Archive for the ‘Bookstores’ Category
Where Do I Sell My Books? How do I tell the world my message?
December 8th, 2009 by J A Heinlein
Is your Marketing Strategy: New & Improved…Tried & True… or Old & Tired…?
Recently, Christian Retailing featured an article on “Self-publishing”. It outlined new developments and statistics and included highlighting some “big brand name” publishers who have become involved in self-publishing. And, predictably, it quoted some quite overused and outdated arguments against. But, one quote that stood out to me was a quote from a respected industry agent (and friend) regarding sales and distribution,
“I think the chances of those books actually having a very effective distribution channel [into retail bookstores] are very slim.”– RG, Christian Retailing Dec 7, ‘09
First of all, I have to respond by saying, that I highly respect the very essential role of agents in the publishing process. But, that said, it must also be understood that good agents are good at selling books to publishers. But, even good agents don’t generally participate in the actual selling process into the “real marketplace”.
And, that statement also caused to me to reflect on an industry “trend shift” that is not readily perceived and often overlooked.
Books are sold in bookstores right? Well, about half of them are…
“52% of books are not sold in bookstores. They are merchandised [directly] via mail order, online, in discount or warehouse stores, through book clubs, in nontraditional retail outlets, etc.” “The worldwide book market is almost $90 billion, and every year [more than] half of those sales are made in non-bookstore markets such as museums, schools, libraries, warehouse clubs, catalogs, book clubs, book fairs, and to corporations, among many other markets.” – http://BookStatistics.com, Para Publishing – http://bit.ly/14nOAF
Bookstores are now “a sales channel” and, are now not “the only channel” for book sales. And, selling books to the “traditional retail channels” is likely not the most profitable way to sell books – especially for a smaller publisher or new authors. For most, the required “sales hoops” that must be jumped through are simply insurmountable. This includes high discounts, expensive marketing and merchandising programs, and a high percentage of returns. And, all of that is done for a very short “selling window” – usually 3-6 months.
Another whole discussion involves the very definition of “what is a published book?”–it’s many forms and formats that are now available–and the related new emerging sales channels.
So where/how do I sell my books?
The most basic and fundamental objective of marketing is connecting with the right audience–that is introducing a product, solution, or service to those that are most likely to benefit.
Developing a productive author platform that engages and develops relationship with the intended audience is essential.
The good news is that there are now many ways to connect to your best audience – that is to directly access your intended niche market - and common interest affinity groups.
The Online Trend: Building an “Author Brand” with Social Media Marketing
Develop a Social Media/ “Web 2.0″ strategy for building & expanding author platform on established associations, identity, and audience.
- Develop integration process for EVERYTHING – create a sales “funnel”
- Drive target audience to a specific direction/destination – author website and ecommerce page(s).
- Use all web 2.0/social media priority “standards”: Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, Youtube, LinkedIn, and bookmarking sites such as Digg.
Purpose Objective: build a following – a “Tribe”
“A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. For millions of years, humans have been seeking out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). It’s our nature.” “Now the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time. – Seth Godin, Tribes
“If you are an author, your tribe members are your readers—or, at least, that’s potentially true. The only question is whether or not you will become the tribe’s leader and equip them to communicate with you and with one another.” – Michael Hyatt, CEO-Thomas Nelson
Recommended reading:
Beyond the Bookstore: How to Sell More Books Profitably to Non-Bookstore Markets (9781594290022): Brian Jud
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us (9781591842330): Seth Godin
Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust (9780470743089): Chris Brogan, Julien Smith
Related Links
- Are you a trust agent? Do you need to be? (myventurepad.com)
- The Power of Tribes on Blog Talk Radio (theimuniversity.com)
- Julien Smith – Social Capital and the New Tribe (andreavascellari.com)
- Reach Matters – Even In Social Media (socialmediatoday.com)
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Getting your self-published book on (local) store shelves
July 9th, 2009 by Nick CiskeJosie Leavitt, owner of an independent bookstore and blogger for Publishers Weekly, posted some helpful tips on getting local independent bookstores to carry your book:
As the owner of an independent bookstore, I get approached at least twice a week by self-published authors asking me to sell their books. The world of self-published books has changed a great deal since we’ve been open.
I’ve amassed a list of what I’d like to see happen to make this growing area of bookselling as beneficial as possible for both parties. I’ve had some great success with self-published books. So if you’re an author, don’t despair, you can almost always get your book on the shelf. One thing I’ve changed is that now I’ll take one copy of any self-published book on consignment. This involves no risk on my part and it allows your book to spend some time on the shelf. Just know that shelf space is at a premium. If after three months, the book hasn’t sold, it may wind up in the back room until there’s more room on the shelf.
One cardinal rule: if you want me to carry your book and you live locally, you should make an effort to shop at my store.
Do: Make your book look as professional as possible.
Don’t: Have a spiral wire binding (unless it’s a church cookbook), laminated pages or folders.Do: Send an email with details about your book. I love emails; I can’t misplace them and I can quickly refer to it when I need to. And they give me an easy way to contact you.
Don’t: Come to the store unannounced and expect me to drop what I’m doing to review your book. There’s nothing that puts me off more than this. Respect my time and I’ll be much more disposed to look favorably on your book.Do: Call to follow up on the email you sent. This reminds to review the email if I’ve missed it.
Don’t: Be hurt if I don’t remember your book right away. We see lots of books. My lack of memory means nothing, other than I just don’t remember. It’s not a condemnation of your book.Do: Try to leave a reader’s copy if you want me to carry a novel. I do try to read them and if I like the book, I’ll happily take several copies.
Don’t: Get mad at me for asking for a copy to read. I know it’s expensive to have extra books; if you can’t have a copy for me to read, then maybe an excerpt would be good. I can’t just have things on the shelf I know nothing about. So give me so info that can help me sell your book.Do: Try to price your book within the market ranges. I know picture books can be expensive to print, but a $25 paperback picture book will be hard to sell.
Don’t: Not listen to your local bookseller’s advice. No one knows the market better than your local indie. Listen to their hesitations about carrying the book. See what you can do to modify the price. We had one self-published book that was really overpriced; we recommended a different printer and she got a much better price. As a consequence of the lower price we were really able to sell the book. I think by the time the print run ran out, we’d sold over 200.Do: Think regionally. You’re much more likely to get your book placed if it’s got something to do local region. We’ve had good results with a book about boxers in Vermont.
Don’t: Expect a Vermont bookstore to carry a book about California ponies….Read the rest at Publisher’s Weekly
BelieversPress distribution customers: Booksellers can order your book from Ingram or STL Distribution on a returnable basis. They may prefer this to a consignment arrangement.
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