Inside Publishing

Now that your book is finished, what happens next? We're here to guide you through the publishing process, from editorial to distribution and sales.

Don’t Fall Victim to these Book Marketing Traps!

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

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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Ask, Don’t Tell (And More Books You’ll Sell)

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jun 26, 2018

Doctors ask questions to get information before making a diagnosis. Litigators ask questions of witnesses to build their cases. Journalists ask questions to generate information for their articles. Similarly, when selling to a corporate buyer, authors and publishers should ask questions to acquire information, exchange ideas, build their case, establish rapport and trust, and uncover unforeseen pitfalls to mitigate risk. Do you want to sell more books? Then stop talking about your book, and ask more questions.

Dale Carnegie advised us to be a good listener in his classic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. He told us to, “Ask questions the other person will enjoy answering.” Yet most people fail to use this advice when selling their books to corporate buyers.

Inside Publishing

Marketing & Publicity

Read more about Ask, Don’t Tell (And More Books You’ll Sell)

Inside Publishing

Don’t Fall Victim to these Book Marketing Traps!

Book Publicity Isn't About Sales

Three Steps to Getting Better Ideas

Ask, Don’t Tell (And More Books You’ll Sell)

Pages

Getting Started

Create a Culture of Quality in Your Publishing Company

FAQs about ISBNs

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

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

Do You Have the Write Stuff?