Easy Does It—Again
by Daisy Maryles -- Publishers Weekly, 7/19/2004
PW's starred review called Walter Mosley's eighth Easy Rawlins novel, Little Scarlet, his "best novel to date" and "genre writing at its finest." Other reviews were also stellar. It's not surprising then that the book hit the national charts within a week of its July 6 on-sale date. Little, Brown reports 90,000 copies after two trips to press. Mosley hit the road for a prepub tour in June, speaking at corporate and community venues, and galleys were given away. Then he began his 30-city mega book tour on July 5 on the West Coast. There was a major celebration in his home city, Los Angeles, on July 6—the city council declared it Walter Mosley Day. He will be on the road through the end of August. Media appearances include The CBS Early Show, Tom Joyner and NPR, as well as local television, print features and radio interviews in all of his tour markets. In a special targeted marketing push, barbershops around the country will receive galleys of Little Scarlet this month. This is a first for Little, Brown (perhaps for any publisher). Seems barbershops are where men do a lot of chit-chatting about books they are reading and movies they are seeing. Sounds like a hairy word-of-mouth promotion.
