Eternal vigilance, better materials constant overhauling-help to explain why AMERICAN presswork is uniformly better! INK There's ink for instance-a most impor- Ask our representative AMERICAN BOOK BINDERY INCORPORATED Complete Book Manufacturers 406 West 31st Street, New York City Elliott White Springs Perhaps you read in the papers how he jacket. Appropriate, because Springs, like the aviator who is the hero of his book, owns a cotton mill in South Carolina. Still, it didn't give a really good idea of the pep, the gusto, the gayety, satire, action and romance in the book. So we took it to Bill Crawford, the artist who did the Great American Bandwagon jacket. Crawford was a war flier himself. He was enthusiastic. Result: just about the most gorgeous book you ever laid eyes on. New jacket of girls, planes, and cupids, in 4 bright colors-bright green cloth binding with illustrated color labels-two color illustrated title page, and two color end-papers of girls, planes, nightclubs, action action action! We're going to publish this new edition on October 11-the same day as Springs' new book, ABOVE THE BRIGHT BLUE SKY, more tales of the War Birds trio. We've got a big campaign lined up for both books. Look for the first ad in the Times on the 14th-in the World, the Herald Tribune, the Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia papers. Springs and his plane are going to cooperate with some unique publicity. Look at the books SPEED is written all over them! Watch them soar high into the best-seller list! Air-mindedly yours, DOUBLEDAY DORAN The PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY THE AMERICAN BOOKTRADE JOURNAL NEW YORK, OCTOBER 6, 1928 Catching the Customer By Adding Pulling Power to Bookstore Advertising N these days of high pessure busi IN ness and competitive salesmanship, it is the merchandise labelled with the clever slogan or the catchy phrase that wins most prompt attention. The retail bookseller, the publisher's ad man and the maker of specialized booklists recognize the value of sales appeal in "putting books across" and more and more are making use of carefully wrought captions to catch the eye of the reading public. Something smart and different in the heading to a booklist or the catch-line of an advertisement attracts instant attention and is the first step toward winning a sale. The secret lies in playing up original, "trickstuff" and bewaring of the more hackneyed, stereotyped matter that used to pass as "good-enough" in the old days. People nowadays like a jazzy, staccato style. They answer to an appeal that is short and snappy. They want things served with spirit and seasoned with originality. To keep them interested you have to cater to the fad of the moment. A flying start in fall fiction Books that bloom in the spring For example, if you, as a bookseller, are advertising a list of forthcoming books, don't label it simply "Books that are Coming." Try to cash in on the season by heading it "Books that Bloom in the Spring," or again set your imagination to work by linking autumn sales with the current interest in aviation and head an advertisement with "A Flying Start in Fall Fiction." If your clientele includes a goodly number of travelers, and whose does not, direct attention to the list by the cap tion, "Booking Ahead." If they belong to the so-called fashionable set, try, "An Advance Showing of Fall Models." Art work adds infinitely to the success of any enterprise, and sketches like those on this page do much to enliven what might appear dull. A list of books about the theater can be so labelled and get little or no attention, but placard them with "Stage Stuff," "The Play's the 693750 Thing," "Behind the Footlights" or "The Bill Board" and they get applause immediately. Or if it is the winter season and your'e trying to encourage indoor sports, why not head the list "Fireside Playgoing" and have a cut similar to the above one to accompany it? Courtesy of Doubleday The mystery or crime book is enjoying a tremendous vogue just now. Have you realized the possibilities in this field? Arrange your displays under any one of a dozen or more captions. They ought to pull sales. Viz.: ARE YOU A SHERLOCK HOLMES? NEW MYSTERY NOVELS TO KEEP YOU HELP! MURDER!! COLD CHILLS FOR A HOT DAY FOR THAT CRIME COMPLEX GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY? SHOTS AND SHOCKS IF IT'S DIVERSION YOU WANT-TRY MURDER THRILLS GUARANTEED SLEUTHING UP-TO-DATE WHEN A MAN CRAVES ACTION Short stories are always popular, yet many people don't know many of the interesting collections that have appeared in recent months. They could be posted in a booklist labelled: HALF-LENGTHS IN FICTION TO READ BETWEEN-TIMES If it is New York that is the scene of a group of new novels, tell readers about it with the heading LITTLE OLD NEW YORK Or if England is a favorite setting, why OUR ENGLISH COUSINS The younger generation is always with us in the literature of to-day. If you would emphasize the fact, we suggest YOUTH TO THE FORE INTRODUCING SOME YOUNG MODERNS When woman is the center of interest in the novels of the month, tell your customers about it through such signs as THE WOMAN OF IT THE ETERNAL FEMININE A HOUSE OF WOMEN. Books of sport and recreation get lots more attention if advertised in some such way: A "SPORTFOLIO" PLAYING THE GAME MID-IRON AND GRIDIRON FOR THE "REEL" SPORTSMAN ONE MORE RUBBER! Your library of little classics can be labelled "Treasures in a Pocket-Book." One can introduce a list of funny books as "Books of Humor," but it proves much more effective to label them with one of these: GLOOM-CHASERS SERVED WITH A SMILE THE LATEST IN LAUGHS THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET And again, if it is a biography month, and you want to realize to the full, head your list: PERSONALITY PLUS THE GREAT AND NEAR-GREAT SIDELIGHTS ON FAMOUS FOLK Courtesy of Doubleday LIFE LINES THE PORTRAIT GALLERY A CASE OF CELEBRITIES. The idea can be carried on indefinitely. Those special lists of travel books which appear from time to time can be made more inviting if headed ALL ABOARD! ABROAD IN BOOKS IN FAR DISTANT PORTS "MY COUNTRY, 'TIS OF THEE" OFF THE BEATEN TRACK No mention has been made of children's books, where the chances to be original are countless, nor of the books on current events, household economics, poetry, etc., where all one needs is a little initiative and ingenuity to "brighten the corner where they are." Just be on the alert, make the most of your opportunities, don't talk down to your public, but be sociable with it and you will be surprised how easy it is to think up these captions and what fun it is to see the slogans take hold. Any design or picture adds interest to a list, an announcement or an advertisement |