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.
by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Jun 14, 2017
When a helicopter is at rest, the dials on its dashboard are all askew with arrows pointing in different directions. But when that helicopter is flying straight and level, with no problems, all the arrows are pointing straight up. The pilot can glance at the instrument panel and quickly see if any dials are out of order, indicating that a problem exists. He or she immediately knows when something is wrong without wasting time evaluating that which is working correctly.
You can apply this same concept to your publishing efforts by setting up a system that quickly points out where marketing problems exist. Once you know what the problem is you can determine its cause and take steps to solve it.
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Wed Jun 7, 2017
You probably have found lots of discourse on the publishing industry that boils down to one thing – it’s hopping. We certainly talk about it a lot, what with more than 4,500 books published every day. That said, book bloggers are still reviewing and promoting books – and some books still generate a lot of buzz. If you haven’t tapped into the buzz yet – and want to know why, then we’ve written this article for you. Pitching bloggers, while not difficult, can be intimidating. Whether you don’t know how (and we’ll teach you), or you don’t like rejection, rest assured, book bloggers really do want to know about great books! So here are some of best practices for generating blogger interest!
by Richard Smith
Bowker | Mon Jun 5, 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.
The latest edition of The Hot Sheet from Porter Anderson and Jane Friedman -- check out this special discount at Bowker! — looks at an anniversary coming right up: KU is turning 2 years old.
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue May 30, 2017
EBooks are everywhere these days. In fact, they’re so prevalent, it’s often easy to forget the “other” way to read books – by listening to them. Audio book lovers are passionate about their books. When you talk with them, you’ll probably hear that most can’t recall the last time they actually read a book word for word. In fact, some people listen to as many as five audio books each month – this is particularly common in people who spend long periods of time on the road, like over-the-road truck drivers. And you’ll also find that audio book lovers have a wide variety of tastes, listening to anything from world history to self-help and fiction.
by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed May 24, 2017
Many independent publishers think of the word plan as a document beginning with your mission statement followed by an analysis of your business and a description of your markets, competition, strategies and tactics. Strictly speaking, that is correct. However, there is another approach to planning if your goal is to create a functional device to help you succeed.
Instead of creating a sequential plan as advocated in traditional marketing practice, simply create a set of rules under which you will operate. This approach does not consider the word plan as a noun -- a ponderous text usually valued in terms of its weight -- but as a verb, a process. The result is a description of how to proceed under various conditions, a set of policies that establish the parameters within which you will operate your business.
