Articles > THE POWER SUMMIT MEETING

One of my favorite tools for accelerating a career and creating strong, synergized teamwork is a technique I call the Power Summit Meeting. This is a high energy day in which the author meets with his or her agent, publisher, editor, publicist, and all key people in order to focus intently on the author’s career. We look back on what has been accomplished, what was done right and how to build on it, what was done wrong and how to fix it, brainstorming for the future, marketing ideas and plans, and how the author and publisher can partner effectively to create a brand and make it all come together.

At its best, the power summit meeting is exciting, and it’s fun. There is preparation beforehand. Everyone brings an agenda and everyone is heard. The power summit enhances and augments your career. It fosters collegiality and genuine team spirit. It invites a level of truth that is difficult to achieve in any other way. And it is greater than the sum of its parts. In short, there is a certain magic to it.

It’s entirely possible to move through an entire career without doing this, and it’s not a tragedy if you never do it. Everything may seem fine, and maybe it is. But this kind of vibrant addition is like a shot of adrenalin. If you feel you are moving from book to book on a treadmill, this can be the missing ingredient that brings everything together.

It’s important to know what a power summit meeting is not. It’s not the same thing as a regular trip to New York, in which you have lunch with your agent, dinner with your publisher, and you get a nice tour of the art department. These trips are often pleasant, but they don’t always accomplish as much as you would like. I remember one such visit. The author came in from Texas, and the publisher took everyone out to a very nice dinner. The author was driven to the restaurant in a limo provided by the publisher. The publicity, sales and marketing people came. Even the guy from Contracts was invited. The restaurant was noisy, there were many interruptions, and you couldn’t hear the people on the other side of the large round table. At one point a large party near our table burst into a rendition of “Happy Birthday”, surrounded by jovial singing waiters. It wasn’t possible to discuss any real business in that setting, so we talked about what Broadway shows the author should check out, the good reviews of her latest book, who to ask for a quote on the next book, and what to order for dinner. The author learned virtually nothing during this visit except that she liked tiramisu. Meanwhile, the publisher spent $1000 that could have been better spent on something else. It’s lovely to get everyone together for dinner, but without a forum for a serious business discussion, it’s just dinner.

At what point in your career should you do this? Speak to your agent, who should have a finger on the pulse of when is the right moment. Your agent can also assess the essential components that make up your individual picture. He or she will be able to look at the sales figures, current market conditions that pertain to you, and inside inquiries as to what the publisher is thinking and how they are responding in order to calculate an accurate assessment. The ingredients to a successful outcome should spring from a seasoned approach to the ins and outs of your career, a cordial and mutually respectful relationship with the key players at the publisher and their strengths and limitations, and informed knowledge about the direction of the market.

The results of a power summit meeting can be dramatic and immediate. A cover can be redesigned. Some ideas that started off as wacky can be refined and then turned into reality. Questions about promotion can be answered, and money for that purpose can be guaranteed. The all-important partnering between author and publisher in regard to promotion can be squarely addressed. Discussions about format and timing can affect publication scheduling. The list is endless; it all depends on the stars in your particular constellation.

By all means, a power summit meeting should be cordial. It’s important to be equitable. If any one person is overbearing and tries to throw their weight around, it ruins the balance of the whole thing. I heard of one case in which the agent barred a publicist from attending a meeting with the author and her publisher, saying that he was in charge and the publicist wasn’t needed. The publicist’s input could have been very valuable, but his priority was his own need to control, not the author’s career.

Part of the power summit process is to ritualize the occasion appropriately. Break out some champagne at the end, especially if it’s been a long day. I like to use our large and sunny conference room and provide light refreshment. Everyone should leave with a list of notes and things they are going to do to follow up.

Conducted properly, a power summit meeting is entirely pleasant and fruitful. It is one of the most useful tools you can employ to get your career on a good track and to keep it moving forward.