Just what is the midlist, anyway?
It’s anything published that isn’t a big book or a climbing author. In other words, it’s a great percentage of books that are published.
And most of them sell modestly. You might think that your brand new novel is going to receive a lot of support from the publisher because no one has heard of it (or you–unless you are adept at social media) and it needs support. But the fact is, most books receive very little support. They will probably send out review copies and do some internet marketing, but they only put big guns behind the big authors. Most new authors don’t understand this. Here’s why.
They aren’t going to take a chance and spend a lot of money on something that is unproven. They will do a decent cover and they will look for any opportunities that seem relevant to your book, but they will not go out of their way. That is why it is incumbent on you to step up and meet them halfway.
Come with your own marketing ideas. These ideas should be doable and make sense. If you want a full page ad in the NY Times, that is not realistic. Be prepared to work with the publisher, using whatever is at your disposal. They will send you some kind of questionnaire when you sign the contract to find out what they can explore and how to use it, so make sure you have a lot to put on it. It’s good if you have strong social media, are a member of some prominent organizations, are in contact with influencers who might help spread the word, have a large mailing list, or can get a lot of speaking engagements where you can sell books. If you come in with those things, the publisher will be glad to augment them with more action.
Can you get out of the midlist? Yes, if your books sell. You can rise up the list and may eventually find yourself in a more prominent place. Readers have a way of finding what’s good. If you are consistent and keep building yourself–and most of all, if you are especially good–there is light at the end of the tunnel.
All this is not easy. But if you stay the course, think creatively, and focus on what works, you can indeed break out. The key is to be consistent. Don’t take a year off. Keep hitting the same nail on its head. Pay attention to what your readers want and deliver it.
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