23 ways to promote and sell books
Posted By Sue Collier on September 20, 2010
This checklist, courtesy of association publishing expert Jack McHugh, is designed to help you quickly review your methods of marketing and promoting books. Says Jack: “In order to fully exploit each book’s full potential, you should be using each tool and technique listed below. Also, this checklist will remind you to evaluate your books’ sales potential in each channel of distribution in order to maximize sales.” Although this piece is primarily aimed toward association publishers, I believe there is plenty of good information here for authors and self-publishers in general.
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES OF BOOK PUBLICITY
1. News Releases — Send to related trade/professional news and events publications
2. Review Copies — Send to trade/professional primary/review journal/magazines with book reviews
3. Review Copies — Follow-up- letter and phone calls can pay off with reviews
4. Publish excerpts from forthcoming books in your organization’s periodicals
5. Free Book Listings, including Books in Print and Gale’s Directories
6. Author Tours and Press Conferences
7. Exhibit at all of your organization’s conferences —bookstore with author appearances
8. Books Shows and Exhibits — Book Expo America Specialty Shows and related academic conferences and exhibits
9. Library Conferences — American Library Association, Special Library Association, etc.
10. Cooperative Exhibit Services — these services often display titles from multiple publishers as an option for publishers who can’t budget to individually attend all relevant conferences
DIRECT MAIL PROMOTION
11. Catalogs — entire product line, specialty or seasonal
12. Brochures — usually on specialty product line or devoted to a new publication, always show related
backlist titles
13. Postcard Prepublication Announcements
14. In other association materials where/if appropriate
BOOK MARKETING CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION
15. Wholesalers and distributors
16. Retail Stores — generally through wholesalers also
17. Institutional Sales — classroom adoptions
18. Libraries (usually through wholesalers)
19. Some direct/individual sales
MISCELLANEOUS
20. Space Advertising in Magazine-in relevant trade publications
21. “House Ad” in your organization’s periodicals
22. Licensing E-Publishers-generally handled as book subsidiary rights sales
23. Online Bookstores — your own & the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.
About The Author
Another avenue is something that I’m personally doing for my business, but would apply to authors… an iTunes podcast.
In my case, I’m primarily doing audio versions of my blog. But I’ve also started incorporating interviews.
For an author, depending on the book, there could be numerous topics related to the book that could be explored, or interviews with people that can speak on issues related to the book topic.
At first I kind of dismissed the idea of a podcast until I realized that, first, podcasting is free through iTunes and, second, iTunes boasts millions and millions of users. It’s good to be where there are millions of people who can “trip over” you and your brand.
Podcasts are indeed another great idea, Mike. And although listing on iTunes does make it available to millions of people, I probably wouldn’t necessarily expect too many people to “trip over” it. A series of podcasts on a specific subject, for example, can be included on your website and made available for download, you can promote on social media sites, and so forth. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
For anyone who is interested, I found a wonderful place that will create Video Book Trailers. They are very professional. Their customer service is top notch, very affordable! Please visit their website for more information or email them. This is an exciting and new way to promote your book. They will even upload the video to Youtube and other video sharing websites.
http://www.ivideoproductions.com
info@ivideoproductions.com
Here is a sample of their work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Gw__0TZqg