Whoâs ready for the fourth and final installment of The Book Loverâs Guide to Publishing?! This week, weâre speaking to Jeanne-Marie Hudson, the Vice President, Associate Publisher, and Director of Marketing for Berkley. Have you ever wondered why books come in different sizes or why the same book can have multiple covers? Read on to find out!
What’s a mass market paperback?Mass market paperbacks are a smaller trim size and more inexpensive than trade paperbacks. The original mass markets, or “rack sized” paperbacks were designed to fit in racks at supermarkets, drugstores, and other non-traditional book outlets. There is also a larger trim and more expensive “premium” mass market that is now quite popular, particularly for bestselling authors.How is a mass market paperback different from a trade paperback?Trade paperbacks are essentially the same size as the hardcover, but with a different binding and a lower price. They started as primarily bookstore product, but now are also in mass merch accounts.What about movie tie-ins?Movie tie-ins are paperback editions of books that have become movies (or TV shows, which is of course a TV tie-in). They are published in mass market, trade, and some movies or TV shows warrant both formats. They utilize the movie studio art to create a clear connection for the consumer. Interestingly, we frequently also see dramatically increased sales for the original art paperbacks alongside the sales of the MTI, even if the title of the movie and MTI is different from the original work.
A huge thank you to Jeanne-Marie, the rest of our employees who took the time to be interviewed, and to YOU for reading along! We hope you learned something new about the world of publishing. Happy reading, Penguins!
We’re back for another round of The Book Lover’s Guide to Publishing! Scroll down to learn about typos, binding errors, and book covers.
Why do typos happen?Typos happen because no matter how many people are carefully scrutinizing a book as it makes its way to print, people remain, unfortunately, fallible, and one eye or brain blink at the wrong moment and, well, thereâs your typo. Iâd add that itâs quite possible, though, to produce a book without a single inarguable error in it, and we do that a lot. And that the number of typos called to our attentionâwhich weâre always eager to fix in reprints of print books and, immediately, in ebooksâis delightfully minuscule. (Ben Dreyer, VP, Executive Managing Editor & Copy Chief Random House)Why do binding errors happen?Binding errors are too quite rare, and because of careful oversight during the manufacturing processâand of course we look at finished books here in the office as soon as theyâre printedâflawed books rarely make it out of the warehouse and into consumersâ hands. Occasionally a book will escape with dropped or miscollated pages, but even when that occurs the error tends to be isolated to a few copies from the print run. (Ben Dreyer, VP, Executive Managing Editor & Copy Chief Random House)How are book covers designed?Designers are usually given a brief and a manuscript of each book to read over. Once weâve got an understanding of the book we put together concepts and work with our art directors to hone the design and make sure weâre clearly communicating the message of the book. From there, we show comps to the editor and publisher, and once a cover is chosen it goes to the author for approval. (Colin Webber, PPG Designer)Why is the paperback cover different from the hardcover cover?The paperback is different from the hardcover for a few reasons. Most of a bookâs life is spent as a paperback, so something like a noteworthy quote becomes more important in grabbing the attention of passersby. The production and price point factor in as well. Certain designs lend themselves better to a smaller paperback than a jacketed hardcover (and vice versa). Sometimes the paperback version falls under a different imprint with a different publisher than the hardcover. Different publishers might have different visions for the book, and try to reach different audiences. (Colin Webber, PPG Designer)
A huge thank you to all of our employees who took the time to be interviewed. We hope their answers have helped you better understand the publishing process!
Check back next week for our fourth and final installment of The Book Loverâs Guide to Publishing!
Welcome back, readers! Have more questions about publishing that youâve been dying to ask? See below to find out if your question has been answered!
Why is the book cover different in different countries?
Essentially the reason for different covers is because there are usually multiple international publishers for any major authorâs titles, and we (PRH U.S.) do not always have rights in every country to every title, or we license to a company that is not part of PRH. So, for example, John Grisham is published in the UK by Hachette UK, George R.R. Martin is published by HarperCollins UK, etc. They will design cover treatment and print quotes which are relevant to their marketplace. Same for any given non-English speaking market. (Cyrus Kheradi, International Sales)
Why is [book title] not available to purchase in my country?The Penguin Random House international sales team works with distributors, wholesalers, and retail booksellers all over the world to reach readers in over 240 countries and territories. While we have robust international sales and marketing reach, our distribution is formally limited to a list of territories the publisher negotiates with an authorâs agent when purchasing book rights. Rights to the UK and British Commonwealth are often sold separately and exclusively to a British publisher. Territories outside the exclusive domains of the US and UKâthe âopen marketââare generally shared between the two publishers on a non-exclusive basis, but may vary at the country or regional level. Every book is different, and one of the exciting challenges we face in international sales is keeping them all straight and getting copies into readersâ hands everywhere we have the rights. (Kelly Roberts, International Marketing Manager)What are the other jobs associated with publication? (Sales, Marketing, Publicity, Subrights, Special Markets)In addition to editorial, there are a wealth of other departments in a publishing house that help bring the books to life and to the marketplace. Our managing editorial, production, and art teams usher books through the process that creates the physical objects. Our publicity teams bring them to the attention of the media, while our marketing teams bring them to the attention of consumers. Our subrights team coordinate getting our books published internationally, and also get excerpts from our books placed in magazines and newspapers. Our sales and special markets teams bring our books to retailers and the marketplace so that consumers can buy them. And this is only the tip of the iceberg! (Casey Blue James, Manager, Business Development Penguin Publishing Group)
A Huge thank you to all of our employees who took the time to be interviewed. We hope their answers have helped you better understand the publishing process!
Check back soon for another installment of The Book Loverâs Guide to Publishing.
Weâre going deep inside the making of a book, with interviews from Penguin Random House employees in editorial, marketing, sales, and more.  If youâve ever wondered about all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making your favorite books, this is the series for you.  Take a look at the first post in this series here. Gemina is now on shelves! We’re wrapping up this series with an interview with the authors! Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff stopped by the studio to talk about their book tour and much more. Listen here:Â
“Getting out and meeting readers is honestly the best part of the job” – Jay Kristoff
Fans have been raving about Gemina, and book instagrammers have a lot to say!
From Hikari of Folded Pages Distillery:
“Gemina: 10/5 Stars. Explosive, Brutal, Hilarious, Unforgiving, Fist Pumping, Jaw Dropping. These are the words Iâm using for Gemina. I started Gemina on Thursday and stayed up last night until 3 a.m. finishing it because I COULD NOT STOP.”
“I think the whole world knows how much I loved #Illuminae and so far I’m loving Hanna and Nik’s story too! Anddddd the book features illustrations by @marieluthewriter! How awesome is that?!!!”
From Ursula of ursula_uriarte:“I present you guys my favorite book of the year!!! If you haven’t read this series please do yourself a favor and get on it! If you do it simultaneously on audio is even better!”
Thanks for following along with Gemina’s Life of a Book series!
Follow the authors on Twitter (@AmieKaufman, @misterkristoff) and Instagram (@amiekaufmanauthor, @misterkristoff)Visit the website here: illuminaefiles.comCheck out more Young Adult books here.Â
Get the book here:Â
Weâre going deep inside the making of a book, with interviews from Penguin Random House employees. Take a look at the first post in this series here. You can preorder the book here. For a Q&A with the authors, click here… and for you superfans, join First In Line here to see the full uncensored version. Follow along: #Gemina, #Illuminae, #IluminaeFiles
Gemina is a beautifully and complicatedly designed book. We spoke to Ray Shappell, Senior Designer at Random House Books for Young Readers and Stephanie Moss, Art Director at Penguin Random House, to find out more. Did you interact with the authors when planning your design?
Stephanie Moss: The interior design process is very collaborative and we work closely with the authors. When the manuscript is submitted to editorial, the authors also share art, design notes and reference material for the different types of pages throughout the book. Our first task is to then flesh out those ideas into the designs for the pages that appear most frequently. Afterward, weâll focus on the more unique pages throughout the book. These pages often involve partnering with talented illustrators, like Marie Lu, Meinart and Stuart Wade, to create Hannaâs diary pages and the ship schematics and logos. Each set of designs is then shared with the editor and authors where weâll discuss possible changes and finesse each idea until it best captures the vision for the book. After the main pages are approved, weâll begin bringing all the different components together and lay out the entire book. This is also the time when we fine tune some of the one-off page designs.
Ray’s Gemina supplies
Ray Shappell: Yes, indeed. The Illuminae Files are ultimately their brainchild, so our goal in designing the series was to enhance their unique storytelling with a one-of-a-kind package. This series is more technically complicated than any other, and requires a huge collaboration with everyone involved. Once editorial and design approve a cover, we share it with the authors and value their opinions through each step of the process.Â
Creating the cover for Gemina was actually a breeze, compared to the process for Illuminae, because I already had an established series design. When I start a new series, I always think about how the current design would work for a second and third book. (Or more if we’re lucky.) So when we finally nailed down the concept for book 1 in The Illuminae Filesâa brightly colored explosion interacting with the redacted documents from the story through acetate and a printed caseâI also had a rough proposal for Gemina and the third book in the series. When Jay and Amie were in the offices celebrating Illuminaeâs launch last November, I shared the proposed visuals for Gemina and they loved it!!! Coincidentally, the color of the blue explosion fits perfectly with the description of a black hole in Gemina. And the proposed image for book three isâŠXXXXXXXXX (redacted).
What is your favorite part of your job?
Ray Shappell: My favorite part of the job is creative problem solving. After reading the manuscript, I have so many concepts and design ideas. I love sketching them all outâpicking out typefaces, colors, textures, illustrations, hand lettering, or hiring an illustrator, photographer, or CG artistsâall to match the tone of the story. But since Iâm not the only one involved, there will be multiple moments throughout the cover design process that require finding a new solution that addresses the needs and concerns of everyone involved, while maintaining creative integrity of the original concept and design. This is extremely fun and rewarding when you are able to make a final piece of artwork that becomes the book jacket. The Illuminae Files is a great example of this working at itâs best – the end product is a much better version of the original concept.Â
Stephanie Moss: The best part of my job is collaborating with a lot of talented people. Particularly with Gemina, it was exciting to pull together everyoneâs ideas then work with artists and a wonderful designer, Heather Kelly, and see those ideas get interpreted in really neat ways.
What would surprise a layman to know about your work?
Ray Shappell: I love keeping physical authenticity of design over digital effects when possible. So in the case of Gemina, I actually set the files up clean on the computer first. However, once copy is approved, I then print out the covers and take a bunch of Sharpie markers, highlighters and tracing paper over to a light box. I cross out everything, scribble over the redacted areas, and make it messy. Then I scan it back into the computer and continue to line up all if the sharpie marks over the type on a different layer. I think it looks more realistic than if I used a digital marker.Â
Ray Shappell at work
What did you most want this one to convey?
Ray Shappell: I think that a successful jacket does a few things:Â
It intrigues you and draws you in, making you pick it up and want to learn more about the story.Â
It has great design (visual balance of graphic elements, typography, artwork, color, etc.)Â
It stands out from the competition in a new and fresh wayÂ
It informs you about the content from a very quick glance. Â
For The Illuminae series, our goal was to portray as much of the interior as we could on the cover, since it’s such a creative and unique story telling experience. Using the acetate to reveal and redact text from the case underneath was our solution for showing pieces of the storyâwith layers of actual text and phrasesâin a new and exciting manner. I hope you enjoy the secret messages that are printed in the negative of the opaque white ink!Â
How has your approach to designing covers changed over time?
Ray Shappell:Â I’m hoping to push what’s possible in our YA market. I know how to make covers that will be liked and approved easily. But I prefer the challenge to create covers that push the limits of what we have seen before. Yes, they may require extra convincing and more energy, but the end result is a cover that really stands out from the rest.
I also have been incorporating more technology into my designs. Iâve created animated gif covers for Illuminae and Gemina, but I just finished working with a CG studio to create a fully animated cover for an upcoming series. Along with an augmented reality app, it brings the print book to life! Itâs AMAZING and should be out shortly!! Â
Weâre going deep inside the making of a book, with interviews from Penguin Random House employees. Take a look at the first post in this series here. Ever wonder how an audiobook gets made? Especially one as complicated and visual as Gemina? Read on for interviews with Audiobook Producer Janet Stark, Project Director Erin Spencer, and Audio Engineer Patrick Billard. You can preorder the book here. For a Q&A with the authors, click here… and for you superfans, join First In Line here to see the full uncensored version. Follow along: #Gemina, #Illuminae, #IluminaeFiles
Listen to an excerpt of the audio book now!What is your job title, and what does that mean for your daily work?
Janet Stark: Itâs funny, many people I meet in daily life donât understand what an audiobook producer does. Senior Producer is on my business card. We producers are a bit like casting directors working in collaboration with authors. Hiring actors, scheduling recording studios, basically managing a group of contributors (directors, sound editors, sound design people), all the way to QC notes and delivering the final audio. The production process always begins with reaching out to the author or authors to get a sense of ideas or expectations for the audio, and take it from there.
Janet Stark
Patrick Billard: Iâm the Audio Engineer here at Penguin Random House studios in Los Angeles. Our facility is made up of 10 recording studios designed for the purpose of recording audio books. I setup recording sessions and make sure our actors have good recording levels that match our specs, I assist the directors with any issues they may be having during the recording process, I maintain the studios to make sure they are clean and in working order and I book actors to come back to the studios after recording is finish to do pick-up sessions to fix any outstanding issues that remain after the books have been edited and proofed.Â
Patrick Billard
How did Gemina sessions compare to the usual audiobook session setups?
Patrick Billard:Â The Gemina session was quite different from our typical session here at PRH Studios where most books have one to two readers at most. Gemina was a large project with many actors so our setup was tweaked to have 3 microphones ready to record in our largest booth. Working with Ok Hee Kolwitz, Assistant Director of Technology and Post Production, we spent a couple days setting up the studio to accommodate the 3 mic setup, which required pulling backup gear from our storage closets and arranging the mics, chairs and music stands for optimal audio quality and sight lines for the actors. Erin Spencer, the director for Gemina, was amazing and did so much prep work to make the session run smoothly. We had to work on the fly as actors were going in and out of the studio to do their lines and we had to keep the levels consistent so we always had a good match
How long did it take to cast this book?Â
Janet Stark: The best way to describe Gemina: a casting marathon. Amie & Jay provided character descriptions for the primary characters. Secondary voices, maybe ten more, were cast as the book was taken apart page by page. Erin Spencer was project director, and she and I spent long meetings with the pages to nail down the session strategy. Separating out individual page sets for each role, using Gemina’s chat style format of multiple characters per page, we more or less dissected the book to make the most of each actorâs time. Then came the many minor voices with only a few lines each. People in the studioâs vicinity were being asked to get behind the mic for a line or two, resulting in a long list of uncredited voices. Being in the moment during sessions, ready for the unexpected, was basic to this production.
Erin Spencer
What was your favorite part of this project?
Janet Stark: Recording the pop song snippets! Amie & Jay put the lyrics in the text, then the music actually found me as I listened to a blast of new selections. The melody sung by Erin, well, I canât imagine a session more fun than that.
Patrick Billard:Â Engineering the pop song part of the session was fun for me since my background is as a recording engineer at music studios in Manhattan for the past 10 years before moving to Los Angeles and starting to work here at PRH studios. Janet Stark, the producer for Gemina, also has a background in music studio engineering so we worked together during the session. I used my extensive experience tracking vocals for pop songs to coach Erin to get good takes and to help hone the parts as the song was being tweaked during the recording process, which is quite typical for most vocal tracking sessions for pop songs. We all had a lot of fun recording the pop song.
MacLeod AndrewsSteve West
How long does an audiobook of this complex take to produce? Is that similar to a standard audiobook production?
Janet Stark: Comparing the complexity of Gemina to a standard audiobook, Iâd have to say it was more like producing a film on audio. So many voices, evolving characters, sound effects, it all adds up to an experience I hope people enjoy.
Were you comfortable contributing voices here & there? Had you done something like that before?
Patrick Billard:Â Yes, Erin and Janet recruited most of the staff here at PRH to do wild lines and it was a lot of fun. For me it was a good experience being on the other side of the glass, as it makes me realize what itâs like to be a voice actor and that itâs not nearly as easy as it may look or sound. It also made me appreciate Erinâs skill as a director- she really knew what she was going for with my lines and did her part coaching me through the process. My particular lines were rather loud and vulgar which made me step out of my comfort zone which was exciting.
Lincoln Hoppe, voice of “AIDAN”
Project Director Erin Spencer’s take on the process:Â
Erin Spencer: Working on Gemina was a truly unique experience and unlike any other audiobook that I have directed. To begin, I read the entire book to get an overall sense of storyline and character arc. From there, itâs a matter of going over each page individually to see what is happening in each âsceneâ, which characters are speaking and how the art work and graphics can be adapted into an audio format.
We needed upwards of 20 actors for Gemina â with only a handful recurring from Illuminae, so it was up to Janet Stark and me to find the right actors for the roles we had available. Casting is very important and itâs a lot of fun to have so many actors on one title!
Erin Spencer
Studio time is really the most fun but equally the most stressful time for me, the project director. We had up to three actors in the recording studio at one time because Gemina was recorded as if we were doing scenes in a movie. The actors are able to engage and play off of one another, which really brings a sense of realism and keeps the tone very organic. As the director, I ran a very tight schedule each day. I may have had 15 actors coming in to read in a single day and the organization and scheduling had to be precise. My mantra on those days is TRUST! Trust that I did all the prep work needed to ensure we have every page covered, that all the actors are prepared with their pages, and that I have done everything I can do to make the process smooth and that the end product will be amazing! We donât read this book like you would do with other books â in order, page by page. Itâs read completely out of order based on which actors I have scheduled together that day. So, I have to trust that itâs all there. And honestly, when itâs all over, itâs simultaneously a relief and a little grief at the same time!
After Illuminae came out, I received the CDs so I could listen to it on my commute to the studio. I literally cried when I heard it. Cried out of sheer pride for all the actors who worked so hard, for the editor who did such a phenomenal job and in my mind has one of the toughest jobs of all, cried for the post-production team, and especially for Janet Stark who pulled it all together. I canât wait to cry over Gemina, too.
This week, the National Book Foundation announced its Shortlists for the 2016 National Book Award: five titles in each of four categories.Â
Our Finalists:
FICTION: The Association of Small Bombs by Karan Mahajan
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
NONFICTION:Blood in the Water by Heather Ann Thompson
YOUNG PEOPLEâS LITERATURE:The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
The winners will be announced at the annual National Book Awards dinner on Wednesday, November 16 during which the Foundationâs Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters will be bestowed upon Robert A. Caro, the singular, #1 bestselling, Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award-winning author ofThe Power Broker and The Years of Lyndon Johnson biographies. The award is given annually to an author who has enriched our literary heritage over a lifetime of achievement.
Our congratulations to Mr. Caro, his Knopf and Vintage publishing teams, and to Nicola Yoon, Heather Ann Thompson, Karan Mahajan, Colson Whitehead, and to their editors and publishers.
Weâre going deep inside the making of a book, with interviews from Penguin Random House employees in editorial, marketing, sales, and more.  If youâve ever wondered about all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making your favorite books, this is the series for you.  Take a look at the first post in this series here. Today, we’re going further afield – independent booksellers from bookstores across the country want to share why they’re so excited about Gemina. You can preorder the book here. For a Q&A with the authors, click here… and for you superfans, join First In Line here to see the full uncensored version. Suzanne Droppert, owner and Madison Duckworth, bookseller
âNot only is this an amazing series, the books themselves are works of art. Jay & Amie weave crazy, intertwining stories that all take place in deep space. Gemina keeps you on your toes from start to finish and makes you question everything you thought you knew. One of my favorite series!â âMadison Duckworth, Liberty Bay Books
âLove this space opera series, from the page layouts to the drama between people- Hannah and Malikov, BeiTech team members with Ella…â Â âSuzanne Droppert, Liberty Bay Books
Tara Soulen and Allison Senecal
âIlluminae was one of my favorite reads of 2015, so when I managed to get my hands on an advanced copy of Gemina I was simultaneously thrilled and nervous. Nervous because my expectations were high, and I didn’t know if the particular magic that was Illuminae could be recaptured. Guess what? This book did not meet my soaringly high expectations, it exceeded them. Somehow Kaufman and Kristoff have managed to not only recapture the breakneck speed and engrossing storytelling they introduced in Illuminae, but they have also managed to introduce two new main characters so captivating I didn’t mind leaving the old ones behind. If anything I think I like Nik & Hanna even more than Kady & Ezra. Told in the same format as the previous book, through chat logs, found footage, and mixed media, this book is nearly impossible to put down.
It had me turning pages well past my bedtime, and stretching every second of my lunch break. Imagine, if you will, Die Hard set on a space station with creepy aliens slithering around, and an unlikely duo of teenagers in the starring roles. That’s Gemina. And I loved every minute of it. My one point of angst now is waiting for the third book, as this only made me hungry for more. I can’t wait until Gemina hits the shelves in October so I can buy a finished copy for myself and see all the fantastic art I know will be included. A huge thank you to Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff for lugging an advanced copy through the airport to gift to my store, and to Random House for providing the ARC in the first place. You have a lifelong fan.â âTara Soulen, Book Shop of Fort Collins
âSomehow even better than Illuminae! Wow. Way more action, plus flesh-eating aliens instead of a zombie virus this time. I loved Hanna even more than Kady, and got attached to some members of the murderous BeiTech squad??? Can’t wait to see Hanna’s drawings in the finished book. More emotional whiplash than Illuminae too. HOW??? Amazing.â âAllison Senecal, Old Firehouse Books
Weâre going deep inside the making of a book, with interviews from Penguin Random House employees in editorial, marketing, sales, and more.  If youâve ever wondered about all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making your favorite books, this is the series for you.  Take a look at the first post in this series here. Today, we’re featuring an interview with Publicity Manager, Aisha Cloud. She joins us to talk about her career change, book tours, and being a cheerleader for Gemina. Read below for her inside scoop.Â
What is your job title?
Publicity Manager
What does that mean for you on a day to day?
As a publicist, my main job is to create buzz and awareness for our books by securing media coverage across print, tv, radio and online outlets and to support our authors/illustrators throughout the process. Media coverage could be in the form of a review, interview, op-ed piece, and/or giveaway, and I work closely with reviewers/reporters and then back with the authors/illustrators to produce any necessary content or prepare for interviews. I also set up events with bookstores and other venues and these include signings, presentations and school visits. We also pitch authors and illustrators for public events like festivals and comic cons (cons depend more on the genre of the book). These are just some of the different platforms we use to get the word out there about our books. My role also encompasses social media, as thatâs a really important way to drive awareness today.
How is working with this book/series different from any other title?
The layout of the book is truly breathtaking, unique and seriously out-of-this-world. I enjoyed not only reading the book and experiencing the story unravel and how it is told in a different format, but also seeing peopleâs reactions to reading it on social media. Next up for me is listening to the audio book of Illuminae. It has received a bunch of praise and I would love to experience the book in that way too.
Whatâs the most surprising thing about this job?
Our connection to everyone and everything. When I describe what I do, itâs sounds simpleâŠmanageable, but publicists are the go-to people not only for authors and illustrators, but within the company, we serve as a central hub for information that is needed by sales, marketing and editorial. Besides the author, we are a spokesperson and cheerleader for the books and we want everyone (I mean, everyone!) to know the next big book to read as it might very well change your lifeâŠor make your long plane ride more enjoyable!Â
Describe Gemina in one sentence.
I called Illuminae a game-changer. But Gemina is more than a game-changer, itâs revolutionary. Expect the unexpected and enjoy the ride!
Do you have a favorite part of the book? Favorite element or visual aspect?
My favorite part is yet to comeâŠweâve got surprises galore and I canât wait for fans to learn about them!
Readers can pre-order Gemina here, and  also see the rest of Marie Lu ‘s unbelievably beautiful and complex illustration of the Heimdall space station!
How did you get into publicity?
I use to work in advertising, I was completely miserable (used to imagine getting hit by a bus to get away from it allâŠhorrible, I know) and it hit me (the idea, not a bus) one day that working at an advertising agency wasnât the right job for me. So I thought to myself, what do I like to do? I like to read books and talk about it afterwards with fellow book lovers. So I quit my job and took the NYU Summer Publishing Program. There I learned that reading and talking, aka promoting and publicizing a book, was basically the underlying core of a publicist. After I completed the course, I got my first job as a publicity assistant at Doubleday and knew it was the right career for me!
Do you have a favorite moment or memory of the authors?
I was lucky enough to tour with the authors during the first leg of the Illuminae tour which started in Seattle. During our down time, we were able to explore the city and visit the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and walk the Underground tour in their buried city. It was so cool to be a tourist with the authors. It was my first time visiting the city and meeting the authors and itâs now a memory I will never forget! Also, Amie and Jay say that if they make fun of you, that for Australians means that they like youâŠso they love me a lot!
What are you looking forward to on this upcoming book tour?
I canât wait to see peopleâs reaction when they meet the authors at their events and open the book for the first time. Itâs obviously not my book, I didnât write it, but being a part of this huge project is a reward in itself, especially being able to see the delight and excitement of fans when they finally have the book in their hands.
Weâre going deep inside the making of a book, with interviews from Penguin Random House employees in editorial, marketing, sales, and more.  If youâve ever wondered about all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making your favorite books, this is the series for you.  Take a look at the first post in this series here. Today, we’re featuring an interview with Senior Account Manager, Kimberly Langus. She joins us to talk about sales, bookstores, and accounts. Read below for her inside scoop.Â
How would you describe your job to a layperson?
The easy answer is that I sell books to Barnes & Noble, but itâs a little more complicated than that! Itâs about positioning Random House Childrenâs Books in the market and making sure that each book has the best merchandising possible. And then once a book is selling, itâs all about trying to maximize those sales. I work with Marketing, Publicity and Social Media to use every tool and opportunity available to drive consumers to buy our books.Â
When you describe Gemina to the book buyers, what is your hook? Whatâs memorable and unique about the book – why would they want to sell it to readers?
Well, Gemina wasnât too hard to pitch to the buyer because the first book, Illuminae, had done so well. It was more of a challenge to position Illuminae when I sold it in last year. On the one hand, it was really unique and Barnes & Noble is always looking for unique formats and different ways of storytelling. This was definitely that. There was nothing else like it in the teen marketplace in my experience. It had all these elements that they were looking for, but on the other hand, itâs the sci-fi genre and thatâs a really tough genre in teen.Â
Really? Thatâs shocking! Why?
Yes, it is shocking. There are very few teen sci-fi books that have had wide commercial success in recent years. Fantasy, action, adventure, survival stories- all of those are popular for teens, but for some reason sci-fi has been slower to resonate. So the account was taking a flyer with Random House in supporting Illuminae in such a big way, and it definitely paid off. So, when I went in to sell Gemina it was a much easier sales pitch.
Why do you think it performed so well?
Itâs a combination of factors. First, thereâs the amazing story and unique format. It had a really striking package. It also had great positioning and merchandising in the stores. And you have this amazing author team who were really involved in social media and also really successful on their tour. Then thereâs word of mouth combined with a great Marketing and Publicity campaign. So you canât pinpoint any one thing that made the book a success.Â
Speaking of amazing social media and exciting special features, readers can pre-order Gemina here, and  also see the rest of Marie Lu ‘s unbelievably beautiful and complex illustration of the Heimdall space station!
And when did you first hear about the book?
I know it sounds crazy, but I actually remember the editorâs pitch of Illuminae. Iâm going to paraphrase, but basically she said, âIâm not a fan of sci-fi but this book is so much more than thatâ. I do like sci-fi and had just read The Martian so I was already in the sci-fi mode. It didnât take a lot of convincing for me to pick up Illuminae after hearing Melanie’s pitch. I think one important thing to note is that when an editor is so passionate about a book and gives such a great pitch it really does affect how the sales team feels about that book and sells it to their accounts. I remember the editorâs pitch for The Book Thief and I heard that presentation over 10 years ago.  I remember the pitch for The Maze Runner. I remember these presentations because the editors were so passionate about the books that it seeps into how I feel about them too.Â
What do you like about Gemina in particular?
Well I think whatâs amazing about Gemina is that it could have been a repeat of Illuminae because itâs the same kind of storytelling conceit; Itâs told in texts, redacted transcripts and memos. The danger is that it might not feel as fresh as the first book. Also itâs a sequel and uses completely different characters, which is also a little dangerous  because readers get invested in the protagonists of the first book and theyâre expecting those same characters to be in the second book. When theyâre not there, itâs almost like starting the series again from the beginning. But somehow the authors were able to pull it off and Gemina  is even better than Illuminae. I think they actually improved upon what they had done the first time. You get just as invested in these new characters. Itâs so fast-paced; you just canât stop turning the pages. Iâm so in awe of their writing and imagination and storytelling and how they collaborate together.  Â
How do you work with editorial, marketing, and publicity?
I work with all those groups in the regular course of business- talking to publicity about author events and working with marketing on sales materials and galley mailings. What I find most exciting about working with those groups is when you can create unique merchandising or marketing for the accounts. That gives me an opportunity to really be creative and to try to shape the B&N experience of the book thatâs different from the Amazon experience, or the Target experience, or the Indie experience. Hereâs one example: I had worked with B&N on B-Fest which was their nationwide teen book festival this past June. One of the items we created was a Penguin Random House âInsiderâs Guide to B-Fest. And it featured a lot of great content, including a piece from Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.Â
I was actually in the B&N in Yonkers on the first night of B-Fest and there was this group of teens that were looking in their guides and they turned to the Illuminae /Gemina spread and one of the girls cries out , âOh my God, Illuminae! You guys have to read this!â That is probably the best part of my job, it was like everything coming full circle. To set up Illuminae last year, to help position Gemina this year, to bring exclusive content to Barnes & Noble, and to get readers excited about it. It was everything that you could hope for as a Sales Manager.
Thatâs great to hear! Do you have anything else you’d like to share?
I’d like your readers to know that what I love most about my job is being surrounded by people who love books and who love to talk about books. I know everyone says that, but itâs true. Also it’s wonderful to be a part of bringing books to customers. To know that a book reached their hands because of something I contributed is really exciting and rewarding.  Â
Thanks for following along with Gemina’s Life of a Book series!
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