Please come back 8/30/11 for the continuation of the massive "Super '70s and '80s" series, running most days between now and 10/12/11! And for today, a post of "regularly scheduled content":
In June, I "reported" that a friend discovered my book Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman in a Six Flags gift shop. That it was there was not a surprise, since I'd worked hard in 2008 to pitch them. That it is still there is something of a surprise—and a pleasant one, even if these are the same still-unsold copies brought in three years ago!
The friend who told me of this in June went back in August (presumably for attractions other than my book) and kindly snapped and sent these photos:
I suspect (but will never attempt to prove) that this is the first hardcover nonfiction book to be sold in an amusement park gift shop. Not exactly a distinction worthy of Guiness, I know.
A young woman whose family I have known since she was a tiny girl emailed the following (and then kindly gave me permission to share it here):
I recently graduated high school. Thursday night my fellow graduates and I went to "Grad Nite" at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I was looking through Superman and Batman capes when I noticed something familiar at the front counter: your book! I screeched excitedly and called my friends over, pointing to Boys of Steel as I explained that I knew the author. It was really great to see one of your books at the very front of a store, on display, and to know that I had the same book at home, had read it cover to cover multiple times already, and even had met the author!
Photo courtesy of Braden E (via Flickr).
This is especially rewarding for me for three reasons: - Because Six Flags is home to various Superman rides including a roller coaster with the zippy name "Escape from Krypton" (pictured above), I personally pitched them Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman several months before it was published in 2008...although even I thought it unlikely that an amusement park shop would agree to carry a hardcover nonfiction book.
- Three summers later, the book is still available at Six Flags! (Then again, since publisher-to-nonbook-retailer sales are typically nonreturnable, perhaps that is a copy from the original order three years ago that has yet to sell...)
- The book is on display at the front of the store. (Then again, if it is a copy from three years ago, they've got to do whatever it takes to move that thing.)
And also, Six Flags sells capes? Next they've got to create a coaster on which you can wear one...
Last year, I pitched Six Flags several in-park promotions involving Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman. I also asked if they'd carry the book in their stores. (Some Six Flags locations feature Superman-themed rides.)They kindly considered my promotional ideas but ultimately said no. They were also willing to consider the book, but I believe it was coming out too late in the summer (late July) for them.This year, however, they are taking a chance on the book. I don't think I can reveal how many they committed to, but I can say it is more than six.I realize people don't have a book-buying mindset when they go to an amusement park, but the Superman synergy was too tempting to dismiss.
And hey, even weaker connections exist. Whole Foods was selling DVDs of Shrek 2.
2011 update: It took a while but I now have proof that the yes was real.
When you think "amusement park," you probably next think "books."
Some Six Flags locations feature Superman-themed rides. I approached the company in the winter to see if we could somehow promote Boys of Steel there. They were open to considering it, particularly for the parks with the Superman attractions. I pitched ideas, trying to focus on promotions that would not be labor-intensive for them. My favorite was what you might call super hide and seek:
Before opening, the park would "hide," say, fifteen small durable placards of the Boys of Steel cover throughout the park. These would be affixed to places that can be easily—but not too easily—seen, such as on the side of a garbage can, a fence or wall that encloses a ride, even on a bathroom door.
Upon entering, kids would be offered the chance to play a hide and seek game for a chance to win a signed copy of the book. They'd be given a small card listing possible locations for the placards—but the list would contain, say, three times more locations than placards, so some would be red herrings.
Any child who, upon leaving, turns in a list on which he's circled only the locations of the fifteen placards receives a signed book. It is not a scavenger hunt and is not a race—an important factor to parks since running can lead to injury. No matter what time a child leaves, so long as he turns in a correctly completed list, he's a winner.
I saw this as win-win: it encourages patrons to explore the entire park and it exposes my book to a key part of my audience in a memorable way.
No matter. Six Flags said no.
6/30/08 addendum: Could this be why?
If you could fly, you'd probably spend most of your airborne time in the summer. Superman sure seems to.
He debuted in Action Comics #1, dated June, 1938. However, comics ship months earlier than their cover dates—court records name April 18 as the date this one did (for more on this, see my future blog entry of April 18, 2008). But to the casual observer, it's immortalized as a summer son.
As I build a marketing campaign for Boys of Steel, summer has been pivotal. I sold the manuscript in early March 2005, and among the first questions I asked my editor (it was halfway to a beg) was if we could get the book out in time for the Superman Returns premiere in June 2006. I knew that the relaunch of the film franchise would lead to both increased media attention to Superman and Superman-themed tabletops in bookstores (probably for no cost to publishers). Alas, I was told that was not likely to happen.
We blew right past summer 2006, and even summer 2007, before even seeing finished art. We are on track for summer 2008—but, another alas, not until the very last edge of it: August 26. While I'm thrilled we're less than half a year away from release, I'm also bummed that we're missing yet another summer. I will be involved with the following, but we're cutting it close, and here are some elaborations:
- Superman Celebration, Metropolis, Illinois, June - This is THE indispensable event for 75,000 diehard Superman fans (or perhaps 30,000 diehard Superman fans and 45,000 gracious Superman fan family members). It's held in the only living town in America named Metropolis and this year is not only the 70th anniversary of Superman and the 30th anniversary of Superman: The Movie but also the 30th anniversary of the Superman Celebration itself. I'll be there, and I'm working extra hard to make sure copies of the book will be, too. This will require drop-shipping them from China, which is as expensive as it seems. If we don't have enough books there, we'll be taking pre-orders, and either way, I'll be running what promises to be an unprecedented and really fun promotional event revolving around the book. Watch this space for the announcement.
- Summer of Superman, Cleveland, Ohio, June through September - Finally, Superman's real-world hometown is ramping up efforts to acknowledge their four-color legacy. Community leaders are already meeting and planning a series of diverse Supermancentric events from a comic convention to a screening of old Superman movies. My event is planned for August so that we will absolutely have books for it. And it will be similar yet even cooler than what I'm doing in Metropolis. You'll again have to check back for an explanation in the weeks to come.
- Comic-Con, San Diego, California, July - Random House (my publisher) will have a booth there and will be promoting the book, but we can't benefit immediately since it will not yet be for sale. Do people forget things more easily in the suffocating heat of summer? Even if so, I'm going for word of mouth stimulation and hopefully a panel seat, too.
- Six Flags, all summer - These amusement parks feature Superman rides. I pitched them to sell the book in their stores and online. They seem interested but the late-summer release date again presents a problem since most of their season is over by then. No matter. I've gotten quite used to saying "There's always next summer."
How does the Autumn of Superman sound?
I suspect (but will never attempt to prove) that this is the first hardcover nonfiction book to be sold in an amusement park gift shop. Not exactly a distinction worthy of Guiness, I know.
