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Marketing & Publicity

Good marketing is an art. Knowing your audience is critical. Get the word out about your book in a compelling and interesting way.

Steps in Marketing & Publicity

  • How to craft your message
  • Social media
  • Search engine optimization
  • Go local
 

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?

Inside Publishing
Writing
Marketing & Publicity
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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. 
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Holiday Book Marketing

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
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.

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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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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Marketing & Publicity
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Are You Ready for a Book Marketing Company?

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
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. 

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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TV or not TV?

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jul 31, 2018

Authors rely on the repetition of a message on free media such as appearances on television and radio to increase the sales of their books. The planning of this exposure is important because the media like to interview authors on relevant and timely topics. Here are some tips that can make your broadcast appearances more productive.

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Hints for Conducting Radio Shows by Telephone

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jul 24, 2018

 
Performances on radio talk or news shows are the workhorses of book-promotion activities. With radio as part of your communication plan, you can reach hundreds, thousands or millions of people at little or no cost. You can even sell some books, if you do it right. 
 
Most radio shows are conducted over the telephone, from any place in which there is a good connection, no background noise and where you can talk uninterrupted for the length of the show. Here are several guidelines to make telephone interviews more effective: 
  • As you agree upon the time and date with the producer, confirm your time zone. The producer may say he or she will call you at 3:00, but is that 3:00 p.m. in your time zone?  
  • Do not use cell telephones and do not ask the station to call you on a line with call waiting. Similarly, this is not the time to impress your friends by having them listen to you on an extension or speaker phone. 
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Don’t Fall Victim to these Book Marketing Traps!

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Jul 17, 2018

There’s a ton of information out there for indie authors. However, there is also a lot of misinformation, too, as well as outright lies about book marketing. And indie authors are left in the cold to sort through the truths, semi-truths, and non-truths for themselves. Which means that you may have spent more time figuring out the best path through trial and error. 

Because I believe that empowering authors to follow the best practices elevates the whole industry, today, I’m taking some time to set the record straight. Indie authors, read on to learn some of the biggest book marketing traps and pitfalls and how to navigate around them for the best success. 

Trap #1: If you’re not good with computers and social media, it’s better to skip “that stuff.” 

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Book Publicity Isn't About Sales

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Jul 10, 2018

 
Did you know that book publicity isn’t actually about book sales? Here’s why!
 
Although indie authors tend to live and die by how many books they sell, book sales shouldn’t be your only focus. Yes, book sales ultimately matter. But they’re the result of a lot of different things, and they shouldn’t be the end all, be all measurement of your success as an author. 
 
So what is book marketing and publicity actually about? Developing and fostering relationships. It happens by taking advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. It happens by knocking on lots of doors and then finding new doors to knock on in order to gain exposure and sell more books.
 
Ultimately with a solid book promotion plan, one thing builds on another and on another to create momentum. Let’s dig a little deeper.
 
Radio and TV help sell books, right? So how many will I sell?
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Three Steps to Getting Better Ideas

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jul 3, 2018

Did you ever try to solve a jig-saw puzzle? It’s simple, right? The picture on the cover of the box shows you how the completed puzzle should look, so all you must do is organize and connect all the pieces. Now think of your publishing journey as the puzzle. You have your vision of the end result, but you have to create the pieces to complete it. 

One way to come up with the “pieces” is through brainstorming, a group discussion in search of an answer to a specific question or problem. The facilitator begins a brainstorming session by gathering people, posing the question to be addressed and explaining the rules (quantity vs. quality of ideas initially, defer judgement, freewheeling, and hitchhiking). At the end of the idea-generating phase, teammates eliminate those suggestions that are currently untenable, and choose the best ones to put into action. 

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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  • Obtain ISBNs (click here!)
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Getting Started

Create a Culture of Quality in Your Publishing Company

Thu, November 13

FAQs about ISBNs

Fri, October 24

How to Write a Business Plan as Narrative (Part 2 of 2)

Wed, September 10

A Novel Planning Technique for Book Publishers (Part 1 of 2)

Fri, September 05

Do You Have the Write Stuff?

Wed, September 03

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