|
Marketing
and Distribution
The principles
of good marketing apply to books just as they
do to every other
product or service. The relative
importance various marketing components, however, is somewhat
different for books, and it's important to understand
how they impact the author -- and how the author can impact
the marketing of his or her book.
- The
marketing mix. You'll want to develop
a marketing plan that includes strategies and tactics
for all the elements of the marketing mix: Positioning,
Product, Pricing, Packaging, Promotion, Advertising,
Publicity/Public
Relations, Sales/Distribution and Customer Service.
-
 Keys
to a successful book launch. Compared to most
consumer products, books have a short marketing
life. You introduce them, they sell (or not) and they're
history -- all in a period of a few months. Rarely does
a title remain popular for more than a year, and then it's
usually by a well-known author who has established his
or her reputation.
That means the launch plan is everything. The book either
takes off right away or it dies. There's no repurchase
cycle, and retailers have to make room for new titles
all the time. A book's success is tied to the effectiveness
of the launch plan and the diligence with which it's
implemented.
- Distribution. Most
publishers want their books to be available through
the major bookstores, libraries and online booksellers. That means they have
to deal with an existing distribution system that includes
wholesalers and distributors, at a minimum. Knowing how each
of these factors operates, and how they are compensated,
is necessary if the objective is to be achieved. And working
effectively with distributors and wholesalers, the major
book chains, and online booksellers takes time and attention
to maximize the opportunity.
Of
course there are non-traditional outlets for most books as
well. The industry calls these "special markets," and
in many cases they are a source of significant volume and
profit.
Knowing how to tap into these markets is important if the
goal is broad distribution and a profitable publishing experience.
- Generating
publicity that works. The author
can make a major contribution to the successful book launch
by scheduling public appearances,
 establishing
credibility,
and gaining visibility for the book during
the introductory period. Media exposure, interviews, and
articles/features all generate awareness that translate
into sales.
In addition
a well-crafted title (and perhaps a sub-title), cover art
and jacket copy will help sell a book. Most people don't actually
read a book before they buy it. They DO look at the cover
and digest what it says.
- Using
the Internet as a marketing tool. Today the
Internet has become a primary source of information for
most people --
including readers. A smart author/publisher will take
advantage of the Internet's broad appeal to help sell
a book -- including a website devoted specifically to
the book and its main topic.
- Timing
requirements most new authors miss. Perhaps
the one thing that surprises most authors most is that
the marketing plan
-- at least at a strategic level -- needs to precede everything
else, even the writing of the manuscript. This is because
the entire project needs to be geared toward achieving
a marketing and business objective. Once the strategies
are
clear, all the marketing mix elements -- and the book
itself -- can be focused on a clear set of well articulated
objectives.
|
