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The big boys are back

17.08.07 Joel Rickett

Who is Penguin's biggest-selling living fiction author: Marian Keyes, Zadie Smith, Nick Hornby, or Eoin Colfer? None of the above. Try Clive Cussler, the prodigious American writer hailed on his book jackets as the "grandmaster of adventure".

It is hard to dismiss that as pure hyperbole. A sprightly 76, Cussler turns out two or three outlandish techno-thrillers a year, in association with a team of co-writers including his son Dirk. Although Penguin's own sales figures put Keyes, Colfer and Hornby ahead, Nielsen BookScan records that more than 464,000 books bearing the Cussler stamp sold in the UK last year—more than any of his Penguin stablemates. That's double the number he was selling five years ago.

Cussler leads a pack of "big beasts" including his compatriot Jack Higgins (79), and Brits Frederick Forsyth (68) and Wilbur Smith (74). They all started their careers in the 1960s and '70s, made their names around the world with an iconic novel, and fell out of fashion in the late 1980s and '90s. Now they're back—and they're bigger than ever.

The exploits of their ageless, larger-than-life heroes—Sean Dillon, Dirk Pitt and Kurt Austin—span the continents and the centuries. Taking in the military, politics, terrorism and ancient societies, each of their new hardbacks reaches new heights. The big four together sold more than a million copies off all editions in the UK alone last year; export sales to international markets are booming.

"These guys were the best and still are," Wayne Brookes, HarperCollins deputy publishing director, says. "They've been producing one book a year [or every other year] and have just kept going. The market did seem to be moving away in the 1990s, but they stayed around, kept producing, then suddenly they're back at the top again. People said they wouldn't come back but 80% of them have."

Ronseal reliability

At W H Smith, acting fiction controller Andrew McClellan says publishers have recognised the value of these writers rather than constantly chasing the next new thing. "Perhaps customers are now more risk-averse and people are turning back to these writers for reassurance—you know the new Wilbur Smith will be a swashbuckler with a great twist. These authors are great at what they do."

There are a score of other veteran male authors who've had a second wind since the turn of 2000, whether dead or alive: Gerald Seymour, Ken Follett, Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, Dick Francis, James Herbert. Then there's the military and naval types—Patrick O'Brian, Alan Mallinson, George MacDonald Fraser.

At first glance, the resurgence of such books fits the same pattern as The Dangerous Book for Boys: the joy of fleeing to a less complicated world. "This is escapist fiction at its hottest," Brookes says. "Guys will willingly suspend their disbelief." They are shying away from a depressing global news agenda, posits Asda's books buyer Steph Bateson: "In this climate people want a good no holds-barred thriller that harks back to something more innocent."

Thanks partly to Dan Brown, readers expect a solid historical background—as long as it doesn't interfere with a juicy narrative. But ultimately they are seeking reliability, delivered by each author according to their unique recipe. "With such established writers you can rely on getting a Hollywood blockbuster between two covers—the ultimate unputdownable read," Toby Bourne, Waterstone's fiction chief, says.

Re-suited and booted

Yet many of these writers have been subtly reconstructed, both in terms of packaging and settings: leopards can change their spots. Their work ethic means they've pursued current trends—whether it's Wilbur Smith's Egyptian quests, satisfying appetites whetted by Dan Brown, or Forsyth's middle eastern terrorist power plays. Cussler's environmental and technological themes are also ahead of the curve, says Alex Clarke of Penguin/Michael Joseph: "To really succeed writers have to change. Cussler has always been ahead of his time."

The conventional line that adventure thriller authors have been left without material since the end of the Cold War is absurd, says Bill Scott-Kerr, publisher of Transworld: "There's even more room for them now. It's all about money and religion—the combination is irresistible." As a former journalist, Forsyth keeps his eye on the unfolding global story. "People know what they're
getting—a nod to the future rather than the past, plus an incredible page-turner. He has replenished that reputation."

While these writers' works still have bold covers that hammer home their names, the visual approach has often been subtly tailored to appeal to a broader, and younger, audience.

When Penguin took over Cussler in 1999, it felt that cover style of the entire adventure genre had become tired. "We focused on making the books look modern, filmic," Clarke recalls. The iconic macho action style was retained, but Penguin invested in richer, more layered production finishes. Similarly, HarperCollins has steadily reintroduced Higgins' backlist, marketing each new title as a brand new work—and hitting 50,000 sales per re-release.

"Publishers have done a good job in updating these brands," says Asda's Bateson. Smiths' McLellan agrees: "They are now packaged to look like blockbusters rather than being too clever-clever. Good books are now just good books."

Penguin is currently undertaking focus group research on Cussler, but believes that younger readers are supplementing his middle-class, middle-aged male fans. And of course Wilbur Smith—whose Egyptian series has a heroine and not a hero—has long appealed to many women.

Men and trolleys

But the core readership for the "big beasts" remains men—who are less easily reached by advertising. Brookes believes that retail placement is critical. "It's about getting the right slots in the supermarkets. Guys aren't reactive to marketing, but if they see one of these writers as a Book of the Week while they're doing the shopping, they'll think: ‘I used to love him'."

The same holds true for those buying presents for their spouse, father or grandfather, adds Tesco's category manager David Cooke. "If you're thinking of buying a book for your husband you go for a safe name."

Of course the stellar non-food growth of Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's, as well as a host of other mass market players from Woolworths to CostCo to Morrisons, has given these authors new legs. Asda boasts of  "year-on-year" increases in sales of the "big beasts", including 25% to 30% market share on new Wilbur Smith and Cussler hardbacks. "Sales are coming through us disproportionately," Bateson says. "It's about brand recognition—people recognise the author's name from their youth, or the fact their dad used to read them."

But W H Smith and Waterstone's have refused to relinquish any ground: even the smallest or most literary branch will boast a wide Cussler backlist. "In the 1990s we may have taken sales from likes of Clive Cussler for granted," McClellan says. "Now we get everyone excited about the new Wilbur Smith and try to carry through the blockbuster mentality from the shelves to the till." Bourne maintains that with the prodigious output of these writers, people are getting hooked and drawn back to high street specialists. "Range retailers can hold all of the backlists—customers can keep coming back for more."

This retail battle is driving sales of the "big beasts" ever higher. "It means there's more space, more money, more resource clustering around these authors," Geoff Duffield, Pan Macmillan group sales and marketing director, says. And the inevitable, ever-increasing discounting means more people can afford to snap up their favourites in hardback rather than wait for soft covers.

Publishers are funding this retail blitz by entering their mega-brands into every conceivable retail promotion. "You need to tick every box to get into every market," Scott-Kerr says. "The market is getting more and more conservative. In times of concern and worry retailers reach for the old favourites."

This creates nightmares for adventure thriller writers trying to break through. "The old guard is still in the ascendancy," Brookes adds. "It's a lot harder for new authors to enter into that pantheon. The mega-brands can carry on for 30 or 40 years." Some retailers disagree, believing the "halo" effect can push readers towards fresh series, particularly in the gaps between new offerings from their trusted favourites.

Death is no impediment

But it's indisputable that the likes of Cussler command a level of global brand recognition that is almost impossible to create today through fragmented media and entertainment channels. "These guys have penetrated the reading consciousness," Scott-Kerr says. "The Eagle Has Landed or The Day of the Jackal are benchmark books—incredible calling cards."

There's also a more practical trade advantage to the seasoned pros: their sheer professionalism. "They really understand how the book business works," Duffield says. "The need to deliver on time, the need to go out and promote—it's almost like having them as part of the team. With Wilbur [Smith] there's no derailing—we go full-out for each book knowing what he expects."

Publishers and retailers alike would be forgiven for fearing the day the "big beasts" start to shuffle off this mortal coil. But as Robert Ludlum has proved, death is no barrier to bestsellerdom. "Who's to say the brand doesn't live on?" Bateson asks. "I don't see why they can't write from beyond the grave."

Book Flagship Feature Joel Rickett Author

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