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.

Ask the Right Questions and Increase Your Sales

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Jan 19, 2021

Many independent publishers ignore non-trade sales because they do not know where to start selling. Their definition of non-trade marketing is selling books “outside of the bookstore.” However, that only suggests where not to sell books; it offers no direction, insight, or instruction about where or how to actually do it.

Here are some questions to answer that can help you define and expand your target readers, leading to new ways to sell your books and new places in which people can buy them. The questions themselves are universal and apply to all subject areas, but as examples I have focused on how they relate to a publisher trying to market a career or job-search title.

Inside Publishing

Marketing & Publicity

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Five Easy Ways to Upgrade Reader Engagement

by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Jan 12, 2021

It’s one thing to write and publish a book; reader engagement is a whole different ballgame. Reader engagement gives you longevity and helps you sell more books, so it should really be the driver for all of your book marketing. But I’ll be honest, it’s also really hard, especially when you’re just starting out.

I’ve collected a few tips to jumpstart reader engagement, but really the key to book marketing isn’t doing everything, it’s doing what works for your genre and your reader market. It will take some trial and error before you sell more books in response to your efforts, but it will be worth it because reader engagement is the key to a long and prosperous publishing career.

An added bonus is that developing and encouraging reader engagement also creates a community of likeminded souls who can keep you connected and grounded during the very strange times we’re currently living in. And that may be an even bigger win for everyone involved!

Inside Publishing

Marketing & Publicity

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The Measure of Marketing

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Dec 29, 2020

The question most publishers periodically ask themselves at this time of year is, “Did I achieve the goals that I set?” The numbers are easy to measure and compare — you either reached your sales objectives or you did not.

Due to this perceived simplicity, publishers stop there and recalculate their objectives for next year. The problem with this process is it measures something you cannot control — sales and revenue. If you could control them, then reaching goals would be a given. But you can only influence the attainment of those metrics by the actions you take.

Publishers can significantly improve upon this process by seeking several questions, such as, “Could sales have been higher? How? Did sales maximize my revenue and profit?” And if objectives were not achieved, “Why not?”

Inside Publishing

Marketing & Publicity

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Twelve Tricks for Amazing Author Websites

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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Inside Publishing

Ask the Right Questions and Increase Your Sales

Five Easy Ways to Upgrade Reader Engagement

The Measure of Marketing

Twelve Tricks for Amazing Author Websites

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?