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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
 

Twelve Tricks for Amazing Author Websites

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Dec 15, 2020

Is your website working for you? Is it helping you sell more books? So many authors really don’t know the answer to this question. And with so many options out there for websites, how do you know which elements you must have to be successful?

Most authors want to sell more books, and that is (or should be) the main goal of your website. If you wrote a business book to help you sell more services, build your business, or book more speaking opportunities, then you may have slightly different goals. However, even with that in mind, a successful website should still have many of the same key attributes. 

Here are 12 simple things you can do to make your website a more effective and efficient vehicle for your book marketing promotion.

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Planning For Uncertain Times

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Dec 1, 2020

 
At the beginning of 2020 we all set aggressive goals based upon an optimistic view of the coming year. That changed abruptly with the advent of Coronavirus in the first quarter, with the subsequent quarantines and closed businesses. While this year has been a difficult one for making sales, we learned some valuable lessons for succeeding under dire circumstances. The key to survive in the future is to apply those lessons to make your business profitable over the long term.
 
Even though no one knows what the future brings, you can still create plans for what might happen. In this case, do not think of the word plan as a noun, but as a verb, a work in progress to which you can refer regularly and adapt to unforeseen conditions. Think of it as the first draft of your manuscript, needing multiple rewrites.
 
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Aiming to Please Your Target Reader

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Nov 17, 2020

Just what is “discovery” in book publishing? Simply put, it’s exposure for your book. Many in the industry, including both publishers and authors, believe exposure automatically equals sales. Actually, while gaining exposure isn’t that hard, it doesn’t guarantee book sales. We worked with an author who spent all of her book marketing money to purchase ads in advance of a film release, but ultimately the needle never moved on the sales chart. Her efforts didn’t yield a single sale.

So the challenge is not discovery. Why didn’t her method pan out? I mean, aren’t ads a good book marketing idea? The answer is: it depends.

How Readers Buy Books

Back in early 2017, I was at Digital Book World in New York, and one of the speakers brought a set of slides and some fascinating statistics. I learned that very few sales result from ads, but most books, an incredible 95% of them, are sold via word of mouth. 

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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How Sell More Books – Non-Returnable

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Nov 3, 2020

There are two large markets in which to sell books. One is through bookstores (bricks and clicks) and the other to non-bookstore buyers. While that is correct, there is a better way to define the two opportunities for book sales. One is Business to Consumer (B2C) and the other is Business to Business (B2B). This distinction more accurately reflects the disparity. 

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Write a Killer Amazon Bio and Sell More Books

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Oct 20, 2020

As authors, we often don’t spend enough time crafting our bios. Most of us write up a quick “about me” and never give it a second thought. There’s a problem with this tactic: it’s the wrong way to drive sales on Amazon and other sites.

If fact, as I look over author bios, you might be surprised how many are lackluster. Sure, they talk about the author, but mostly about their hobbies, where they live, and how they like to pass the time (when they aren’t writing). If this describes your bio, this article is for you, It’s time to make your Amazon bio into a killer sales driver on Amazon. 

Start with an Outline and all Book Tie-ins

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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How to Work With a Book Marketing Consultant

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Oct 6, 2020

 
Over the past 30 years I have been an author, publisher and book-marketing consultant. During that time, I have learned a valuable lesson: a mistake may be the costliest part of the publishing process.  If you work well with a knowledgeable, competent book publishing/marketing consultant, you can minimize — or hopefully eliminate — costly errors. Here are some things to consider when choosing and working with an advisor.
 
• Seek people who are recognized leaders in their specialty. Ask members of your local publishing group or Facebook friends for their recommendations and/or experiences with the consultants you are evaluating. If you get a negative response, do not automatically eliminate the potential consultant. The client may not have properly implemented the consultant’s good advice with poor results. 
 
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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How Tos for Holiday Book Sales: Start Now!

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Sep 29, 2020

Even during a pandemic, we can be sure of one thing: the holidays will be here before you know it! Now that kids are back in school (either virtually and/or in person), authors looking to boost book sales should clear their desks, pull out calendars and favorite planning tools, and get down to business.

In addition to Christmas, a few of the dates you may want to note include Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. All of these holidays can have a gift-giving component in some families — and books are always a perfect gift! All too often, authors seek out my company in November, hoping to use the holiday shopping season to promote a book. But November is too late. A successful holiday sales season takes weeks of planning and preparation. Any retailer will agree with me here. 

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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How to Manage Your Web Presence as an Indie Author

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Sep 15, 2020

When you think of top brands, you probably think of companies like Starbucks and McDonald’s, right? You see them everywhere, and you can plan on a similar experience at every building with golden arches or a green siren.

Stores like this have two things mastered: real estate and exposure. They go hand in hand. Their presence is something you can bank on. The more you see them, the more it reinforces your decision to shop there. And possibly, your loyalty.

And as an indie author, the same is true for your book marketing and your web presence. The more places you show up, the more likely your potential buyers are to find you. So, let’s take a look at your options and some top strategies for maximizing your presence.

Author Website

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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How to Sell Children’s Books — Part Two

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Sep 1, 2020

This is the second article in a two-part series. 

The market for children's books is potentially huge. Still, most authors approach this enormous opportunity by trying to sell their books through bookstores (bricks and clicks). Instead of competing with all the other books there, seek sales in non-bookstore segments. Listed below are more examples of these prospective buyers. This is by no means an exhaustive list but is meant to stimulate your thinking to find new places in which to sell. 

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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How to Sell Children’s Books — Part One

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Aug 25, 2020

 
This is the first article in a two-part series. In the next article, I’ll give you more examples of prospective buyers of children's books.
 
The market for children's books is potentially huge. Still, most authors approach this enormous opportunity by trying to sell their books through bookstores (bricks and clicks). Instead of competing with all the other books there, seek sales in non-bookstore segments. Listed below are examples of these prospective buyers. This is by no means an exhaustive list but is meant to stimulate your thinking to find new places in which to sell. 
 
Pre-school children
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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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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