SOLO - 'The Mystery Of The Incompetent Marketing Campaign'

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  • Posts: 802
    007InVT wrote:
    A slither of press appeared last weekend:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/books/review/007-goes-rogue.html?_r=0

    “a far more complex, nuanced and intriguing figure than his celluloid counterpart.”

    “It would therefore be very surprising if, in my own Bond novel, there wasn’t a fair bit about living in Chelsea in 1969, wouldn’t you say?”

    I hope a fair bit of it is set in London. Loved Moonraker for that (the book) and Skyfall.
    It certainly was great to be living in Chelsea in 1969 - I can vouch for that - but not if you were 45! 'Granny Takes A Trip' wouldn't really have been Bond's thing!

  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    I really have high hopes for this novel but I'm scared of being disappointed again. CB steadied the nail on the coffin. I'm just hoping the hammer doesn't come crashing down.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,282
    007InVT wrote:
    A slither of press appeared last weekend:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/books/review/007-goes-rogue.html?_r=0

    “a far more complex, nuanced and intriguing figure than his celluloid counterpart.”

    “It would therefore be very surprising if, in my own Bond novel, there wasn’t a fair bit about living in Chelsea in 1969, wouldn’t you say?”

    Sounds just like that James Bond novel I've always wanted Bond of Bond street versus The Beatles of Carnaby Street. I know who I'm backing come the autumn!
  • Posts: 802
    doubleoego wrote:
    I really have high hopes for this novel but I'm scared of being disappointed again. CB steadied the nail on the coffin. I'm just hoping the hammer doesn't come crashing down.

    How well you put it!
    IFP are really in the last chance saloon with this one.
    DMC sold like hot cakes on the back of Fleming's centenary, the strength of the franchise and the involvement of the literati. Critically it fell well short. Bond aficionados found it lacklustre and it languishes on Amazon with 3 stars. Nonetheless, IFP and Penguin trousered a fortune.
    Flush with mediocrity, two years later IFP abused us completely with CB. A complete dog of an effort from the pen of an American pulp writer who thought mentioning Boots, WHS and, God help us, Jeremy Clarkson would give sufficient Englishness to his morbid tale.
    Unfortunately he forgot to inject a coherent, exciting story line or any sex and glamour.
    I never thought I'd find a Bond book so boring.
    Now we have Boyd, I share your high hopes but like you, I'm scared of being disappointed and the lack of marketing programme either means that Jonathan Cape are supremely confident or alternatively, they know that the damage done by CB means that SOLO will have to stand or fall on its own merits.
    Producing decent cover art is one test they may have already failed as I have a sneaky feeling that they image displayed on Amazon may be the one we are going to get. If any marketeer thinks it appropriate for a retro Bond novel set in '69, he or she deserves a good thrashing with an elephant's foreskin!
    Let's hope that what lies between the covers is great.
  • edited July 2013 Posts: 2,599
    It's amazing just how rubbish the Bond cover designs are these days. Who the hell are the charlatans they employ to do this?

    IFP are in dire need of a good Bond novel. The last good Bond novel hit the stores around 1986/87!
  • Posts: 802
    Bounine wrote:
    It's amazing just how rubbish the Bond cover designs are these days. Who the hell are the charlatans they employ to do this?

    IFP are in dire need of a good Bond novel. The last good Bond novel hit the stores around 1986/87!

    How right you are @ Bounine.
    Some weeks ago, I wrote to IFP to urge them to influence Jonathan Cape to exercise a level of creativity with SOLO's cover art.
    I had a mail back from somebody's assistant assuring me that the cover on their web site and Amazon's is only a place holder and that I needn't worry. They had the world's finest artistic minds on the project and that the real cover would be launched in due course.
    Since then there has been minor titivation and I have a sinking feeling that what we see today is the finished project.
    If so, I will use my attendance at Boyd's launch conference to ask him how he thinks SOLO's cover compares to the work of the late, great Richard Chopping and how he thinks it appropriate for a retro Bond novel?
    Ironically, Boyd's work to date have had quite good covers; 'Waiting For Sunrise' being a case in point.
    Hopefully I'll be proved wrong and they'll give us something to be proud of !

  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,282
    Villiers53 wrote:
    Bounine wrote:
    It's amazing just how rubbish the Bond cover designs are these days. Who the hell are the charlatans they employ to do this?

    IFP are in dire need of a good Bond novel. The last good Bond novel hit the stores around 1986/87!

    How right you are @ Bounine.
    Some weeks ago, I wrote to IFP to urge them to influence Jonathan Cape to exercise a level of creativity with SOLO's cover art.
    I had a mail back from somebody's assistant assuring me that the cover on their web site and Amazon's is only a place holder and that I needn't worry. They had the world's finest artistic minds on the project and that the real cover would be launched in due course.
    Since then there has been minor titivation and I have a sinking feeling that what we see today is the finished project.
    If so, I will use my attendance at Boyd's launch conference to ask him how he thinks SOLO's cover compares to the work of the late, great Richard Chopping and how he thinks it appropriate for a retro Bond novel?
    Ironically, Boyd's work to date have had quite good covers; 'Waiting For Sunrise' being a case in point.
    Hopefully I'll be proved wrong and they'll give us something to be proud of !

    You are the go-to guy for Bond covers on MI6 Community, @Villiers53, that's for sure! Keep up your great work, sir!
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    @Villiers, I really do hope it's a case of supreme confidence in this novel for its poor marketing and despite my concerns, I keep going over some of Boyd's comments which offer some reassurance and just pray we're not being paid lip service.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,282
    doubleoego wrote:
    @Villiers, I really do hope it's a case of supreme confidence in this novel for its poor marketing and despite my concerns, I keep going over some of Boyd's comments which offer some reassurance and just pray we're not being paid lip service.

    No, I do think Boyd will deliver this time, where others have failed.

  • I made a SOLO fan cover recently:

    SOLO-James-Bond-007-Cover-Fan-Art.jpg
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,282
    Not bad...but who's the guy with the beard - the villain?
  • edited July 2013 Posts: 2,599
    Who's the lovely girl?

    The main issue obviously is that the book is good but it's always a lot nicer to have a good cover too.
  • The beard guy should be the villain, it's German actor Götz George. The girl is Marion Cotillard. I would love to see both in a Bond movie.
  • Posts: 802
    I made a SOLO fan cover recently:

    SOLO-James-Bond-007-Cover-Fan-Art.jpg

    @GodenShadow - great work!

  • Posts: 2,599
    Villiers53 wrote:
    Bounine wrote:
    It's amazing just how rubbish the Bond cover designs are these days. Who the hell are the charlatans they employ to do this?

    IFP are in dire need of a good Bond novel. The last good Bond novel hit the stores around 1986/87!

    How right you are @ Bounine.
    Some weeks ago, I wrote to IFP to urge them to influence Jonathan Cape to exercise a level of creativity with SOLO's cover art.
    I had a mail back from somebody's assistant assuring me that the cover on their web site and Amazon's is only a place holder and that I needn't worry. They had the world's finest artistic minds on the project and that the real cover would be launched in due course.
    Since then there has been minor titivation and I have a sinking feeling that what we see today is the finished project.
    If so, I will use my attendance at Boyd's launch conference to ask him how he thinks SOLO's cover compares to the work of the late, great Richard Chopping and how he thinks it appropriate for a retro Bond novel?
    Ironically, Boyd's work to date have had quite good covers; 'Waiting For Sunrise' being a case in point.
    Hopefully I'll be proved wrong and they'll give us something to be proud of !

    Yeah, if it's a bad cover it'll be interesting to see what Boyd says. If he isn't enthusiastic about it this might prompt IFP to up their game in this area.

    I find it encouraging that Boyd said that he went into some detail about Chelsea. Hopefully this will mean that he hasn't skimped on the detail in regard to describing other countries Bond goes to like other continuation authors have. Benson made the effort but this section of his Bond books read like travel guides. The rest of his books read like fan fiction. It's a pity because he had some good ideas but he couldn't transcribe them into a narrative with finesse.
  • edited July 2013 Posts: 2,599
    The beard guy should be the villain, it's German actor Götz George. The girl is Marion Cotillard. I would love to see both in a Bond movie.

    Oh, Cotillard. I like her. She's cute and beautiful, and she's a good actress. The first time I saw her was in La Vie En Rose at the film festival. It would be good to see her in a Bond film. When Bond heard the song LVER in Casino Royale (the novel) it struck up a chord with him.
  • Posts: 802
    Dragonpol wrote:
    doubleoego wrote:
    @Villiers, I really do hope it's a case of supreme confidence in this novel for its poor marketing and despite my concerns, I keep going over some of Boyd's comments which offer some reassurance and just pray we're not being paid lip service.

    No, I do think Boyd will deliver this time, where others have failed.

    On balance, providing Boyd amps up his normal approach to action, I think we have a very good chance of getting something that we will all consider very positively.He is a class writer.
    The big deal for me is with IFP and JC . Here we really have the gang that can't shoot straight.
    I'm currently reading 'The Cuckoo's Calling' by Robert Galbraith who by now, we all know is J.K.Rowling (good book by the way) and the hardback cover is everything it should be - eye catching, atmospheric and indicative of what lies between the covers. Doubtless Rowling will have insisted on this and would have personally given her seal of approval. What I don't know is who, if anybody, bats for Bond?
    With IFP and JC, I have the impression that nobody gives a toss. Here we are in the 60th anniversary year of Casino Royale and have we got a beautiful celebration edition - not a chance. And with just two months to go, they are sleep walking into the SOLO launch.
    When IFP first said that SOLO would be a JC imprint, I thought at last they have the message and we are going to have a launch as strong as 'Licence Renewed'. Right now, I think IFP thought giving it to JC was enough in itself and that the whole thing would just happen. Personally, for the biggest literary franchise of the last century to be handled in this way is just an insult to fans.
  • AgentJamesBond007AgentJamesBond007 Vesper’s grave
    Posts: 2,632
    I hope the cover looks something like this (Unashamed self promotion)

    solof.png
  • edited July 2013 Posts: 2,599
    I don't really care if there's no big book launch, but the general lack of promotion is somewhat worrying. I worry that they'll stop having new Bond books written if SOLO isn't successful enough. What would be frustrating is that it's a very good book but doesn't do near as well as it could due to lack of promotion. I don't know much about book promotion though.

    The story and the cover art are more important than some big opening probably. This would be excellent promotion though even though I think some of these Bond openings are a bit on the cheesy side. Anyway, they might still do something.

    In terms of general promotion, shouldn't they have posters or something around the tube stations etc. now? To me, this seems more important than the opening.
  • Posts: 802
    I hope the cover looks something like this (Unashamed self promotion)

    solof.png

    Very nice job - I hope IFP & JC are watching - Bond has literary fans with high standards who really care!

  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited July 2013 Posts: 18,282
    Villiers53 wrote:
    I hope the cover looks something like this (Unashamed self promotion)

    solof.png

    Very nice job - I hope IFP & JC are watching - Bond has literary fans with high standards who really care!

    Indeed. I love the flower and gun motif there. Very Richard Chopping.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    I made a SOLO fan cover recently:

    SOLO-James-Bond-007-Cover-Fan-Art.jpg

    Nice job!
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Here's my effort but I might run it through some filters to get a more artistic look:

    d0a4a9f69f918c7a0d585b60c162c2d8.jpg
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,282
    007InVT wrote:
    Here's my effort but I might run it through some filters to get a more artistic look:

    d0a4a9f69f918c7a0d585b60c162c2d8.jpg

    Yours is great, too, @007InVT.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    Thanks!
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,282
    007InVT wrote:
    Thanks!

    My pleasure. How's the NSF cover coming along?
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    It's coming along!

    Will prob have something this week for you.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,282
    007InVT wrote:
    It's coming along!

    Will prob have something this week for you.

    Oh, great! No rush or anything.
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    I'll private message you. Might need your advice!
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,282
    007InVT wrote:
    I'll private message you. Might need your advice!

    Oh, great. I'm always here.
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