From: ALevine at Scholastic.com <ALevine>
Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1999 18:19:16 -0400

Thanks for prompting me again KT. I'll try to answer your (and Karen S.'s) question (and Megan's as well).

The book came first. I read the book in galley form, on the recommendation of Ruth Logan, the Rights Director at Bloomsbury, after a dismal meeting with her in Bologna. I say "dismal" in that there was nothing then on Bloomsbury's fine list that season, that seemed right to me as I looked for books for my new imprint. She asked me (perhaps a little frustrated) what it was, exactly that I was looking for, and I said, "You know, I'm looking for authors with strong, original voices. I'm looking for something that I can really love wholeheartedly. Something that will be enjoyed and remembered years after it was first published." (It's ok to talk pie-in-the-sky in these meetings: the worst that can happen is someone will think you're grandiose. The best is that they'll actually take you seriously. Ruth took me seriously and recommended a book that she and her colleagues were very excited about, even though it was by an "unknown". )

I read it and loved it. My colleagues read it and loved it. I told the agent I would be proud and happy to publish this talented first novelist
(the book had NOT been published in England yet.) He said lovely, so would several other American publishers -- we're having an auction.

The auction was hotly contested, lasting several rounds, and the advance was substantial -- unprecedented for a children's first novel. When talking about the "phenomenon" one has to pause here and say that this was significant for a number of reasons:
        The first is that several very different publishers had such a strong positive response to the book that they were willing to compete for the right to publish the book and the author.
        At Scholastic, the process mobilized support behind the book in an extremely positive and exciting way.
        Overseas, the story of the advance paid out by Arthur A.Levine Books/Scholastic to J.K. Rowling, made headlines in newspapers everywhere. I'm sure many of you have heard the story of Jo's difficult financial circumstances, and the difference that this advance made. I think it was a hopeful story that appealed to everyone who labors a bit in obscurity, hoping to be discovered, to be recognized. (And it's a story that has obvious parallels in the novel itself.) I think this really helped publicize the book in England and helped bring it to the attention of many people who might otherwise not have paid attention to any book, let alone a children's book.
        But other forces were driving the book's success simlutaneously that can't be downplayed or underestimated; forces that seem to have manifested behind the book in every country that has published an edition (not just England and the U.S.) But I can obviously speak most about the U.S. edition:
        -- Booksellers (particularly independent booksellers at first) adopted Harry Potter with great affection and enthusiasm. They hand-sold it to everyone who walked through the door, and started a groundswell of grass-roots enthusiasm.
        -- Librarians and Teachers embraced the book (as I've noted in earlier postings) and gave it terrific reviews.
        -- Kids really seemed to respond to the efforts of Booksellers and Librarians and other folks who were recommending the book, and they made their feelings known on web sites, at school, etc.

        Sure, we here at Scholastic did everything we could to encourage and support this process. On my part, I did everything I could think of to make the book look and feel as magical and special as the experience of reading it was to me.
        I was thrilled to hear positive comments on the design and production values of the book, as David Saylor (our Art Director) and I took such joy imagining what might tell the reader -- visually, tactiley -- what a delightful book awaited them. And we wanted that sensual pleasure to last throughout the book -- hence the interior illustrations, the nice glatfelter paper, the blind-stamped case. I believed this would be a book that you'd want to own a personal copy of, and felt it should have suitably high production values.
        And I was lucky enough to work somewhere that allowed me to make this vision of the book a reality.

        I also don't want to minimize the very effective efforts of Scholastic's marketing and publicity team, who were great. But I guess I also want to say that much of what we all think of as the "phenomenon" was generated elsewhere.
        To speak to Megan's "crossover by acclaim" point -- I think the early grassroots efforst of booksellers (perhaps mostly with children intended as the ultimate readers) helped land the book on the New York Times Adult Bestseller list. And its position there has made it visible to many adults who would never have taken notice of a children's book, but have found it a pleasure to read. (Who knows how many other wonderful children's books would share the same fate if they could make it to that point?)

        Still, I don't think any of this would have mattered if HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE wasn't an excellent book. Publishers put great efforts into books all the time, and no matter how much time and resources we committ, we can't convince anyone to like a book once they're sitting by themselves with it open in front of them.

I hope this is interesting to some of you. Your comments have been fascinating and encouraging.

Best, Arthur Levine
Received on Thu 03 Jun 1999 05:19:16 PM CDT