Self publishing may be the hot topic right now but there have been success stories all along. Last year Publisher’s Weekly took a look back at some of these, including how the Pete the Cat series came to be born. It’s in the news again because a company called Merrymakers is planning a world-wide licensing program for a large range of Pete the Cat goods, including shoes, toys, school supplies, etc. What I found particularly interesting is how the character was born. This is the account written by Sally Lodge for PW:
“A chance encounter at an Atlanta stoplight led to the creation of Pete
the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, written by children's musician Eric Litwin
and illustrated by James Dean. Waiting for the light to turn, Litwin recognized
Dean, a local artist known for his paintings of a blue cat named Pete, in the
next car. Litwin told him he was a big fan of Pete and asked if he wanted to
collaborate on a book; thus a children's book protagonist was born.”
They self-published a book in 2008, and the way in which they marketed it also stood out:
“The collaborators—Litwin on guitar and banjo and Dean with giant easel—promoted their book at Atlanta-area bookstores, schools, libraries, and festivals, and sold some 4,000 copies.”
A bookseller called the book to the attention of a sales rep for Harper Collins. In 2010 the publisher released Pete the Cat and sent the two on a publicity tour to five cities. The book made it onto the New York Times best-seller list and as of early 2011 had sold 50,000 copies, with a follow up (Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes) following with a first printing of 75,000 copies.
I share this story for several reasons. First, it shows the power of asking. If Litwin had thought, “I don’t think he’d want to collaborate since he created the character,” or “Probably somebody has already suggested a book and it might not have worked,” he never would have asked.
Second, it’s an encouraging tale for authors who self-publish, although I’m not saying that the true definition of success is to get published by a big publisher. Sometimes that’s the best route, sometimes it’s not.
The PW article is about authors who made that transition. As mentioned above, the Pete the Cat collaborators sold 4000 copies themselves; other authors mentioned in the article sold 1000, 2000, 3000, and 179,000 copies before being picked up by a traditional publisher. (That 179,000 is not a typo, it’s for a picture book called I Love Your More, by Laura Duksta)
Finally, the story underscores the fact that if you have an unusual way to promote your book you will draw attention that most authors never get.
(If you'd like friendly guidance on going from idea all the way through to publication, get a copy of my book, Your Writing Coach, available from Amazon and other booksellers.)