A Step Ahead
There are two constants in life...
Change and the fact that there's always going to be someone better than you at whatever you do.
I've always marveled at how difficult it can be for some entertainers to stay up with a trend they began.
Perfect example, in 1989 Bell Biv Devoe (BBD) jumpstarted the blending of hip-hop and R&B music. From the style of music to the graffiti-laden overalls they wore, they were pioneers in the fashion and movement of producing R&B dance tracks with a hip hop edge. They had two dance hits and a popular smooth groove. By their second CD, the trend they'd started had left them behind.
BBD was never able to best their own popularity, much less keep up with the groups their sound spawned.
How frustrating it must have been, for them, to watch group after group surpass them, building on the trend, making it their own.
This syndrome, the student surpassing the teacher, happens all the time in music. Bummer for music because it's rare for the copy cat TV show to be more successful than the original. The dreadful pirate show conceived by Survivor creator, Mark Burnett comes to mind.
What was he thinking? You know life is rough when your copy cat of your own show goes horribly wrong.
And while a popular movie can result in a million other movies like it - few reach, much less exceed the popularity of the master film.
Most likely because fiction writing moves much slower than music making, and because books don't have the visual or audio elements of videos and radio to help promote, new lit waves take longer to truly explode.
So it's not unheard of that writers toil, unknown or known only by a small segment of readers, for a few years until someone breaks out, bringing attention to the entire genre. Usually, the break out is seen as "unique" and "new," when in fact they're a product of right time, right place.
A rising tide floats all boats. So as long as those in the same genre can catch the wave, reminding the media and readers that they too write this same sort of fiction ::ahem, and always have:: it's all good.
Still, a recurring thought-mare that I have is that the world will finally discover that contemporary books with multi-culti characters exist and my books will be left out of the renaissance.
So, I've been thinking of ways to stay one step ahead. Here's what I've come up with so far:
* During media interviews, at conferences and booksignings take on the persona of my main character Mina, only answering by her name. Think of it as method writing. Being known as that "crazy" YA writer is better than not being known at all.
* Tattoo the name of my series and each book cover on to my face...with the release date. Documenting that you're not a copy cat is important in lit circles.
*Make up spine stickers with my book titles on them and place them over all Gossip Girl and A-List books in the store. It's not vandalism if I need the sales more than they do, right?
*In the vein of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," see if the Little Brown (GG publisher) will adopt my series. Basically take DRB Clique on as a little sister to their series. Hmm...ya' know this could be a new publishing trend. I'll let Kensington and LB hash out the minor details about money and distribution. This is about marketing!
*Start a rumor that I'm the love child of Judy Blume and Walter Dean Meyers. It'll set the kiddie lit world aflame. Who's not gonna read my books if I'm the progeny of those two?!
* Do a bill board in Times Square, Diddy-style - only I'll be nude, with only my books to cover key spots. If you haven't seen Diddy's larger than life-size ad you've either never been to NYC or never seen his show, Making The Band. The ad gets as much face time as the Diddster.
*Re-create a live version of said ad at next year's BEA. The only way to truly be noticed at this huge event is to be nude...and even that may not work.
Okay, I know, I know. I have little control over the fate of how my book will be highlighted in the history of YA. Though, I may if I did any of the above.
Still, I love to ponder such things because the blogosphere is much like a reality show testimonial.
-End confession-
Change and the fact that there's always going to be someone better than you at whatever you do.
I've always marveled at how difficult it can be for some entertainers to stay up with a trend they began.
Perfect example, in 1989 Bell Biv Devoe (BBD) jumpstarted the blending of hip-hop and R&B music. From the style of music to the graffiti-laden overalls they wore, they were pioneers in the fashion and movement of producing R&B dance tracks with a hip hop edge. They had two dance hits and a popular smooth groove. By their second CD, the trend they'd started had left them behind.
BBD was never able to best their own popularity, much less keep up with the groups their sound spawned.
How frustrating it must have been, for them, to watch group after group surpass them, building on the trend, making it their own.
This syndrome, the student surpassing the teacher, happens all the time in music. Bummer for music because it's rare for the copy cat TV show to be more successful than the original. The dreadful pirate show conceived by Survivor creator, Mark Burnett comes to mind.
What was he thinking? You know life is rough when your copy cat of your own show goes horribly wrong.
And while a popular movie can result in a million other movies like it - few reach, much less exceed the popularity of the master film.
Most likely because fiction writing moves much slower than music making, and because books don't have the visual or audio elements of videos and radio to help promote, new lit waves take longer to truly explode.
So it's not unheard of that writers toil, unknown or known only by a small segment of readers, for a few years until someone breaks out, bringing attention to the entire genre. Usually, the break out is seen as "unique" and "new," when in fact they're a product of right time, right place.
A rising tide floats all boats. So as long as those in the same genre can catch the wave, reminding the media and readers that they too write this same sort of fiction ::ahem, and always have:: it's all good.
Still, a recurring thought-mare that I have is that the world will finally discover that contemporary books with multi-culti characters exist and my books will be left out of the renaissance.
So, I've been thinking of ways to stay one step ahead. Here's what I've come up with so far:
* During media interviews, at conferences and booksignings take on the persona of my main character Mina, only answering by her name. Think of it as method writing. Being known as that "crazy" YA writer is better than not being known at all.
* Tattoo the name of my series and each book cover on to my face...with the release date. Documenting that you're not a copy cat is important in lit circles.
*Make up spine stickers with my book titles on them and place them over all Gossip Girl and A-List books in the store. It's not vandalism if I need the sales more than they do, right?
*In the vein of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," see if the Little Brown (GG publisher) will adopt my series. Basically take DRB Clique on as a little sister to their series. Hmm...ya' know this could be a new publishing trend. I'll let Kensington and LB hash out the minor details about money and distribution. This is about marketing!
*Start a rumor that I'm the love child of Judy Blume and Walter Dean Meyers. It'll set the kiddie lit world aflame. Who's not gonna read my books if I'm the progeny of those two?!
* Do a bill board in Times Square, Diddy-style - only I'll be nude, with only my books to cover key spots. If you haven't seen Diddy's larger than life-size ad you've either never been to NYC or never seen his show, Making The Band. The ad gets as much face time as the Diddster.
*Re-create a live version of said ad at next year's BEA. The only way to truly be noticed at this huge event is to be nude...and even that may not work.
Okay, I know, I know. I have little control over the fate of how my book will be highlighted in the history of YA. Though, I may if I did any of the above.
Still, I love to ponder such things because the blogosphere is much like a reality show testimonial.
-End confession-
posted by Paula at 3:17 PM
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