I feel like some things that I've seen with helping midlist authors has been more experienced authors helping support them which has made a big difference. I think it would be amazing to have sort of "author adoptions" in which someone with a larger platform/readership agrees to do an event with someone who isn't getting that marketing push because that alone can draw a lot of people in. Maybe one day I'll get organized enough to see if that's something I could set up lol but I think there's a lot of power in the way that authors support other authors when they can. Though of course, ideally the publishers give a base amount of marketing to everyone.
This! It definitely fuels visibility, especially with BIPOC authors. Also, blurbs and recommendations/posts on social media from bigger authors. I agree that it should be organic, as Michelle mentions, but continued efforts to support those without the same platform should be the standard.
I LOVE that idea, Liselle! I know there are big authors out there who do what they can for midlisters. Some sort of organized effort would be so awesome.
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor absolutely, that’s what’s so nice about the community is that those authors really do make that effort. maybe one day 🤞🏾 also open to people taking the idea and running with it lol
The publicist subscription sounds like a really good idea, honestly. I can see plenty of authors getting in on that, because too much of our time is spent not writing.
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor I feel like this is already being done by services like Jesse Tevelow's LaunchTeam. When you start talking about subscriptions and paying for these kinds of things that traditionally published authors use to expect from their publisher, you might just be crossing over into the realm of the independent or self-published author. I don't think your ideas are half-baked. I think some other people have just thought them first and may have a growing market among traditionally published mid-list authors for those ideas from the sound of it.
@@argentgrove Oh I hadn't heard of LaunchTeam! Thanks! And yes, I completely agree - and I hate it, because the reason we choose tradpub is because we're supposed to get this marketing support from the houses and not spend our own time/money on it. But I just don't see that changing. Definitely going to look into LaunchTeam!! :)
For the midlist book fest or a podcast/booktube/booktok/etc, you could use the concept of the "Keynote Speaker" to draw attention to what you're doing. Meaning, for the midlist book fest, you have one huge author who does a signing, but the rest of the authors represented are midlist. For social media, once or twice a year, you get a huge author to do an interview and recommend their favorite midlist. Or even, every 10th review is a bestseller. And I would totally sign up for the publicist subscription. I think that's a great way to support publicists who want to specialize in books, and give authors access to those specialists.
Maybe start a book tag called “Books you’ve never heard of” so all book influences can talk about and promote the mid list! A paid subscription for a publicist is a great idea, I would definitely be on board with that!
I would LOVE a midlist book fest. I rarely ever enjoy popular tittles and I love finding hidden gems so learning about more underhyped novels would be ideal for me and I have a feeling that I'm not the only one.
Let's hope one of these booktok peeps look at self-publishers, too! Fingers-crossed. Yep...midlister here, too, jumping up and down...look at me. It's difficult to be seen. YES! to publicist membership. Festival, I'm in and happy to volunteer. I think I'm going to add Reviews for Self-pub and midlist authors to my blog. Thanks for that idea!
I'd love a book tube channel/podcast with the mid list book idea! "Top 10 books no one is talking about," "under the radar books to add to your tbr," interviews with authors, etc. I'd love a project like that, if you ever need help. I'm sure you know many more qualified people but I'm starting a film and creative writing degree in September and that's just the kind of thing I'd be interested in!
Yess!!!! That's exactly what I'm talking about! Thank you so much for volunteering - taking note, if/when I ever do try to get these things up and running. Also - wow, that is maybe the coolest double major ever. :)
LOL not so much relying on TikTok, more so relying on readers to find creative ways to spread the word about books that aren't getting big marketing pushes!
I run a podcast and this year I started doing just what you suggested. I interview authors from wattpad and the indi space and last month an authors publicist reached out to me directly. I am a total introvert but I want to help others along so stepped out of my comfort zone. I enjoy it now and would certainly follow any podcast you put out.
I'm down for the "Midlist Book Fest", there's something refreshing and oddly satisfying about discovering a book you wouldn't have otherwise found (off-the-grid, off-the-beaten-path, behind-the-curtain, you get the point lolz). It's like a scavenger hunt for books! Let me know if you need help with anything perhaps I can design a banner in Canva or something. Would love to help out and take some of the pressure off :-) Feel free to DM me, Michelle!
I think a huge book festival for new authors would be great. I think a way to promote smaller authors would be to have a ‘Blind Date with a Book. ‘ Set up a registration with a small discount to the festival or a free cup Or coffee. People can fill out cards about the books they like, or their reading preferences and get an emailed list of curated books by smaller authors that they can come and ‘meet’ at the festival. Also be entered in automatically for a raffle or some kind of prize. Food and books are great company, so make sure to bring in vendors. I think something could also be done along the same vein for younger readers and young adults.
Part 2 did not disappoint. 😁 And while I have zero clues about how to save the midlist (mainly because I never knew "midlist" existed until you first mentioned it. I never knew popular books from other books, because to me there's always only been books that intrigue me and books that don't. Popular or not.) I love your idea of subtle recommendation in your workshops because you frequently come up with great reference. I wonder, though, if these booktok readers can influence midlist book sales, and publishers are eager to glom onto them for their own wants/needs. Could these booktok-ers be what saves midlist authors and get publishers to make things more fair? Like "no I won't read the book you put millions behind. I'll choose this one you tossed a pittance at and make them set with royalties." I dunno, I just wonder if they knew about this "power" they hold over publishers if they'd be willing to do something like this. But, I'm just thinking as a write and that usually makes my comments way too long!😅 so I'll end this here. 🤓👍💜
Thanks K!! Yup, I wonder that too. I do believe consumers can sway these things but it really does take a MASSIVE effort, sooo....idk. Trying to be hopeful about it. :) (I like your long comments!!!)
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor and here's me thinking I write too much. 😅 (I used to write page long emails to family, 3 pages if I had something to say. 😬🤦🤷The fact I've dwindled my thoughts down this much is shocking to me) But anyway, maybe we'll luck out and a midlist author (or anyone in general I guess) who watched your videos *and* knows one of those booktok-ers could maybe spread the word that this could help us out.....🤞 Somebody has to start the change with publishers, and if they won't listen to their *own authors* maybe (hopefully) some influencers will open things up for the discussion and change that is long since due. (Still thinking of the treatment of bipoc authors, which I can't understand how someone thought it was a good idea.)
I would love the book festival idea! I think that’s be fun. I know there’s Indie book festivals but it would be interesting to see midlist authors have theirs too.
Thank you so much, Daja! I agree - I really think that's something a lot of readers would be into, maybe just as much as we do going to festivals and seeing our bestseller favs.
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor lol it’s funny we were talking about this because I saw a post on Instagram saying there should be a scholastic book fair for adults at a bar. 🤣
How about a booktube channel for midlist authors? I can imagine different categories of videos for that. Maybe short pitch videos that the authors create themselves, maybe interviews with those authors about the books, "normal" book review videos by readers (I guess many midlist authors would happily send out review copies for this) etc. I think what could set it apart from other booktube channels and make it unique is if the authors get involved themselves. I would limit it to traditionally published authors who have not had a bestseller yet, simply because self-publishing is a completely different beast and self-publishers usually network quite well already (even though a similar channel could work for self-published authors as well). It is something I could see myself doing from the more technical side of things, or maybe even as a host for the interviews and stuff, but I am a complete nobody in the social media world, so I would not know where to start with finding authors who might be interested, let alone attracting an audience for it.
That would be really cool! I'm positive there are booktubers out there reviewing midlist books. I think the key is figuring out how to help their views, because certain books/topics really do just get out there more in the algorithm.
I really wish more creators could/would lean more heavily into pay-what-you-can direct support from their audience. Obviously I want creators to make money off of their hard work, but it’s kind of frustrating to have to watch a sneaky in-video ad when I already pay for youtube premium specifically to avoid ads and in some cases send them a few dollars through patreon every month too. Especially when I’m listening to a video while driving and can’t skip it. Plus, as well intentioned as some reviews are, it’s vastly easier to like a product that you were given for free. I don’t doubt they like [insert meal kit delivery business here] but I do wonder whether they’d feel quite the same way if they had paid $40 for it.
Yeahhh I've had those thoughts too, Amelia. It's hard because on the other hand, I know a lot of creators don't want to have any sort of paywall, and doing the sponsorships allows them to avoid asking viewers for money. Although like you said, many do both....idk! It's tricky territory for sure.
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor I definitely respect not wanting a paywall, but that’s why I like the pay what you can option. If pay what you can means nothing at all, so be it. I’m fortunate enough that I can contribute a bit, so I try to. Still, I agree that there’s not a good way to avoid the “ask”, and plenty of people wouldn’t contribute anything without a perk of some sort involved, so that is a paywall of some sort.
I love love love watching/hearing authors talk about their books! I am looking to start a book review type youtube channel (have you heard of Michelle Cronauer, she may be doing this) and would be very interested in turning it into an interview type with exclusively or mostly mid-list authors. If it is something we can colab on, I would have no idea where to start, please let me know what to do next.
A wonderful set of ideas! No matter what is done, I think it has to be a systematic push. There needs to be some group or tools that keeps pushing midlist books even after some individuals get tired. One thing to consider is creating a Midlist Consortium, getting together all the people interested in this to think of ideas and make them better. A slack channel would be one place. I've long had an idea where Word of Mouth gets paid, not like a sponsorship or as an advertiser, but rather: if person A recs a book and person B goes off to buy it, then person A earns a few pennies. People don't systematically build and improve tools for Word of Mouth, because it doesn't much appear in anyone's budget. But I agree that strong word of mouth campaigns are a key to the midlist issue. If we want to systematically build Word of Mouth to support midlist, then we need to pay them. I've hashed around the technical idea some and it's not quite there, but a consortium might be able to figure out how it might work. Anyway, great video!
Thanks so much! And yes, absolutely to the slack channel or similar. Wow, okay - that affiliate idea is pretty amazing, I have to say. I really love that, and so many other businesses already use it..why not books?? I am definitely taking note of this - thank you!!
Okay, part 2. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I try to choose books that interest me, whether they’re a lead title or not. I also purchase the book I’m going to shine a light on my little platform. I love you ideas for saving the mid list. I think you’ve got a great idea. I also think that popular authors spotlighting smaller authors has introduced me to some great authors I wouldn’t have found otherwise. I would love a mid list convention! Bring it on. Great idea. A book festival where I meet all new authors and their stories. Love it! Keep the great content coming.
LOL thanks, Barrett! And yes, Liselle had a great comment about big authors spotlighting smaller authors too - I think y'all are onto something with that. Thank you for watching!!
Code Name Verity I think is an example of a book that was on the midlist, but people loved it so much and it got so much word of mouth that it ended up making it on the NYT Bestseller's list seven months after its release. Even non-bookish people have heard about it. I think that just shows that midlist can break out when people really support it and push for it. And with that, parasocial relationships are strong. I admit I'm far more likely to buy/read a book by someone I follow online, genuinely enjoy their content, and find them smart. Same with the booktubers who are honest about their reviews and recommend a book. With that, I think sometimes it also comes down to what people are interested in. Code Name Verity is about female spies in WWII, and WWII is always a buzzy topic people connect with. I also think midlists benefit if they can argue similarity with a popular book, what with all of the "10 Books to Read if You Love X" types of things going on. With that, maybe it's about authors finding their niche of readers (whether or not the topic/genre is buzzy), and what the book community can do to support these niches.
As both reader and aspiring writer, I would love a midlist book fest/podcast. Finding new books is pretty difficulty nowadays, when I open my bookstagram feed and I see the same 5-10 books everyday. I'll admit that my shelves are mostly filled with bestselling books and I'm not sure where to begin when it comes to finding under the radar books. Right now, authortube is my main tool for that. Bit this video has given me more hope for sure!
I like your idea about using examples from mid list books in your videos as a subtle recommendation. Would a credit roll at the end of videos highlighting the covers of mid-list or little- known books work? Somewhat like having some fun B-roll added to the end of a video, instead of credits, a short clip of mid-list novels to scroll in front of your audience in the hope one or two may jump out and get some attention. Links could be added in the description box of all the books, perhaps with a disclaimer that the RU-vidr does in no way endorse every book since there would be far more books than time for the RU-vidr to read them all. As an author with a hybrid publisher and no marketing to speak of, I appreciate your desire to resuscitate the the dying mid-list!
Thank you so much, Sue! That's a cool idea...I do think that for most youtube videos, people tend to drop off at the end when the youtuber starts to wrap things up, but doing some B-roll in the middle or even the beginning might work! I'm gonna mull over this... :)
While I would love midlist authors to get more recognition, I think we first have to figure out how to get rid of the stigma. I'll admit, even I'm wary of a book if I've never heard about it, never saw an ad for it, or its cover isn't as well done as one of those top 1% books.
As a reader, what I've been longing for is an app or website that has an AO3-style tagging system for published books. I know a lot of people wouldn't like the spoiler-y aspect, but for me it would cut out a lot of the uncertainty and frustration in book buying. And I would be much more likely to spend my hard-earned money on an unfamiliar author if I knew what kind of experience I could expect from the book. Synopses can be misleading. Reviewers may focus on aspects of the books that aren't what I'm looking for. But a tag that tells me that this book has "mutual pining" or "angst with a happy ending"? That tells me I'm probably going to like it. I think this would put a lot of power in readers' hands to find books they actually want to read, regardless of what publishers are pushing. It would also help authors get their books into the hands of the exact people who are most likely to enjoy them.
Librarians are major book suggesters and I wonder if they know about this problem with the publishing industry? They are powerful ambassadors and passionate readers. Maybe a librarian campaign would help?
Do you think organizations like Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America or Romance Writers of America could be tools in helping aid the of bolstering the midlist
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor Wish me luck. I started a TikTok account and bought a ring light. One step at a time. LOL I posted an amateur 15 seconds of my old Sheltie Woody, my TikTok handle is nsandik2021
I had an idea about a Brilliance on the Backlist show, but maybe you can clarify the line between Backlist and Midlist--is it just time? I would love to be the 'you've been called back for an encore after your (non-existent) publicity tour ended' enthusiastic show host 😝Wanna cohost??
Okay that is a freaking fantastic show title, first of all. What an awesome idea! As for the difference - you know, I've never asked or looked for an official definition but I consider it to be this: midlist is any book that isn't a lead/"big" title, and backlist is all of an author's books save for their most recent release. (I hope that makes sense!)
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor So there's no 'bottom-of-list' and the word 'midlist' is really sort of honor/face-saving? If one is not the lead, one is ensemble--seems like that would be a more apt word. But who am I to reframe the language? :P
I've never thought of myself as a "book influencer" -- yipes! (Of course, I'm so small that no publisher has ever deigned to notice me so don't know what it's like to be tempted with free books.) Anyway, I've been talking about supporting midlist authors for decades, mostly in terms of telling friends to try lesser-known authors and buy their books. The BookTok phenom is really mind-blowing--I had no idea!
"I've never thought of myself as a book influencer," said Booktube Goddess. 😂😂😂 Hey, you freaking rock and thank you so much for talking up midlist books! (Also - isn't that BookTok thing crazy?? I love it)
I love the idea of a convention where you get the chance to discover new books that you haven't heard of before! In theory, I'd love to help out with it, because I love organizing stuff, but I also have this tendency to take on too many projects, so maybe I shouldn't, but ... reach out if it's something you wanna try doing for real (now or in the future) :D
@@MichelleSchustermanAuthor No problem! 😃I should add that I've never been involved in organizing anything like this but I've been wanting to for many years, so I have the enthusiasm, at least 😁
Great video! One anecdote about Booktok's affect on a not-super-popular book (though this came from an author marketing herself, not word-of-mouth) was The Right Player by Kandi Steiner (@ authorkandisteiner). It got about half a million likes, plus shot up to like #15 in the Kindle store despite being a bit old.
I had no idea about the tiktok influencing book sales thing! Once something like that gets a publisher's attention, it can definitely mess with the authenticity. I also hope that boost happens for a lesser known author. 🤞 And I agree--I've found amazing new-to-me authors and books in libraries that I hadn't seen mentioned on bookstagram or twitter before.
The fast food ones, really?? I mean, I know obviously only one person is actually typing them but I assumed each tweet was still carefully crafted by a team...
