Not Splashing but Drowning

[steepholm]

My last book, Literary Studies Deconstructed: A Polemic, was a bit of a disaster. Not the book itself, you understand, which I'm really proud of, but its reception. Actually, not even its reception, which as far as it existed was positive (there were two reviews that I'm aware of, both very good), but its lack of reception. No one had a bad word to say about it, but then hardly anyone read it at all. In terms of having an impact on the practice of literary studies, forget it.

Why was this? The first problem was the title. I'd always intended it to be called "The LITMUS Papers; or Lies I Tell My Undergraduate Students", which I thought and still think appealing and attention grabbing. However, Palgrave, being (like all academic publishers) slaves of the metadata, insisted on something ploddingly descriptive, a title that might bore potential readers but would pique the interest of a search-engine algorithem. Unfortunately, all my descriptive terms were very broad, ensuring that neither humans nor algorithm gave it a second glance.

The second problem was my own professional position. Within the world of children's literature academia I'm fairly well known, but that's a rather closed-off world within literary academia generally. This book was too general in scope to be widely reviewed within the children's literature world (albeit several of its case studies involved children's literature), and its author too obscure to attract the notice of anyone outside that field. It fell between two stools, and as far as we know is falling still.

The third problem was me. I'm not on Twitter (nor am like to be), my Facebook is generally friends-only, and I'm generally too introverted and unglamorous to be a selling point in myself. There was no launch event, of course. As with most academic publishers, the motto of Palgrave's publicity department was "Your secret's safe with us." But I did little to counteract that.

So, for the new book, BRITISH CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN JAPANESE CULTURE, I'm hoping to turn this around by being brash, shouty, and altogether relentless in bigging myself up and putting myself out there, as people apparently say. Which is to say, I've made an Instagram: BritishKidLitInJapan. If you're on Instagram too, please feel free to follow me.

Comments

[tadorna]

Just followed, and I wish you every success in bigging yourself up! I'm finding it hard and harder to negotiate social media myself, but I can definitely think of people I know outside of here who might be interested, so I'll point them in your direction.

[steepholm]

Thank you!

[cmcmck]

Saints preserve us from academic publishers!

[heleninwales]

That's sad that the book didn't make more of an impression. I think your preferred title would have piqued people's interest while the dull but descriptive title made the book sound boring.

I wish you much better luck with the new book.

[steepholm]

Thank you - I hope so too!

[jadelennox]

I have basically no public presence anywhere anymore because I am being the opposite of brash and shouty, but wishing you all the good vibes. Also you should totally be brash and shouty about yourself on the list.

[steepholm]

Thanks - I will!

[ashkitty]

Followed! Good luck with it. I definitely think the LITMUS papers title would have been better, but there we are.

[sovay]

"The LITMUS Papers; or Lies I Tell My Undergraduate Students"

I am sorry you couldn't use that title!

Good luck being completely obnoxious about the new book! Is the cover one of your travel photographs or does it just look like it?

[steepholm]

Yes, it's a picture I took in Yufuin Floral Village in 2018. I really wanted to use this picture, and I even tracked down and got permission from the owner, but unfortunately it wasn't good enough quality for the publisher to use.

[sovay]

I really wanted to use this picture, and I even tracked down and got permission from the owner, but unfortunately it wasn't good enough quality for the publisher to use.

I'm sorry you couldn't use Gulliver—at the resolution of my computer screen, he looks great to me—but I'm glad it was still one of your pictures.

[thistleingrey]

Best wishes for publicity--it is hard. Followed, though since I've no followers to speak of myself it probably won't mean much to IG.

[steepholm]

Well, I appreciate it!

[wellinghall]

I like your preferred title.

[steepholm]

Thank you. The title actually precipitated the book, in many ways.

[tsondoku]

Hi, I just subscribed to your journal and look forward to reading more of your interesting writings! Wishing you good luck in promoting your book. That original title would have been great.

[steepholm]

Thanks for reading! I don't post here as much as I used to, but I hope to get back in the habit!