Today my colleague Tavia joins us with this guest post about Laura Lippman, whose most recent novel, I'd Know You Anywhere, is just out in paperback. Some of you may remember how much I loved this book when I read it last year. I literally hid myself from my family so that I could keep reading it - it was that unputdownable. In any case, this is Tavia's post, not mine, so here you have her, and Laura!
One of the best parts of my job doing book marketing is developing long-term relationships with authors, many of whom are funny, kind, intelligent and grateful. Laura Lippman is the perfect example of this sort of author, and I have had the pleasure of marketing her novels since No Good Deeds, in 2006. There have been some unusually exciting moments along the way—the breakout What the Dead Know, and the stunning performance of I’d Know You Anywhere, which made news for its ebook sales, hit the New York Times list, was listed as a Best Book of 2010 by many, and was nominated for both Los Angeles Times and Edgar Awards.
When it came time to publish the paperback edition of I’d Know You Anywhere, we knew we had to do something special. Part of that special was to send a note to the booksellers who have been Laura’s supporters through the years. And while it’s addressed to booksellers, I think the sentiment is equally true for you, her readers. Here’s a little glimpse into our publishing process, as I share with you now the Laura’s letter, dated December 2010.
Dear Booksellers,
First, I want to thank you for helping to make 2010 one of the best years of my life. I never lose sight of how much I need booksellers and bookstores, how nothing replaces the word-of-mouth enthusiasm created by those who truly love books. When people asked how I’d Know You Anywhere did, I could reply sunnily: “It had a very charmed life.” So thanks for waving your wands over it and I hope you'll continue to show it the same kind of support when it toddles out in the world in paperback.
As I said, 2010 was simply one of the best years of my life, and I hope many of you can say the same thing. But whatever kind of year you had in 2010, there's no reason not to wish for an even better 2011. Every year, when I sit down to write a new book, my one-word resolution is “Better.” It's not a bad resolution for life in general, I have found.
All my best, Laura
Watch the video and read an excerpt from I'd Know You Anywhere. You can find Laura on Facebook and at her blog and you can sign up for her mailing list.
P.S. Just as Laura resolved, her next novel The Most Dangerous Thing really is better than the one before. What a writer! To prove it, we will send an early galley of this September publication to the first five readers to post a comment to this post.
Tavia Kowalchuk is a Senior Marketing Director at William Morrow and has the privilege of working on hardcovers, trade paperbacks, and cookbooks published within that imprint.
