Blogger: Mary Keeley
Location: Books & Such Midwest Office, IL
A little farther down the hallway at Your Publishing House, Inc. is the marketing department. You may be introduced to the marketing manager assigned to your book project as soon as the ink is dry on your contract. But if not, be assured the marketing staff were aware of you even earlier. The acquisitions editor surely consulted with marketing and sales staff to get their assessment of your revenue potential before deciding to take your proposal to the publication committee.
Marketing has already determined a marketing budget for your book. Don’t be disappointed at the amount and think they aren’t really invested in your book’s success. A universal reality is that publishers expect authors to do a major portion of marketing and promotion. For a nonfiction author, you must build a broad and growing platform before your agent can submit your proposal. It could even get you through the door ahead of someone with a better manuscript but smaller platform. Ouch, I know that might hurt. But hopefully this tour is providing you with a better understanding of some of the nitty-gritty realities publishing houses face.
Once contracted, what can you do to help market your book beyond building a platform and gathering readers’ contact info? Seek as many book signings as possible—in retail and church stores and anywhere else your creativity can muster. Or move beyond a singing and do a reading from your book. Or present how you did your research. Or tell the story behind the story–how you came up with the idea of your book. Seek endorsements from experts on your topic or genre, and so on. As Janet Grant mentioned in her blog a couple of months ago, marketing loves to hear about all your creative and fruitful self-marketing efforts (about once a month). They thrive on this news; it builds their enthusiasm for your book. And don’t we all want that!
The marketing department continually monitors trends to pinpoint current efforts that provide the greatest return for the limited dollars they have to spend. So while you are doing all you can to increase name recognition for yourself and your book, your marketing manager is spending your book’s budgeted funds as effectively as possible.
Everyone, chime in here and share your creative marketing efforts that reaped a great return for you. We’ll all benefit from this conversation.
I used to be in marketing and I have to say the idea of marketing my books thrills me.
I take notes on what I see working well for others. Jody Hedlund had a creative idea of having influencers and friends take pictures of their first spotting of her book in stores. Love that idea.
I’ll be back to read what others share. I’m constantly coming up with ideas and I look forward to working with an agent to know if some of them are too “out-of-the-box.”
~ Wendy
I started a blog last summer after attending a conference where I was told not to wait until publication, but to build a presence ahead of time. Are there other pre-publication steps writers can take to get ahead of the curve on marketing?
It may seem obvious, but any author whom I’ve taken a course from at a conference (provided I liked the class) I bought their book. Also, if they were friendly at the book table or out and about, then I was much more likely to purchase their book.
I also will go off of a clerk’s recommendation at the local book store, so I’d say make sure you make friends with the staff at any retail store you can.
Can’t wait to see what other’s share!
I have to admit I have a slight advantage over some because I am an online book publicist. When my book came out in August, I started planning a two-and-a-half month virtual book tour, which brought me from October through December.
A book signing at my church reaped the sale of 6 books, and an interview in a local weekly paper helped spread the word too. The book hit the Amazon bestsellers list in its category 7 times during these promotions, so I am happy with that.
I was blogging years before my book’s release, and I set up a blog dedicated solely to the book, where I’ve been blogging almost every day since the book’s release.
Sales have slowed since it is a seasonal title, but I’m continuing to guest blog at other sites, and visit our local schools to perform workshops with the kids until I start another round of promotion this October.
Cheryl
Thank you for all of this info! I just found your site and already it is immensely helpful! I had no idea where to even start. Taking baby steps and working everyday 🙂
Blessings,
Mel
Please feel free to stop by: Trailing After God
Another area you can invest time in before publishing is become an active participant on a forum that shares similar interest in what you write. For example, I have been part of a Christian science fiction and fantasy forum for two years now. These people know me and are as passionate about this genre as I am. Some of them have went on to publish in this genre. Because I know them, I have read their books. And I hope someday they will read mine 🙂
Hi Mary! You’ve hit on my two biggest problems here. Thanks for that!
First, I live on an island in Alaska. It costs $300 round-trip just to get to Anchorage–the planes don’t fly anywhere else from here (or a somewhat less-expensive 10-hour ferry ride + a 2 hour car ride). I’m willing to participate in the marketing of my work, but I can’t afford to do much! We have one public library, one bookstore, one radio station, and a couple of stores with books by Alaska authors. I can do those things, but we only have 6,000 people here. How do I approach this in a query without sounding like an unpublished fiction author demanding a book tour? (Because I’m not.)
Well, I can always develop a platform…which brings me to my second problem: how do I do that? I’ve developed a blog, but how do I build readership? I don’t have stuff for give-aways and things, and I’ve been researching, but I’m stuck!
Blessings,
Voni
Mary, I appreciate your sharing your wisdom with us. My personal experience with book-signing has been less than impressive, which may be my fault, since I don’t like to stroll through the store and hand-sell my books. I’ve gotten more mileage from meeting with book clubs, talking with groups about my writing experience, and even from blog interviews.
When my publisher made my book a free e-book download on Kindle and Nook, my first thought was “Now they won’t buy it.” Surprisingly, the sales of my second book went up after that, and a number of people told me they liked the book on Kindle so much they bought a print copy to give away.
This is one of the areas in which I have the most to learn. I am starting the “platform building.” It is something I had no idea about until a couple weeks ago. One thing I am surprised about is the potential impact one can make with Twitter. I had dismissed it in the past because I thought it a bit egocentric (who cares what I’m doing?), but after starting my account earlier this week, I can see how it is a great networking tool. I also started a blog earlier this week, and I think I really going to enjoy it. Mary, thank you for all the helpful insight!
Actually, I’m very positive about the possibilities of marketing from here. Just not sure how to go about it, how to get started!
Thank you, Mary, for all this great info!
One of the best marketing results I had with my novels was when my husband and I would choose a portion of the US, fly (he’s a pilot) to a central state, rent a car and hit every bookstore we could find in a four-state area. I’d sign stock or if they didn’t have my novels, leave a card that listed my novels and their ISBNs. After we’d get home, I’d send out little ‘great to meet you’ cards to the store managers and then put the stores on my Christmas card list for another mailing.
Voni,
Mary will have many more marketing ideas than I do, but I know this – you have experienced something that few people know about – living on an island (or the Alaska Peninsula) in remote Alaska. Don’t give up! With Twitter and Facebook and interaction with other Blogs, I bet you can build a great base from which to launch your novels. Twenty years ago, I was pretty much where you are now, but I found that Alaska has a lot of fans – and not just in Alaska! Come visit my blog – be sure and mention your blog – and meet some of those “Alaska” fans. As they get to know you, they may really, really want to someday read your novels. Best to you, Sue Harrison (Mother Earth Father Sky, My Sister the Moon, etc.)
I live in a remote area, but not quite as remote as Voni. I have a website, blog, Twitter, and Facebook account (among others). The internet is a useful marketing took no matter where you live (as long as you can get internet service, that is), so I encourage every author to start there. I also enjoy participating in local community events where I can set up a booth to sell my books or make up a book basket to raffle off at a fundraiser. It may not sell hundreds of books, but it’s a great way to interact with people and get your name out there.
Sue and Linda:
I was thinking about this, and I think you’re right…the internet IS a platform, and as accessible to us remote ones as to any one else. Patience, Voni…Patience! Thanks for the encouragement
Blessings!
Voni
I’ve concentrated mostly online because that’s what I know best. I found, however, that I made several great local connections with parents by volunteering at school and letting people know I had a book out. I’m not a shy author. 🙂
Don’t forget about magazine articles. Brainstorm about the groups of people who might be interested in the topics you write about, then research the periodicals where those people share their news. You’ve already done enough research in writing your book to provide information for several articles. Some you may submit as a courtesy. Others you may write for a fee. Either way, it gets your name and your book’s title in the public eye!
I sell books when I speak at meetings and conferences and do school visits. As a former teacher those things are fun for me. I’ve built an online presence by blogging regularly, commenting on other people’s blogs, and I have over 1000 Facebook friends but it’s hard to tell how much that has helped sales.
Thanks, Mary, for inviting comments on this topic. It seems to be an area where we all need help.
Lynn, I’m a recent convert to the idea of writing magazine articles on the subject of my book. It’s a great way to get your name and your book’s name out there. Just need to get busy and DO IT!
I also like the idea of attending book clubs–and it needn’t be in person. Many authors “visit” book clubs over speakerphone.
We had author Jill Eileen Smith “meet” with our book club via Skype. That was a lot of fun, especially for some of the older members of my group who had never talked with someone on a computer before!
I was asked to teach an out-of-state class over Skype, Michelle, and had to decline because I didn’t have the capability (either mechanical or mental). A wasted opportunity!
Creative idea, Michelle! Voni, here’s a low-cost option for you to pursue.
I honestly don’t have much to add to all of these wonderful ideas (yet)! I was thinking about mentioned articles as well, but others have discussed that.
Thank you all for sharing your marketing strategies!