For the September 9 laydown, the series is set to roar out of the gate with a one million-copy worldwide (500,000 copies in the U.S.) first printing of the novel The Maze of Bones by bestselling author Rick Riordan.
Innovation came into play on the marketing front, as well. “One of our biggest challenges was in conveying what The 39 Clues is,” said Suzanne Murphy, publisher of Scholastic Trade. “A lot of education was going on internally, about what is involved in a two-and-a-half year program like this.” Armed with a pitch that Murphy’s team tried to make “as clear and simple as possible,” Scholastic did road shows for accounts demonstrating how the cards and game would work, and a push-out to the industry featuring 39 Clues backpacks and a limited number of “inheritance kits” containing an ARC and other materials.
Murphy stressed that a multi-pronged strategy meant keeping in mind that “kids will be coming to it in different ways—online, through the books or cards.” A new property with that kind of reach had to be branded very quickly. “We needed to get the name and the number 39 out there,” said Murphy. A viral online marketing campaign is helping to fill the bill. Visitors to www.thenumber39.com (launched August 1, 39 days before the series launch) will find fictional bloggers posting about sightings of the number 39. In turn, postings about the number 39 site appear on MySpace, YouTube, Yahoo and other sites. Online advertising, 30-second television spots airing in major markets nationwide and a media blitz that includes an appearance by Riordan on The Today Show September 8 are other pieces of the marketing pie.
Ellen Wartella, distinguished professor of psychology at U.C. Riverside and an expert on the role of media in children’s development, believes that this full-court press by Scholastic makes sense. Tweens these days, she said, are using all kinds of media, including mobile media, more than ever before. “This is a new example of a content creator trying to capture children’s attention in a multiplicity of ways, wherever they may be.”
Levithan and his colleagues know that a lot is riding on their venture, especially as it arrives in the very large shadow of Harry Potter. “We don’t think of The 39 Clues in terms of anything else we’ve done,” he said. “Of course we want it to be hugely successful, but on its own terms.”
And in terms of producing a multi-platform program on this scale, “We are the bellwether,” Levithan said. “It’s an amazing, exciting thing, and it’s also a nervous thing. If it is successful, it’s going to change publishing. If not, we’ll find something else what will be successful.” Murphy has a similar outlook. “We hope to learn from any bumps in the road we experience with The 39 Clues,” she said. “The wave has already started for us; everyone in the trade division is looking for innovation.” Whatever happens with The 39 Clues, she notes, “will affect things that are already in the hopper and will affect how we market our trade books in the future.”
Looking ahead, the multi-platform “hopper” at Scholastic is indeed hopping. Next February will see the debut of the Skeleton Creek series by Patrick Carman, which Levithan describes as a “novel/web-video hybrid,” about two kids in a small town where strange, ghostly things happen. Other multimedia projects are also in development.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Gordon Korman: One False Note
Canadian author Gordon Korman is poised to benefit from the massive marketing muscle Scholastic is putting behind The 39 Clues. Korman is one of 10 authors lined up to pen the series, which tells the story of a brother and sister who discover they belong to “the most powerful family the world has ever known.” His installment – due in December – is titled One False Note, and it will follow close on the heels of the debut installment by Rick Riordan, titled The Maze of Bones. (Other contributors confirmed to date are U.S. authors Peter Lerangis and Jude Watson.) Each title features the same characters, but wrestles with a different historical topic and is set in a different international location.
“It was developed from the very beginning as a fully integrated program of content,” says Scholastic Canada director of 
marketing and publicity Denise Anderson. “The books, the games, the cards – [they] were all orchestrated at the same time.”And David Levithan, executive editorial director of Scholastic U.S. – who is one of the creative forces behind the series – adds that he hopes The 39 Clues will appeal to children who are typically more interested in video games than in books. “Are you a reader? Are you a gamer? Most kids will do both if they are suitably intrigued,” he says.
For his part, Korman has no qualms about the top-down arrangement, though he admits to some trepidation when he first read Riordan’s manuscript. “But invariably,” he says, “when I wrote my own book, the parts of it I had the most fun with were where I continued the strands I was most apprehensive about [in the original].”
“It seems like it has a lot of things behind it, not the least of which is a ton of money and marketing, but in the end it comes down to whether or not kids like it,” Korman says. “We’ve got everything going for us, but the truth is that the books have to succeed as books.”
Nathanson to pen movie
Jeff Nathanson is adapting the first book of Rick Riordan's kids' series, The Maze of Bones (part of The 39 Clues), for DreamWorks. Steven Spielberg added The 39 Clues post-Indy IV projects a couple of months ago. Nathanson and Spielberg have developed a pretty solid working relationship of late, with the former working on the scripts for The Terminal, Catch Me If You Can and Indy IV (which was attributed solely to David Koepp, but Nathanson was credited with the story, along with George Lucas). Scholastic Media prexy Deborah Forte is producing. DreamWorks co-chair and CEO Stacey Snider praised Nathanson's "great sense of adventure touched with humor and suspense." She added that he provides "just the right recipe for our family film." Nathanson's credits also include the screenplays for "Rush Hour 2" and "Rush Hour 3"; "The Last Shot" which he also directed; and "New York, I Love You," which is scheduled for release next year.
Librarians love books and gaming!
I am a big reader and slowly becoming a fan of gaming. I love to see professionals supporting gaming as a useful to encourage reading and other good habits.
A recent study by the American Library Association revealed that many librarians already use games to attract young people and, ideally, get them interested in books. “I love the gaming aspect of The 39 Clues,” says Jenny Levine, a digital specialist for the library association. “I could also see a lot of libraries forming '39 Clues’ clubs the way they’ve had Pokemon clubs.”
Now that is an endorsement!
A recent study by the American Library Association revealed that many librarians already use games to attract young people and, ideally, get them interested in books. “I love the gaming aspect of The 39 Clues,” says Jenny Levine, a digital specialist for the library association. “I could also see a lot of libraries forming '39 Clues’ clubs the way they’ve had Pokemon clubs.”
Now that is an endorsement!
Multimedia books: can they work?
Tomorrow the U.S. publisher of "Harry Potter" will premiere a highly ambitious series with a mystery ending for readers and a couple of puzzlers for the industry: How big is the market for a multimedia story — and can a phenomenon be conceived by a publisher rather than created by the public?
The first book, "The Maze of Bones," is written by Rick Riordan of "The Lightning Thief" fame and has an announced first printing of 500,000. Steven Spielberg has already acquired film rights to the series.
Each book will have a different writer, including such best-sellers as Gordon Korman and Jude Watson. Backed by a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign, "The 39 Clues" also features game cards, a contest with a $10,000 first prize and a sophisticated Web site that includes games, blogs, videos and thousands of pages of background.
"The word we always used was 'groundbreaking,'" says Scholastic executive editorial director David Levithan. "We wanted to be the first out there to introduce this kind of multidimensional thing."
A Scholastic team, led by Levithan and including about a dozen editors, thought of the series about three years ago, working from the idea of a treasure hunt. The essential outline, including the ending, was set by the publisher. Authors were asked to fill in the details, taking a thread, as Levithan describes it, and turning it into a blanket.
"It's a different kind of challenge," Levithan says. "To use a movie analogy, each director of the 'Harry Potter' films brings their own voice and their own vision to what J.K. Rowling has done. You still feel there's a consistency there, and part of the fun is seeing what they add to it."
Scholastic quickly decided that "The 39 Clues," its title an homage to Alfred Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps," would make an ideal multiplatform event. Readers might check out the Web site, just as kids who love online games might then turn to the books. A recent study by the American Library Association revealed that many librarians already use games to attract young people and, ideally, get them interested in books.
"I love the gaming aspect of 'The 39 Clues,'" says Jenny Levine, a digital specialist for the library association. "I could also see a lot of libraries forming '39 Clues' clubs the way they've had Pokemon clubs."
Books for all ages often originate with publishers, and countless best-sellers are made through marketing. But a blockbuster, whether "Harry Potter" or Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" novels, virtually always happens spontaneously.
"Harry Potter" was born in the brain of Rowling and immortalized by millions worldwide. The staff at Scholastic, and the British publisher, Bloomsbury, were sure they had a hit, even a classic, but not a record breaker. Other children's franchises, including "Clifford" and "Junie B. Jones," began simply as books and expanded only in response to public demand.
"I remember when 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' first came out; nobody knew it was going to be so big. That's how it works. You need the kids to grab onto a book and tell each other about it," says Beth Puffer, manager of the Bank Street Bookstore, based in New York.
"I can't think of a phenomenon that was presented that way from the start. This is a very unique situation."
Puffer and other booksellers are enthusiastic about "39 Clues," although unsure whether it will be a sensation. Kimberly Diehm, co-owner of the Neverending Story Children's Bookshoppe in Las Vegas, calls the first volume "a perfect tale" by Riordan, but says she has noticed little discussion about it among her fellow retailers.
Other multimedia projects are being developed. HarperCollins is working with former Scholastic executive Lisa Holton on an eight-book series for girls. Dutton, a division of Penguin Group (USA), recently acquired a mystery trilogy by "C.S.I." creator Anthony Zuiker that will be complemented by an interactive Web site. Simon & Schuster will release "Spaceheadz," Internet sites and a series of chapter books co-authored by Jon Scieszka and Francesco Sedita.
"In the past we've made the mistake of demonizing other media, saying all TV is bad, all computers are bad, and all books are good," says Scieszka, appointed last year by the Library of Congress as the National Ambassador of Young People's Literature. "Kids know that it's not true; there is great television and there are great games. I just also want to make sure that we don't forget what's unique about a book, losing yourself in an extended narrative."
"I think it will be fascinating to find out if this is a trend that we'll be seeing a lot more of," says Dutton senior editor Ben Sevier, who added that he and other publishers would be watching how the public reacts to "The 39 Clues."
"It's hard to manufacture a phenomenon," he says of the series. "It's an enormous risk, and it signals an enormous enthusiasm."
The first book, "The Maze of Bones," is written by Rick Riordan of "The Lightning Thief" fame and has an announced first printing of 500,000. Steven Spielberg has already acquired film rights to the series.
Each book will have a different writer, including such best-sellers as Gordon Korman and Jude Watson. Backed by a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign, "The 39 Clues" also features game cards, a contest with a $10,000 first prize and a sophisticated Web site that includes games, blogs, videos and thousands of pages of background.
"The word we always used was 'groundbreaking,'" says Scholastic executive editorial director David Levithan. "We wanted to be the first out there to introduce this kind of multidimensional thing."
A Scholastic team, led by Levithan and including about a dozen editors, thought of the series about three years ago, working from the idea of a treasure hunt. The essential outline, including the ending, was set by the publisher. Authors were asked to fill in the details, taking a thread, as Levithan describes it, and turning it into a blanket.
"It's a different kind of challenge," Levithan says. "To use a movie analogy, each director of the 'Harry Potter' films brings their own voice and their own vision to what J.K. Rowling has done. You still feel there's a consistency there, and part of the fun is seeing what they add to it."
Scholastic quickly decided that "The 39 Clues," its title an homage to Alfred Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps," would make an ideal multiplatform event. Readers might check out the Web site, just as kids who love online games might then turn to the books. A recent study by the American Library Association revealed that many librarians already use games to attract young people and, ideally, get them interested in books.
"I love the gaming aspect of 'The 39 Clues,'" says Jenny Levine, a digital specialist for the library association. "I could also see a lot of libraries forming '39 Clues' clubs the way they've had Pokemon clubs."
Books for all ages often originate with publishers, and countless best-sellers are made through marketing. But a blockbuster, whether "Harry Potter" or Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" novels, virtually always happens spontaneously.
"Harry Potter" was born in the brain of Rowling and immortalized by millions worldwide. The staff at Scholastic, and the British publisher, Bloomsbury, were sure they had a hit, even a classic, but not a record breaker. Other children's franchises, including "Clifford" and "Junie B. Jones," began simply as books and expanded only in response to public demand.
"I remember when 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' first came out; nobody knew it was going to be so big. That's how it works. You need the kids to grab onto a book and tell each other about it," says Beth Puffer, manager of the Bank Street Bookstore, based in New York.
"I can't think of a phenomenon that was presented that way from the start. This is a very unique situation."
Puffer and other booksellers are enthusiastic about "39 Clues," although unsure whether it will be a sensation. Kimberly Diehm, co-owner of the Neverending Story Children's Bookshoppe in Las Vegas, calls the first volume "a perfect tale" by Riordan, but says she has noticed little discussion about it among her fellow retailers.
Other multimedia projects are being developed. HarperCollins is working with former Scholastic executive Lisa Holton on an eight-book series for girls. Dutton, a division of Penguin Group (USA), recently acquired a mystery trilogy by "C.S.I." creator Anthony Zuiker that will be complemented by an interactive Web site. Simon & Schuster will release "Spaceheadz," Internet sites and a series of chapter books co-authored by Jon Scieszka and Francesco Sedita.
"In the past we've made the mistake of demonizing other media, saying all TV is bad, all computers are bad, and all books are good," says Scieszka, appointed last year by the Library of Congress as the National Ambassador of Young People's Literature. "Kids know that it's not true; there is great television and there are great games. I just also want to make sure that we don't forget what's unique about a book, losing yourself in an extended narrative."
"I think it will be fascinating to find out if this is a trend that we'll be seeing a lot more of," says Dutton senior editor Ben Sevier, who added that he and other publishers would be watching how the public reacts to "The 39 Clues."
"It's hard to manufacture a phenomenon," he says of the series. "It's an enormous risk, and it signals an enormous enthusiasm."
So how will those clues work?
“The 39 Clues” is publishing on an aggressive timetable, with plans to release one book every two to three months. Rick Riordan wrote the first book (due out tomorrow!) and outlined the next nine novels, which will be written by other authors.
Scholastic has started to use its marketing power, tied to a Web-based game (www.the39clues.com) and collectors’ cards. The publisher, which thrived on the enormous success of the Harry Potter novels, is now facing the reality that many children are now as engrossed in the Internet and video games as they are in books.
“The idea is that every aspect will add to the storytelling in its own way,” said David Levithan, an executive editorial director for multimedia publishing at Scholastic. “The Web or card experience is not at all going to replicate the book experience, nor is the book experience going to replicate the Web.”
Levithan and three other Scholastic editors wanted to make sure that the books would complement the Internet game. Each of the 10 books would reveal only one clue per title, leaving gamers to find the other 29 online; another was that the series take place in a number of locales around the world.
Scholastic has started to use its marketing power, tied to a Web-based game (www.the39clues.com) and collectors’ cards. The publisher, which thrived on the enormous success of the Harry Potter novels, is now facing the reality that many children are now as engrossed in the Internet and video games as they are in books.
“The idea is that every aspect will add to the storytelling in its own way,” said David Levithan, an executive editorial director for multimedia publishing at Scholastic. “The Web or card experience is not at all going to replicate the book experience, nor is the book experience going to replicate the Web.”
Levithan and three other Scholastic editors wanted to make sure that the books would complement the Internet game. Each of the 10 books would reveal only one clue per title, leaving gamers to find the other 29 online; another was that the series take place in a number of locales around the world.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Prizes!
So, Scholastic has released information about the prizes with listings for each participating country. Looks like some good stuff is up for grabs! It looks as if the $10,ooo grand prize the publisher is offering only applies in the U.S. and Canada. It's $5,000 in New Zealand and Australia, £5,000 in the U.K. To be the Grand Prize winner, kids collect all 39 Clues and must remain in the top 39 point scorers in the online game.
All areas with the exception of Australia are offering Book Prizes as well. After reading each book, children add the included trading cards to their online collection to see if they won up to $500!
The site will host Missions for the kids to do too. Playing along with a Clue Mission gets you in the running for as much as $250.
Let's not forget the Episode Prizes, an episode is a book, a Clue Mission, trading cards and other activities on the web site with more chances for cash. In Australia, kids compete for gaming consoles for Episode Prizes.
UNITED STATES
GRAND PRIZE: Collect all 39 Clues and be one of the top 39 point scorers, and you can compete for the $10,000 grand prize.
BOOK PRIZES: Read a Book, add the cards to your online collection, and you have the chance to win $500.
MISSION PRIZES: Start an online Clue Mission, and you have the chance to win $250.
EPISODE PRIZES: The top point scorer for a 39 Clues Episode (that's one Book, one Mission, card combos, and other online activities) wins $1,000.
CANADA
GRAND PRIZE: Collect all 39 Clues and be one of the top 39 point scorers, and you can compete for the $10,000 grand prize.
BOOK PRIZES: Read a Book, add the cards to your online collection, and you have the chance to win $500.
MISSION PRIZES: Start an online Clue Mission, and you have the chance to win $250.
EPISODE PRIZES: The top point scorer for a 39 Clues Episode (that's one Book, one Mission, card combos, and other online activities) wins $1,000.
UNITED KINGDOM
GRAND PRIZE: Collect all 39 Clues and you have the chance to win the £5,000 grand prize.
BOOK PRIZES: Read a Book, add the cards to your online collection, and you have the chance to win £250.
MISSION PRIZES: Start an online Clue Mission, and you have the chance to win £125.
NEW ZEALAND
GRAND PRIZE: Collect all 39 Clues and you have the chance to win the $5,000 grand prize.
BOOK PRIZES: Read a Book, add the cards to your online collection, and you have the chance to win $500.
MISSION PRIZES: Start an online Clue Mission, and you have the chance to win $250.
AUSTRALIA
GRAND PRIZE: Collect all 39 Clues and be one of the top 39 point scorers, and you can compete for a home entertainment center valued at $5,000.
EPISODE PRIZES: The top point scorer for a 39 Clues Episode -- that's one Book, one Mission and other online activities -- wins a gaming console.
With all of these great prizes and lots of cash just waiting to be claimed, this will be a fun and exciting adventure for all kids!
All areas with the exception of Australia are offering Book Prizes as well. After reading each book, children add the included trading cards to their online collection to see if they won up to $500!
The site will host Missions for the kids to do too. Playing along with a Clue Mission gets you in the running for as much as $250.
Let's not forget the Episode Prizes, an episode is a book, a Clue Mission, trading cards and other activities on the web site with more chances for cash. In Australia, kids compete for gaming consoles for Episode Prizes.
UNITED STATES
GRAND PRIZE: Collect all 39 Clues and be one of the top 39 point scorers, and you can compete for the $10,000 grand prize.
BOOK PRIZES: Read a Book, add the cards to your online collection, and you have the chance to win $500.
MISSION PRIZES: Start an online Clue Mission, and you have the chance to win $250.
EPISODE PRIZES: The top point scorer for a 39 Clues Episode (that's one Book, one Mission, card combos, and other online activities) wins $1,000.
CANADA
GRAND PRIZE: Collect all 39 Clues and be one of the top 39 point scorers, and you can compete for the $10,000 grand prize.
BOOK PRIZES: Read a Book, add the cards to your online collection, and you have the chance to win $500.
MISSION PRIZES: Start an online Clue Mission, and you have the chance to win $250.
EPISODE PRIZES: The top point scorer for a 39 Clues Episode (that's one Book, one Mission, card combos, and other online activities) wins $1,000.
UNITED KINGDOM
GRAND PRIZE: Collect all 39 Clues and you have the chance to win the £5,000 grand prize.
BOOK PRIZES: Read a Book, add the cards to your online collection, and you have the chance to win £250.
MISSION PRIZES: Start an online Clue Mission, and you have the chance to win £125.
NEW ZEALAND
GRAND PRIZE: Collect all 39 Clues and you have the chance to win the $5,000 grand prize.
BOOK PRIZES: Read a Book, add the cards to your online collection, and you have the chance to win $500.
MISSION PRIZES: Start an online Clue Mission, and you have the chance to win $250.
AUSTRALIA
GRAND PRIZE: Collect all 39 Clues and be one of the top 39 point scorers, and you can compete for a home entertainment center valued at $5,000.
EPISODE PRIZES: The top point scorer for a 39 Clues Episode -- that's one Book, one Mission and other online activities -- wins a gaming console.
With all of these great prizes and lots of cash just waiting to be claimed, this will be a fun and exciting adventure for all kids!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Book 2 release date!
Book 2 "One False Note" by Gordon Korman in The 39 Clues book series will be release Dec. 2.
Don't forget to grab a card pack as you pick up the new books. The cards will provide lots of helpful hints and earn kids points for prizes. The 39 Clues Card Pack One comes with 16 randomly assorted cards relating to books 1, 2 and 3, as well as a 16-page Clue Finder Guide. The games begin Sept. 9.
Don't forget to grab a card pack as you pick up the new books. The cards will provide lots of helpful hints and earn kids points for prizes. The 39 Clues Card Pack One comes with 16 randomly assorted cards relating to books 1, 2 and 3, as well as a 16-page Clue Finder Guide. The games begin Sept. 9.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
More story background from Scholastic...
This is the information provided about the story line of "The 39 Clues" book series:
Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her decendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue."
Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has assembled them. Now young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what happened to their parents.
The books will set the scene, telling the basic story while the cards, website and game allow kids to participate. Kids visit the website and discover they are lost members of the Cahill family. They set up online accounts where they compete against other kids and Cahill characters to find all the clues. Through the site, kids can track points and clues, manage card collections, dig through the Cahill archives and "travel" to collect artifacts, interview characters and search for clues. Collecting cards helps: Each card is a piece of evidence containing information on a Cahill, a clue or a family secret. Prizes will be given away through the books, website and cards, including a grand prize of $10,000.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
"The 39 Clues" news
Scholastic plans for "The 39 Clues" book series to be a multi-platform adventure for ages 8-12 launching the program simultaneously on September 9, 2008 in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. "The 39 Clues" book series will include 10 books over 2 years, 350 trading cards (each carrying unique codes) and an online game where readers uncover information beyond what is revealed in the books and cards. Each book will come with six cards, assorted packs of sixteen cards will be available separately.
New York Times best-selling author Rick Riordan, who wrote the Percy Jackson series, outlined the story arc. Other titles will be written by a team of best-selling authors, including Gordon Korman (Book 2 in January 2009), Peter Lerangis (Book 3 in April 2009) and Jude Watson (Book 4 in July 2009). Authors for the remaining books and publication dates will be announced later.
New York Times best-selling author Rick Riordan, who wrote the Percy Jackson series, outlined the story arc. Other titles will be written by a team of best-selling authors, including Gordon Korman (Book 2 in January 2009), Peter Lerangis (Book 3 in April 2009) and Jude Watson (Book 4 in July 2009). Authors for the remaining books and publication dates will be announced later.
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