Self Published Author | Category | Marketing & Publicity

How to Relax During A Sales Presentation

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jan 8, 2019

Making a professional sales presentation to one or more prospective buyers is integral to making a large-quantity sale of your books. Yet, some authors fear doing that and let nervousness get in the way of delivering their message successfully.

Depending on your level of experience, there are three things that could happen once you are introduced (and you might experience all three at different times). First, you will be so “on” that you conduct yourself with aplomb and the words flow out of you with astonishing precision. Your body language exudes confidence, you make all your points persuasively, and you deal with all questions and objections with alacrity and wit. In short, you are on a roll and everyone can sense it.

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Selling Books to Business Buyers? Think Small

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Dec 11, 2018

Some authors do not sell to non-retail buyers because they are intimidated by corporate marketing professionals. If that is the case with you, start small. Begin your non-retail selling journey by calling on buyers in small companies.

These businesses represent approximately 80% of all companies in the U.S. and they have the same needs as their larger brethren. Your content helping them retain and motivate employees will be thankfully accepted (and purchased). They also need other benefits of employee engagement: increased profitability, greater customer satisfaction (and loyalty) and reduced absenteeism. And small businesses want to increase sales and find new customers. Start by showing them how your content can help solve their problems, then move up to larger companies as you experience success and gain confidence. Here are a few of the major advantages of starting small.

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A New Way to Generate More Ideas

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Dec 4, 2018

If you want to sell more books in a crowded field, they need to stand out in a positive way. In their effort to rise above the competition, authors conduct innovation sessions to think outside the box, brainstorming for the best creative strategy. This can put undue pressure on them to come up with the one best idea. In most cases, that burden will reduce creativity.

However, innovation is still required for your books to get noticed. If you reduce the anxiety to find the best way to become more noticeable, your creative sessions can be more effective. These three steps to creative problem solving can help you do that: 1) Intention, 2) Attention, 3) No Tension. Define the problem, gather information, then relax and let ideas come to you.

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The Benefits of Selling at Local Events

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Nov 27, 2018

Selling books at local events such as craft fairs, gift shows and Holiday celebrations can help you make some money as it provides additional benefits. Here are several reasons you might want to attend these events.

• You can sell personally autographed books on a non-returnable basis at full price

• If you sell 50 books, each at $14.95, you will take home about $750 for the day

• You may find the networking beneficial. I know of people who made contacts at local events that led to large-quantity corporate sales and media appearances

• Get increased exposure. Some events expect 5,000 or more attendees

• Display your books with other authors to share the costs and have a fun time

• Regular sales at local events give you a rewarding sense of momentum and activity while working toward long-term, larger sales.

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How to Succeed in a Changing Market

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Oct 16, 2018

Publishers Weekly (October 3) wrote that Barnes & Noble may be up for sale, and that can provide a lesson for book publishers: there is an opportunity for substantial revenue growth of printed books in non-bookstore markets. Publishers who ignore these changes and rely on the traditional business model of selling primarily through bookstores may run out of room to grow.

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Self-publishing Essentials: Hybrid Authorship

by Ellie Marney
Bowker | Tue Oct 9, 2018

The publishing industry has gone through big changes in the last few years — and perhaps the biggest change has been the emergence of a new model of authorship.

What is a hybrid author?

A hybrid author is a writer who is published both traditionally and independently. Some of their work (books, articles, poetry, screen or stage works, critique) is released through traditional means, and some is self-published.

You’re allowed to do that?

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How to Reach Non-Retail Buyers

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Sep 25, 2018

Book marketing is relatively simple (but not necessarily easy) because there are only two arenas in which to compete: retail and non-retail. The retail sector consists of bookstores (bricks and clicks) and other outlets such as office supply stores, supermarkets, airport stores, warehouse clubs, health-food stores, gift shops and specialty stores.

Selling to these establishments is primarily done through middlemen that control the flow of goods and who exact a fee for their services. Sales through these channels are plagued by two other factors that deteriorate profits: returns of unsold books and payments in 120 days or more.

Publishers may also sell to libraries, and then consider their sales opportunities exhausted. But there is a significant source of profitable revenue in the non-retail arena. This is made up of buyers in corporations, associations, schools, the military and government agencies.

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Holiday Book Marketing

by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Sep 11, 2018

Why you should start now to sell more books this holiday season

It may seem like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and all of the other big holiday sales dates are a long way off. But the reality is that they’re just around the corner. And, what’s more, if you’re looking to take advantage of them in your book marketing efforts, you don’t want to wait until November to get started. In fact, any retailer can tell you that if you want to take advantage of the holiday sales rush, you’d better start early.

Make sure your book is right for holiday promotions

First of all, if it is November by the time you’re reading this, it might be too late for a big holiday push, but there are still some smaller things you can do. Bottom line here, you need to be realistic not just about what you have time for, but also what is appropriate for your book.

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Sell No Book Before Its Time

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Aug 28, 2018

An engineer can look at the foundation of a building under construction and tell you its eventual height. The deeper the base, the higher the structure will be. Similarly, an independent publisher must create a strong foundation to support a title's future growth. This preparation is performed in five phases.

1) The Planning Phase
Focus on creating a strategic marketing plan for your title at least six months prior to its publication date. Begin by precisely defining your target readers. Then outline your strategies, describe the tactics you will perform, and establish completion dates for each, in four functional areas:

* Production. How many pages and what size should the book be? What type of binding? Will you use illustrations or halftones? Ideas for cover design.

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Are You Ready for a Book Marketing Company?

by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Aug 7, 2018

If you’re ready to take your brand and your platform to the next level, then a book marketing company may be just what you need. And primarily, what I do is help authors with their exposure.

Because exposure is ultimately what will drive sales. Consumers often need to see something as many as seven times before deciding to purchase. And although I cannot offer authors specific sales guarantees (no one can!), what I can do is offer a great well-rounded campaign that helps you gain exposure. And with that comes the tools and support you’ll need to sell more books. But success doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and even when you hire a book marketing company, you need to be involved in the process working toward your goals alongside the professionals.

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