery store shoppers. At Ballantine, Random House Publishing Group associate publisher Libby McGuire has discovered that rebates are especially effective in increasing market share for romance authors.
"Our most successful recent strategy is rebates," McGuire explains. "For Cherry Adair's new book (and her hardcover debut), On Thin Ice, we moved into a low-priced, $19.95 hardcover, with a rebate offer in Romantic Times. That title doesn't go on sale until August 17, but we're getting fabulous sell-in."
The same technique worked well last July with Suzanne Brockmann's first hardcover, Gone Too Far, also priced at $19.95. For that title, which hit PW's and the New York Times bestseller lists, a $5 rebate coupon was included in a sampler available from floor displays. Ballantine received 3,000 coupons from consumers, McGuire reports—"That was our big success of the year."
With publication of Brockmann's Flashpoint in March of this year, the house raised the price point to $21.95 and lowered the rebate to $3, publishing the coupon as part of a booklet in Romantic Times. The house regularly supports Romantic Times with plenty of advertising. "We also look to the mainstream through USA Today and radio to get the wider audience," says McGuire.
Ballantine is playing with prices some more and looking to draw readers by reprinting backlist books as $4.99 mass market paperbacks in conjunction with new titles. That treatment worked well for Kristin Hannah's May hardcover, The Things We Do for Love, and will be used later this summer for Linda Francis Lee, Tess Gerritsen and Jill Marie Landis. The paperbacks contain teasers advertising the upcoming hardcover. "The key is that we tip to the new book, so hopefully readers come back six weeks later," says McGuire.
BANTAM DELL
"At Bantam Dell we take it right back to the basics: It comes down to the gift of talent," says director of creative marketing Betsy Hulsebosch. "We look at how we are going to support the authors who stand out. You could dominate the market by flooding it with tons of product, but we make a conscious decision not to do that."
Instead, Bantam Dell's focus remains on promoting individual authors who, in Hulsebosch's words, "rise above."
One such author is Karen Marie Moning, whose first hardcover, The Immortal Highlander, goes on sale next month. Since Moning also has four backlist books with the house, those earlier titles are now available in low-priced paperbacks with a new, cohesive look that Hulsebosch describes as "very sexy male torso packaging."
Says Hulsebosch, "We wanted to alert existing fans and those just discovering her that something is happening, so that when the hardcover lands they're ready to trade up. We're asking readers to put their money where their reading habits are." As a result, Hulsebosch reports, "Market share for her backlist has increased very rapidly."
Another strategy that the house has used with success is the publication of a trilogy over three consecutive months in order to draw readers in repeatedly. Jane Feather's Matchmaker trilogy—The Bachelor List (Feb.), The Bride Hunt (Mar.) and The Wedding Game (Apr).— received that treatment earlier this year. Hulsebosch tells PW, "We saw an absolute momentum and we were able to put her on the national bestseller lists, boom boom boom."
Hulsebosch cautions, however, that the key to all of this is personalization. "We try not to genericize our line," she says. "The trilogy strategy for Jane Feather was specifically crafted for her. It wasn't just, 'Let's get some more rack space.' "
BERKLEY
For Berkley Publishing Group senior editor Cindy Hwang, "diversity" best describes the company's road to growth, especially as it has played out in its year-old romance line, Berkley Sensation. "We've never stopped publishing in an area. Right now, there's a sense that paranormals are on the rise; but we've always published paranormals," she tells PW.
"We range pretty far and wide in Sensation," adds Hwang. The imprint publishes four mass markets monthly that mix romantic subgenres, as well as books by new and more established authors. Next month, for example, Berkley Sensation will release Suzanne Simmons's contemporary romance Sweetheart, Indiana and Jacqueline Navin's Regency The Heiress of Hyde Park as well as paranormals by Mary Janice Davidson and P.C. Cast. "A lot of what we do is concentrate on our individual authors." says Hwang. "If this is the type of book they really want to write, how can we get them readers?"
To further vary the list, Berkley will introduce its first Sensation trade paperback in October with Emma Holly's erotic novel Strange Attractions. "We're very picky about what goes into trade; we're not going to fill slots," says Hwang, who has no intention of reserving trade spots just for chick lit. "To be in Sensation, a book has to satisfy a certain romantic sensibility. We never want that imprint not to be romance. If it's about the boy that got away, it's less likely that it will be Sensation." A lot of bestselling authors, such as Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz, also fall outside Berkley Sensation, which was created to provide a platform to build authors—and market share. "With this program," says Hwang, "we have successfully managed not only to keep our market share but also to grow the numbers with the mass market and trade paperback programs."
DORCHESTER
"Our attitude has always been if we come across a good book, we will find a way to publish it," says Dorchester editorial director Alicia Condon. "As an editor, I feel the way to get market share is to publish good books." Of course, finding those titles is only half the challenge; marketing them is also key, which is why Dorchester is starting a new imprint for its first line of chick lit, Making It. In one of several other firsts, these hip reads for the post-tween set mark Dorchester's first foray into trade paperback. In addition, the publisher is sending out its first ARCs, to ensure that Making It, in fact, makes it.
"It seems that the hip now voice that is so critical for tween romances is very critical for chick lit," says Condon. "In the process of signing on authors for Smooch [Dorchester's year-old romance line for tweens], we found writers for Making It." Alesia Holliday, for example, whose look at reality TV, American Idle (Aug.), will be the first book published under the new imprint, will also publish her YA novel, Super What? simultaneously under the Smooch imprint. Stephanie Rowe, whose Unbecoming Behavior is due out in October, also writes for Smooch. And while Dorchester doubled the number of Smooch titles it publishes from one to two books a month starting in July, Making It titles will be released much less frequently, with only three slated for August through January.
"We're not going to force ourselves to publish Making It titles every month," says Condon, who notes that part of the appeal of Making It is that "20- and 30-somethings want to read about themselves." As for the switch to trade paper, she adds, "she does not want to read the same book as her mother. Our packaging for the Making It books is very upscale, very witty."
HARLEQUIN ENTERPRISES
In its continuing push to expand into women's single title fiction (via its dedicated imprints Mira, Red Dress and HQN, which launches next month), Harlequin Enterprises' main strategy has been to build on its mission statement—to be relevant to women's lives—and foster a sense of community among its readers.
Editorial v-p Isabel Swift cites two recent efforts that epitomize the company's goals. First is the "uniquely successful" publicity and marketing campaign that accompanied Debbie Macomber's The Shop on Blossom Street (Mira, May). The book, about four women who open up a knitting shop, offered a compelling metaphor that Harlequin milked to the hilt to recruit an audience from the untapped crafts field. From the jacket copy—"Four lives knit together"—to the press kits with yarn and needles to a grassroots push via JoAnn Fabric and Craft stores, the book, says Swift, "spoke to who we are and who Macomber is. There were lots of metaphors about the fabric of our lives, how things ravel and unravel. Debbie knit all during her tour. She knit scarves for key accounts. The campaign brought new readers in. We are still getting reorders.
"When you break into new marketplaces they aren't New York Times reporting stores. But in terms of expanding our market, this definitely did." More Than Words, Harlequin's philanthropy that launched this year, also cultivated a sense of community by calling on readers throughout the country to honor women in their midst who had done extraordinary things to help others. "The premise is that a woman's compassion can change the world," says Swift. "We got amazing recommendations. We chose five women and programs, all exceptional and extraordinary, and gave $10,000 to each." Five top authors were then asked to write stories inspired by these women's work; the stories will be published in October in an anthology called More Than Words. The book's proceeds will fund next year's winners. "For us, More than Words really is what we have been about and will be about, being relevant to women's lives and creating beauty out of nothing."
KENSINGTON
High on the list of priorities for Kensington in its quest to command market share is the company's relationships with its accounts. "They give us an edge into where the marketplace is going," says publisher Laurie Parkin. "We maintain great relationships with them. They see and hear what customers are saying and it helps us with the entire process, from packaging to pricing to marketing strategy. They are one of our most important tools."
Another priority is cover design, Parkin continues. "We reinvent them at almost every meeting. We're always trying to do something different, and we're constantly changing. We don't want anything to get stale." She also points to a new program Kensington designed to give something "extra" to its readership: a special price break. "We started a program last month to introduce tomorrow's romance stars to today's readers at yesterday's prices. We'll publish one book a month by a new author, priced at $3.99 in the U.S. Each one of those titles has to have an endorsement from a New York Times bestselling author, to give an added push. The first title, Paula Reed's Into His Arms, a historical pirate adventure, has only been on sale a couple of weeks so we have no solid numbers yet, but it's definitely raising them. Through orders we're seeing five times what another unknown author would get. The idea is to build these writers on the list. We cross-promote the titles on the inside cover." Another thing Kensington does to deliver added value is publish "six-pack" anthologies, six stories in one collection anchored by a well-known writer. As Parkin puts it, "We help pull authors onto the USA list and grow their markets." Jingle Bell Rock, last year's holiday anthology (from Brava), was anchored by Lori Foster and featured stories by Janelle Denison, Susan Donovan, Donna Kauffman, Alison Kent and Nancy Warren. "All the writers broke out larger after the anthology," Parkin says.
MEDALLION
Launched last year at BEA, the Barrington, Ill.—based Medallion Press plans to capture market share by stretching the envelope, says Leslie Burbank, a romance novelist turned v-p. "We don't want just Scottish Welsh romance with a Braveheart character. We want to branch out." Next February, the press's Jewel imprint will publish Karen Mercury's The Hinterlands, a book set in colonial Africa—a setting that exemplifies the risks Medallion will take, says Burbank. "It's such a different time period."
Likewise, one of the launch titles, Nan Ryan's The Last Dance, was set in Atlantic City at the turn of the 20th century, a time and a setting that didn't appeal to Ryan's usual publisher. "We pursue good ideas that don't fit inside the box," Burbank says. "The books will still have happy endings, but they will be set somewhere new." A trilogy by Beth Ciotta, which kicked off with Jinxed in March and continues with Charmed in December and Seduced in late 2005, has a secondary relationship between two gay men. "This is not a safe bet," Burbank says. "We're going to take some chances on what we publish. Medallion is not doing any one thing to gain market share, Burbank says, but she and company president Helen Rosburg pay close attention to the market. "We believe our readers will be receptive to new ideas. We're willing and able to enjoy something new and we're doing that. Our marketing department is in on our decisions. Our covers accurately reflect our books. We can focus because we're small." Another strategy is not to cultivate a backlist but to keep "older" titles as much in the limelight as newly published ones. "We'll spend the same money and effort on any of our titles," Burbank says. "If you've never ordered a book it's new to you. We don't believe in a 30-day shelf life."
NAL
How do you increase market share? For NAL editorial director Claire Zion the answer is straightforward: "We're going to produce more product." In January, the publisher will launch Eclipse, which Zion describes as "an aggressive commitment to romance publishing in an increasingly difficult market. We're doing it to give our romances a home on our list. In the past, some have appeared as Signet titles and others as Onyx. Now, with the exception of the leaders on our Signet list, all our romance titles will be Eclipse."
Centralizing the romance list under Eclipse, says Zion, "will raise our profile among booksellers and make them aware not only of how much we have increased the depth and breadth of our romance list in the last few years but also how innovative and fun our authors are."
Eclipse will include historical and contemporary romances in all the subgenres, and the list, reports Zion, will feature authors with long track records such as Cassie Edwards and Pat Rice, debut novelists, and stars from the category world who are breaking out into the mainstream such as Jill Shalvis.
Each month will feature three titles—one lead (either a historical or a contemporary), a historical and a contemporary. Highlights from the winter list include Hard Day's Knight (Jan.), a "fun contemporary romance" by Katie MacAlister; Siren (Jan.), the U.S. debut of British author Cheryl Sawyer that Zion calls "a richly detailed, very sensual pirate story"; and The Duel (Feb.) by Barbara Metzger, a longstanding star of Signet's Regency list now moving into mainstream historicals.
"Our philosophy for publishing romance," Zion explains, "won't change with the launch of Eclipse. We still believe in buying only those authors we are passionate about, the ones with strong distinct voices who can grow to bestsellerdom no matter how modest their beginnings. We feel that Eclipse will provide the focus and structure that's so key in accomplishing that goal."
POCKET BOOKS
According to Pocket Books editorial director Maggie Crawford, "Our publisher, Louise Burke, feels that on a list as big as ours it's especially important to focus on and support the romance author we're intent on building in any given month." The Romance Feature slot in the publisher's Pocket Star Books monthly magazine has done all that and more. Being selected for that position, explains Crawford, "is all about propelling careers of writers with established track records to the next level and in certain circumstances launching the career of a new writer. It raises visibility both in-house and with booksellers."
Liz Carlyle had written five historicals for Pocket when she was selected in April 2003. Says Crawford, "We had changed her packaging with the publication of The Devil You Know and this was a great way to announce it." The high profile, Crawford adds, "raised her gross as well as net sales dramatically."
This August, Pocket will turn the spotlight on "sexy Regency" author Sabrina Jeffries and The Prince's Bed, the first in The Royal Brotherhood trilogy. Jeffries is new to the Pocket list and her selection, says Crawford, will introduce the new relationship to booksellers. Paranormal romantic suspense novelist Catherine Mulvany will become the exception to the rule when she and her first novel, Run No More, are featured in October. "Catherine was the exception because her book had generated excitement both from the editorial staff and from major accounts."
"The results of the focus and support that Pocket Books' Romance Feature titles receive have been extremely positive," says Crawford. "It's created not only sales growth but an exciting partnership between accounts, publisher, and author and agent." And, she says, "we're delighted to be extending our romantic fiction program to hardcover publications, beginning next year with authors Eileen Goudge, Johanna Lindsey and Fern Michaels." (See News, June 28.)
ST. MARTIN'S
Jennifer Enderlin has five rules to publish by when it comes to winning a bigger share of the Romance market. Those rules, says SMP's associate publisher, all relate to strategizing an author's career many years into the future—authors such as Sherrilyn Kenyon, who Enderlin cites as "a perfect example of the rules paying off." Kiss of the Night, Kenyon's fifth book for SMP, hit the New York Times, USA Today and PW bestseller lists in April 2004. (Her newest, Night Play, is due next month.)
Rule # 1: Only buy an author if you're in it for the long haul: "We don't have slots to fill with imprints or lines, so we only buy authors for whom we see a long-term career. Even first-time authors are given multiple book contracts."
Rule # 2: Identify what you're selling and package it that way: "Kenyon's books are hero-driven, sexy paranormals and her covers say that. If you don't know what you're selling then neither will the consumer. The trick is to clearly signal what the book is, without making it look just like everything else. And that is a trick."
Rule # 3: Be consistent: consistent packaging, a consistent publication schedule and consistent content. St. Martin's recently repackaged Kenyon's backlist to bring it into line with the new look created for her titles.
Rule # 4: Don't force huge distributions too soon or sell-throughs will suffer along with the author's long-term career.
Rule # 5: Readers tell other readers when they like an author's work: "Every author reaches a point of critical mass in their career, the moment when there are enough fans to rush out and get the books in a condensed period of time. As a publisher, you have to know when that moment is and be ready with the right kind of visibility, packaging, marketing and distribution."
WARNER BOOKS
"Hand-selling," says Warner's mass market editorial director Beth DeGuzman, "is still the best friend of both new and growing authors." And when it comes to generating excitement about a new title that will pay off in hand-selling, galleys are a top priority.
This means getting galleys into booksellers' hands on a timely basis— they're sent out at least three months before a book's pub date—and making certain that they'll "stand out so they're picked up and read quickly," says DeGuzman. This means full-color covers and often packaging the galleys with a lagniappe. In the case of Lori Wilde's Charmed and Dangerous (July), it's a silver charm bracelet. Toni Blake's The Red Diary (Sept.) comes with Post-It notes imprinted with the book's cover. To make first-time author Julie Anne Long stand out, a lavender oval box containing a mini-postcard for the book, chocolates, tea and a locket was sent along with the galley for The Runaway Duke (Aug.).
One-on-one relationships with accounts are also integral to creating a buzz about an upcoming title. DeGuzman and her editorial staff are regularly in touch with a group of booksellers to find out what's hot and what's not and whenever she or her staff travel to conferences or BEA, they make it a point to meet and talk with store managers and booksellers—and add their names to the galley mailing list. DeGuzman also makes certain that she has a chance to meet with the Bookseller of the Year at the RWA Convention and "talk about what they're doing in their store that got them nominated." Authors are encouraged to go to their local bookstores, introduce themselves and leave a galley for the staff to read. And a constantly replenished stock of Warner Romance T-shirts is always available for giveaways at conferences or to provide to authors going to local events with booksellers and librarians.
