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.

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The Best Marketing Tool Never Used

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jul 11, 2017

Every day I hear authors and publishers lament that sales are down, and they don’t know why. Then they continue doing the same things they have always done, and expect different results. However, there is one marketing tool that can make an enormous difference in one’s sales, but it is rarely – if ever – used. It is market research.

People think of market research as a ponderous, expensive technique that must be implemented by professional data gatherers. But you can conduct simple research – often for free – to help you plan and implement new marketing actions that can increase your sales, revenue and profits.

Here are a few simple steps you can take on your own to discover the cause of poor sales, and provide some ideas for taking corrective actions.

1. Identify the problem or opportunity. Let’s say sales for Title A are down in Segment B

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Marketing Choreography (Otherwise Known as Planning)

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Jul 5, 2017

Creating your marketing strategy defines what you will do. The next step is to decide how you will do it, and then organize your actions to facilitate implementation. That is the process of planning.

Do not think of the word plan as a noun – a weighty document valued by page count. Instead, think of it as a verb, a functional, dynamic series of actions that keep you moving ahead. It could simply be a checklist of actions you can implement to fulfill your strategies and reach your objectives.

Still, some publishers eschew planning for a variety of reasons. Here are the three questions I am most frequently asked about planning.

Why should I spend time planning instead of doing?
There are many benefits to planning, if you think of it as a process, regularly adjusting your checklist to exploit opportunities as they arise. Here are a few reasons to consider.

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Stop Selling Your Books

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jun 27, 2017

Most products, including books, are combinations of tangible and intangible elements. People do not buy the tangible features of a book, i.e., the paper and ink that create it. They buy the intangible benefits they receive from reading fiction: a vicarious feeling of fantasy, romance, adventure or mystery. And when purchasing nonfiction, they are buying information, motivation and help.

As an independent publisher, you will become more successful at marketing when you stop selling your books and begin selling what your books do for the people who read them. That is the difference between marketing a feature, an advantage and a benefit. A feature is an attribute of your book. It could be its size, binding, title or number of pages. An advantage describes the purpose or function of a feature, and a benefit is the value the reader receives in exchange for purchasing your book. People buy value, not generic books.

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Put Off Your Procrastination

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Jun 21, 2017

Have you ever thought, “There are so many things to do to market my book, and I’m not sure where to start or when to do them?” If so, you may be so overwhelmed that you don’t do anything.

You can avoid this analysis paralysis and keep yourself moving productively toward the attainment of your goals. Creating a business plan is the best way to begin. But this can be a daunting task, one easy to put off. That can perpetuate one’s sense of futility and actually encourage procrastination.

Instead, try this simple technique. Make a list of all the things you have to do, organized in categories of similar actions, put a deadline on each, and start doing them one at a time. Use your pub date as the ending point, then work back to the present day. Here is a list of some actions to take – by no means exhaustive -- organized into five phases, and the approximate time it should be started so you reach your pub date, ready to sell.

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Mid-Year Marketing Measurement

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed Jun 14, 2017

When a helicopter is at rest, the dials on its dashboard are all askew with arrows pointing in different directions. But when that helicopter is flying straight and level, with no problems, all the arrows are pointing straight up. The pilot can glance at the instrument panel and quickly see if any dials are out of order, indicating that a problem exists. He or she immediately knows when something is wrong without wasting time evaluating that which is working correctly.

You can apply this same concept to your publishing efforts by setting up a system that quickly points out where marketing problems exist. Once you know what the problem is you can determine its cause and take steps to solve it.

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How to Double Blogger Requests for your Book

by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Wed Jun 7, 2017

You probably have found lots of discourse on the publishing industry that boils down to one thing – it’s hopping. We certainly talk about it a lot, what with more than 4,500 books published every day. That said, book bloggers are still reviewing and promoting books – and some books still generate a lot of buzz. If you haven’t tapped into the buzz yet – and want to know why, then we’ve written this article for you. Pitching bloggers, while not difficult, can be intimidating. Whether you don’t know how (and we’ll teach you), or you don’t like rejection, rest assured, book bloggers really do want to know about great books! So here are some of best practices for generating blogger interest!

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New Rules for Planning

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Wed May 24, 2017

Many independent publishers think of the word plan as a document beginning with your mission statement followed by an analysis of your business and a description of your markets, competition, strategies and tactics. Strictly speaking, that is correct. However, there is another approach to planning if your goal is to create a functional device to help you succeed.

Instead of creating a sequential plan as advocated in traditional marketing practice, simply create a set of rules under which you will operate. This approach does not consider the word plan as a noun -- a ponderous text usually valued in terms of its weight -- but as a verb, a process. The result is a description of how to proceed under various conditions, a set of policies that establish the parameters within which you will operate your business.

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Marketing Strategy Rules

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue May 16, 2017

Did you ever think about taking a long trip? If so, you probably thought about how you would get to your destination, perhaps traveling by car, plane, train or bus. Then you planned where to stay each night, what to pack and how much it would all cost. Finally, you made a checklist so you didn’t forget to do anything and spend your money wisely.

That is the same process you can use to plan your book-marketing activities. First you think about what you are going to do, analyzing alternatives. You choose those that will maximize results, write a plan as a reminder to perform each action in the proper sequence, at the right time and within your budget.

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Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 6

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue May 9, 2017

This is the sixth and final article in a series.

This completes my series of blog postings about the top negotiating traps in which you could unknowingly find yourself when dealing with a corporate buyer. Here is the sixth trap to avoid.

Negotiating Trap #6: Neglecting your BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement)

Closing the order for a large-quantity sale of your books should not be your objective. Your goal should be to close an order that is in everyone’s best interests – especially yours. Your Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) is an alternative opportunity that could be better than the one in front of you.

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Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 5

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue May 2, 2017

This is the fifth article in a series.

This continues my series of blog postings about the top negotiating traps in which you could unknowingly find yourself when dealing with a corporate buyer. Here is the fifth trap to avoid.

Negotiating Trap #5: Trying to Speed Things Up

The process for selling large quantities of your books to corporate buyers sometimes takes on a life of its own, moving ahead at a pace that is usually slower than you want. Do not force the process to move faster. Allow it to unfold without making unnecessary concessions – or trying to force unwanted terms on your prospects -- to move it ahead.

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Marketing & Publicity

The Best Marketing Tool Never Used

Marketing Choreography (Otherwise Known as Planning)

Stop Selling Your Books

Put Off Your Procrastination

Mid-Year Marketing Measurement

How to Double Blogger Requests for your Book

New Rules for Planning

Marketing Strategy Rules

Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 6

Six Traps to Avoid When Negotiating Large-Quantity Book Sales – Part 5

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?