Promotion of a 50th Anniversary Edition of a Novel, The

Public Relations Quarterly, 2008 by Applegate, Edd

The Philadelphian by Richard Powell was published in 1956 and became a much-discussed bestseller in 1957. The novel, which was published by Charles Scribner's Sons, received rave reviews. For instance, a reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "A first-class job of story telling...fine, readable, and revealing...This book may be the big novel of the season." A reviewer for the Minneapolis Tribune wrote, "Richard Powell has done for Philadelphia what John Marquand has done for Boston." According to a reviewer for the Cleveland Press, "While some old Philadelphia families are likely to squirm, they will be unable to keep Richard Powell's The Philadelphian off the bestseller list." A reviewer for the Chicago Sunday Tribune wrote, "There is some bang-up storytelling here...The story is an engrossing one. In its telling there are faint echoes of John Marquand, Edwin O'Connor, and John O'Hara." According to a reviewer for the Pittsburgh Press, "The picture of a city and its culture in which the Philadelphia tradition is convincingly drawn, gently satirized, and altogether relished...a remarkable interpretation and a first-class novel." Finally, a reviewer for the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "A story that has the ring of authenticity on every page...handled with such finesse, such sympathy, as to make reading it a memorable experience."

The novel spans four generations of a family. Although it begins with the emigration of a poor girl from Ireland in 1857, it ends 100 years later with her great grandson, a young, ambitious lawyer who has to use his wits to defend his good friend who is on trial for murder.

The novel was published again in 2006 by Plexus Publishing, Inc., a small publisher located in Medford, New Jersey. The publisher noted that this was the "50th Anniversary Edition" on the novel's cover.

Purpose

This article examines the public relations campaign for the book by Plexus Publishing. In addition to discussing the material found at the book's website, additional information about the book, its author, and the film adaptation are included, in the hope that readers will learn how even a small publisher can enjoy some success from applying at least one of the elements of the promotional mix.

The Publisher

Plexus Publishing was incorporated in 1977 and was located in Louisville, Kentucky, before moving to Medford, New Jersey, a year later. A regional publisher that publishes Biology Digest, which provides valuable information about the life sciences and which can be found in several thousand libraries in schools, colleges, and universities, Plexus Publishing also publishes books about science, technology, nature, history, and New Jersey folklore. The company also publishes fiction.

The Public Relations Campaign

The publisher's website for the book, The Philadelphian: 50th Anniversary Edition, includes several forms or tools of public relations primarily for promotional purposes. First, the website mentions that this edition includes "a new Foreword by Oscar nominee Robert Vaughn," who starred with Paul Newman in the film adaptation of the novel. Some readers may remember that Robert Vaughn later appeared in "The Magnificent Seven," a popular western. He later starred in the popular television series, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," in the 1960s. Other films and television series followed, including the current "Hustle," which is a popular BBC program. The copy then includes what a reviewer for the New York Times wrote about the novel, "Sophisticated...brilliant...entertaining." The copy then provides brief information about the author, the film, and the book:

This 1957 national bestseller by the late Richard Powell...was released to rave reviews and became the 1959 Oscar-nominated film, The Young Philadelphians, starring Paul Newman and Robert Vaughn....The Philadelphian is a raw and powerful tale of a family of humble origins clawing its way to the top. The story climaxes in an unforgettable courtroom scene, with society on trial and an entire city held spellbound....1

The website for the book also includes three PDF Downloads - "About the Author," "Preface," and "Endorsements," as well as the book's ISBN numbers and prices, in case a reader is interested in purchasing a hardbound or a softbound copy.

"About the Author" includes the following information:

A seventh-generation Philadelphian, Richard Powell (1908-1999) was a prodigiously talented writer whose 19 full-length fictional works included many mysteries along with several comedie, dramatic, and historical novels. Prior to retiring to Florida in 1958 to write full time, he studied history at Princeton, was a reporter for the Philadelphia Evening Ledger, served in the Army during WWII, and worked for many years in advertising and public relations.

Powell was an inventive storyteller and a keen observer of human foibles and follies who, at the peak of his writing prowess in the late 1950s and early 1960s, emerged as a master of the contemporary novel. No matter what fiction genre Powell turned his hand to, his wry characterizations, crackling dialog, and deft plotting made each book an irresistible page-turner. Several of his novels, including The Philadelphian, were made into feature films.