Tips for Writers
How Much Advertising, Marketing, and Promotion Dollars Have Been Committed?
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 11th, 2009 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
This is the third blog of the What You Should Reasonably Expect From Publishers series of answers to individual questions. The basis for these blogs is an article entitled “Opportunities For New Writers.” For background read the article first, then the earlier blogs.
- How much advertising, marketing, and promotion dollars have been committed?
Any publisher who launches a new imprint or series should not be spending less than an announced $100,000 for a complete marketing campaign. To introduce a new launch with a budget less than $100k would be seen as small in the eyes of their customers. Anything less would also signal that the company is not backing the launch with their full support. In today’s marketplace a new imprint or series requires a marketing budget of at least $100,000 minimum.
If the announced budget is greater than $100,000 then you can rest assured the company is completely behind the launch. Announced refers to what is printed in the materials the publisher uses to sell the program to their customers. You should always ask to view all materials used in selling any program that you become a part of and certainly materials used for your own book.
Be aware, what is announced and what is actually being spent can be deceiving. To protect yourself as an author, ask to see the exact plans in writing on how and where the money will be spent. If you run into words such as “national advertising,” or “major media,” or “national print” you have every right to ask for explanations of exactly what that means.
Publishers love to make grand announcements of how much advertising and marketing is being spent then fail to provide details. This means they are waiting to see how the market reacts before they commit the full amount to a specific plan. They will tell you this is their way of maximizing the advertising dollars, but in fact it means they may not spend all the budgeted money because the marketplace was not receptive to the initial launch.
If you see the exact budget expenditures in writing, i.e. sales material, and it spells out specific plans then you will have assurances that the money is actually being committed and the publisher does plan to spend what is necessary to make the launch a success. You have every right as an author to ask for specifics in writing, the material is available, just ask to see it.
Next I will answer: What is the expected distribution of the books for this new imprint?
Tags: Book Distribution, Book Marketing, Book Publishing, Book Sales, Booksellers
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I am so happy to read this. This is the kind of important information that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that is at the other blogs. Many thanks this beneficial way of seeing things.