How to Evaluate Book Marketing Services
By Jerry D. Simmons | December 6th, 2011 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
When shopping for services to help with book marketing there are two basic questions to ask and answers to evaluate. The first is how many copies have to be sold to cover the cost of the service? Here is an example: If the cost of producing the book was $5, with a retail price of $10 and the service cost $250, it would require the sale of 50 copies to cover the cost of the book marketing service. If total sales required to cover the marketing expense is more than a hundred copies then the service should be reconsidered.
The next question to ask when evaluating any book marketing service: Can the service be measured for success? For example, paying to have emails sent to a list of subscribers is meaningless. The author has no way of telling who the emails will be going to, or whether the subscribers consider the emails spam, or whether the emails are actually being received by the intended subscriber. This is one example but if the service and results cannot be measured then it is not worth the price. If the service seems too good to be true, the reconsider and if guarantees are being made then the service is a scam.
There are many more questions and methods of evaluating book marketing services but I strongly encourage anyone to seek professional advice before agreeing to purchase an expensive program. Advice can often be acquired with an email but for little money you can get a professional evaluation of an expensive service before wasting time and money. Publishing is a fragmented business without a single industry source of validity or approval so the best recommendation is seek professional guidance before making critical and expensive book marketing decisions.
Most Likely to Succeed
By Jerry D. Simmons | December 5th, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
As the book publishing industry changes and demand for content grows, it is important for writers to stay informed. Becoming a business savvy writer requires an understanding of the marketplace and how the pieces of the publishing puzzle fit together. Without a basic foundation of understanding it is likely that opportunities will be missed.
Book publishing is not rocket science; it is about providing entertainment and information to the masses in the form of written content. Millions of writers create content every day, some of that content will become books but much will not. If the goal is to earn income as a writer then the content must be something the masses want to read. In order to make that determination the writer must have talent, and then learn to publish correctly and market wisely. That can be accomplished by staying informed.
Only a few years ago printed book publishing was the primary method of selling books but not anymore. Digital publishing as eBooks is providing endless opportunities for writers. Yet there is a right and wrong way to publish a digital edition. Those most likely to succeed in the new century are those who are market savvy and have an understanding of how the book publishing pieces fit together.
Four Important Points
By Jerry D. Simmons | December 1st, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
After many years in book publishing I can honestly say that anything is possible. Over my career I’ve witnessed unknown authors with newly published titles rise to the top of the bestseller list and obscure backlist soar to record sales levels. Undoubtedly timing has played a role especially when certain genres heat up and climb atop the cyclical nature of category publishing. The possibility of riding that wave makes otherwise unknown books suddenly gain attention.
In today’s marketplace every writer believes they can achieve success that will send them to the bestseller list accompanied by fame and fortune. Again, anything is possible but in the end what really matters is the writer’s ability to tell a good story or share information in a manner that keeps the pages turning. Success requires talent and that unwavering obsession to become the best. In addition it is critical that writers understand the market and how to manage the pitfalls and capitalize on the opportunities of book publishing.
There are four points that every writer should take to heart as they proceed along the path to bestseller status: [1] Book reviews and notable quotes are important especially prior to publication, [2] Awards separate the best from the rest, [3] Giving away free content attracts readers, and [4] Market and publishing savvy is obtained by being knowledgeable and staying informed about the business of book publishing. Anything is possible if you constantly create new content and stay abreast of changes in the industry.
Borrowed Interest for Book Promotion
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 23rd, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Marketers recently capitalized on the date November 11, 2011 or 11/11/11 to promote a wide range of products and services because the date was unique and a national holiday. Promotions launched on and around a specific date or season of the year utilize a marketing tactic referred to as borrowed interest where an event is created specifically on or around a news making date. Authors can utilize the same idea in any market area for a launch, re-launch or book promotion.
The idea is to borrow from an expected news event or national holiday and create a promotion that has a chance at attracting the attention of consumers. Titles with natural tie-ins to any holiday such as Independence Day, Thanksgiving, or even Christmas can create a special promotion on that date and in essence, cut through the clutter of busy people’s lives to gain exposure. The tie-in is another way of gaining attention that may not otherwise be available.
There are also seasonal considerations for titles that have a natural tie-in. For example all diet and exercise books published by the major companies are released in the winter prior to spring. The reason is that consumers begin thinking about and acting upon their weight gain and body size prior to the spring promotions of bath suits and fashions. That is not to say that a diet book launched in the fall will not work, it merely references the fact that if you want reader consideration for your diet or exercise book then promote during the time of year in which consumers are shopping for that particular title.
There are a lot of cookbooks released around the holidays because people are not only giving them as gifts but also because this makes them available with new holiday specific recipes for family meals and parties. Cookbooks can be released any time of the year but if your title contains winter holiday recipes it would be best to release when consumers are shopping for that particular type of book.
Novels by authors new to the market are typically released during the end of school year which depending on where you live could be April, May or June. The reason is that summer means vacations and vacations are defined as a time to relax and play. This is a perfect time for sitting and reading and a great time for a new summer read by an unknown author. These are all examples of borrowed interest promotions that any author can utilize for their writing. Riding the coattails of bigger promotions makes sense as a book marketer.
Control Your Content
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 23rd, 2011 | 5 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Penguin is the first major publisher to launch their own self-publishing service through a web site called Book Country. They call their site an online writing community with self-publishing services for members. Their stated aim is to develop aspiring novelists and give them the ability to self-publish their writing. However beware of an association with a major publisher or, wolves in sheep’s clothing.
The CEO of Penguin David Shanks has said, “Book Country is the perfect vehicle for introducing a new kind of self-publishing that offers a more professional product and provides guidance that isn’t currently available from other players.” The service officially launched in April and is reported to have attracted more than a few thousand members who have posted several hundred manuscripts to the site.
While the self-publishing market has shown tremendous growth the past few years the only major company to take a big bite out of the market is Amazon and Book Country is a direct challenge to their self-publishing dominance. Book Country expects to generate revenue primarily from fee based self-publishing services but also plans to take a percentage of all revenues generated from manuscripts posted and acquired as well as titles produced through their service.
Self-published author David Gaughran wrote in his blog that Book Country is “out-and-out gouging” those writers who post to their site. Well known former major published author turned self-publishing success story Joe Konrath said “I’ve sold 500,000 e-books, if I’d published with Book Country, they would have taken $290,000 in royalties from me.”
Book Country wants to act as pseudo-literary agent to their members by attaching themselves to any and all content posted for free. This pronouncement alone gives me reason to shudder since the content itself is what will attract agents but regardless, Penguin wants a financial piece of content they have nothing to do with other than provide a web site for posting.
Penguin is being highly criticized for two reasons: (1) preying on inexperience writers and (2) creating the impression that anyone using their service has a better chance of being discovered by Penguin. Self-published author Gaughran said “The main reason that I am concerned that Penguin [is] behind this is because that will make it more significantly attractive to those newer, less experienced writers.” He went on to say “A much-desired carrot is being dangled in the form of a potential publishing deal with Penguin. Their logo is all over the site. And their backing will lead to some confusion.”
The real question for all writers to consider is: To what extent will the content created and posted to a free web site, be entangled in the financial snare of a major publisher? While the service and fee structure raises concerns, I would suggest weighing the benefit of being a member of their web site community versus them having a financial stake in the writing. Control over the content a writer creates is the most important consideration when selecting any publishing option, especially one backed by a major foreign based publisher who plans to take a piece of a writer’s future success.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Two Authors under Contract now Self-Publishing
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 9th, 2011 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Midlist authors are moving away from the contractual obligations of a big publisher and into the arms of the self published. One such author decided to take her older out of print backlist titles whose rights had reverted back to her and publish on her own as eBooks. The second made a splash and got lots of attention at the launch party for her third book being published by her major publisher. Both authors have made headlines and here are their stories.
When Self-Publishing Makes Sense
Barbara Freethy is the author of over 30 novels published under the imprints of Pocket, New American Library, Harper Collins and has won numerous writing awards. She also has sold over one million copies of her older out of print titles as eBooks. Each of those titles fell out of print with her publisher and the rights were reverted back to the author giving her an opportunity to breathe new digital life into old print books.
Each was repackaged and priced between $2.99 and $5.99 thus avoiding the low price point of $0.99 that many first time and new eBook authors fall into to attract readers. In Ms. Freethy’s case she has a long standing reputation and breadth of content with which to market and her success has been tremendous. These backlist were all published through Barnes & Nobel’s PubIt! Digital service and sold through B&N as well as Amazon and Apple.
Eight of the author’s seventeen self-published eBooks have hit the New York Times and/or USA Today Bestseller List with one title, SUMMER SECRETS hitting #1. She is currently under contract with Pocket, a division of Simon & Schuster, but plans to self-publish all future original manuscripts as new eBooks.
Author Leaves Publisher
Author Polly Courtney is a novelist who leveraged her self-publishing success a few years ago to land a three book contract with Harper Collins to be published under their paperback imprint Avon. Up to this point she is known more for her recent announcement at the launch party for her third book than her writing success. This was the scene where Ms. Courtney told everyone in attendance that she was leaving her publisher and going back to self publishing.
Turns out that Ms. Courtney was upset with the handling and marketing for her three books, she felt her writing was being positioned in a manner which did not reflect her work. The publisher was categorizing her books as literary fiction and she preferred commercial fiction. Understandable since the audience for the literary genre is small when compared to general fiction.
The disagreement also spilled over into the areas of title and cover design where the author claimed the package completely “misrepresented” the content. She felt her writing was not properly reflected by the “chick lit” design of the cover. The decision to leave was the result of “three years of pent–up frustration.”
Avoid Conflicts with Your Publisher
Unfortunately these situations do occur and the only way to prevent this type of problem is develop relationships with those in-house having a hand in publishing your book. If an author develops relationships and understands the production process then before decisions are made they have an opportunity to provide input. Working closely with only an editor is a disadvantage for the author. Often times the publisher and author have different opinions but understanding why decisions are made and how to offer feedback is the only chance an author has of avoiding conflict.
Publishers make decisions based on a books ability to generate revenue and that includes changing the title, category, content, package and price. If an author is not willing to bend to these requirements then don’t sign a contract in the first place. Publishers do not look for ways to derail their authors with misleading categorization or shoddy packaging, they want every title to sell copies and be profitable.
If you are considering a contract and hope to prevent these conflicts then let me encourage you to read my book. I describe in detail what a writer goes through from the day they sign a contract to the day the book goes on sale as well as how to prevent problems with all sorts of issues. Authors need to understand that publishing contracts do not mean the company is going to work with the author, it means they plan to do whatever they feel is necessary to maximize revenue and be profitable, even if that means at the expense of the author.
Jerry D. Simmons is a former New York publishing executive and author of “What Writers Need to Know About Publishing”
