A website crash isn’t something you’d usually welcome, but for small independent children’s book publisher Lake Press it was a sign of triumph.
The company’s bandwidth was flooded after the surprise release of a children’s book from the radio personality and comedian Andy Lee, who co-hosts the radio show Hamish & Andy with Hamish Blake. Titled Do Not Open This Book, it has sold approximately 40,000 copies since Lee announced it on radio on Wednesday evening.
Illustrated by Heath McKenzie, the book was conceived by Lee as a surprise gift for his sister Alex Miles for her son’s first birthday. Miles is a children’s book author in her own right, penning eight novels in the Zac Power series under the pseudonym HI Larry.
Holding a secret from my sis @byAlexMiles for 5 months was worth it.
— Andy Lee (@andy_lee) September 7, 2016
George didn't say a bad word about it either.https://t.co/C3PrDXQxpm
Lee originally intended to make only a single copy of the book, which he told Fairfax on Thursday that he wrote during a plane trip: “When you don’t think something is going to be published you have less worry about it,” he said.
But after he handed it over to the publisher, they recommended a wider release.
Overnight success of this kind is rare for a children’s book author in Australia – according to the Australian Society of Authors chief executive, Juliet Rogers, most would be lucky to see a first print run of 3000. Lee’s book, on the other hand, had a starting print run of 60,000, even with a moratorium – imposed by Lee – on any pre-publicity.
“It’s a marketer’s dream,” Rogers said, explaining how difficult it was for most authors to break into the Australian market. “Children’s publishing has had a bit of a renaissance in the last couple of years so it’s not been any worse [than other genres],” she said. “But it’s always tough.”
The Lake Press spokeswoman Sarah Ryan told Guardian Australia that the publishing company welcomed the boon brought by such a big name. “It’s great for us,” she said. “We’re a small children’s book publisher and it means we get exposure and means our books can be distributed more widely.
“It’s a great book on its own merits,” she continued. “It’s not just a good book because Andy Lee wrote it.”
The challenge to sell a book will always be harder for unknown names, but Rogers didn’t fear a backlash from disgruntled authors: “On the whole, this is a very generous-hearted industry,” she said.
