What Authors Can Expect From Publishers When It Comes To Marketing
By Jerry D. Simmons | March 13th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Recently I received an email from a reader who asked for my views on what authors can expect from publishers when it comes to marketing. His comment was, “The old saw that writers must promote their work does little to stimulate marketing, but perhaps knowing that publishers do little or no marketing might be beneficial.” Anthony, thank you for that email.
My comments relate to authors positioned somewhere in the middle to bottom of a publisher’s seasonal list. Those whose print numbers will most likely be 20,000 copies or below. The good news is that if you are in that position and have definite plans, and suggestions, with venues and contact names, your chances of the publisher helping you are increased. Helping could be defined as budgeting a small amount of money, reaching out to use their clout to help you generate publicity, and promoting your book on a limited, regional basis.
The bad news is that because of the sheer volume of titles published each season; typically your publisher will offer little if any financial, supportive, logistical, or any other kind of marketing support. Most authors in that situation do nothing, and the results are that their book sells few copies and results in a poor sell-through. This of course hinders their chances of a career as a writer.
Regardless of your situation: Self-published, small press, or under contract with a larger publisher, the more you know about marketing and how to promote through free publicity, the better your chance of selling copies. Publishers of all sizes are more willing to help authors who want and try to help themselves. Offering ideas, providing contact names and addresses, and having a clear idea of how you want to market gives you a huge advantage.
Where do you find this marketing information: By visiting your bookstore regularly and observing what’s going on in the marketplace. Know your genre! Know your market!
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