by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Fri May 24, 2013
It’s a question I get asked a lot: “Why isn’t my book selling?” This question isn’t reserved for the author who is clueless about marketing. I’ve been asked this by savvy authors, even business people who can’t seem to figure out the system for selling.
Sometimes the reasons why a book isn’t selling are easy: the cover is poor, the content is not edited or the topic is unappealing. But in most cases that I’ve seen, you need to dig deeper. So, overlooking the obvious, let’s go a step further because the mysteries of selling might be a lot easier to fix than you think.
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Thu May 23, 2013
Over the years I’ve heard this phrase thousands of times. Authors getting great reviews, getting awards, even local media and still, book sales aren’t happening. When you have external validation, it’s hard to really understand where the disconnect is, isn’t it? Sometimes though, it may be just a matter of taking a closer look and analyzing your marketing using a different lens. Let’s take a look at some things that you may want to consider:
Leverage: First and foremost is leverage. How are you leveraging all of these other things? If you’re not, you might consider it. It’s easy enough to slap an award sticker on your book, but what else have you done to promote this? Consider:
Announce it locally: Especially if you won the award. Honorable mentions are great, but not as appealing to local media.
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Wed May 22, 2013
When was the last time you wrote a press release that got a great response? If you’re like most people who write press releases on a regular basis, it’s probably been a while. These days, it’s so easy to float a press release online that everyone is doing it. The problem is with so many releases online, it’s getting harder and harder to get noticed. Years ago when I was first in the business, I’d be able to write a release, push it online and in almost all cases, the media would call me or my clients for a quote or an interview. That’s simply not true anymore. If you’re eager to get more exposure for your next release, here are some helpful tips that should get more eyes to your release and, hopefully, get the media to call you, too.
Keep in mind that besides pushing the press release online, you’ll want to make sure that it’s search engine friendly. Here’s how to do that:
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Tue May 21, 2013
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Mon May 20, 2013
With all of the options out there to publish, it’s pretty tempting to just point and click your way to a completed book. When print-on-demand first came on the scene around 1999, we saw a glut of books being pushed through the system, unedited, unvetted. When someone said “garbage in, garbage out,” they were often referring to self-publishing. Hence the stigma. If you’re new to indie publishing and you think that the stigma is the “us against them” idea, you’re only partially right. The history, albeit a somewhat negative one, started many years ago when authors thought their book was “good enough” to publish.
Cycle forward to 2013: We now have some 300,000 books published a year, the competition is fierce and the stakes are high. That number, by the way, comes from Bowker, which produces these statistics and readily admits that this number doesn’t include all eBooks or books that are published without an ISBN. You can imagine how high that number really is.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Mon May 20, 2013
Starting Wednesday, May 29 and going through Saturday, June 1, Book Expo America is the nation's largest celebration of books and reading. If you choose to have a booth, attend conference sessions, or simply walk the show floor at Javits to take in the enormity and diversity of our industry, here are some tips to help you make the most of BEA.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Tue Apr 16, 2013
Occasionally an author will see a listing for her book on a website she's had no previous contact with. Of course, the immediate question is, "Why are they selling my book? I never engaged with them to do so."
Chances are, they're not really selling it. When an author registers an ISBN with Bowker, that information goes into Bowker's Books in Print database. Many booksellers license BIP, and list the entire contents of it on their websites. They probably haven't made vendor agreements with many of the publishers in Books in Print. They're not stocking the books in their warehouses. If they receive enough orders for the book, they'll track down the publisher and arrange a vendor agreement.
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Tue Apr 16, 2013
by Laura Dawson
Bowker | Thu Apr 4, 2013
The KDP Select program has now been around for nearly two years, and CJ Lyons has a well-thought post on Jane Friedman's blog:
The Select Program is just that: a program, a tool, a tactic.
In other words, it’s not a promise, a guarantee, or even a long term strategy—for authors or Amazon.
It’s a program. Subject to change. And it might not fit your needs now—or later—or ever. Or it might be the catalyst you need to engage new readers and propel sales.
