NYT: Booksellers Anticipate a Big Week

Nice mention in the New York Times today, as the clock ticks down to September 15th.

From "Booksellers Anticipate a Big Week":

Booksellers and publishers are hoping to take advantage of the Dan Brown phenomenon to sell corollary titles about secret societies, the Freemasons, the founding fathers and other related topics.

Cathy Langer, the lead buyer for the Tattered Cover bookstores in Denver, said the stores had ordered several ancillary titles, including “Born in Blood: the Lost Secrets of Freemasonry” by John J. Robinson, and “Freemasons for Dummies” by Christopher Hodapp.

“Let’s hope Mr. Brown’s new book raises questions to pique the curiosity and interest of readers to learn more, as he did with ‘Da Vinci,’ ” Ms. Langer wrote in an e-mail message. “It was a mini-industry for a while, and that would be just dandy.”

Publishers, too, certainly hope so. Three years ago, after Mr. Brown first hinted at the subject for his new thriller, Ulysses Press commissioned Mr. Hodapp to write “Solomon’s Builders,” a book about the Freemasons’ influence in Washington. The publisher has also asked Mr. Hodapp to write a book dissecting the factual background of “The Lost Symbol,” once it is released. ["Deciphering the Lost Symbol: Freemasons, Myths and Mysteries of Washington D.C." ]

HarperOne, the spiritual imprint of HarperCollins, signed a deal for “The Masonic Myth” by Jay Kinney two years ago but is publishing it this week to coincide with “The Lost Symbol.” HarperOne is also trumpeting the publication of “Racing Toward Armageddon,” by Michael Baigent, one of two authors who sued Mr. Brown for copyright infringement in a lawsuit asserting that Mr. Brown had plagiarized themes of “The Da Vinci Code” from “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail,” a book Mr. Baigent wrote with another author. The court exonerated Mr. Brown.

The best thing about this for the fraternity and all masonic authors is that it raises all boats. I've never seen so many Masonic books on the shelves at Barnes & Noble and Borders.

"Deciphering the Lost Symbol: Freemasons, Myths and Mysteries of Washington D.C.", in spite of what it says on Amazon, will be available in December.

We are arguing about the cover.