Why get into show business to sell a novel?

One highest dream leads to another

I receive a lot of emails from readers. These include heartfelt letters (often personal) about their reading experience of current and past novels, they offer beauty tips: suggestions of hair conditioner brands to tame my frizz, and notes regarding book tours. As the pub date looms, I meet with the professionals that promote books and receive their excellent advice. A plan is made. Once a novel is written, after the editing process, followed by the design of the book, the team turns their energies to selling the book. That’s the moment I bring the readers’ issues to the table, and we discuss. There are many opinions rendered about the book tour.

When a writer creates a world, and the book it lives in, every talent, exchange, personal connection and research is engaged- you must bring all of who you are and what you feel to the work- and you know when you do. I extend this to touring- I have been known for two and three hour “shows”- once I get where I’m going, I want to stay as long as possible- but I also had a notion. What if I brought the reader something special- something new- a night out of laughter, music, connection- theater meets comedy meets music, meets The View From Lake Como?

There’s one word that comes up about book signings in general from readers- they often call them- dry- as in cold toast, stale crackers, or blistering western winds that make your face peel. Dry. I translate dry to mean boring and dull. Now, dry is not a bad thing if we’re talking scholarship and serious academia- but when it comes to book tours, and the centerpiece is a novel- I hope to entertain our readers, to leave the audience uplifted- having enjoyed the evening- and through humor, having connected and been shored up by the experience.

When I began my career in books 25 years ago, a comprehensive, national, and intense book tour was planned. I did 64 cities in the United States one year. In retrospect, I am nothing but grateful to the publishers at Random House who put me on the road then, and since. It took time to build the house. At first, there would be four people in the bookstore, sometimes fourteen, and once around 50 peeps in an auditorium who accidentally wandered in from the rain, mistaking the empty room for their pick up spot on their tour of Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They stayed and we had some fun. The librarians around the country were enthusiastic and supportive (as the daughter of a librarian, my mother made sure there were plenty of libraries on the tour). But, the point of the presentation wasn’t just the reading, though it was important to talk about the book. There was more to it. The publisher, Ann Godoff, wanted me to learn how to sell my books. So, I collected email addresses and snail mail addresses wherever I went. I came up with ways to keep the connections alive as I wrote the next book. I spoke to book clubs on a headset- hilarious stories ensued. Random House had invested in Big Stone Gap, but the real investment was in me. Scary. If I wanted to have longevity, or write books that would be read for years to come, I would have to find a way to sell them. It took practice.

What Ann could not know, is that deep within me is a salesman. My skill was first discovered in third grade in Big Stone Gap Elementary where I was named top seed salesman. We were charged with going door to door and selling packs of seeds for 25 cents. I would ring doorbells and convince the lady at home to buy the seeds- and point to her fallow garden and say, “Can’t you imagine a wild English garden right here under your window?” The packets flew. I had a pretty product (little seed packet with an artful illustration) and a dream. The sales of those seeds gave me the confidence to sell when I became a writer. I knew I had a secret skill- so it is with great enthusiasm that I packed my bags and hit the road to sell the novel Big Stone Gap in the spring of 2000 and have done the same with the 21 books since.

Adriana (far left), top seed salesman

About a month into the first tour in April of 2000, I was in California at Vroman’s in Pasadena. I spent more money in the store than I earned selling books. Vroman’s was a book shop/gift shop combo where you could find fabulous stuff- a pack of postcards from the Golden Age of Hollywood or a marionette that looked like Ronald Reagan. I bought both and more. I had to buy a duffle to transport my Vroman’s haul home. That night, at the appearance in the store, I was reading from Big Stone Gap when I had an epiphany. I raced back to the hotel room (no cell phones then) and called my publicist, Todd Doughty, a young turk out of Illinois. I said, “Todd, I’m boring these people. I don’t like reading to them. Can I do something else?” And he said the words that freed me forever, “Do whatever you want.”

I was free, so now I could own the reading. I would develop material - a show, and take it from town to town. Onstage, I talked about whatever was happening or on my mind- harkening back to my nightclub/cabaret days when three fabulous girls and I were called The Outcasts. We performed on NYC’s cabaret circuit, and early on we were honored as AGVA’s YOUNG STARS OF TOMORROW. AGVA doesn’t exist anymore, and at the time, we were given the award (a paper certificate) in an Upper West Side apartment by an actress who appeared in Please Don’t Eat the Daisies on Broadway. She regaled us with stories of Broadway’s good years and that it had all turned to sludge- but good luck girls, you’ve got talent!

These little affirmations along the way are helpful. The Outcasts toiled for six more years on the circuit. When the girls in the group began to want more- they became writers, went into business, became wives, and sometimes mothers, or started their own regional theaters. In other words, they moved out of New York City to make it anywhere (else). I still can not fathom living anywhere but New York City, but that’s another story. Those seven years doing cabaret shaped me, too. I learned to prepare, to exude confidence even when the material didn’t work, and to be patient. Hard work is always the one thing we can do. Keep at it. Don’t give up. And yet, in success, the moment we said, “we made it” did not look like we thought it would- because it never arrived. Instead, we got something better out of the experience- we learned to stay in the moment, which led to a better show and bigger dreams. This was the end of our troupe- some of us decided to re-dream and to take a different path to happiness that didn’t involve a two drink minimum.

In 1998, I had been working for 10 years as a television writer, a screenwriter, and a documentary filmmaker. I took a script I had written called Big Stone Gap and, at the behest of my friends Suzanne Gluck and Ruth Pomerance, took the story and wrote the novel based upon it. Suzanne, a young literary agent, sold the book to Random House. In the 25 years since, I’ve been edited by gloriously talented editors, written books published by thoughtful publishers, and had cover art and interiors designed by the greats. There’s always marketing- I still don’t understand exactly how marketing works- but they work really hard- making all the stuff you need to sell your book. Do not confuse marketing with publicity, which also requires you to use your skills to sell the book- whatever those skills might be. In one of my initial meetings at Random House in publicity I admitted I could baton twirl- which is true. There was a deadly silence for 30 seconds, and then to my relief, laughter. But you understand this- it is the author’s job to figure out what skills she has that she can exploit to sell her book. You can be a double or triple threat, but you better have a threat. You need one really good threat. Otherwise, you’ll be me, at Vroman’s, dry as toast, boring the audience.

Why get into show business to sell a novel? Why not? In my mind and heart, show business is always a good idea. I want to give the same sense of escape to the audience that they experience when they read one of my novels. I want the book tour show to be personal. I want to tell stories that can only be told in the moment to the audience I revere. This is relationship building- and it matters if you decide to write more than one book.

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I had three years to think about the upcoming summer tour of 2025. I wanted to do something special- something the readers would enjoy- something to lighten their load and give them a night of big laughs. Nothing gives me more joy than touring and talking about the book- but it’s never just about the book- it’s about our lives, where we are, why we’re here, and how can we have more fun doing what makes us happiest. In other words- comedy. Stand up, yes- but I don’t do the same set on a loop in various states- the material is always new- because we (the audience) is always changing. I called my actor friends, comedian friends, and show business partners for their advice. I pitched an idea that became this show. I called friends including Bill Persky, the spectacular writer/producer/director and said, “Can I run the closing moment by you?” It gets that granular- and that’s comedy.

Then, I called my brother. I love a family act. The Von Trapps are the highest form of art and skill combined. I like when families sing together and play instruments. I like when a sister sings and the brothers perform liturgical dance at mass. I like when two families, like the Sinatras and the Martins, do a holiday special and I can watch 1972 on a loop on Youtube as though we’ve never left the decade. I don’t know, maybe it’s because I’m one of seven, but I appreciate large groups doing musical numbers. Donny and Marie. The Jackson Five. The DeFranco family. The Carpenters. The Carter Family at the Fold. I find all of it inspiring. The blend of voices and a shared sense of humor is compelling in a live theatrical setting. And I imagine my heart will throw open like barn doors- when my brother says: Ladies and gentlemen… my sister- as the show begins. That’s what this is all about- family- whether we gather as relatives or readers- we’re in this thing together.

Adriana (right) and her brother, Michael (left)

My brother Mike is a talented singer songwriter. You can hear him sing on the soundtrack to the movie Big Stone Gap or performing a riff of Oh Marie in the movie Then Came You, both of which I directed. When I needed a theme song for the You Are What You Read podcast, Mike wrote it. So, when it came time to put this book tour together, I called him.

Here’s the pitch: a one-woman comedy show with music.

The novel we’re touring with, The View from Lake Como (out everywhere July 8th), is the story of family business and the woman in it that no one appreciates. The put upon daughter. The sister that puts herself last- until she can’t for one more moment. A contemporary comedy. Jess Baratta has to rebuild her life and the house that goes with it. She lives in a small town, Lake Como, New Jersey, but longs to travel. She never has, due to circumstances beyond her control. So, Jess throws herself into life, trying to find happiness in the place where she was raised, hoping that being of use to those around her will fill her up and make her happy. There are weddings, funerals and Sunday Dinner. There are folks who get so angry they don’t talk to one another for years over an unnamed transgression. There’s pure hate in spurts and lots of love despite the arguments. Life in an Italian American family- and the women in the family that built us without taking an ounce of credit for their contributions.

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My brother Mike was slightly dubious- but now he’s on board. He put the band together and he turned to his only brother, our brother Carlo, and asked me to ask him to be our tour manager. Luckily, Carlo said yes, so if you see our band and me on the Jersey turnpike splitting a banana three ways, it’s because that’s what’s in the budget. And if you’ve joined me on tour in the past, you have an idea of what you’re in for. Laughter. Joy. Camaraderie. Community. Our shared experience as wives, daughters, grandmas, sisters, mothers, cousins, nieces and friends. I want you to leave the show feeling better than you did when you arrived.

Selling anything can be a brutal exercise in rejection. But I have found, over 25 years, the joy that comes from putting a book in the hands of a reader who needs to escape. It may be the most wonderful feeling in the world. I don’t have to tell you that life is hard, but every freakin’ moment of it does not have to be. Sometimes you can go to a theater, sit back, and let the good times roll. That’s what we’re planning for you anyway- and believe me, we can’t wait to see you.

My beautiful fellow authors (you can listen to them for free over at the podcast) have taught me so much. They have used their skills expertly- to bring you books of depth, insight, and stories that are entertaining and illuminating. They tell me it’s time to reinvent the book tour- that even when comedy legend Milton Berle wrote his autobiography, he didn’t do a set to promote the book- he just showed up and signed them. Good enough! But I’m not Milton Berle. I have to try harder!

On this book tour, I want to give you something completely different. A show. A show that pulls the thread from the kid in glasses so thick they looked like ashtrays (that would be nearsighted me not my brother)- from a girl who prized the skill of making people laugh above all other gifts. The girl that roped her brother into sharing his band and talent- and refused take no for an answer. That should tell you I’ve got it as a salesman- he didn’t want to do it. But now, he is doing it- and he’s brilliant. And, you’ll get to meet him.

I hope you’ll join us on the road- it’s book with ticket- so you receive an autographed copy of The View from Lake Como at the show. I think Ann Godoff would be very proud of me now- she taught me how to do this. Back in my seed selling days, I always threw in a free packet of beach roses, to entice the customer to buy the nasturtium seeds. You gotta give something extra. When you do that, the customer will answer the door next time you show up and buy new seeds. She got used to looking at that beautiful garden and she wants more. She will be grateful. This time, though, I’m the one who’s grateful. Thank you for ordering your ticket! Thank you for bringing your family and friends and book club!

And don’t forget to submit your wedding photos- and those of your parents- whomever mattered the most to you- maybe you’ll even surprise someone you are bringing to the show by submitting their photo- because you know you have always been part of the show. I promise you will leave happier than when you took your seat. With or without the beach roses.

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If you want to see The Lake Como Show with Adriana Trigiani and her brother Mike and his band, The Predictables, order your tickets now. They’re selling out fast- and we don’t want to miss you!

• July 7th: Clinton, CT with RJ Julia

• July 8th: New York, NY at Patsy’s Italian Restaurant SOLD OUT

• July 9th: Long Island, NY with Theodore’s Books at Molloy University

• July 10th: Doylestown, PA with Doylestown Books at

• July 11th: East Providence, RI with Barrington Books at East Providence High School (benefitting the East Providence Library Foundation)

• July 13th: Staten Island, NY with the Bookmark Shoppe at the College of Staten Island Springer Theater (benefitting CSI and the Garibaldi Meucci Museum)

• July 14th: Spring Lake, NJ with Thunder Road Books at the Spring Lake Theater SOLD OUT

• July 15th: Spring Lake, NJ with Thunder Road Books at the Spring Lake Theater

AND MORE! Find additional tour stops across the country on adrianatrigiani.com.

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