Most booksellers want the publisher to state what “category” a book is, so they know where to shelve it.

For the upcoming Thunderbirds books, I provided the category “Science Fiction (media tie-in)” for the distributor, Diamond Comics. (A distributor is an entity which purchases books from publishers, and the bookstores order the books from the distributor. Most bookstores prefer to order books from a distributor instead of a publisher; it’s easier for them to order from 3 different distributors instead of 53 different publishers.) Thunderbirds definitely is a science fiction concept, set in the future and made possible through advanced technology. Diamond Comics is an ideal distributor for the books, since readers who come to stores that carry comics represent all ages, and Thunderbirds viewers also represent all ages. And, since bookstores that don’t carry comics also order from Diamond Comics, there will be a maximum potential for distribution.

This past week, I was contacted by a columnist for Publishers Weekly. The columnist wanted to interview me and place the interview in the online edition in the children’s bookshelf. Again, this is ideal placement, since many books listed in the children’s section (such as The Hobbit) are read by both young people and adults, giving the Thunderbirds books maximum publicity.

I’m very pleased at how word is spreading about the Thunderbirds books, and in particular, that people realize that the books will be suitable reading for all age groups.

Posted by Publisher at 3/9/2008 7:13 PM