Rare
Books Uncovered: True Stories of Fantastic Finds in Unlikely Places
1. What really inspired you to write your book, to
force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a book?
This
book was really my editor’s idea, so I can’t take credit for it, but the idea
of the ‘great find,’ is something that’s always in the background for people
who collect, whether it’s art, antiques, or rare books. Just as some collectors
have a story about ‘the one that got away,’ so do some have a story about
uncovering a treasure in an unlikely place. So this book really resonates with
collectors.
2. What is it about and whom do you believe is your
targeted reader?
It’s a
collection of stories about people who found incredible rarities (books,
manuscripts, or related ephemera) in what I called ‘unlikely places,’ by which
I mean thrift shops, attics, flea markets, etc. — much like the PBS’s “Antiques
Roadshow.” Certainly avowed book collectors make up part of my target audience,
but the book is not written in the jargon of a hobbyist, it’s written for
someone who loves books and history, enjoys browsing the odd yard sale, and
gets a kick out of spotting a diamond among stones.
3. What do you hope will be the everlasting
thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long
after putting it down?
This
book does have a mantra, taken from the great bookseller/author/collector Larry
McMurtry’s novel, Cadillac Jack: “Anything can be anywhere.” For
collectors of any stripe, it’s a driving force, because, as we hear in the news
just about weekly, astonishing books, manuscripts, and pieces of art are still
being discovered. And for most of the people I interviewed, the potential
jackpot was secondary to the thrill of the hunt.
4. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for
fellow writers?
Set a
word-count goal! I’m one of those writers who is motivated by word counts. For
much of this project, writing 500 words per day gave me a feeling of
accomplishment and kept me on deadline.
5. What trends in the book world do you see and where
do you think the book publishing industry is heading?
One of
the trends I admire is the return to beautiful (trade) books, either in the
form of decorative covers or dust jackets and endpapers, or just in the use of
more illustrations. It would be cliche to call it a response or a backlash to
ebooks, but there is something to be said for being able to hold in one’s hand
this object both useful and beautiful, to take from William Morris. The
printed book is such a perfect piece of technology, it’s hard to beat.
6. What great challenges did you have in writing your
book?
My
biggest challenge was probably the same as everyone else’s: time. While I was
writing this book I was editing Fine Books & Collections
magazine and writing articles here and there for other magazines. Plus, having
a life and family. I really had to focus during working hours. Hence the
word-count quotas!
7. If people can only buy one book this month, why
should it be yours?
It’s a
zippy read where you get to learn odds and ends about books, authors, and
history, if that’s your cup of tea. The other nice thing about it, I’ve been
told by a few readers, is that you don’t have to read start to finish. There
are 56 individual stories in the new paperback edition, and you can dip in and
out, depending on how much time or energy you have, or what subjects appeal to
you personally.
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Brian
Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and
interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of
his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more
important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in
Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and
IBPA’s Independent. This was named one of the best book
marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the
top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best
resource.”
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