A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: 🌸 The Book That Won’t Die
Bouquets of Bitterroots and the Strange Longevity of Ideas Some books refuse to fade. They don’t sell in large numbers anymore, but they keep circulating — through conversations, memories, used bookstores, and the occasional surprise royalty deposit. My own example is Bouquets of Bitterroots: How to Get Anyone to Do Anything for You and Be Happy About It , published in the early 2000s. Every couple of years, a tiny royalty arrives, just enough to remind me the book is still out there, still being found, still being read. But the real proof of its longevity came in a far more unexpected moment. I was once in a dispute with an organization, and their lawyer — a sharp, confident professional — told me he wanted to offer me a “bitterroot.” He had read the book. He was trying to use my own techniques on me. He did it so poorly that I won the engagement. I doubt he was happy about it. That moment taught me something: a book’s influence isn’t measured by sales. It’s measured by memory. When ...