POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD
My Big Fat Italian Book Tour
Greetings, readers. Read on, if you want to know what a book tour in Italy is like, via Postcards from the Road, our sometime effort to bring readers into the book marketing process.
It all began several months ago, when my Italian publisher of some twenty-five years, Mondadori, asked if I would like to come over for a few days of publicity for their latest Brooks book, High Druid of Shannara: Jarka Ruus. This book was coming out in May 2003 in Italy, which would be its inaugural publication worldwide. This would be the first time a foreign edition was published before the U.S. one. I would speak each night to a group of booksellers at a publisher’s dinner and do a handful of book signings and interviews. Wanting to support the effort and always eager to visit Italy, I agreed.
The following constitutes the passages of a diary I kept during my travels, my effort at providing a look at the way bookselling and author promotion works in Italy. Judine’s pictures lend a helpful verisimilitude to the proceedings. Factual mistakes, should there be any, are my fault and mine alone.
Day One – Monday, June 9th
Having flown over from Seattle several days earlier to spend a short vacation at Villa D’Este on beautiful Lake Como, in Lombardi, we drive to Milan late in the afternoon and check into the Hotel Principe di Savoia. We meet my publicist, Chiara, and my Italian editor, Stefano, both of whom will accompany us to all events during the next three days.
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First up, a book signing at a Milan Mondadori bookstore. Book signings are different in Italy, I am advised. Readings, talks and question and answer sessions are not the rule. Events are very low key, more like our U.S. drop-by signings. Readers seldom show up. Don’t expect to see more than one or two.
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Not to worry. Andrea Mastrangelo, creator of my Italian website, Blue Divide, has rallied the faithful. He appears with at least two dozen of his followers. Another dozen readers show as well. It is very gratifying and a pleasant surprise to Stefano and Chiara. Books are signed, pictures are taken, and thanks are given to all that make the effort to come out.
Dinner follows with too much pasta and wine and a whole lot of laughter.
Day Two – Tuesday, June 10th
The entire morning is given over to interviews and photo sessions with various members of the print media in the lobby of the hotel. The questions are considered and insightful. Every interviewer appears to have read the book. I am stunned. This would never happen in the United Stares.
After lunch, we pack up and drive at what must be at least 140 kilometers an hour to Padova for the next series of events. The weather, which has been very hot, gets hotter still. At the Plaza Hotel, I do another print interview in the lobby while trying to dislodge my heart from my throat. Judine has taken to her bed.
Afterwards, we depart for a two-hour visit to four local bookstores. On foot. In the sweltering heat. Judine and I are dressed for dinner, which turns out to be a bad idea. Sweat pours off us as we walk. Whoever sits next to us tonight is in trouble.
I am told once again about Italian bookstore events and how they differ from those in the United States and how I shouldn’t expect too much. Wait and see, I suggest. Sure enough, there are fifty people waiting at the first store and an only slightly smaller number at the second. I am asked to sign my name and nothing else; time permits for no more. But I can’t do that, of course. Not that I don’t consider it after discovering that signing number one is outside in a parking lot. In the heat. Sweat pouring down.
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We get through it, though, and head off to the first of three nightly dinners with area booksellers. Mondadori is arranging these dinners for the purpose of presenting the publisher’s current line of books via slide show, music and oral presentation. Over a hundred booksellers are in attendance at tonight’s venue, Castello del Catajo. After the publisher’s presentation, I am trotted in to swelling music and applause, a surprise guest speaker, to give my little talk.
Tonight, I speak about my family connection to the bookselling business and to the special relationship of writers and booksellers. Because it is at least a hundred degrees in the room, I keep it to ten minutes, which is probably about nine minutes too long. Afterwards, we enjoy drinks and conversation on the castle terrace, where it is cooler, then dinner in another room. Copies of Jarka Ruus are given to everyone in attendance. I sign books and try to exchange a few meaningful words. Good thing I have an interpreter, because after “buona serra” I am in trouble.
The festivities continue until one a.m. I am exhausted.
Day Three – Wednesday, June 11
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Late in the morning, we drive as fast as we can, once again, to the city of Bologna. Stefano and Chiara take Judine and I to a sumptuous lunch that takes place in air-conditioned comfort. But afterwards, Stefano insists we climb the taller of Bologna’s famous Two Towers, which afford a sweeping view of the entire city. Foolishly, we agree. We drive to within several blocks and walk the rest of the way into the city center. Then we climb. And climb some more. I begin to feel like fresh dough in a brick oven.
But the view at the top, when we finally arrive, is breathtaking. Stefano points out various churches, towers and piazzas. He loves this city, where he once lived for three years, and it is easy to see why.
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Afterwards, we walk back to the hotel and collapse. Tonight’s dinner and talk will be held here, so there is at least a marginal chance the rooms will be cooler. At six o’clock, with Stefano, Chiara and a handful of others from Mondadori, I head out to three new bookstores for signings. No one bothers telling me how they don’t do traditional author signings in Italy tonight. Good thing. At the first and second stores, there are again crowds, some of whom spill over from one store to the next for pictures and conversation. Lots of Blue Divide people again, and I take a moment to tell Stefano and Chiara that you don’t want to underrate the value of a good website anywhere.
Stefano and I talk about how this sort of event – a presentation of books in a publishing company’s line at a dinner for booksellers – is rare in the U.S. Most publicity is done through catalogues and visits from sales reps to the store. Explaining the reasons for this different way of doing things is a bit complicated, but we work our way through it.
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Back at the hotel, I give my talk one more time. Drinks and dinner follow. By now, I have met most of the people from the Mondadori home office, many of whom are present at each dinner for the presentation of the line to the booksellers. We talk about books and publishing at great length. Judine and I are able to participate because we have the services of an interpreter. Last night and tonight, we have Matteo, who is fluent in five or six languages. Judine decides she will adopt him. Matteo is interested. Stay tuned.
Again, the festivities continue until sometime after midnight when I can no longer see straight.
Day Four – Thursday, June 12
By now, I am really exhausted. I mean, I am usually in bed by ten o’clock, and this one o’clock business is doing me in! Even sleeping until eight a.m. isn’t enough to allow me to recoup. Car naps are helpful, except that I am certain that only by staying awake and watching the road flash by at 140 kilometers an hour can I, by sheer force of will, prevent an accident. Judine seems to feel the same way, and we exchange knowing glances as we barrel around curves that throw us from one side of the car to the other.
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Nevertheless, we arrive at our final event around midday. Tonight’s dinner will be held at Villa Medicea La Ferdinanda near Artimino, outside Florence in the middle of the Tuscan countryside. The villa and its surroundings are astonishingly beautiful, with sweeping views of vineyards and hilltop villages in all directions. Another two-hour lunch with Stefano and Chiara is followed by several hours of lounging about poolside like real tourists. A previous plan to tour the Prato countryside is scrapped in favor of much-needed naps.
The only work today is the evening dinner with area booksellers, my usual speech, conversations at dinner, book signings afterwards, and bed a little before one a.m. Whew!
It is difficult to capture in this diary how wonderful this visit really was, near-death car experiences notwithstanding. Italy is a favorite country for Judine and I, and we have gone there now four times and will certainly go again. Our thanks go out to Stefano and Chiara, who took such good care of us, to Massimo, Marco, Sandra, Oscar, Mauro, and so many more at Mondadori, as well as to all the booksellers who were so eager to make us feel at home.
Until next time, sempre magico. Terry & Judine.
Italians from the Blue Divide Website
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