Back in the late nineties, I found myself sitting in what was widely regarded as one of the easiest courses in college: Cinema as Art Form. We called the class a "gut" because everyone said it was cake. Show up, get a B. What I enjoyed most about the class began with a viewing of Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. We spent our time on a few directors, including Scorcese, Welles, and the Master of Suspense. The riveting train flick sparked, should we say, an affair with all things "noir" -- the twists, the turns, and the femme fatale were all fun for me.
Well, the concept arrived in Richmond with Akashic Books' 2010 publication of Richmond Noir, a collection of short stories taking place in a variety of River City's most loved neighborhoods. The anthology includes stories by a number of authors, including a personal friend, Conrad Ashley Persons. The editors have truly collected a remarkable assortment of stories.
This week, the Richmond Noir book tour returns home from Manhattan with a reading this Wednesday, May 12 at Gallery Five, 200 West Marshall Street at 7pm. I heard terrific compliments from those in attendance at the latest NYC reading, so I am excited to make the trip from Charlottesville this week. If you're in the Richmond area, I would encourage you to head downtown for this literary treat.
And now, the nuts and bolts publishing commentary... Akashic Books, an independent publisher of urban literary fiction and political nonfiction (as described by their website), launched a series of compilations dedicated to urban "noir," and I would guess that Richmond's editors, Andrew Blossom, Brian Castleberry, and Tom De Haven, have done a great deal of work with the promotion of this publication.
As I've followed its release, I have dedicated myself to keeping tabs on the Facebook page and the blog, both excellent resources on tour events, happenings, and discourse. The Facebook page allows the book's marketers to share news of upcoming reading sessions and also relevant reviews and critiques. This kind of continuous feed enhances the relationship between the book and its potential buyers in the online space, thus ensuring the product is literally streaming through the Facebook conscious and growing exponentially (hopefully). The blog collects important links for purchasing, contributors, editors, and related sites. Each entry gives a short update or recap on items followers and buyers may find interesting or helpful.
The use of these tools reminds me that today, a book does not have to appear on the shelves of every bookstore in town to gain visibility. It also drives home the point that even the small publisher can compete with the marketing of a larger organization in the online space. A blog is a blog is a blog, and if used correctly, can reach a target audience pretty effectively, especially when the target audience likes to read. The Facebook touch organizes consumers' internet lives around the product for sale, all for nothing. This serves as an example of a publishing business effectively employing social media in the modern book age. Nice work.
Hope to see you all on Wednesday night in Jackson Ward. Richmond Noir. Read all about it. Or let the talented writers read to you...
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