Promoting on the Cheap
by Judith Rosen -- Publishers Weekly, 2/11/2008 9:06:00 AM
When Broadway Books purchased Jeff Yeager’s The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches the first-time author was so excited to meet with his publisher that he biked all the way from his home in Accokeek, Md., to New York City. Fast forward a year and Yeager, who re-cants boxed wine into bottles and never pays more than a dollar a pound for clothes or food, is in the midst of adding hundreds more miles to his 1973 10-speed bicycle to promote his book about enjoying life more and spending less. Broadway v-p, executive director of publicity David Drake dubs Yeager’s bike trip the “Tour de Cheapskate.”
True, there have been a few nonbike stops. In mid-January Yeager drove his car to New York for an appearance on the Today Show, and he and his bike flew to San Diego to kick off the first leg of his bookstore tour. But there’s been nothing but biking in between. Yeager estimates that he rode 600 miles to visit bookstores and libraries between San Diego and Tucson, including the Potrero Public Library in Potrero, Calif., and Changing Hands in Tempe.
For Yeager, pedaling around the country with a piggy bank strapped to the back of his bike and staying with people he meets through CouchSurfing.com, is very much in keeping with the philosophy of his book: people don’t need a lot of money or stuff. He doesn’t feel the lack of media escorts, fancy hotels or restaurant meals. “The tour is not about sacrifice,” said Yeager. “It’s such a rich experience.”
Nor is being a cheapskate about being, well, cheap when it comes to giving back. With Broadway’s approval, Yeager
is donating what the company saves on his per diem (versus that of a more typical tour) and donating it to libraries in the areas he visits. To date he has contributed $500 to the San Diego County Library and $250 each to libraries in Phoenix and Tucson.
In turn Yeager’s frugality has enabled Drake to stretch his promotional dollars and add a radio satellite tour. Yeager has done 60 radio interviews in the past two weeks, in addition to TV appearances with his bike at cities along his route, and requests keep coming in. “The book is catching people’s imaginations,” said Drake, who notes that Cheapskate’s has gone back to press twice for a total of 25,000 copies in print.
Today (Monday), Yeager is scheduled to fly to Florida for some more touring/exercise, a 500-mile bike trip from Inkwood Books in Tampa to a Barnes & Noble in West Palm Beach. Additional trips are planned for Yeager’s home state of Ohio and for Michigan in the spring. “Obviously,” said Yeager, “there’s a limit to what the publisher can do. But I’ll keep on touring.” Booksellers who would like to invite him to speak at their store and/or to offer him a couch can contact Yeager directly at: UltCheapskate@aol.com
