Gabrielle Zevin’s new novel, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is out now. The book’s launch includes a Waterstones special edition and an arcade installation at the bookstore’s flagship location in Piccadilly, London. The arcade game. EmilyBlaster will be available to play in-store until July 21.
The novel is about two children who meet in a hospital game room in 1987. Years later, the two reconnect and soon begin designing video games together. Paramount Pictures already acquired the film rights to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow with Temple Hill slated to produce the movie.
EmilyBlaster is based on the game of the same name from Zevin’s novel Tomorrow. In this 80s-style shooter game consisting of three levels, players must blast the words in the correct order to put together a poem. Players must shoot each word before it sinks off-screen. The more words shot in the right order, the more poem points the player gets.
The Future of Book Marketing
Marketing books through a related video game is revolutionary for the publishing industry Readyland is already creating books that kids can talk to. Between the two, it’s probable that book marketing will happen in the metaverse soon enough.
The game was developed by Vintage in collaboration with US publisher Knopf. EmilyBlaster is also available to play online via the author’s website for those who can make it to Waterstones London Piccadilly branch.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’s launch campaign will also include creative collaborations with TikTok influencers as well as a custom Instagram filter based on the novel. In addition, Zevin will be participating in author meet and greet events at Waterstones, Blackwell’s Oxford and BookBar, among other bookstores.
“The best thing about being a bookseller is being able to champion books you love and pass that passion onto new readers,” said Chrissy Ryan, founder of BookBar. “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is one of those special books, and as soon as we read it, we knew we had to do something wonderful to get it into the hands of as many readers as we could. Partnering with the passionate team at Vintage has been so much fun and we can’t wait to welcome Gabrielle to BookBar for our event and to transform our Book Cellar into a Video Game Cave for the evening, as well as working with Yard Sale Pizza to provide vouchers with each book we sell. It’s been an exciting collision of passion and enthusiasm – I’m sure Sam and Sadie would relate.”
In addition to the arcade game, Waterstone is releasing an exclusive edition of Zevin’s novel, signed by the author, with blue sprayed edges and exclusive endpapers.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
