“I can sleep when I die,” Young Jeezy ft. Akon, “Soul Survivor”
If you answered no to the above question, you may want to reconsider the publishing industry for something a little less grinding like…selling cars. Okay, that was a joke. Because any sales gig requires complete and total hustling. But many writers come into the publishing industry not quite aware of just how much they’ll have to hustle their wares. Promoting and selling books is the occupational hazard of writing. Young Jeezy has the right attitude in the quote above. Because to make it in the rap game, book game, movie game [insert something here] game, you’ve got to hustle. For all the negative connotations the word may have, there’s also a very basic truth to it that can be applied when talking about succeeding in just about any profession – and most definitely for promoting and selling books. An author can choose to let their work speak for them, eschewing the hustle, but they must remember that while they do, a dozen other authors are out there grinding (either directly or via their publisher) to climb that best seller list. Now don’t panic, just yet, if you aren’t a hustler, because there are degrees to hustling. So choose which one fits you best and hustle those units:
Shameless Hustler
The Shameless Hustler doesn’t care that you see them coming and want to run the other way. They’re just glad you recognize them. It means they must be doing something right. The Shameless Hustle is not for the weak-hearted. SH’s talk about their book constantly, always have a case on hand (in case you’re unable to resist their sales pitch and need the book ASAP) and resort to any means necessary to move those units. They’ll step on toes, bore you to death with hints at plot lines and characters and/or name drop their book in every sentence if that’s what it takes to make the sale. Shameless Hustlers will go to a local event (literary or otherwise) with a satchel around their shoulder full of books and walk the floor hawking them. If they leave there with even one, they’ve let themselves down. They won’t rent a booth (cuts into profits) but will stand in front of someone else’s and, with no regret, try and sell you on their book. The Shameless hustle is a 24-7 gig. It’s also a very physical one. They are out and about – cultural fairs, book festivals, family cook outs, baby showers – willing to drive the nation if need be, and won’t stop until every book is gone. The goal of the shameless hustle is to create a hard boil of sales that, results in a large, loyal following in a small amount of time.
Gracious Hustler
The Gracious Hustler is not as in your face as the SH. But they’re no less tenacious. They tend to keep their hustling very low-key – networking, cyber promoting, tying their knowledge into workshops, presentations and guest spots as “experts,” and all-around finding any outlet that will serve to spread their name. The Gracious Hustler rarely resorts to overt pimping of their book. Yet, for some reason, you know their name because their tenacity has resulted in the sort of name recognition that only comes from repeat exposure to their brand of knowledge. As a result, you also know the name of their book and are compelled to read it, to find out if they really know what they’re talking about. GH’s are content with lighting the fire under the pot and letting it stew. Their secret intent is for that stew to bubble over into a frenzy of sales, but if it takes a little while to get there, they’re okay with that too. Gracious Hustlers are very picky about which events they’ll attend – because they’re going to pay to attend. They’re meticulous about choosing events that will either reinforce the awareness they’ve built or introduce them to a new audience. They’ll pay to play because their philosophy is long-term brand awareness trumps short-term profit. Note, there are hustlers who fall squarely in the middle of those two. And just as Gracious Hustlers can be as aggressive as a SH in their comfort zone (safely hidden behind their “expertise), Shameless Hustlers are known to appear as experts now and then…as long as they get to hold up a copy of their latest book. Pick a side or walk the middle, but come into the industry ready to hustle.
Paula,
Great article. Every word that you said is so very true.
I am going to have to cop to the gracious hustler, however, I have turned my sons and their friends into shameless hustlers, they almost never leave home without t-shirts with my book and website information, or books to sell, nor does their friends. I remember going by a local college and counted about twenty students in "Cinnamon's Universe" t-shirts….Good article.
Love and Blessings,
angelia
Angelia, I like that – turning others into Shameless Hustlers for you. I've found that my family and friends gladly bring up my book in out-of-the-blue cases where I normally would not. It's good to have those willing to spread the word so blatantly. I too am a gracious hustler.
Paula, great post. You broke it down. You definately have to be a hustler in this arena. If I had to pick out of the two, I would be considered a gracious hustler.
Nice job and after the story is written…then what…yep hustling is very much needed…as long as a middle ground is found that's conductive to all and more importantly to the author. Marketing when done well can heighten awareness, maximize exposure and ultimately help authors to sell more books…but lawd knows none of us want to be attached constantly by Bebe and her kids.
yasmin
http://www.apooo.org
"I'm a hustler, baby. And I want you to know… It ain't where I been, but where I'm 'bout to go…"
Now, I'm going to be singing this Jay Z song all day. LOL.
Great post, Paula! I guess I'd say I'm a gracious hustler. But like Angelia, I'm trying to turn my family and friends, my "Gwyneth Bolton Street Team" as I call them, into shameless hustlers.
I don't have the nerve to be shameless with my hustle, too shy for that…
Gwyneth
Where are all my Shameless Hustlers at?!?!
The funny thing is, I come from a long line of hustlers – although we like to call them entrepreneurs. LOL My uncle has his own paint business, another owns a retail store and I have an aunt who has her own law firm.
Hustling's in my blood. But I've never been able to get with the shameless hustle.
I love this post.
There is a downside to hustling though, coming off as unprofessional or desperate. Just like the used car salesman, some people will hate to see you coming to sell your books using the direct selling method. If you're an introvert, it can be really try your nerves trying to make yourself a salesperson. I've walked into beauty salons and sold books but felt icky afterwards like I was selling bootleg DVDs or something. It's not as common in Cleveland to hustle books as in cities like New York and Detroit.
Also, there is only so much spam a person will take before she starts blocking your e-mail messages. Newfound authors are notorious spammers.
I think advertising and PR (that results in free media coverage) can be equally effective as hustling. I have no problem renting booth space and giving my pitch but if someone stood in front of my booth with a satchel of his own book, he would have a box of books thrown at him.
I have a few follow-up questions. How long do you think book hustling has been in place? What made hustling a necessity? Do you need a vendor's license to hustle on city streets? Is hustling more acceptable in certain regions than in others?
How long do you think book hustling has been in place? What made hustling a necessity? Do you need a vendor’s license to hustle on city streets? Is hustling more acceptable in certain regions than in others?
See, Emanuel, I still consider PR and advertising as hustling. For me the definition encompasses all the things you do to get your book out there. But I think Shameless Hustlers prefer the more overt, guerilla style hustling to things like PR/ads. But the PR/ads are a Gracious Hustlers best friends!
I bet book hustling is older than we know. But I'd venture to guess it became more prominent after the popularity of Sister Souljah's Coldest Winter. So basically before mainstream publishing truly caught on to contemporary street lit. And I say "contemporary" because I dislike that books by Iceberg Slim are not mentioned when we discuss urban lit – surely his were among the first to be that sort of literature.
Any sort of street selling requires a license. But I'm sure there are plenty who risk doing it without one.
I'm not sure hustling is regional, per se, but wouldn't be surprised if it were only wide scale in metro areas. I know I see it on the streets of DC and Baltimore as often as I see it in New York. So my narrow POV leads me to believe it happens in all major cities.
It sure does, Jacksonville is a major hustler's city, every corner has a hustle going on and many are legitimate, LOL…
angelia
In regards to guerilla selling, do you think the majority of black authors who now appear on bestseller lists (NY Times, Essence, Amazon, etc.) got there because of guerilla selling or by other means? Are guerilla sellers making more money than those on bestselling lists?
Great post! You speak the truth here. If it's one thing I've learned, it's that books will not (always) sell themselves. Some amount of hustling is required. Though I haven't published yet, I'm hustling with getting my name out there, even if it's commenting on blogs
When my product drops, I'm sure some will pick it up because they are familiar with my name but the rest of the hustlin' must come from me. I think I'll fall somewhere in between both husters you mentioned.
In some cases they are making more money, because guerilla sellers as you call them often are getting their books printed locally and there is no tracking for bestseller lists that way, they are about the dollar, dollar bill and know that if they have a ten dollar book, that cost four dollars to print, with no overhead they are six dollars profit, so two thousand books sold by that tactic is 12 grand, whereas if you are getting two dollars in the mainstream published environment, you are only in for 4grand with the same two thousand books sold, so you may be on a bestseller list that is tracked by sales in certain venues but you might not be outselling the guerilla…won't tell you how I know…winking…
angelia
I definitely think some of today's current bestsellers got there through guerilla marketing – they were noticed by mainstream publishers because of that hustle. So it's effective, for sure.
Angelia sounds like she covered the money aspect.
My question is, why do we covet the mainstream/traditional publishing avenue when its been proven that a straight hustle really can get you far?
Full disclosure, I am traditionally published. So I'm not knocking either hustle. Just curious.
I mean Zane, E. Lynn, Eric Jerome Dickey all started as self-published authors who sold so well on their own the mainstream came calling. Why give in to that mainstream siren call when you're doing fine on your own?
"Why give in to that mainstream siren call when you’re doing fine on your own?"
One word- distribution. Sure you can sell a few thousand books on your own, but with the big guys and gals there is the siren call of selling to tens of thousands, maybe millions. Second word- rest! Several self-published authors have told me it just wore them out after a while- even after only one book.
Great post. As Emanuel said being an introvert, as many of us are, the hustle hurts like heck. Even the gracious hustle can be painful for us real shy types, okay so maybe I'm just talking about me
As for his question about how AA authors on the big lists got there- sure there are examples like Terry McMillan, Zane and E. Lynn who hustled first. But there are those who didn't- Stephen Carter (New England White) or Walter Mosley are two I can think of.
Each career is so different. With the big presence of street lit authors and their rags to riches stories it's tempting to say "the shameless hustle" is the way to make it big. I'm not sold. I've met plenty who meet that definition who never made it. Great writing and a blessing (President Clinton mentions your book, Oprah taps you, you send to an editor who loves your writing and has the clout to get the publishing support behind your novel) both play a big part. JMO
Great post,
I've met both type of hustler and believe me you can learn from both.
I wish I could be the Shameless Hustler, maybe more would know about SORMAG in St. Louis instead of online only.
To be a hustler means to work. Time you put in to push your work. If you work full time, mother, wife. Hustling is hard. However if you want to survive in this business you have to learn to carve out time to hustle.
Even if its the part time hustler. That's what I consider myself. A part time hustler. What free time I have, I'm writing and pushing SORMAG.
Nice post Paula. I'm late seeing this, but I LOVE this article! I'm not an author, but know without a doubt I'm a GH. Shoot, I don't really like the word hustler or the phrase "pimping myself/book/product"…, but I've always been a low-key type of person (as much as I could be considering my background). I love what I do, love sharing it with others, but I don't want to be one of those agressive, step on everybody else people I've run across whose favorite words are "I/me/my blah blah blah". I have realized though that there's a balance between the two and this is where I try to fall.
And ummm, I really DO NOT like the Shameless Hustlers. They work my nerves sending 50 million emails/bulletins in one day/week, prancing around everywhere and chasing you down about their book/products/services. Some of them pop up outta nowhere or after long hiatuses and are everywhere. It may work, but for me, I can't stand repetition or getting/hearing the same thing over and over again. Whew!
-Tee
Paula, this was an awesome post. And right on time. You know I'm always wondering what the hell I'm doing to get my name out there. Now there's a name for it. I happily claim to be a dyed-in-the-wool GH. I'm just ready now for my stew to bubble over in that frenzy of sales! Excellent words from you, as always.
Great writing and a blessing both play a big part.
Lynn, so true! Even in my gracious hustle, I recognize that there's way more outside of my control than within! And sometimes the hustle becomes such a focus you forget ya still gotta write.
On days when I have to focus on promotion, my brain is too fried to write. So I have to compartmentalize a lot.
Tee, I've gotta agree that Shameless Hustlers can work the nerves. I admire their tenacity, but I'm uncomfortable being that blatant about promoting my work. But, lately, I've really come to respect how much time and guts it takes to be that sort of person.
Kanye West used to get on my nerves. I used to feel like he needed to let his work speak and stop complaining. But now that I'm a cog in the publishing industry machine, I understand that sometimes you have to be blatant and bring attention to yourself because the system isn't set up to be fair or to only recognize those who are actually talented. Truth is, if you don't no one else will. Even though Kanye can still work my nerves, I have more respect for his approach than I did before my own book was on shelves.
[...] Are You A Hustler? [...]
sorry about the typo, family. TROY JOHNSON has an amazing, resourceful site known as AALBC. Know that. http://www.aalbc.com A PIONEER in the urban lit business.
Relentless Aaron, I had an inkling you might have some thoughts on this particular topic. Glad you weighed in.