From a reader:
Do you feel like your book is getting swamped by the fleet sent to sink the USS McCain?
You were the buzz for a few weeks, and I was looking forward to a nice run fro you, but it’s been all Primaries all the time.
I know it’s still selling well, but man – what a tough biz publishing is.
Me: Hey, them’s the breaks. But yeah, this is a tough news environment to break into, which is why I am so grateful for the success I’ve already had. The trick, for those interested, is to essentially stay alive through Super Tuesday when the media looks to other stuff for a while. If the book can stay on the NYT bestseller list through then, we might get a nice rebound. Nearly all of the mainstream electronic media outlets have ignored the book, no doubt believing — hoping? — it will just go away. It’s been reviewed in surprisingly few print outlets as well. If it’s on the list for a few more weeks that will all change. Plus we have some more great media appearances and speaking gigs coming after Super Tuesday, so this thing might not yet be over. But even if the “best” is behind me, I can’t really complain. Not a lot of books make it to #3 on the Times list their second week out.
Still if you’re a fan of the book the most helpful thing you can do is spread the word. Good word-of-mouth is ultimately what sustains a book. Oh, and, if you’re someone who hates the book and/or yours truly, you keep doing what you’re doing. Controversy helps keep books going too.