Promotion vs. Marketing
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What makes you think there is a difference? Maybe a dictionary one, but I think of them as pretty much the same thing when it comes to books.
Am I wrong? Hmmmm....??
Am I wrong? Hmmmm....??
IMO--and that's all it is, mind you.
Marketing is what you do with your work to get it published.
Promotion is what you do with your published work to sell it to the readers.
Someone with more knowledge is bound to teach me something, though.
Marketing is what you do with your work to get it published.
Promotion is what you do with your published work to sell it to the readers.
Someone with more knowledge is bound to teach me something, though.
It is difficult to distinguish one from the other. For me, marketing involves doing things that expose the books availability in the marketplace. Promotion involves the growth or development of the book before (and after) it is in the marketplace. In other words, it seems to me that while promotion precedes marketing, it can, and often does coincide with it. If that makes any sense!
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It seems we all have different views on what's what.
To me marketing is all the stuff the publisher does to get your books into places that sell books.
Promotion is everything they do to get the word out that you have a book for sale.
To me marketing is all the stuff the publisher does to get your books into places that sell books.
Promotion is everything they do to get the word out that you have a book for sale.
promotion, to me, is the act of telling people about your book. You can do this via blogs, book signings, sending out review copies and the sort.
marketing, to me, is what the publisher should do. This involves getting distribution so that your book is offered to bookstores without you making personal visits; sending out review copies so that you don't have to and buying ads in magazines that target the general public or at least those who may be interested.
but that's just me.
marketing, to me, is what the publisher should do. This involves getting distribution so that your book is offered to bookstores without you making personal visits; sending out review copies so that you don't have to and buying ads in magazines that target the general public or at least those who may be interested.
but that's just me.
THAT was exactly what I wanted to know - which part was the publisher's and which part was the writer's.
THANK YOU!!!
THANK YOU!!!
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Marketing: Publisher
Promotion: Writer
Writing more books while publisher markets the first: Writer
Ripping off writer with no marketing except to the writer: PubliSHAMerica!
Promotion: Writer
Writing more books while publisher markets the first: Writer
Ripping off writer with no marketing except to the writer: PubliSHAMerica!
In the industry there's a distinction between sales, marketing, and promotion.
Sales is getting the books into the stores.
Marketing is getting the books to the cash register.
Promotion is any event that helps to market the book. Book launches, tours, readings, etc.
Sales is getting the books into the stores.
Marketing is getting the books to the cash register.
Promotion is any event that helps to market the book. Book launches, tours, readings, etc.
Last edited:
Marketing: Publisher
Promotion: Writer
Writing more books while publisher markets the first: Writer
Ripping off writer with no marketing except to the writer: PubliSHAMerica!
LOVE IT!!
In other arts industries, a good way to look at it is marketing costs money (i.e. print ads, banner ads, etc) and PR is media you get for free (i.e. an editorial in the paper.)
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If you are looking from it at a technical point of view then Promotion is merely a sub set of marketing (which has many different definitions)
Overall though, consider marketing to be the overall strategy of how you intend to get your book out into the public domain. This means everything from distribution channels (online and in bookstores), advertising, personal selling and individual promotions.
Promotion however will concentrate more on individual events and techniques. For example events such as book signings, creating a competition on your Twitter page to win a free book, and to add so on and so on.
Just remember that marketing is HUGE and should look at the overall everything. If you are signed then your publishers will create this strategy for you. They will most likely expect you to do a lot of self promotion such as your own blog and book signings.
If you are going at it alone though then i suggest you read a few general marketing books. Although each sector differs, if you have a good idea of marketing as a whole then you can pick and choose what is relevant for you
I can give you a few good starter books if you like?
jb
Overall though, consider marketing to be the overall strategy of how you intend to get your book out into the public domain. This means everything from distribution channels (online and in bookstores), advertising, personal selling and individual promotions.
Promotion however will concentrate more on individual events and techniques. For example events such as book signings, creating a competition on your Twitter page to win a free book, and to add so on and so on.
Just remember that marketing is HUGE and should look at the overall everything. If you are signed then your publishers will create this strategy for you. They will most likely expect you to do a lot of self promotion such as your own blog and book signings.
If you are going at it alone though then i suggest you read a few general marketing books. Although each sector differs, if you have a good idea of marketing as a whole then you can pick and choose what is relevant for you
I can give you a few good starter books if you like?
jb
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I absolutely agree. And marketing is a joint effort. When you wrote the book, you knew what audience you intended it for. You have to be willing to work with the publisher to market and promote. You can't just sit back and let them do all the work. No one cares about your career as much as you do, and marketing is an ongoing process. You're not only marketing your book, you also have to market yourself and your name. Name recognition is a big part of getting books sold.
I shall dust off my "I used to be a sales and marketing director" badge off and throw in my own opinion.
Marketing is paid-for stuff that the publisher does, like booking ads (in trade and consumer press) and sending out review copies.
Promotion is the don't-pay-for-it stuff like book signings, talking at conventions (so yes, you can get paid to do your promoting), giving interviews, going on telly or radio, blogging and social networking. This is usually the responsibility of the author but publishers do get involved with this side of things (eg publishers' PR departments will quite often arrange those radio and TV appearances).
Sorting out distribution for the books is something that would come under a sales department's umbrella, I think.
All of these three areas have some overlap: different publishers have different rules. But that's a rough guide, and I hope it helps.
Marketing is paid-for stuff that the publisher does, like booking ads (in trade and consumer press) and sending out review copies.
Promotion is the don't-pay-for-it stuff like book signings, talking at conventions (so yes, you can get paid to do your promoting), giving interviews, going on telly or radio, blogging and social networking. This is usually the responsibility of the author but publishers do get involved with this side of things (eg publishers' PR departments will quite often arrange those radio and TV appearances).
Sorting out distribution for the books is something that would come under a sales department's umbrella, I think.
All of these three areas have some overlap: different publishers have different rules. But that's a rough guide, and I hope it helps.
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