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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
 

Local Author? Meet Local Media!

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Sep 21, 2021

Book marketing to national media has becomes increasingly competitive, so why not spend some time focusing your book promotion efforts on media outlets in your own backyard?  Today’s post is all about how to pitch a story to local media — the story, of course, being YOU, a local author with a new release.

Is this breaking news? No. But there are smart ways to make yourself more appealing and secure more coverage. And as an indie author, your focus should always include local media because these are the outlets that will help you build your brand, reach new readers with whom you have something in common, and nurture relationships with buyers who will support you for the long haul.

Establishing yourself as a local indie author worth following is key, especially if you’re fortunate enough to live in a vibrant, civic-minded part of the country.

Know Your Reader

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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How to Sell Books through Gift Shops in Parks

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Sep 7, 2021

The National Park Service turned 105 on August 25, 2021. It seems appropriate to talk about how publishers can sell books through gift shops in parks and historic sites.

There are two major ways to sell to buyers at gift shops. One is to work through independent sales representatives found at http://www.greatrep.com. This site provides several entry points. Contact salespeople directly under “Lines Wanted,” or list your book in the “Reps Wanted” section. There is also a list of upcoming wholesale trade gift shows at which you can exhibit and/or network. 

Second are third-party operators that buy for gift shops in parks and historical centers. They work in partnership with the retail outlets to ensure that their guests have a meaningful experience and can extend their experience by discovering relevant products in their stores.

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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YES from the Queried Address: Playing Nice with Book Bloggers!

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by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Aug 10, 2021

The end of James Joyce’s mammoth novel Ulysses famously ends with the protagonist’s wife shouting, “and yes I said yes I will Yes!” How many of us hope and pray that when we offer our book to bloggers, they will take a note from Molly Bloom and shout YES!

Bloggers are key influencers in today’s buyer market and should play a pretty consistent role in your book promotion efforts. That said, approaching them takes a lot of work, real finesse, and a thick skin because all authors hear their shares of no, even the most successful ones.

But you won’t hear yes without the same efforts that also produce the no’s. So a successful collaboration with a blogger who already has the eyes of hundreds or thousands of individuals in your target buyer market is not an opportunity you want to throw away. 

Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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An All-Star Strategy To Brighten Book Sales Now and in the Future

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by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Jul 27, 2021

There’s nothing better than a great campfire on a cool summer night. Maybe fireflies are also winking as tiny red embers lift into a gentle breeze. The tinder snaps and pops as an older kid pokes the flames, and maybe an adult helps a younger child guide a marshmallow into the fire for roasting, soon to be married to a graham cracker and chocolate square in a delicious s’more.

All of this happens because someone knew how to build the fire. One way of doing that is the teepee method, where kindling is placed in the middle of a fire pit and logs are arranged – leaning on one another for support – in a cone shape above them. 

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How to Avoid Mistakes New Marketers Make

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jul 20, 2021

 
Have you ever done something about publishing or marketing your book and later regretted having done it? Or wished you could change part of what you did? If so, you learned that the most expensive thing in the book business can be a mistake. It could be printing too many – or not enough books. Perhaps pricing your book too high or low. And it could be relying solely on social networking to promote your book or bookstores as the only way to sell them. 
 
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Learn from Costco: Entice Potential Readers with a Free Excerpt

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by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Jul 6, 2021

Back in the good ole pre-pandemic days, a trip to Costco meant lots of friendly greetings to smiling staff members stationed behind little kiosks where they produced delectable free samples in the hopes of tempting you – with the sight, smell, and taste of a product – to move from sampler to buyer. When it comes to books, the free excerpt is the equivalent, and today we’re going to talk about how to make yours so delectable that buyers first stop to take a bite and then go on to buy the rest of the package!

The tips below are a recipe for book marketing success!

1.  Think about the sample size and how you offer it.

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Marketing & Publicity
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Maximize Your ROI – Return On Ideas

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jun 22, 2021

 
Publishing companies need to innovate regularly to create new value for their customers. But innovation in itself should not be the final goal. Not only must you spot opportunities, but you should capture value so you get paid for it. 
 
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 – the maximizing the return on your idea – is also contemplated, you can leave money on the table.
 
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Rules for Negotiating a Large Book Sale – Or A Job Offer

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jun 15, 2021

Most of us have at one time interviewed for a job. Did you ever think that the tactics in negotiating for a job and those for negotiating a large book sale are comparable? I wrote books demonstrating that fact. One described how to negotiate a job offer (Job Search 101) and two that explained how to negotiate a large quantity book sale (Beyond the Bookstore and How to Make Real Money Selling Books). Here are tips for negotiating a book sale — or a job. 

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Marketing & Publicity
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Getting Consensus on Large Sales

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jun 1, 2021

 
When you sell a few hundred books to a prospective customer, the decision is usually made quickly, by one or two people. You might close the sale with a handshake and purchase order after a meeting or two. But the process changes when you propose the sale of tens of thousands of your books to corporate buyers. These decisions are scrutinized at higher levels since the results can make or break careers. 
 
Typically, large-quantity book sales are rarely made on a unilateral basis. In most cases, the decision authority lies with a committee, the members of which have different roles. These people may be from sales, marketing, purchasing, warehousing, legal and/or Human Resources. You, as the salesperson for your book, must build consensus among these diverse perspectives to close the sale. How can you do this? Here are a few techniques.
 
Meet varying needs collectively.
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How Single-Title Authors Can Create Multi-Book Campaigns

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue May 11, 2021

 
Authors may become discouraged after trying to sell their book to non-retail buyers in corporations, associations, etc. In many cases they are making the sale more difficult than necessary. Selling to a prospective buyer with one book and an implied “take it (your book) or leave it” offer generally results in “leave it.” However, if you go to the buyer with multiple alternatives your chances of getting the sale increase significantly. But how can a single-title author do that? Read on.
 
When meeting with potential buyers do not start by talking about your book. Begin by finding out what problems they want to solve, i.e., their pain points. Do this by asking questions, and here are a few examples. 
 
Q. Have you ever used books as a promotional item? 
Inside Publishing
Marketing & Publicity
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Getting Started

Create a Culture of Quality in Your Publishing Company

Thu, November 13

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

Today's Great American Novel (Part 2 of 2)

Wed, August 20

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