It’s February 29th, that day that mysteriously appears every leap year. Happy Birthday to those of you who were born on this day a few leap years or so ago!
Speaking of birthdays, ever heard of a Book Birthday? Yep, that’s right, I said Book Birthday! That’s an actual thing in the publishing industry.
On this road to publication, Cathi and I keep learning new milestones and terms. Typing THE END was just the first in a long line of steps. Don’t get me wrong, that was what I would consider the most important, but it is a long way from the Book Birthday.
My first thought after hearing it was, Oh no! I’m going to have to add remembering this milestone for all the books of the authors we have gotten to know to my to do list. Do we have to send a Book Birthday card every year from Game of Books? Yikes, I can barely remember my best friend’s birthday! Relief was mine when I found out that it is only celebrated on the actual day of release, not every year after that.
Another interesting factoid, Tuesday is the standard book release day in the industry. That means a lot of midweek celebrations! The reasons for this can vary, depending on who you talk to. Is it that distribution costs are lower if everything ships at once? Maybe because Tuesdays are slow shopping days, so sales may increase if everyone knows that’s release day. Or my personal wish … book sales go so well on Tuesday that there is still time to order more for the weekend!
I’m sure there is more on the subject that Cathi and I will learn when we get to that point (and we will!). But for now, unlike those parents of newborns in a leap year who are hoping for February 28th or March 1st, authors can rest easy if your publisher wants to release your book baby on Tuesday, February 29th. The next one is in 2028 and you won’t have to worry about the missing Book Birthday date in 2029. Chances are you will be planning your next book’s birthday anyway.
Hear us discuss this topic on this week’s episode, where we pair food and wine with The Empty Bed, a thriller by Nina Sadowsky.
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