Sometimes by listening, you find some of the most amazing best practices being done in places you don’t expect. Case in point was a cup of coffee I was having with Matt Futterman, the New York Times’ deputy sports editor, on Thursday morning. Amongst the news of the day and catching up on other things, I asked Matt about how his new book, Running to the Edge, was doing. Expecting to hear that during Marathon season; the fall, when the greatest races (outside of Boston) are taking place around the world; there would be thousands going to expo’s and gobbling up the book, I got a surprising answer.
Yes the book was doing well, but it was doing well not because of the millions who might be interested in major running events; it was doing well because of Matt’s conscious choice to embrace the niche and do whatever he could to speak directly, in small bites, to those at the grassroots who would be interested in hearing and learning about the stories in the book. It also helps that Futterman is an avid runner who can literally walk, or run, the walk with anyone who chooses to dial up and try a 5k or the full 26 mile journey, but what was surprising, and sometimes rare, from an author was what many have preached but few have heard for several years if you want to grow community; fish…or run…where the fish are.
While his publisher beat the traditional routes with outreach, Matt realized that the real appeal to the book would be running groups and the casual, engaged and passionate runner who could learn and enjoy the stories of the book more than a wide audience. So he did what many won’t do; he proactively went out and found every podcast, running blog, and running group he could; he reached out to each and found the time in a busy schedule to embrace and talk to each one. If you were involved in the running space at all; there would be a spot. No one was too small. If you had a group who did Saturday runs and the schedules worked, Matt would come and run with you and then talk about the values of the book and your experiences; it was an enjoyable way to meet people. If your local running store was doing a little expo or a program, let’s see if I can stop by.
His point was simple; meeting with 20 groups of 200 who are engaged, or doing a podcast with 1,000 listeners that comes up well in search, builds a wider community and should be the area of focus. They all shared a common passion, and by doing one or all of those little things; he becomes one of them on a level that is much more personal than a mass blitz that is sometimes hit and miss. Book stores for a few people? Not interested. Bull City Running in North Carolina? Let’s go. Mass market expo’s done in places like Chicago and New York around their marathons? Wayyy crowded and do people really want a book to distract them from other key areas of engagement they may need to prep for the race? Probably not. Have a presence and talk to folks? Sure. But setting up a booth to sell books? Not the right environment.
Get granular and speak to those who have a common interest has been the road to success.
Now of course being a sports editor of the New York Times has some great advantages from the casual author; Matt readily admits that no one fails to return an email or a call when @nytimes.com is attached. And he has an aggressive publisher to go after the bigger outlets as well, especially around this key running season. It also didn’t hurt that Eliud Kipchoge just ran the fastest marathon ever, in Austria, and that running and suddenly again become a hot topic, with New York now on the horizon.
However even with those advantages, doing all the little things is what has made the difference. It takes time, grit and an authentic belief in speaking to the right communities. Often times I have talked to authors with great stories, and their feeling is they will do anything to sell their book. Yet when asked about REDITT, or Facebook groups or small clubs where reading and sports intersect, they sigh and say they don’t have that much time; but if I can get on Oprah’s list of the Times review, that’s what I need.
Good luck.
Book selling and storytelling is not an exact science as it once was. It takes time, and community and dedication to do everything you can, from building a social following to engaging in conversations far and wide to finding those three or four or fifty key people who will help expand your circle. Showing up is also a huge part of that process. The only way you may be able to make a connection is to get up and out, and see where it leads you. It is not an easy process, but it can be a rewarding one for those who not just say they will do the work, but also will do it. If you impact a few, you can impact many.
One other takeaway from our meeting was how much Matt was enjoying the process. He loves the topic, loves running, and believes in all that went into the story. So many times the strategic comms side of books, or widgets or whatever you are trying to push becomes arduous. People give up, or they become resentful with non responses because they are operating just from their point of view. Matt brought joy and dedication and fun to the process. His goal was to connect with a common group, and let the experience sell the book; not the other way around.
Will this process work for everyone? And does it apply to any campaign, be it a book, a brand, a team, a personality or a cause? I think if you temper the goals of success and work to build one block on top of the other, and also merchandise those little wins, the answer is yes. One thing is for sure, if you don’t take the ground up approach, you leave lots of connections with a core audience on the table, and that, whether it is in publishing or in selling cars or building a gaming business, is both lazy and deadly for your efforts.
It takes time, and it is certainly a marathon to build consensus, bot a sprint. Just ask the guy who wrote the running book.
