The Secret Root

(1) Secret Root Book Release Party, April 24! (2) Dr. Bombay plays House of Blues to support City of Hope, April 25! (3) I visit Hannah Beardsley Middle School, April 26! Definitely an improvement over last week! So much excitement that I can barely handle it….

I don’t typically engage in public complaints about the marketing of a book, especially a book by an author I adore, but something about the marketing of Leigh Bardugo’s Siege and Storm just rubbed me the wrong way.  As a YA reader and author, and the father of a teenage boy who reads YA, the publishing industry presumption that all readers of YA are teenage girls drives me nuts.  And in fact, there is little question that my son’s rapid evolution away from YA into more adult fiction is partially due to the fact that so much of what is out there is directed to girls - even when the stories themselves would undoubtedly appeal to boys.

The reaction I received to my little outburst was gratifying in some respects and amusing in others.  Gratiying in that Leigh Bardugo herself actually responded, in a thoughful and engaging fashion.  She understood the issue, and understood why it was important, even if I think she is a bit dismissive of the impact of the specific promotion at issue (nail polish as the main giveaway for preorders of Siege and Storm).  In any event, she understood that I was trying to start a conversation, and that’s all I can ask for.  And I’m looking forward to reading the book when it comes out in June!

It was amusing, however, in seeing how many folks completely missed the point.  Either they acted like this was an absurd concern (boys, they say, will take anything free, even if it is nail polish - a preposterous suggestion that had me and my son in tears) or they acted like I was trying to attack Bardugo for doing something nice for them.  Most bizarre, some others believed that I was suggesting that YA be marketed in a gender neutral fashion - of course I don’t think that is necessary, or wise.  Most readers of YA are, in fact, girls.  The idea is that publishers should expand their thinking and realize that certain types of promotions are more exclusionary than others (in that they send a message that you are not wanted).

Regardless, an interesting experience and I’m glad that so many people engaged and thought about it. 

I love Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone.  It’s a wonderful, awesome book.  It’s like Harry Potter written by a 19th century Russian novelist.  It’s difficult not to enjoy, and it has the same sweeping, romantic feel that a lot of great YA shares with big, enveloping fiction for adults.

But publishers think that only girls will read it.  

In fact, they make the same assumption about Graceling, about Incarceron, and about too many other great YA books to mention.  What do I mean? Well, the cover art says a great deal, but it goes deeper. When Leigh Bardugo’s new book, Siege and Storm, was announced, I was enormously excited.  I wanted to get my 13 year old son to read it.  But on Facebook, do you know how the publisher decided to promote it? If you preorder, you get FREE NAIL POLISH.  I’m sure that the average 13 year old boy who loves books will be lining up to read something promoted like that.  

Almost all of the YA books on the shelves are designed to appeal to girls, even when the stories would almost certainly appeal to boys.  Examples? How about Divergent or The Hunger Games, two dystopian YA books that boys universally loved.  Notice that the covers of those books did nothing to encourage readers to prejudge the content as being “gendered” in one way or another.  But publishers either believe that they need to go over the top in making books sound and appear feminine in order to attract girl readers, or they don’t believe that boys are interested in the first place and they are completely ignored.

Now, I am not disinterested in this phenomena - I wrote a YA book with a male and a female protagonist, and I am explicitly trying to get everyone to read it.  But I also spent several years closely observing the Barbie v. Bratz copyright war in a variety of California courtrooms, and I know a fair amount about the way that marketing is focused on gendered assumptions about boys and girls.  And the fact that publishers do everything they can to exclude boys from stories they would enjoy (If they don’t think that the story of a female teenage assassin like the one found in Graceling would be unappealing to a 13 year old boy they clearly have no idea what they are doing and should be relieved of their positions immediately).  

So, in short: publishers, knock it off! How about trying to sell your books without appealing to the idea that only one sex is interested in a good story. 

Woo hoo! http://www.thesecretroot.com/

To celebrate the official release of THE SECRET ROOT in April (and the end of the soft roll-out) we’re giving ‘em away! http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/46762-the-secret-root

A used copy of The Secret Root is available for sale in…Australia?  Now I’m intrigued!  But don’t let the folks down under have all the fun, buy a copy of The Secret Root now!

On Kindle: $3.99! Paperback: now only $8.90!  

Not as many as those amazing book bloggers who read 100-200 books a year (wow!) but as someone who practices law AND plays in a band AND writes novels AND has a family, I’m pretty darn impressed with myself.  And the final verdict? Best YA: The Fault in Our Stars, John Green.  Best YA Fantasy: Bitterblue, Kristen Cashore.  Best YA Science Fiction: Insignia, by S.J. Kincaid.  Best YA Distopian: The Kill Order, James Dashner.  Best adult fiction: The Leftovers, Tom Perrotta.  Best adult science fiction: 11/22/63 by Stephen King.  Best adult book that fits into no genre whatsoever: Angelmaker, by Nick Harkaway.  Best adult comedic novel: Redshirts, John Scalzi.  Best adult thriller: Tie: An American Spy, Olen Steinhauer, and The Expats, by Chris Pavone. 

Best Debut? Of course that would be The Secret Root, by D.S. Cahr! Okay, I’m biased.  If not, me, then perhaps Legend by Marie Lu.

The Secret Root is #98 with a bullet on Amazon’s Children’s Science Fiction best seller list tonight, thanks to a link from Instapundit (one of the original bloggers who inspired my presence on the web many moons ago).  So what are you waiting for — go out and buy it (it’s only $3.99 as part of the limited exclusive deal on the Kindle, or in dead tree version for $13.95 with a cool cover).  Where do you buy it?  Right here: http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Root-Mesh-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B009LK59FG/ref=zg_bs_3351949011_98

…and while “The Secret Root” isn’t there (yet!) the results are quite gratifying to those of use who care about such things (check out the link here).  I am particularly pleased to see “Dune” as best SF of the 20th century “Old Man’s War” as best SF of the 21st century, “American Gods” as best fantasy novel of the 21st century, and “Lord of the Rings” as best 20th century fantasy novel.  I agree with the top results in all four categories!  When does that ever happen?  But check out the list -0- great suggestions for many of you who haven’t read all of these great books.

Even though we are still in the “soft launch” period of the roll-out for The Secret Root, I have already been invited to speak at a number of schools (which is incredibly exciting!)  I recently spoke at the West School “Readers are Leader” program in Glencoe, Illinois, and will be doing a full author’s day program at the Walled Lake school district outside of Detroit next week.  I also have school appearances coming up in several other schools — if you would like me to appear at your school (I don’t charge an appearance fee, and will donate one dollar from every book sold to students from the school!) please contact jill@thesecretroot.com.

By the way, keep your eyes out for the formal launch of THE SECRET ROOT website, which will be at www.thesecretroot.com.  More information to come!  And for those of you that have already read the book and are telling me how great it is (a) thank you so much!!! and (b) tell everyone!