The “Tentpole” strategy is well established in the movie and television industries, though it endures its fair share of criticism. It involves banking on one big hit—the Tentpole product—to support all the other products in a portfolio.
The book publishing industry employs the same strategy. When publishers had control over sales and marketing channels, this strategy worked well for them. The pool of talent was constrained to those who were selected by Gatekeepers. As long as the Tentpole performed, it meant safety for editors for a long time. One hit covered for many misses.
If the industry could make you a Tentpole, great. Otherwise, you watched from the mid-list, your frustration growing. “Why aren’t they marketing my book?” As an author among the mass of “misses,” you had no other outlet.
Authors buy in to the illusion that the publisher is going to market their book effectively. Over and over again, they are disappointed. What authors may not know—or might not want to hear—is that the publisher never had any intention of spending time on anything other than the Tentpoles. It’s a strategy, not a failing.
The Shift to Digital changed that. Authors got more power. The cost of entry was lower, and the cost of communication effectively went to zero. Now there’s a flood of new offerings, for better or worse—and a heightened noise level about all the new products. To publishers, this means a lot more competition for their mid- to lower-performing products. More skirmishes at the fringes, far from the Tentpole, where their attention is focused.
While publishers expend all of their energy shouting about the Tentpole, consumers are unlocking new ways to discover new products. Consumers look to one another—not to marketers—for product recommendations. This has always been the case, but the Web amplified its power, and there’s no returning to the Old Way.
What can you do as an author?
- Focus your energy on creating really Good Content for your intended audience. It’s your responsibility, alone. Good Content is not just your book, though. It’s blog posts, serial pieces, and GoodReads comments. Connection in the Digital Age happens around content, so you need a broader definition of content.
- Connect with your audience, directly. Again, this is your responsibility. Publishers aren’t in a position to help you here. They ceded direct relationships with readers to retailers years ago. But readers seek proximity to you, the creator. You are the primary brand, not your publisher, and not the retailer. It’s up to you to make direct connections now.
These two simple tenets are now required, whether you are already published or seeking to be published. If you are trying to get picked by a publisher, the conversation is very different if you show up to the table with 1) a wealth of good content, and 2) a ready-made audience.
Getting picked by a reputable publisher can be a huge boon—you can trade on their trust capital, which, if you are just starting out, is worth more than yours. You have to think like they do, though. If the industry is searching for the next Tentpole, show that you have a shot at that.
Good content and a devoted audience. It’s what makes a Tentpole, when you get right down to it.
So, act like a Tentpole! It can only help.
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For more, listen to Tentpole Tendency (podcast version):
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The text of this article was originally published on Libboo.com. For a collection of my articles on Libboo.com, please see: http://bit.ly/libboo-boezi.