by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Sep 5, 2017
It is relatively easy to achieve an indefinite objective such as “increase sales,” but your business will become more successful in the long run if you can be more focused. Instead of simply trying to increase sales, restate your objective to increase your cash flow, build incremental profits or perhaps deplete a large inventory of books.
The distinction is important because each objective requires a different strategy. The journey to achieving any of these goals is made by manipulating the marketing tools over which you have complete control: the price, distribution network, promotion and even the physical characteristics of your books.
by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Aug 29, 2017
Did you ever watch golfers look through the assortment of the clubs in their bags before choosing just the right one for a particular shot? Think of the benefits of your content as individual clubs, each to be brandished as circumstances warrant. When your prospects tell you what they want to buy, pull out the appropriate “club” and describe what your content can do for them. Do not use a driver when a sand wedge or putter is the better choice.
by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Aug 15, 2017
Every publisher wants to increase book sales through bookstores. However, sales through other retail outlets can also increase the volume and velocity of your revenue. These include discount stores, airport stores, supermarkets, gift shops, specialty stores, pharmacies and many others. Each of these segments has a pre-ordained distribution network, and you must work within that structure to get your book on the stores’ shelves.
Finding the proper distributor is not difficult, although you will have to work with different companies in various segments. But once you have distribution in place, will you be just another one of their clients, or will you make your titles stand out and be sold? Getting its representatives to actively sell your books instead of others requires special effort. Perform properly in four areas and you can increase the number and speed of your books moving through the pipeline.
by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Aug 8, 2017
Publishing companies must innovate regularly to create new value for their customers and increase revenue. But innovation in itself should not be the final goal. Not only must you spot opportunities, but you should exploit them so you get paid, too.
There are two kinds of innovation. One is in value creation and the other is in value capture. Many businesses stop the creative process when a good idea is developed, believing that once it is implemented it will generate money. But unless value capture – maximizing the return on your idea – is also implemented, you can leave money on the table.
by Richard Smith
Bowker | Wed Aug 2, 2017
If you’re an author and want to stay on top of the important issues in the world of publishing — issues that affect you — you need The Hot Sheet.
With all the chatter out there, it will help you sort through the noise with stories that focus on relevant topics from across the publishing spectrum. From author success stories to key industry statistics, you’ll find what you need to know in The Hot Sheet.
by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jul 25, 2017
Relying exclusively on revenue from book sales can limit your income. This wall could be reached because of seasonal demand for your content, or your reliance on sales only through bookstores – bricks and clicks. You may have a small target market, inadequate planning or insufficient funds for promotion. The list goes on, but the fact remains that a variety of circumstances can conspire to limit the sale of your books, and subsequently your income.
This concept of multiple sources of revenue does not mean adding additional titles. It implies various ways in which you could generate funds. This can be accomplished through a combination of products and services, such as product sales (line and brand extensions) combined with author extensions (conducting seminars, making personal presentations and consulting) or other activities that stimulate additional cash flow.
by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jul 11, 2017
Every day I hear authors and publishers lament that sales are down, and they don’t know why. Then they continue doing the same things they have always done, and expect different results. However, there is one marketing tool that can make an enormous difference in one’s sales, but it is rarely – if ever – used. It is market research.
People think of market research as a ponderous, expensive technique that must be implemented by professional data gatherers. But you can conduct simple research – often for free – to help you plan and implement new marketing actions that can increase your sales, revenue and profits.
Here are a few simple steps you can take on your own to discover the cause of poor sales, and provide some ideas for taking corrective actions.
1. Identify the problem or opportunity. Let’s say sales for Title A are down in Segment B
by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Jul 5, 2017
Creating your marketing strategy defines what you will do. The next step is to decide how you will do it, and then organize your actions to facilitate implementation. That is the process of planning.
Do not think of the word plan as a noun – a weighty document valued by page count. Instead, think of it as a verb, a functional, dynamic series of actions that keep you moving ahead. It could simply be a checklist of actions you can implement to fulfill your strategies and reach your objectives.
Still, some publishers eschew planning for a variety of reasons. Here are the three questions I am most frequently asked about planning.
Why should I spend time planning instead of doing?
There are many benefits to planning, if you think of it as a process, regularly adjusting your checklist to exploit opportunities as they arise. Here are a few reasons to consider.
by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jun 27, 2017
Most products, including books, are combinations of tangible and intangible elements. People do not buy the tangible features of a book, i.e., the paper and ink that create it. They buy the intangible benefits they receive from reading fiction: a vicarious feeling of fantasy, romance, adventure or mystery. And when purchasing nonfiction, they are buying information, motivation and help.
As an independent publisher, you will become more successful at marketing when you stop selling your books and begin selling what your books do for the people who read them. That is the difference between marketing a feature, an advantage and a benefit. A feature is an attribute of your book. It could be its size, binding, title or number of pages. An advantage describes the purpose or function of a feature, and a benefit is the value the reader receives in exchange for purchasing your book. People buy value, not generic books.
by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Jun 21, 2017
Have you ever thought, “There are so many things to do to market my book, and I’m not sure where to start or when to do them?” If so, you may be so overwhelmed that you don’t do anything.
You can avoid this analysis paralysis and keep yourself moving productively toward the attainment of your goals. Creating a business plan is the best way to begin. But this can be a daunting task, one easy to put off. That can perpetuate one’s sense of futility and actually encourage procrastination.
Instead, try this simple technique. Make a list of all the things you have to do, organized in categories of similar actions, put a deadline on each, and start doing them one at a time. Use your pub date as the ending point, then work back to the present day. Here is a list of some actions to take – by no means exhaustive -- organized into five phases, and the approximate time it should be started so you reach your pub date, ready to sell.
