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Uncommon Book Promotion
Tips
By Brenda Nixon
Getting your book published is only half the battle. Promoting and selling it is
the other half. Even if a major publishing house publishes it, you're still
expected to promote, promote, promote. I've heard horror stories from authors
who've discovered their precious "baby" was stockpiled in a distributor's
warehouse or the in-house publicist did little or nothing to schedule book
signings. Whether you self-publish or go the traditional route, you must
campaign for your book. A.A. Milne wisely observed, "Almost anyone can be an
author; the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being."
Here are some maverick tips that have helped me:
 | Rubber Stamp. As soon as my book was published,
I purchased a rubber stamp promoting it. Actually, I have two. One says,
"New book takes terror out of raising tots; Parenting Power in the Early
Years by Brenda Nixon, order toll free 877-421-7323." I brand every
out-going envelope and box with this stamp. I never know who might read my
book information while it's in transit. |
| E-mail Signature Line. At the end of every
e-mail message, you can promote your book. It's simple to go into your
options in your e-mail program and add a standard line-- the signature--
that will be attached to all out-going messages. At the bottom of mine are
these words: "Brenda Nixon,
www.brendanixon.com. Speaker and author of Parenting Power in the
Early Years (early childhood parenting) and You Can
Speak (platform skills)." Don't let one daily e-mail pass without
using it to promote your book. |
| Join Professional Associations. Writer's
associations are mutually beneficial; you can learn to hone your craft plus
network and promote your book. If you're an author, consider The American
Society of Journalists (ASJA), 1501 Broadway #302, New York, NY 10036;
212-997-0947;
execdir@asja.org;
www.asja.org.
I'm a member of other professional associations. While promoting my book
isn't my purpose for joining, it happens; and I've sold some through this
avenue. |
| Marketing Sites. Scour the web for sites that
give book promotion tips. One of my favorites is
www.bookmarket.com, website of the author of 1001 Ways to Market Your
Books. Here I can read success stories from other authors promoting
their books and get new ideas for mine. |
| Independent Reading. Authors are on a learning
curve about publicity. I recommend reading Sally Stuart's Guide to
Getting Published (still available directly from her). There's some
information on marketing in her book. But, in my opinion, the bibles of
marketing are Carmen Leal's You Can Market Your Book: All the Tools You
Need to Sell Your Published Book and The Publishing Game: Bestseller
in 30 Days! by Fern Reiss |
| Website Promotion. Publicize your book through
your own website. Not only do I have a picture and order information on my
book but my website gives testimonials and a brief description. If you don't
have a website, you can design one and register it at a reasonable price
with
www.GoDaddy.com. Because of deregulation, you can register your domain
name with any company now even if you previously registered with a
particular provider. So shop around for the best service and price bargain. |
| Chains Stores. If you're self-published, you
must have an ISBN (International Standard Book Number). Since most stores
are computerized, an ISBN helps them order books and track sales. A
self-published book without this is suicide. For books published through a
traditional house where the ISBN is provided, there should be no trouble
getting your book into the ordering system. |
Getting the store manager or acquisitions person to order it is another
challenge. My book, Parenting Power in the Early Years is on
bn.com, the Barnes & Noble website. It can be in any Barnes & Noble store
around the country. But walk into a store now, and you probably won't find my
book. I, or another customer, must personally request that it be ordered because
Barnes & Noble doesn't routinely stock it. The almighty ISBN does not guarantee
stores will carry your book.
| Independent Stores. "One worthwhile publicity
avenue that most authors and publishers miss is the world of independent
bookstores," says Fern Reiss. There are thousands of independent stores
around the country, and it's often easy to get them to buy your book. For
example, one summer while on vacation, I walked into a pharmacy in a small
Utah town. After visiting with the cashier (whose husband owned the store)
about my book, she promptly purchased five copies. Although it is available
through major distributors, such as Baker & Taylor and Spring Arbor, I
always carry books in my car. In this instance, I was able to immediately
fulfill her request. |
Think of stores where your book will be a good fit. Mine is for parents-to-be
and those with toddlers, so I try to get hospital gift shops to carry it. One
year I was a counselor for my daughter's youth camp. The camp offers a tiny gift
shop, which serves all-age camp programs. After describing my book's topic to
the manager, she ordered some to sell during Family Camp. Schools, churches, and
daycares have lending libraries that may need to know about and want your book
too.
| Pray. Remember to ask the Creator for creative
ways to promote your printed words. |
| Remainder Dealers. There are companies that
purchase out-of-print books and overruns. They'll also buy high quality,
self-published books from the author. One dealer is Ideal Books, 5670
Oaktree Ave., Hollywood, FL 33019; 954-985-8336;
info@idealbooksinc.com;
www.idealbks.com. Beware: you may only receive 65 cents
per book; so before you go this route, make sure you've expired all your
promotional options. |
Book promotion is not a one-time effort; it takes persistence. After all,
success is not a respecter of intelligence, but of diligence.
© Copyright 2003, 2007, Brenda Nixon.
As a speaker, writer, columnist, and educator, Brenda Nixon is dedicated to
building stronger families through parent empowerment. She is the author of a
book on raising infants and toddlers, Parenting
Power in the Early Years and contributing author to 14 books
including Chicken Soup for the Working Woman's Soul. For information on
Brenda's book and her speaking topics go to
www.brendanixon.com.
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