Strange Ads Promote an Author Who Isn't Real and a Book That Doesn't Exist

IFC's upcoming The Spoils of Bablyon, a comedy miniseries that spoofs serious miniseries, is based on a book that seems to be sold out in Hudson News stores around the country. The problem with keeping the book in stock, though, is that there were never any printed copies. Eric Jonrosh (and the jig will be up when he shows up on TV and looks a lot like Will Ferrell, who produces the series along with the rest of the Funny or Die crew) is the megalomaniacal author of the book, and his persona has become the avatar of IFC's marketing for the show. "[Andrew Steele and Matt Piedmont, who wrote the series] created a character—well, we don't even like to call him a character," head of marketing Blake Callaway tells AdFreak. "We like to pretend he's real. We've written the fake book reviews. He's committed to literacy, because if you can't read, you can't read Jonrosh." The writer's megalomaniacal streak is borne out in the ambitions of the miniseries, which appears to span a period from the 1930s to the 1980s, if the trailer (see below) is any indication. So IFC has an appropriately grandiose ad campaign, with the book-focused executions littering bookstores and branded Little Free Libraries installed in cities like Dallas and Minneapolis in partnership with that organization. Callaway says he hopes to entice writers from the blockbuster-ier end of the literary spectrum to turn out for the show's Los Angeles premiere in January. "[James Patterson] is on our wish list,"... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2013-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #wall street #fifty shades #makes sense

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Virgin buys Palin book

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 09/09/2011 - 11:17 Virgin Books has acquired a title about US political firebrand Sarah Palin, written by Joe McGinniss. Publishing director Ed Faulkner bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Crown Publishers in the US to The Rogue, with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #crown publishers #personal life


Natalie Portman trainer book to Vermilion

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 08/09/2011 - 08:40 Vermilion has acquired a fitness book from the trainer who worked with Natalie Portman to make her body mimic a ballerina's for her Oscar-winning role in "Black Swan". Editor Louise Coe bought UK and Commonwealth rights,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fitness book #natalie portman #black swan #isabelle bleecker


From Marketer to Printer: Managing Ads

Like most industries, publishing cycles are increasingly becoming more and more automated. Even editorial actions are becoming computerized, with companies like Kapost creating products that electronically orchestrate pitches, assignments, calendars and revisions in addition to managing author... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-09-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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McNally to join Bloomsbury, Alltimes promoted at Macmillan

Written By: Benedicte Page and Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 06/09/2011 - 15:31 Rebecca McNally, fiction publishing director at Macmillan Children’s Books, is to join Bloomsbury, taking the role of publishing director and international editor-in-chief for children's books. She... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #join bloomsbury #benedicte page #international editor-in-chief


BRC says August book sales "tough"

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 06/09/2011 - 09:00 Book sales throughout the UK in August have remained "tough" according to the British Retail Consortium, as it reported general retail sales were down by 0.6% compared to last year on a like-for-like basis. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #6% compared


Physical book sales slump 4% month-on-month

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Mon, 05/09/2011 - 14:05 Spending on printed books slumped 4% in August, with sales plummeting to a seven-year low for the month, according to Nielsen BookScan data. A total of £107.5m spent on physical books at UK booksellers in the four weeks to 27th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #27th august #physical books #uk booksellers #6m year-on-year


Book tells of Evening Standard's Dispossessed campaign

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 05/09/2011 - 08:00 The London Evening Standard will launch Calling London, a book about its recent Dispossessed campaign, on 7th September. The book, by chief features writer David Cohen, will tell how a conversation between Cohen and Evening... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book tells #evening standard #7th september


Orion promotes Mills, Harris and Pegg

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 05/09/2011 - 08:20 Orion has made a series of promotions within its fiction and non-fiction teams, appointing new publishing directors in both departments. Orion Fiction has promoted Kate Mills to the role of publishing director, with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #orion fiction #senior role #kate mosse


Fig Tree aquires Nell Leyshon book

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 05/09/2011 - 11:19 Fig Tree publishing director Juliet Annan has bought world rights in a new book by playwright and novelist Nell Leyshon. The deal was done at auction through Anna Webber at United Agents. The Colour of Milk is told in the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #anna webber #united agents #high price #fig tree


Sony offers first Harry Potter book free with new reader

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 01/09/2011 - 08:51 Readers will be able to download the ebook of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for free with the limited edition model of the new Sony Reader. Further details have emerged about the Reader, which is set to go on sale in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sony reader #harry potter


Galaxy National Book Awards coverage shake-up

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 02/09/2011 - 07:55 The Galaxy National Book Awards ceremony will not be broadcast in full this year, instead being showcased in a six-part series on More4, with submissions for the awards closing on 16th September. The six-part series,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #six-part series #16th september #12th november


Dawn Porter to write for Hodder Children's Books

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 01/09/2011 - 14:45 Hodder Children's Books has bought two teen titles from journalist and presenter Dawn Porter. Publisher Emily Thomas did the deal directly with Porter for a "sizeable" sum. The books are described as "epic stories of an... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dawn porter #hodder children #teen titles #deal directly


French authors cautious on latest Google deal

Written By: Barbara Casassus Publication Date: Wed, 31/08/2011 - 15:01 French authors have given a cautious welcome to last week’s agreement for Google to scan out-of-print or unavailable copyrighted books published by the La Martinière group. Although applauding the US giant’s wish to respect... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yahoo, Gannett Expand Local Ad Tie-In

Embattled media companies Yahoo and Gannett are getting even cozier. Facing revenue declines, the Internet giant and the country’s biggest newspaper publisher are hoping they can boost their bottom lines with an expanded local advertising partnership. The companies initially launched a tie-in... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2011-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #vice president #sales strategy #digital advertising #posting gains #year increase


Edinburgh Book Festival to publish story collection

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Wed, 31/08/2011 - 14:45 The Edinburgh International Book Festival, Scottish indie Cargo and US publisher McSweeney's are to team up on a four-volume collection of stories from authors including Roddy Doyle and Ali Smith. Fifty authors are to take part... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ali smith #alan warner #jackie kay #michel faber


Penguin to offer personalised kids books with new app

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Wed, 31/08/2011 - 08:05 Penguin is aiming to bring traditional family storytelling into the digital arena with a new picture book reader app, Me Books, which enables parents and carers to personalise stories by selecting parts they want to record... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ipod touch


Books-A-Million At the Crossroads

At no time in its history has the opportunity and danger been greater for Books-A-Million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kay wins Scottish Book of the Year award

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 26/08/2011 - 14:34 Jackie Kay has won the £30,000 Scottish Book of the Year award for her autobiography Red Dust Road (Picador). The award, which is run by Creative Scotland, was presented to Kay by Dame Jenni Murray today (26th August) at an... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #creative scotland


Barnes biggest Booker book

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Thu, 25/08/2011 - 07:56 Julian Barnes' The Sense of an Ending (Cape) is comfortably the bestselling longlistee of one of the most popular Man Booker longlists since records began. Barnes' concise novel has sold 9,700 copies at UK booksellers since the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ending cape #records began #uk booksellers #alan hollinghurst #child picador


Survey: Interactive Ads “Highly Engaging”

Publishers may not be overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of digital readers to this point (in announcing its highest North American circulation ever, The Economist revealed it has about 5,000 subscribers to its digital editions), but those readers are highly engaged with interactive magazine... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital readers #digital editions #highly engaged