Competition Hurts Sales
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 22nd, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Competition in book publishing is fierce, with thousands of new titles being released each day the minimum number of sales required for the bestseller level has been lowered. The industry has never set standards for a certain number of copies being sold to achieve bestseller status instead lists are based more on market perception than actual copies sold, even though industry insiders deny the fact.
With the disappearance of Border bookstores and continuous decline of the retail book space the actual number of copies being sold for each bestseller position has eroded. These lists have always been off limits for the independent title simply because the market has no way of legitimately identifying sales of independently publishing books. However the market overall for printed book sales is in decline and the actual number of copies being sold for the top bestseller positions has gone down.
Purchasers of books have been declining for years and with eBooks making a dent in print sales the number of printed copies being sold is dropping. Competition is good and it can raise the bar for quality writing but it is not helping the author who has not achieved bestseller status but still struggles to write under contract for a living.
Tags: Book Publishing
Bestseller Does Not Equal Success
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 21st, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Many new authors are focused too much on making the “bestseller list” and not creating great content. Certainly this is a worthy goal but does not equate to being a successful or lasting author. Having your book placed on a bestseller list provides certain marketing and sales advantages but is not the key to success. To any publisher, successful authors write a number of terrific books that sell consistently over the course of many years. Any writer who can accomplish this is worth their weight in gold to a publisher.
Having a book make a bestseller list too early in the author’s career places tremendous pressure on the writer and publisher to make every release a bestseller. In turn the company often over distributes, shipping more books to booksellers than they can sell, as a way of creating the perception a new release is going to be a bestseller. The excessive shipment puts pressure on marketing to drive readers to the store to purchase the new publication within a short time frame. Failure at any juncture creates a negative marketplace perception which results in heavy returns and will be viewed as a failure of the book and author.
The best road to the bestseller list is creating a breadth of content that shows steady growth over a number of years eventually landing a new title on the bestseller list. Then should a subsequent release not make the list it is not so disastrous because it will direct consumers to the older titles which may result in overall increased sales. Making the bestseller list before developing a backlist of older titles causes publishing pressures that often result in career ending mistakes. It is great to make any bestseller list from the publisher standpoint but as an author understand and be prepared for the consequences.
For more information read the accompanying article: What It Takes for a Book to Become a Bestseller.
Tags: Book Publishing
Special Book Promotion
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 17th, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Published titles typically get three shots at creating sales: the initial release or launch date is the first, the re-launch is the second and finally special promotional dates are third. In all three cases the focus is on making an announcement, generating interest, attracting readers and eventually creating sales. Special promotions are focused on selling copies linked to a specific date.
For publishers this is most often created by a drop in discount to the bookseller by offering the title for a much lower wholesale price thus improving their profitability. For the independent author the scenario would be to reduce the cover price for a limited time and sell as many copies as fast as possible. In both cases the special promotion typically warrants a time span of about thirty days.
The special promotion could be tied to a season of the year, specific holiday, and media appearance, anniversary date for publication or pre-selling an upcoming book release. It’s like planning a party, anyone can create anything real or imagined and announce with a special promotion, it’s all part of book marketing. The key is planning, setting special terms or pricing and making certain the response is quick and efficient to the consumer.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Book Publishing
Book Re-Launch
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 16th, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
For authors whose initial launch of their book did not turn out as successful as they wanted or hoped, rest assured there is always another chance. It is called the re-launch and basically refers to stepping back from the initial release, evaluating what worked and what did not, then create a plan around a new date which is called the re-launch.
There is nothing wrong with calling this a re-launch especially when people are aware the title has been on sale for an extended period of time. Publishers do this in cases where they had high hopes for a title but unforeseen factors played a part in depleting the expected sales. In this situation they rarely abandon the title; instead they regroup, refocus, make new plans and re-launch the title.
Successful publishing requires maximizing exposure for as many titles as possible. the major publishers lack the ability to re-launch a large number of titles, rather they tend to concentrate on the handful they feel has a good chance at selling and whose release date was negatively impacted by forces beyond their control. More than anything this has to do with poor market timing, competitive titles with better marketing, pr simply making mistakes. Regardless, a re-launch is perfect for a new start.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Book Publishing
Release Date
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 15th, 2011 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
Unless you are under contract to a major publisher, the release date or “on sale” date for your book is whenever the author decides. It does not have to be the day the title rolls off the press or first appears online, it is the date specifically designated as the release date. The importance is to plan your marketing before and after that date to maximize the launch and exposure to readers.
Allowing a title to simply appear without making an announcement is like quietly walking into a room and sitting alone against the wall. This may be your preferred way to enter and fade into the background but this will not get you noticed. As a writer and author the mandate is to get noticed and sell copies of your writing either print or eBook.
Publishing is not for the shy or faint of heart, if your only wish is to write without drawing attention then expect to have few readers or fans. Publishers want writers who can meet people, speak in public and greet enthusiastic fans. If this is outside your comfort zone then perhaps being an author is not in your future. These are not my rules; this is how the business works. For more in this topic read Book Launch.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Book Publishing
Publishers Need Writers
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 14th, 2011 | 3 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
The business of producing books is dependent on writers creating content. Yet throughout the history of publishing the big companies have always held themselves first and writers a distant second. Aside from the biggest names, writers have been expendable, largely because there has always been a large supply desperate to get in the door. With changes in technology and the movement toward independent publishing you would think the biggest publishers would take notice but I see no indication that is happening.
The allure of being under contract with a major publisher is attractive yet out of date. Unless a writer has an understanding of the business and how it works from the inside, the chances of becoming a success is solely dependent on one thing; knowing how to avoid the pitfalls of your publisher. No longer is the quality of the writing enough to become successful, every writer must know how to manage the publishing process and develop relationships in-house.
Ten years ago major publishers were the only way to become a success as a writer but that is not the case today. Good writers whose wish is to be under contract must understand how to market in order to have a chance at success. The business has changed, the big publishers have not, the market is desperate for content and there are many ways to supply that demand. Make choices based on personal goals and nothing else. It’s a new publishing universe and writers are in control, it’s just that no one has told them.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Publishing
Authors as Professional Speakers
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 9th, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Making presentations in front of an audience and selling books at the back of the room does not exempt writers from producing a professional market driven product. Unless you are publishing spiral bound workbooks to an extremely narrow niche your products need to fit into the category of your writing, be packaged to fit into that category, priced in the middle of the entire category and include the usual ISBN and bar code with retail pricing incorporated. Anything less would not be considered market compatible.
Writers may claim this is unnecessary due to the fact their consumers are not purchasing from a retail store. However consumers expect the look and feel of a book to match what they are used to buying, anything less causes hesitation that can result in a lost sale. If a book doesn’t look like or is not priced like any other title the consumers are used to buying the writer creates doubt and that will often result in lost sales.
The other argument is that the presentation will overcome all of this and perhaps that is true. But if you produce a product that is not market driven you eliminate any possibility of a future retail presence. Creating a brand clearly outside of the category marketplace with books is fine and may well fit the purpose of the author. The point is that consumers and all retailers expect more and when you create an either or situation, why not cover all the bases?
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Publishing
The Order of Publishing
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 8th, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
For writers making decisions about how to publish, the real question is not which format is best but rather how to introduce themselves and their writing to the reading public? Researching the best format to publish is not the way to start a career as an author but rather focusing on the writing and editing then book marketing is the best route.
Languishing over a cover design before a writer has the slightest idea on how to enter the market is the wrong approach. The writing comes first, followed by editing, and then decisions need to be made on how to market and to whom. Once a broad plan is in place the attention can turn to the package, category, price and format which will provide the author the impetus to nail down the details of their book marketing plan.
Successful publishing and book marketing is multi-layered much the same as the production line at any manufacturing plant. Building the end product before any thought about how to market is backwards. If the writer has no idea how to market their book the process is out of order. Publishing and marketing come in stages, get the order right and the author has a better chance at becoming successful.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Publishing
Authors Planning for Success
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 7th, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Recently a colleague emailed that a client had written a manuscript and was seeking consultation on the best method of self publishing. I agreed to make an appointment and left it at that. A few days later I received a reply telling me that the writer had hired an intellectual property and copyright attorney and wished to hold off on the consult. This brought to mind a very important point; writers should plan for success but not before the value has been determined and market measured.
Protecting an asset in the form of written content is a good idea once it has been determined there is truly an asset to protect. Trademarks, movie and serial rights are wonderful things to consider but only after the writer has a proven need to be concerned about protection. Writers always hold the copyright to their work and can receive that protection in the US. Bestselling authors are in an enviable position of having to protect their writing before publication but they have a track record, unknown and unpublished writers do not.
It is wise to think about a plan for success of your content but do so without spending money on expensive attorneys and not before you have proven there is actually an asset worth protecting. Do not get the cart before the horse and never spend money on your writing unless that expenditure can show immediate results in proving the value of your writing and moves the project closer to publication and marketing.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Publishing
When to Seek Advice
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 3rd, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
There are plenty of people willing to assist writers in their pursuit of publishing success. Too many times they each have an agenda that only benefits them and not the author or their book. Unfortunately I’ve heard just about everything and in each situation the author paid for products and services that did not, could not and would never work. This is one of the most unfortunate parts of the publishing business, it is easy to publish but much harder to market and sell books.
The best advice I can offer anyone considering publishing or marketing their writing is to read, ask questions and get a basic understanding of how the pieces fit together. When you are confused and uncertain that is the time to seek advice. When struggling with decisions it is best to seek out someone that is not attempting to persuade with promises and guarantees.
Certainly everyone who markets a publishing product or service believes strongly in their offer but one size does not fit all situations. Publishing and book marketing are made of many parts, joined together in an overall plan that brings the author and their book closer to their objectives. Never make a decision without complete understanding of what you are getting and what it is supposed to do for you and your book.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Publishing
