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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
 

Author Etiquette: Eight Rules Indie Authors Need to Know to Stay Safe Online

Anne R. Allen's picture
by Anne R. Allen
Bowker | Wed Aug 17, 2016

Everybody tells indie authors to participate in social media, but they usually fail to mention the dangers that lurk out there in Cyberia. Behind a keyboard, normal people can devolve into bullies, trolls, and raging vigilantes. Yes, even in highbrow literary neighborhoods. The weapons of choice are death threats, obscenities, and one-star "reviews." 

A handful of authors have spammed and gamed the system with such abandon that some people are suspicious of us all. There's no way to protect yourself completely from meanies—I've had death threats simply because I witnessed the bullying of a naïve author who broke an unwritten Goodreads rule.However, ferreting out those rules can be daunting, so here are some I've learned by trial and error. Lots of error. 

#1: Don't Spam

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Marketing & Publicity
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Negotiating Book Sales with Deceitful Buyers

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Jul 13, 2016

“Buyers are liars,” is a term some salespeople use to describe their customers. They believe prospective buyers distort the truth to put themselves in a better bargaining position. Regrettably, in some cases they are correct, so be on guard when negotiating the sale of your books to some corporate purchasers. 

According to studies among business buyers (Harvard Business Review, July-August, 2016) about half of people involved in corporate negotiations lie when they have the opportunity to improve their potential outcome. Fortunately, there are things you can do to prepare for – or even prevent – this intangible trickery.  

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When Not to Pitch Your Book

by Rochelle D. Carter
Bowker | Wed Jun 29, 2016

As authors we worry frequently about when the right time to pitch a book might be. While it's never a good idea to be brash, as an author it's very likely that your writing reflects your reality. Therefore, almost every situation you encounter will likely tie itself to you and your book. Thus, the general rule is: if the situation fits -- talk about it! Unless of course you're in one of the following circumstances:

1.    At a funeral. It is our responsibility as citizens to be there for our neighbors first and foremost. Funerals are always emotional situations that need support, kindness, and displays of love more than they need book marketing. So, be there for your loved one in person and in spirit. Chances are, if you’re at a funeral, many of the people there will know of you and your book, and they’ll likely perceive you as a more tender and relatable person if you don’t try to upsell your book at that time.

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Ten Tips for Sales Presentations

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Jun 22, 2016

When making a presentation to sell a large quantity of books, many publishers create PowerPoint slides with many colorful charts and graphs. But data itself does not convince people to buy. It’s the interpretation of data and its application to the needs of each buyer that make the sale. When preparing your presentation, first think about what you are presenting – ideas or data. Then consider your purpose: Do you want to inform, persuade or explore? The answers will suggest what tools and resources you need for each presentation. Here are Ten Tips for Preparing a Visual Sales Presentation .

1.    Do not automatically convert a spreadsheet into a chart. That only visualizes data. It doesn’t communicate your idea. 

2.    During the preparation stage, design skills are less important than idea generation. Remember that form follows function.

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The Most Overlooked Step in Book Selling

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Jun 8, 2016

Negotiating a large-quantity sale can be a rewarding process. If you do a good job describing how your content can help prospects solve business problems, they sign on the dotted line and become customers. However, the euphoria of knowing you will soon receive tens of thousands of dollars could blind you to the job that still needs to be done.

Your objective is not to simply get the order, but to make sure that the sale is implemented flawlessly through the timely delivery of your books. Competent post-sale service makes for a satisfying experience, leading to future orders and recurring revenue. Yet this step is often given cursory attention as the publisher moves on to the next prospect.

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Promoting Your Book with Pinterest

by Rochelle D. Carter
Bowker | Tue May 31, 2016

When someone mentions Pinterest in conversation, a common image that comes to mind is an online bulletin board, paired with the now almost iconic logo. However, since its inception in 2010, Pinterest has become so much more than a simple online application for people to browse, save, and share content. 

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Newsletters: The Hidden Secret to Marketing?

by Rochelle D. Carter
Bowker | Tue May 24, 2016

Recently, members of the American Christian Fiction Writers group held an email discussion focusing on the benefits of email newsletters. The main question posed was this: Are email newsletters as important of a promotional tool as some authors claim? In short, the answer was an overwhelming “YES!”  Christian authors, Deb Brammer, Misty Beller, Valerie Comer, Randy Ingermanson and Catherine Castle weighed in to share their success stories, voice their concerns, and provide insight into just how helpful newsletters can be.

As an author, are you concerned about setting up a mailing list for your readers? Do you share a concern over any of the following perceived problems with mailing lists: 

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Left-Brainstorming: Creative Problem Solving for Analytical People

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Apr 26, 2016

A core axiom of non-bookstore marketing is that you are not selling your book, but the use of your content to solve a prospective customer’s problem. Showing your potential buyers how to do that may take a little creativity. 

Brainstorming – group thinking to find innovative answers to a particular dilemma – is generally used to stimulate ideas. Apply this technique to finding new ways to solve your prospective customers’ problems and you can develop a new source of significant special-sales revenue.

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Steps to Book Signing Success! Part 3

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Apr 5, 2016

In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we discussed how you can pitch a book store and prepare for a successful event. In Part 3, we’re going to discuss what you should be doing on the actual day of your event. 

The big day has arrived! You’ve got your pen ready, smile on, and a fresh stack of books just waiting to be signed. You are prepared to have the best book signing, ever! Previously, we discussed the importance of publicizing your event to bring in local traffic, but for the most part, a majority of your foot traffic from a book signing will come from shoppers walking through the store. So let’s talk about what you should be doing during your event to attract their attention:

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Steps to Book Signing Success! Part 2

Penny C. Sansevieri's picture
by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Mar 29, 2016

In Part One of this series, we discussed what you need to do to pitch and secure a book signing. Below, I’ve created a list of things you should do to prepare for your signing to make sure that your event goes off without a hitch:

•    Publicity: You should be coordinating with the store to actively promote your book signing. Ask the store manager for a copy of the store’s media list that they use to distribute press releases so that you can both target the same people. This will also demonstrate to the store manager that you are committed to making this event a success. You should also contact the local media to promote the signing. Finally, don’t forget to submit your information to the Events or Author Appearances section of your local newspapers or events section of your city or town website.

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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