The Killing Meets Peirene

January 29th, 2012

I will always remember Friday, the 20th of January 2012. That evening I went to the local DVD shop and took out The Killing, episode 1-4.killing_2dfront

The Killing isn’t my first box set experience. I tried my luck with Mad Men – but after a few episodes, I got bored. Only the dresses impressed me. Then I discovered The Wire. Far more intriguing. I enjoyed each episode, without sensing a desperate urge to watch the next one. Weeks often passed before I sat down to savour the follow up.

Not so with The Killing. My husband and I watched episode 1-4 on that Friday. On Monday I ordered the complete Series One on amazon. I held out till last Friday. After episode 7, at around 11pm, my husband went to bed.  I slipped under the covers at 3am. Saturday evening we went out with friends. I hardly drank any wine because I had unfinished business to attend to. When we arrived home at midnight, my husband went upstairs to read his book, I turned on the DVD in the sitting room. At 4.30am I finally managed to tear myself away from the screen. Today I spent most of the time telling myself that I will not – under any circumstances – watch another episode until next Friday. I even hid the box set behind the books on the top shelf.

“Look at you. You are a sad addict.” Peirene stood in the door as I climbed down from the ladder which I especially fetched to reach the top shelf. I started. I didn’t hear her come.

“No, I am not. I’ve got the situation perfectly under control.” I folded the ladder.

“Oh really?! That’s not what it looks like to me.” Replied Peirene in a cocky voice, hands on both hips.

“I am just tidying the DVDs away, otherwise the place looks a mess.” I tried not to sound too defensive. “And anyway, you should watch The Killing too. It’s just like our books.”

“I am a cultured Nymph. I don’t waste my time watching mass market TV dramas. I hope you manage to turn up at work tomorrow, considering your lack of sleep over the weekend.” She was about to turn away.

“Wait.” I held her back. “Give me a chance to explain: Each episode of The Killing is the perfect length, a self contained little film. As a whole the series is a beautifully curated showcase of murder stories, held together by a common theme, the killing of Nanna Birk Larsen.  Just like our series. Each book an individual short lit gem, that gains momentum by belonging to a curated series. Peirene and The Killing are both the ultimate forms of cultural expression for our day and age.”

The Nymph didn’t reply. She merely raised a disbelieving eyebrow and walked off.

Three hours ago I head noise from the sitting room. I stuck my head around the corner. The Nymph! Watching The Killing. “I just want to see if you are right.” She said with a guilty smile.

I might join her later on. Just for one tiny episode.

Tags:
Posted in Life Philosophy | 2 Comments »

Dress Issues

January 22nd, 2012

Peirene revels in beautiful dresses. She loves circles – the ultimate female symbol – and sports them on her covers.70s-striped-gogo-dress-208118-94

Some approve of such feminine dress sense, others really don’t.

There are bookshops that refuse to stock our books. Even though the demography of their clientele suggests that they ought to welcome our literature.

Take the case of one of our local book shops. When the first book came out two years ago and received wonderful reviews, I introduced myself as a local publisher and assumed – naively – that they would support us. Book No 2 and No 3 followed. The bookshop still wouldn’t stock Peirene books. I went back to visit them, Maddy too. We offered catalogues, bookmarks, posters, events. To no avail. Eventually we admitted defeat. We can’t force people to love us. The Nymph shed a few tears.

At the beginning of December I met our sales reps. “Some bookshops are reluctant to stock your books because of the covers.” “Is it the strong branding?” I asked. “No. They are happy to stock other branded publishers. But they don’t like your circles and the colours aren’t bold enough,” I was told. We discussed the options and decided to try an experiment.  Sacha, our designer, drew up mass market cover jackets for Beside the Sea – no Peirene branding, fat quotes across the front, photos of desolate beaches, windows with raindrops and sad looking women. The paper and print, cheap. No flaps. All together we came up with six suggestions. The Nymph was again in tears: “If you take away my identity, you take away my raison d’etre,” she lamented. I calmed her down: “We would never do that. We are just contemplating an additional mass market version of one or two titles.”

We sent the new covers to booksellers and asked their opinion. We received predictable responses. Bookshops who don’t want to stock us, didn’t reply. And the booksellers who replied, including Waterstones HQ, said they love our existing branding. They understand our wish to become more commercial but then none of them voted for our commercial covers. After all they know that the books, the authors, the brand – combined with a little hand-selling – does find buyers.

So, overall I found the exercise interesting – but I came away feeling prouder than ever of our beautiful feminine Nymph.

“Can I just make one point clear,” Peirene told me this week. “I don’t mind wearing the odd hideous outfit - but only if the dress makes me famous or sells my books. Can I do the choosing?”

I am delighted Peirene wants to dress up in a good cause – but I may reserve the right of veto.

Posted in Marketing Pains | 3 Comments »

The Return to the Desk

January 15th, 2012

statue_of_liberty_detailThe first week of 2012 couldn’t have been better. My 17-year old daughter and I went on a four-day trip to New York City. Just the two of us. Husband and son stayed at home.

We visited three art galleries – MoMA, Frick and Guggenheim. We went to an opera and a Jazz club. We did some sightseeing and drank wine for lunch.

There was only one dark moment: shopping at Victoria’s Secret. Apparently this shop has become the consumer destination for any self-respecting young woman. Their flagship shop is located on Broadway. When we arrived we found the January sales in full swing. Topshop on Oxford Street resembles an oasis of peace and serenity in comparison. Eventually I parked myself outside the main entrance alongside a row of bored men playing on their mobile phones. By the time my daughter re-emerged an hour later I was ready to pay just about anything if we could leave. Only – she hadn’t found a single item. What she liked had sold out in her size. To her credit, she took the disappointment with a self-mocking smile.

If my daughter tops my Woman of 2012 list at present, Peirene, on the other hand, has managed to manoeuvre herself to the bottom of my favourite-Nymph list.

I arrived back in the office on Monday. Peirene was fuming. She didn’t even say Good Morning.

“Good of you to turn up.” She greeted me tight lipped. “In case you hadn’t realized … the world returned to work last week.”

I glanced at my inbox. The Nymph had spoken the truth. Over 300 emails. Most demanded immediate attention. Everybody – except me – had obviously returned to their desks on the 2nd of January with a New Year’s resolution to complete unfinished tasks. I put my head down and by Friday afternoon I felt back on track.

”I told you you shouldn’t have gone on such a long Christmas break.” I heard Peirene say from across the room. Since then we have worked side by side in total silence. But I don’t think we’ll keep it up for much longer. The atmosphere is already warming between us. After I sent out our belated January newsletter on Friday, I received an email from her. It read:  “Two weeks late. But well done for catching up. Pxx”

Posted in Publishing in the 21century | No Comments »

Corporate Entertainment

December 19th, 2011

peirene_xmas_201

Last Thursday we staged our first ever corporate entertainment Peirene Salon.

Back in the autumn I was approached by a company director. He came to a Peirene Salon, took a shine to it and asked us to organise a special Salon for his work colleagues as a Christmas treat.

He warned us: his junior colleagues – most in their mid- to late twenties – wouldn’t be thrilled. In fact many of them would prefer a meal at a restaurant followed by a night club.

We were unperturbed by his worries.

We flew in our youngest and trendiest author, Dutch Jan van Mersbergen. We booked a pianist. We provided Peirene home-made potato salad and the Salon’s famous 3.5kg Camembert.  We ordered Champagne and festive red and white from The Wine Society and got the Whisky ready for after the meal.

Jan entertained for half an hour. He talked about how to write and read extracts from Tomorrow Pamplona. The food was accompanied by background piano music and at the end of the evening each guest was presented with a beautifully wrapped copy of Peirene No 5.

The feedback was wonderful. People were delighted and surprised. None of them had ever talked to an author, most of them had never attended a literary reading – and yet all of them enjoyed themselves.

I gave Peirene a huge hug at the end of the evening.

“Well done, my Nymph. Without your spark I couldn’t have done this evening.”

She flinched at my wet kiss on her cheek and freed herself from my embrace.

“You don’t have to get all emotional.” She said, embarrassed about my affection. “After all, to spread the value of good literature is the responsibility of a publisher.”

I again threw my arms around her before she had time to escape.

“Yes. But in our own small way we do it rather well. We persuade people to engage with literature who otherwise would not have done so. I am so proud of you.” I squeezed her tight.

“Ah, I can’t breeze. Let me go.” Peirene exclaimed. “Anyway, I don’t think many will read the book.”

“I am not so sure.” I replied with a smile. “I’ve told them that Tomorrow Pamplona contains three fab sex scenes and their eyes lit up.”

*******************************************

Merry Chritsmas and a Happy New Year. I’ll be back here with the next episode of Peirene “Pain and Passion” in the third week of January 2012.

Tags:
Posted in Peirene's Literary Salons | No Comments »

The Art of Living

December 12th, 2011

Why? Small children love this question. Grown-ups usually have given up on it long time ago. Not least, because we can’t find a good answer.tumblr_lmngl5gg4p1qg4g94o1_500

Yet, I still love so ask ‘Why’ – to myself and others.

At the Peirene coffee morning last Tuesday I decided to ask the attendees “Why do you read?’

“To learn new things” and “to escape my own life” were the most common answers. I then repeated the question on twitter. Again, escapism came up top.

“What!?” Peirene exclaimed and collapsed on the office sofa. “I just don’t believe it. Where has the world come to. If you want to flee yourself and the world, get drunk, take drugs or watch a film. Reading has nothing to do with escapism. In Ancient Greece we wouldn’t even have dared to put these two words into one sentence!”

She covered her eyes with her lower arm. “Oh, my gods, I feel a migraine coming on. This is too much for me.” I rushed to get her a wet flannel.

“I understand the desire for escapism,” I ventured to suggest. “You want to follow somebody else’s life that has nothing to do with yours.”

“But in regard to literature, that’s a contradiction in terms. There is no one else when you read. Everything happens in your imagination.  A good text provides inspiration, throws you back onto yourself, demands that you reflect on your own life. A good text doesn’t dictate to you what you should think, it gives you a story to contemplate. Your mind has to become active, and that is exciting.”

I have to admit I know what the Nymph is talking about. Only last Saturday I was reminded of the inspirational power good literature.

This weekend we held our 11th Salon. On the guest list was a woman who had recently subscribed to Peirene and bought the sets. I had never met her before. She came with her husband.

They had just read Beside the Sea and Stone in a Landslide. The stories had touched them deeply. Their enthusiasm was tangible.

“Beside the Sea, what a powerful book,” they said. “It makes you think of how easy it is for all of us to take the wrong turn.”

And Stone in the Landslide caused the husband – a pragmatic executive from a large company - to shed tears.

It was wonderful to see their excitement and hear them describe their emotional responses. The couple reminded me of how I felt when I had first read the books. The texts had made me feel alive.

And thus it is true: Peirene’s  books don’t offer escapism. Commercially no doubt a bad decision. So, why do I publish these books? Only to please an ancient Greek Nymph? I have no plausible answers. Except  that publishing them makes me feel alive – and so does reading them.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Marketing Pains | 2 Comments »

Heavenly Sales

December 4th, 2011

To sell a book you have to stand. If you sit behind the stall, hardly anyone will approach.

To sell a book you have to talk. No one buys a book without a chat.salesman

To sell a book you have to smile. No one buys a book from a sour face.

Your mouth will get dry from talking, your face will hurt from smiling and your legs tired from standing.

Maddy and I have become experts in stall selling. We’ve started a year ago. Since then we have had good days and bad days. And sometimes the pain was more than the gain.

But we have never had absolutely fantastic days. Until this weekend. Over the last three days we have sold more books than during the last eleven months together. We have sold three-book packs, six-book packs and subscriptions.

Earlier on in the year, selling subscriptions via the stall had proven to be impossible. No surprise really. We were asking people to hand over hard-earned cash without receiving the goods. Readers usually subscribe online. Our 2012 subscription steadily increases in numbers. Two-year subscriptions – for 2012 and 2013 – have been bought, too. But very few so far have taken up our three year subscription.

On Friday I went with our store to a school Christmas fair. When I managed to sell a couple of 2012 subscriptions, I felt proud. But the best was still to come.

“I have just sold a three-year subscription!” Maddy texted me from the stall on Saturday afternoon. A man had bought Stone in a Landslide in the morning. In the afternoon he returned and bought a three-year subscription as a Christmas present for his wife. She also sold some 2012 subscriptions and one for two years.

This is a small break-through. Perhaps people have started to trust the brand?

Even the Nymph couldn’t help but feel pleased with Maddy and me. “I am mightily impressed with the two of you.” The Nymph emailed me tonight. “However, just for the record, I like to put in writing the following: it’s not the brand they trust, it’s me, the Ancient Greek Nymph.  They know I’ve been around since the Gods created Olympus, so I will surely exist for a few more years. I don’t think you could have achieved such trust in your publishing venture without my heavenly support.”

Heavenly support? Perhaps she is right. How else can we explain this weekend’s sales figures.

Tags: ,
Posted in Setting up Business | 4 Comments »

The Ideal Christmas Gift

November 28th, 2011

geography-fieldwork-photos-168Before I set up Peirene, I never twittered, I wasn’t on facebook. I never negotiated contracts and prizes. I never had to deal with up to hundred emails a day. I never thought about how to market a product, I never sold anything at a stall.

Nor had I ever spent eight hours on my hands and knees. At least not since I learnt to walk.

Maddy and I spent last Tuesday on the floor in Peirene HQ. I was cutting paper, ribbons and snippet of sellotape, Maddy was wrapping the books. After lunch we swapped. She cut, I wrapped. By the end of the day my knees were red and swollen. But we now have stacks of Peirene Christmas parcels ready to be sold at our Roaming Store and online shop.

“Did you ever imagine having to do something like this?” Maddy eventually asked me, probably wondering herself what she had got herself into.

I thought for a moment before I answered.

“No.” I said. Then I continued: “On the other hand: I knew I would do whatever it takes to make the publishing company work.”

Setting up business is like having children. If I had thought about it too much in advance, I would never have started. Because the facts look grim: Both, children and business, produce a lot of work, a lot of worries, a lot of hassle. So much of being a mother and a business woman is repetitive – and no one gives you credit or even thanks. So much can go wrong – and sometimes does go wrong.  And there are so many reasons to worry – because ultimately the responsibility lies with you.

And yet, I wouldn’t exchange either my children nor Peirene for anything else in the world. They have taught me a lot about the world and myself. There are still many lessons to learn. And every now and again I experience moments of utter happiness, pride and joy.  They are fleeting moments. But I am getting better at catching them.

“That doesn’t show!” Peirene is looking over my shoulder.

“What doesn’t?”

“Your moments of utter happiness. In fact, this could be your next life lesson:  hold up a sign each time you feel a touch of happiness so that we, too, can share the moment.”

Then a broad, slightly wicked smile appears on her face.

“Why don’t I give you an I’m happy sign for Christmas?”

I hope my children will have more glamorous present ideas for their mother.

Tags: ,
Posted in Marketing Pains | No Comments »

The Pitfalls of Tantrums

November 21st, 2011

When babies cry they have a fair chance of receiving attention. However, toddlers, intember a fit of temper, get a telling off rather than sympathy. And when adults throw tantrums, we have a problem. To avoid this problem we have developed the art of communication. In the 21st century this art form is made terribly easy by plenty of gadgets. We should all be experts.

Earlier this week I received an email, which is familiar in tone to other, similar mails. Here is an extract:

“I have been reading your newsletter every month. In return, I think it would be only courteous if you could read the manuscript I sent six months ago.”

I am baffled -  not by the request but by the tone – a tone which implies an obligation on the part of the receiver.

If email hadn’t been an option, would a letter or a telephone conversation have been conducted in a similar demanding manner?

I don’t force anyone to receive the Peirene newsletter. If someone doesn’t want the information any longer then they can “unsubscribe.” Furthermore, if someone has a favour to ask, perhaps they would be better advised to write me a nice note.

I, too,  have many desires. And I need others to help me fulfill them. I want authors to agree that I can publish their works, I want journalists to write about the Nymph, I want bookshops to sell my titles. I want I want I want. And each day I write many emails to people I know and I don’t know soliciting help.  Sometimes they reply and sometimes they don’t. That’s the name of the game. You have to role the dice many times. Without hope and without despair. But I have one firm rule: be polite. Perhaps I am old fashioned. But I believe compliments, thank yous and pleases get me further than bitterness. After all, no one owes Peirene a living, the world existed before us and will exist after we’ve gone.

“May I kindly correct you, please” says Peirene in her sweetest voice.

“You may, since you asked so nicely.” I smile at her

“After we’ve gone the world might continue to exist. But it won’t ever be the same again.”

The Nymph has got a point. We all leave an impression. And it might as well be a positive one.

Posted in Life Philosophy | No Comments »

Getting Close to Don DeLillo

November 14th, 2011

It’s been a year of fantastic prizes and nominations for Peirene:dondelillo_cosmopolis_2011TheIndependent Publishers Newcomer of the Year award, the Foreign Fiction Prize Long List for Beside the Sea and then the Arts Council grant.

On Tuesday, the Nymph, our designer Sacha and I headed downtown to the Gala dinner of the British Book Design and Production Awards to see if we could add another trophy to the list.

A couple of months ago our 2011 Series of The Man was short-listed for the Series Identity category. We checked out our competitors and decided the only real threat came from Picador’s striking Don De Lillo series.

To cut a long story short – De Lillo won, the Nymph’s men came second. Highly commended though. Not bad, considering that we had never entered this competition before.

But Peirene does not like losing. Even against giants. As soon as the dinner finished she dragged Sacha and me outside into the foyer where the shortlisted books were displayed.

She picked up a De Lillo book. “The cover design is ok. But that’s it. No flaps, the paper quality is far worse than ours. And,” she leafed through the text, opening a page here and there. “And it’s not a coherent design. We have a unified style running through cover, front pages, text and back pages. Every milimeter of our production oozes quality and thought.” Peirene turned on her heels. “I am going home.” Sacha and I stayed a bit longer. At least we wanted to enjoy the Champagne to the end.

On Friday I gave a speech at Stationer’s Hall. I enumerated all our awards, including the “highly commended for the British Book Design and Production Awards, second only to Picador’s Don Delillo series.” The last words sounded awfully good – to be mentioned in the same breath as one of the most famous American writers.  If we had won, that wouldn’t be possible. We’d be simply called “the winner”.  I prefer the Don Delillo connection. I think.

And I am sure the Nymph will soon see it that way too.

Tags:
Posted in Book Prizes | No Comments »

The Murky Waters of Human Irrationality

November 6th, 2011

Humans are irrational. Most of what we do follows – at best - our own internal logic.geography-fieldwork-photos-159 And to make matters worse, we lack self-awareness. We can see irrationality in others but never in our selves. I don’t think I am saying anything new. However, only since I set up Peirene, have I become aware of the rampant irrationality in others. (Of course I’m still blind to my own).

Let me give you two examples. In the first instance irrationality lead to the happiness of everyone involved. The second story is an impressive example of how we boycott ourselves with irrational fears and destroy a win-win situation.

Example 1: A few weeks ago I sent out emails to friends and relatives inviting them to buy Peirene’s new 2012 subscription. Some did, others didn’t like the idea at all. And one dear friend even took the pain to explain that she definitely won’t be signing up because she didn’t want to read any depressing European books. Then, at the beginning of last week, I sent out Peirene’s November newsletter. Once again I promoted the Peirene 2012 subscription. My dear friend was one of the first to sign up. When I saw her for dinner a couple of days later, she congratulated me. “A gift subscription,” she exclaimed. “What a brilliant way of buying books. I will definitely spread the word and my mother and sister will receive a subscription for Christmas.”

Example 2: A couple of months ago, a big London theatre decided to stage one of the Peirene books as a play. Huge excitement at Peirene HQ. A producer was in place, a leading actress too. We only needed the go ahead from the author to allow the actress to shorten the text down to a play of one hour length. She even offered to fly to the Continent to discuss the cuts with the author. The author refused all co-operation. Pleading and persuasion didn’t work. Therefore – sadly - the play cannot be staged.

Peirene was beside herself and threatened to call up the author to air her fury. I managed to grab the receiver out of her hand just in time.

“Leave it. We’ve tried everything we could. We have to stay professional after all.”

“This makes no sense. Doesn’t the author want to become known in this country? Other authors would pay for an opportunity such as this.”

The Nymph paced up and down the office. When after a while she calmed down, she approached me and whispered into my ear:” I shouldn’t really say this and that’s why I am only whispering it… I am wondering if some authors worry too much about controlling their intellectual property. Perhaps they have never heard about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. It was staged in London a few years after its first publication. The author was in the audience. No one asked permission. But the play became popular and that’s why Mary Shelley became famous.”

I don’t find it easy to pilot a business through the reefs of human irrationality. But I’m lucky. I have an ancient Greek Nymph on board who loves the waters and whispers wise words.

Tags:
Posted in Life Philosophy, Marketing Pains | 3 Comments »

« Older Entries