My editor says they're having a "launch" meeting at the end of October. This is a meeting in which the editors present or formally introduce the Fall 2007 books to the in-house marketing, sales, and publicity teams. Julie will be presenting TOTAL CONSTANT ORDER and will include my PR ideas in her presentation. She says, "After this meeting, the teams wrap their heads around the books and start fully brainstorming marketing ideas."

She thinks online marketing is the way to go....even more than a traditional book tour (which I still plan on doing. I have a few tricks up my sleeve! Shhh! Stay tuned for details...)

Julie knows that I'm planning on hiring a freelance publicist. She believes that I should go with an on-line marketing specialist – someone who could develop a targeted campaign to reach a teen audience through on-line channels. I'm also hiring a filmmaker chum from LA to make a movie-inspired trailer...something more my style (instead of those awful Vidlits that resemble PowerPoint presentations). His name is Ben Barnes and he is a genius. Check out his music videos here

The HarperCollins publicity department will be working to set up local store appearances and school visits once the book is published. Julie asked if I had any authors in mind who could read the galleys and possibly give a quote. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Yesterday I stopped by Borders in search of a new YA novel. They had an avalanche of grown-up books in a pile up front...but not a single YA title, although so many good stories have popped up this September. Grrrr! I had to march to the back of the store, past the teddy bears and picture books, right beside the bathroom.

Marketing a young adult novel is tricky. You're stuck in the middle, trying to find where you belong....

Sound familiar?