How do you market a book written in a foreign language by an author who’s now dead, that was originally published 60 years ago, and has been overlooked by mainstream publishing ever since? This series takes an ongoing, insider’s look at the campaign to get Hans Fallada‘s Every Man Dies Alone on the bestseller lists, by Melville House publisher Dennis Johnson.

Maureen Johnson of the Hamilton Public Library

What’s a marketing campaign without a tee shirt?

Many Melville House authors will grumble upon hearing me say that, because if there’s two things every writer in the known universe and some others want it’s a full-page New York Times ad and a tee shirt, and normally I’m opposed to both, especially tee shirts. They cost more than they should, and so does mailing them to the hinterlands; I live in fear of offending some petite recipient by sending them a large, and I’m convinced most of the people that get them don’t wear them anyway; and nobody has ever satisfactorily explained to me how, precisely, they lead to sales.

And yes, I also complain about staffers wasting paper clips. Hey, I’m a small publisher, so sue me.

But then someone sends me a photo like the one on the right — of librarian Maureen Johnson (no relation) of the Hamilton Public Library in Ontario — and I remember why, sometimes, it’s actually a good idea to make tee shirts.

Other things it reminds me of: Never forget to market to librarians, and every good marketing campaign works closely with sales reps — like our great sales rep to Canadian libraries, Maylin Scott, who took the photo.

In short: Thanks, Maureen!