Selling Books In Large Quantities To One Buyer

TMS · Nov 2, 2009

I have found a few places on the web where they're pushing the idea of selling your book by the thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions to corporations and well-heeled non-profit organizations for them to use as incentives in their fund raising or marketing programs. Does anyone know of anyone who has actually used these methods successfully (other than the people promoting them)?

Here's one I got in my email today from Steve Harrison's book marketing gurus for their "Quantum Leap" program: http://www.YourQuantumLeap.com/MattAudio.html?10000 Total price: a whopping $9,974 in 10 payments of $997.40.

The guy the video focused on, Matthew Bennett, has his own offering costing $2,497, plus he urges you to take a magazine subscription billed to your credit card in $47 monthly increments: http://www.sellbooksbythetruckload.com/sellbooksorder.html.

I also found a PDF book for sale for $45 on the same concept at http://www.specialmarketbooksales.com/mem1.php. A scan of the index on the preview page suggested this book is heavy on generalizations and justifications, but light on how-to-do-it substance.

Anyone here know for sure what actually happens when someone tries what these people advocate?

ResearchGuy · Nov 2, 2009

TMS said:
I have found a few places on the web where they're pushing the idea of selling your book by the thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions to corporations and well-heeled non-profit organizations for them to use as incentives in their fund raising or marketing programs. . . .

If you believe those promises, I have this lovely bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.

--Ken

TMS · Nov 3, 2009

ResearchGuy said:
If you believe those promises, I have this lovely bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.

--Ken

If I believed those promises, I wouldn't be asking people on this forum if anyone knows of someone who actually did it successfully.

Vomaxx · Nov 3, 2009

TMS said:
I also found a PDF book for sale for $45 on the same concept at http://www.specialmarketbooksales.com/mem1.php.

Anyone who can get $45 for a 146-page PDF does not have to sell too many of them. He can get rich with only a few ~~suckers~~ customers.

SandraBeckwith · Nov 3, 2009

It can be done. Whether you need to spend $2,500 to learn how depends on your marketing background and experience and how well you know how to package information to appeal to corporate and other sponsors. I would think that the fee for that type of program would be worth it only if it includes one-on-one feedback and coaching on your execution.

It's not worth it, of course, if your book doesn't lend itself to bulk purchases. We are sometimes a bit delusional about our books and their worth/value to others, so some feedback from someone who should know would help, too, before investing much time or $$ in this.

One of the best ways to approach this is before the book is published. If you can get a company to agree in advance to purchase a large number of books, you're almost guaranteed a traditional publishing contract if you don't want the hassle of self-publishing (although you'd probably make more $$ that way).

Cheers,
Sandy

TMS · Nov 4, 2009

SandraBeckwith said:
It can be done. Whether you need to spend $2,500 to learn how depends on your marketing background and experience and how well you know how to package information to appeal to corporate and other sponsors. I would think that the fee for that type of program would be worth it only if it includes one-on-one feedback and coaching on your execution.

It's not worth it, of course, if your book doesn't lend itself to bulk purchases. We are sometimes a bit delusional about our books and their worth/value to others, so some feedback from someone who should know would help, too, before investing much time or $$ in this.

One of the best ways to approach this is before the book is published. If you can get a company to agree in advance to purchase a large number of books, you're almost guaranteed a traditional publishing contract if you don't want the hassle of self-publishing (although you'd probably make more $$ that way).

Cheers,
Sandy

Thanks for your input. Have you used this approach, or do you know anyone who has? That's what I'm trying to discover here.

SandraBeckwith · Nov 4, 2009

I have a 1992 copy of Marketing Your Clinical Practice (a $90 book, by the way, because of the target audience) that was sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. The page before the TOC reads, "Compliments of Miles Inc., Pharmaceutical Division, Maker of CIPRO Tablets and CIPRO I.V." It's followed by the Miles logo. The book has been reprinted a couple of times since this edition and I don't know about later sponsorship. I've also heard of other sponsored books but can't remember titles at the moment. I'll post here, though, if I think of them.

Cheers,
Sandy

ResearchGuy · Nov 4, 2009

SandraBeckwith said:
I have a 1992 copy of Marketing Your Clinical Practice (a $90 book, by the way, because of the target audience) that was sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. . . .

I suspect that that book (and others like it), was written on contract for the company by a technical writer with the required qualifications/expertise. One might have a chance of pitching something like that from the outside, but the company would probably still contract with a specialist, probably someone already known to them, to actually write it.

My opinions.

--Ken

CaoPaux · Nov 4, 2009

During my years in a cube farm, the company handed out two books: Raving Fans and Who Moved My Cheese. IIRC, they were already bestsellers at the time. I don't know who/what they ordered from, though. Could've been in bulk from the local CostCo (PriceClub, back in those days), or through a corporate incentive program.

SandraBeckwith · Nov 4, 2009

In this situation, the first edition was published by a book publisher that specializes in the medical market. The primary author is an MD who collaborated with a "real" writer. He and his co-author have revised it several times and sold the revisions to a different publisher than the first. The point is, if the pharmco commissioned the work, it would be work made for hire and these guys wouldn't be continually revising the ms. and finding a publisher for the revision.

I'm sure you could find several agents who would offer examples of corporate sponsorships for books that aren't commissioned by the company. I just sold 300 copies of one of my books to a Fortune 500 company as part of a speaking package (they're giving a copy to everyone who attends the conference where I'm a keynoter) but that's not in the thousands range addressed in the original query here.

Cheers,
Sandy

TMS · Nov 5, 2009

SandraBeckwith said:
I just sold 300 copies of one of my books to a Fortune 500 company as part of a speaking package (they're giving a copy to everyone who attends the conference where I'm a keynoter) but that's not in the thousands range addressed in the original query here.

That's still pretty good, though, even if it's not in the thousands. It's the kind of real-life story I'm seeking. Would you be willing to share the details regarding how that transaction happened?

SandraBeckwith · Nov 5, 2009

TMS, oddly enough, the Fortune 500 company, which is based where I live, contacted me. They were looking for speakers for their int'l women's network conference and several people on the conference committee recommended me because they had heard me speak locally on an appropriate topic for this group, the lighter side of gender differences. They hired 4 authors to speak at this event, and bought 300 copies of each author's books to give to participants (plus they're paying a nice speaking fee). Not too shabby, eh?

Cheers,
Sandy

Selling Books In Large Quantities To One Buyer

TMS

ResearchGuy

Resident Curmudgeon

TMS

Vomaxx

SandraBeckwith

Helping authors promote

TMS

SandraBeckwith

Helping authors promote

ResearchGuy

Resident Curmudgeon

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless

SandraBeckwith

Helping authors promote

TMS

SandraBeckwith

Helping authors promote