Re-post: A Never Ending Story

Promotion and marketing has to be constant and, at least once in a while, has to be unique. If you have written a book and it has been published, terrific. You have a choice – you can let your author’s copy collect dust while you admire your name on the spine, or you can work to collect royalties and make your name recognizable.

The main goal is to get your book from the printer to a reader’s hands. There are many options open to you to getting your book published ranging from the “big NY houses” to print on demand self-publishing. Or perhaps your book is only available in eBook formats? You still have to get your name out there so that people plunk down their hard earned dollars for your words.

Let’s talk about books in print first. The method of publishing will affect the ability to have your books on retailers’ shelves and point-of-purchase is one less step for your potential readers to take before buying your book. It’s a well known fact that the bigger houses pay for a percentage of shelf space in the major retailers’ brick and mortar stores. That is still not a guarantee that your book will be featured or will sell.

Smaller publishers vary with return policies (straight print-on-demand will not offer a return policy) and major retailers will not stock your books in-house without that return policy. Independent booksellers are usually more open to stocking the lesser known titles (sometimes without return policies), but the stores are often smaller and space is precious.

If your publisher offers a return policy, personally contact stores and give them a reason to stock your book – Is it somehow regionally relevant? Do you, the author, have a connection to the neighborhood (such as growing up there)? Is the subject matter pertinent to current events? Find a reason, any reason, why a store owner would want to use some of that precious shelf space to display your book. If your book is not available with full return, then inquire if the store will accept your book on a consignment basis. Again, make sure they have a reason to stock your titles.

If you find that a store is carrying your book, publicize the name and location of the store(s) – use your blog, let area friends know, find some way to encourage folks to go into that store with your name on their lips. Run a contest. Notify local newspapers. Do what you can to make sure the store manager doesn’t regret giving your book shelf space. The incentive for carrying your title is, obviously, more customers and sales for the store.

Even if your book is not featured on a store shelf or is only available in eBook format, you must keep your name and the name of your book in front of potential readers. Blogging, news and press releases, including your URL in email signatures, maintaining an author web-site, book signings and appearances, and convenient buy links will all help in promoting your book. Business cards, postcards, brochures, rack cards, and specially designed return address labels are also ways to advertise your name and book. Get stamps printed with your book jacket cover (photo stamps are useable legal postage) and use these for everything you mail. Be sure not to exceed your budget when purchasing promotional materials.

Your main objectives in marketing and promoting your book are: attract consumers/readers, provide incentive to sellers, offer a reliable product/a good book, and to keep your “customers” coming back by writing more. The best time to develop a marketing plan for your book is before you even write it – but it is never too late so long as your finished product is still fresh.

Writing Exercise: Write your own obituary. Make sure you stress the things you would want folks to know about you. Try to choose some comical/bizarre/unlikely way of dying several years in the future. Be sure to include your future goals as accomplishments (as a boost for your ego). Include what your writing "meant" to the public - this is a good way to decide what your mission as a writer is.

Writing Prompt: Have you been to an author or celebrity (someone else) appearance? Make a list of what you remember from that appearance - now rate those memories using 1-to-10 as most pleasurable to least pleasurable. The more positive/pleasurable an experience, the more it will be remembered.

Writing exercise: Develop a marketing plan for your book: How is this book relevant/important to your target audience? What local resources can you tap (stores, libraries) and offer appearances? How can you contact places beyond your “driving range”? What is your competition and how is your book “better”? Where can you reach your potential readers – what magazines, social network sites, clubs, etc? Plan a marketing budget based on the cost of supplies (bookmarks, giveaways, travel, etc) - if the budget is higher than what you can realistically afford, decide on priorities and make the budget fit your wallet. Schedule actions such as contacting venues for appearances. Send press releases to local media as you schedule appearances or have new releases.