Monday, June 15, 2009

Night of the Indigo

There is print publishing, and there is game/digital publishing, and both areas do bring their fair share of excitement. In this case, I'm focused on the efforts to promote the 2009 release of the Caribbean fiction novel Night of the Indigo by Michael Holgate. Here's Holgate's blog.


The book is tagged as a Sci-Fi/Fantasy by Book Screening and you can see a full summary of the story here. You can watch the book trailer below.



What excites me is that we are taking advantage of the new ways to promote a Jamaican novel.

If you want to talk about a writer as co-marketer of his work, then Holgate leaves no doubt as he even appears in his own trailer. I like that the publisher, Macmillan Caribbean, has given the book its own web page and this trailer has been produced. For sure, this will introduce the story to a whole other group of prospective readers. This begs a question though, are we likely to see a film? This is certainly another way to take advantage of this bit of creativity. The question should be how else can we share this story with the world, and this should include a full examination of what might be the feasible product extensions? The publisher has classified it as a Children's Story book, so is there any possibility that a coloring book aimed at a younger age group could be created? Do any of the characters lend themselves to life as a stuffed toy? This would certainly be more culturally appropriate than some of what we consume now. If fans emerge out of this publication, then the writer should consider that he has an obligation to keep them satisfied. This will happen only if he uses the channels available to maintain that relationship (and that includes some of what I've mentioned). I'm just saying... I haven't read the book to know its appeal.

If the product lends itself to extensions, then the intellectual property rights holder has the option of producing these himself or pursue licensing deals. The latter would be a less capital intensive option and allows wider international reach if managed properly. My point is, Holgate has started and is in a good position to move forward comfortably.

My hope is that in the future we can ensure that more of these successes are not just flashes in the pan, but are more sustainable. I'm of the opinion that this route is a far more effective means of "preserving, showcasing and developing" our Caribbean culture.

Finally, here are a few resources if you are interested in self-publishing:
www.mypublisher.com
www.blurb.com
www.nxtbook.com
www.booksjustbooks.com
www.magcloud.com


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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great as usual Kam-Au. I got a copy of one at Calabash.... in the process of reading it...it's really great so far!
Thanks for posting the trailer....I didnt even see it but I love the idea!

By the way....don't forget LuLu and Createspace for self-publishing outlets.

Anonymous said...

O and the concept of island fiction is interesting too

nextdoor said...

I am impressed about the use of a trailer as a marketing tool of a book. I think it's a great idea... i didn't like the video... it's kind of slow and a little bit long... but, I like the idea of using moving images to promote the book... but, there is a fine line between that kind of publicity and just publicity... if you know what I mean... I don't buy the idea of a Children's book... I know it's an adventure world but it seems to dark for me... and I don't see the connection between Jamaican Samurais and Jamaican culture... But, it's just an opinion of a humble south american full of stories about another things...

Nestor

Kam-Au said...

Nestor,

All opinions are welcome here. I can't speak for the writer but if he used his creative license to reference other cultures I won't question his decision. Ultimately, that's for him to make and that is personal.

I wouldn't read its inclusion as an abandonment of the Jamaican culture because in and of itself his re-presentation/re-interpretation of the Samurai as you call it must of necessity be Jamaican, because that is the culture from which the writer comes. Remember, no matter where we find ourselves in the world now, our very reading of our present is determined by the experiences and the cultures from which we come. Who is to say that a Jamaican writer cannot present an interpretation of a Samurai?

Would it make you any less of a South American if you were to reference a Jamaican character in telling a South American story?

Not sure of the distinctions you're trying to make between the types of publicity, feel free to explain.

Dennis Howard said...

great resource article boss

Dennis Howard said...

great resource article boss