FAQ
What is a publication date?
A lot of confusion exists around the concept of “Pub Dates.” Some people think pub dates are unnecessary or have no impact on your publishing strategy, but we disagree. First, let us remove the confusion of terms. “Publication date” is not the same as “sell-in date,” “bound book date,” “warehouse date,” or “ship date.”
“Sell-in date”
Let’s begin our discussion of dating with the all important “sell-in” date. This is the date that your sales representatives will begin previewing your titles to key booksellers. All of your sales materials should be prepared by this date. Typically this is six months before your book will reach retail outlets.
“Bound book date”
The “bound book date” refers to when the book comes off the bindery line. This information is most important for the warehouse. They will be anticipating receiving stock and preparing to cut invoices for the first releases.
This date can also be important for the publicity department. Reviewers and producers want to see finished books and publicists want to ship out the review copies as early as possible. They may request that finished copies be shipped directly from the bindery to the publicity office thus eliminating the delay of going through the warehouse process.
“Warehouse date”
The “warehouse date” refers to the anticipated date books will be received at your warehouse for shipment to accounts. Your printer should provide you with these delivery dates. This information is particularly important if you are creating corrugated displays or if your orders require special picking and packing. The warehouse needs to know when to expect inventory so they can schedule any special service details necessary before shipping the bulk of the orders.
“Ship date”
“Ship date” refers to the day your warehouse releases backorders and begins to ship your title to bookstore accounts, including wholesalers. If you are working with a distributor, “ship date” still refers to when orders start getting filled, but you need to be sure to supply your distributor with sufficient stock as soon as the books are available.
“Publication date”
The “publication date” acts as a signal to booksellers, reviewers, and producers that your books will be in stores and you will now begin marketing directly to consumers. At the publication date you should begin to advertise; media appearances should begin airing and display promotions should be up in participating stores. Another term you may hear is “on-sale” date. These two terms are virtually interchangeable.
Buyers note the publication date of your book at sell-in. If there is any significant delay to the publication of your title, you should notify your sales people immediately so they can contact their accounts.
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How do I decide on a publication date?
The ideal publication date, which will maximize your sell-in process and support your marketing and publicity efforts, is six months after you first formally announce the title to your sales team. Once you have established your manufacturing schedule, you can establish a specific publication date—typically four to six weeks after the books have been released from the warehouse.
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What is the best time of year to publish?
From late spring to late summer all eyes are on the very important fall selling season. Sales conferences, Book Expo America, and the fall catalog all point to high expectations for the entire list of brand new titles. Yet when the colors of the season have passed, the winds of winter become evident. If too much emphasis has been placed on the fall list, the winter will be long, hard, and cold indeed.
As December turns to January, bookstores and wholesalers feverishly begin to pack up overstocked books for return to sender. If your list of new titles is sparse come winter, you may experience a significant cash flow squeeze. Therefore, it is important to spread your list of new publications over the whole year. January and February, for example, are strong months for finance and self-help categories; gardening titles sell well in early spring. It is always important to plan from a financial as well as a marketing perspective.
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Do book jackets matter?
The obvious answer is that book jackets matter because they are the best and cheapest advertising vehicle you will have for your book. However, the obvious answer is not necessarily the only answer. You need to have a high-quality book jacket in order to be competitive. Does a good book jacket help get the book into bookstores initially? The answer is a definitive yes. The reason is clear to those who sell books everyday because we see the stacks and stacks of book jackets sitting on the buyers’ desks ready to be accepted or rejected. Yes, in this environment, your book is judged by its cover.
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Why are jackets important for the sell-in process?
Ideally, your sales team is selling your book six months before it is printed. However, you may feel your jacket concept just isn’t quite right. Even though it might not be your final choice, prepare a “mock-up” of the most promising design for the sales presentations.
When your sales team presents your book to key book buyers it is important to have some “mock-up” of what direction you are going with the jacket art. This serves two important functions: First, the buyers have confidence that the book they are considering is going to be published. Having a mock-up jacket demonstrates that you are well along in the production of the book. One complaint we hear from buyers involves all the preliminary work they must do to order a book only to find out at a later date that the title has been cancelled. A mocked-up jacket gives them reassurance.
Second, buyers will give constructive critiques of the direction you are heading and will give invaluable advice on a number of book jacket elements such as: straight type versus an image jacket, colors, font style, etc. Don’t miss this opportunity to solicit feedback from key buyers on your jacket concept. They enjoy helping in the publishing process and their expertise can be the difference between a so-so cover and a cover that really sells.
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Does my book jacket need to be the best-produced?
Your book is in direct competition with books published by all the biggest publishers. If your cover design does not measure up to the best, then the likelihood of it ending up in the buyers’ rejection heap increases dramatically. So you need to have a professional designer produce more than one design concept for your consideration. It’s also a good idea to talk to your distributor’s sales people early in the process so that mistakes are minimized before those mistakes become expensive.
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How do I find a good jacket designer?
Good designers are out there for you to find just like good editors. Jacket designers are often credited on book jackets. Many are independent contractors and might be available for your project or they can be an excellent resource for networking within the creative community. UseLiterary Market Place™ or ask around; your salespeople, your editors, and even your printers will be able to give you some names.
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It’s the spine
The same discipline, care, and concern you take in creating a selling cover needs to be applied to every aspect of the jacket. Although we all believe that our books will be shelved face-out, the reality is that most titles, unless they are best-sellers or in a promotion, are shelved spine-out.
So how should your designer respond to this reality of bookselling? What should be the most prominent information featured on the spine? What will resonate most with the consumer? Are the author’s name and reputation of key importance? Make certain that you can spot that author’s name across a crowded room. Do you have a clever title? Make that the prominent feature. Go with your strengths. Take every opportunity to deliver your message.
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EAN barcode
In today’s world, books must be scannable. An EAN barcode allows for this. Make sure you get the barcode right. An incorrect barcode costs money to fix and causes lots of headaches. Also, many national accounts require the retail price to be included in the barcode.
For a list of Bookland EAN bar code providers, visit the R.R. Bowker Web site: www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/barcode.asp
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Do I need to include library codes?
Library codes are required for books to be considered for review and purchase by libraries across the country. We recommend getting into the routine of requesting all of the appropriate retail and library bar codes for every title. By making this part of the production routine, you can be assured that your titles will have the opportunity to be considered for large, small and even special library collections.
For more information about the Library of Congress catalog card number contact their Web site:http://www.loc.gov/loc/infopub/.
Cataloging in Publication (CIP) Data is a Library of Congress bibliographic record prepared for a title that has not yet been published. The publisher includes the CIP data on the copyright page. The CIP data facilitates book processing for libraries. For more information contact:http://cip.loc.gov/cipfaq.html.
BISAC codes areanother important tool in the bookselling and cataloging environment. For more information about the use of BISAC codes, contact the Book Industry Study Group at:http://www.bisg.org.
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Three basic rules of printing
When deciding on the quantity of your first print run, there are a few general rules to follow.
First, be conservative. You can always reprint if there is sufficient demand, though you should be sure your printer can efficiently and dependably deliver your reprints in a timely fashion. This is particularly important during peak print times—especially during the late summer and early fall.
Read the printing and binding agreement’s fine print regarding the over/under delivery of the requested print quantity. If the agreement has a 5% to 10% over/under clause, you want to make certain that you won’t run out of stock if you are short-printed. Establish a printing order that is “no less than…” so that you are guaranteed to receive the minimum quantity that you will need to not only cover back orders but also sales rep and account samples, publicity review copies, author special orders, and other bulk purchases and reorders.
Second, if your book is aimed at the bookstore market, never print more than six months’ anticipated supply. If you are reprinting a predictable backlist title, you might want to print up to a year’s worth of inventory, but remember, you are tying up cash.
Third, use the sales history of similar books to judge your needs. Ingram’s Ipage is a great reference resource for such purposes. If you have a distributor, they can provide you with access to key data.
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Establishing the retail price
There are countless variables to consider when establishing the retail price for a book: category; trim size; page count; hardcover or paperback; consumer or academic market; manufacturing costs; and royalty costs and payment structures. Marketing variables include promotions, advertising and publicity. The general rule of those working at major publishing houses is to price against the competition. Another rule is to use a multiple of the manufacturing cost. The best approach is to ask your key sales reps because they have the best information from the major retailers and wholesalers who will play an important role in the success of the title.
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Pricing pitfalls—what to look out for
The retail price may or may not make a decisive difference with the book consumer, but bookstore buyers and buyers at the major book chains are very aware of price and often are very reluctant to commit to a title priced higher than its competition unless there are significant additional features, e.g. much longer page count, inserts, two color, etc., that warrant a higher suggested retail price and give the consumer added value.
Bookstore buyers are also much attuned to the marketplace and sensitive to the better selling formats within a genre. You may plan to publish a title in hardcover, but the bookstore buyer may suggest that the title might be better served in another format. Ultimately the decision rests with the publisher. You need to weigh the importance of the source of the information, as well as reactions from other accounts, and then make the best decision for your title. If you do decide to change formats and prices, notify your sales group immediately. Make all necessary changes to online and other industry source materials, and make certain that all bar codes and other price indicators have been updated before the book goes to press.
Pricing a title too high can hurt a book even before it is out of the gate. Also, remember that if a book becomes established and goes into a second, third, or fourth printing, it is possible to raise the price on a reprint. This is done quite frequently, but only if the book has an established market.
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Who should sell my book?
Getting to the right buyer, at the right account, at the right time, and with the right materials is the key to a successful sales call. But the selling process only begins there. At the major accounts, most sales presentations don’t end with an order in hand. Your sales team will get estimates while the buyers navigate through their company’s purchasing procedures before they cut an order. The sales team will follow up—making certain that the orders are in-house for timely shipping and then monitoring the sell-thru process. They will stay on top of the sales, communicating important marketing information to their buyers to maximize every selling opportunity.
For independent publishers, it often makes more sense to hire a distribution company. These companies not only handle all aspects of the selling process, but they have the contacts and reach to access all of the major sales outlets nationwide. They also ship, bill, collect, and handle customer service. These “back-office” operations are essential to the entire selling process and are best serviced by experienced professionals steeped in the bookselling process and retail and wholesale service requirements and expectations.
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What is a book distributor?
Book distributors represent the interests and activities of book publishers. There are two primary functions of a book distributor: sales and distribution.
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Why are distributors important?
Because of the explosive growth of the independent publishing community within the trade publishing industry, the role of distributors has become ever more crucial. There are several reasons for this: first, certain key wholesalers have decided to stop working directly with smaller independent publishers. Second, certain chain retailers insist that independent publishers use third party distributors as the way into their stores. And third, several distributors have become very professional in providing important selling and fulfillment services to client publishers.
Managing the back office
Running your own shipping, storage, and returns processing warehouse is both costly and difficult. In addition to managing the selling process, book distributors perform these warehouse duties for you, and have efficient systems for billing and collection in place.
Strength in numbers
In addition to their two primary functions, book distributors provide marketplace clout because they effectively represent many small independent and self-publishers in the marketplace as one entity. Unless you are doing more than $5,000,000 in annual book sales, you should seriously consider the distributor option.
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What should I look for in a distributor?
As in any business relationship, you need to find a distributor whose practices and attitudes match your own. When you contact distributors, ask for the telephone numbers of some of their existing member-publishers. You want to have the most comprehensive picture possible of your potential business partner.
Visit their booths at trade shows like Book Expo America. Are the booths well managed? Are the sales representatives knowledgeable? Find the right partner, and you have a much greater chance for a successful and profitable relationship.
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What would make a distributor turn my title down?
There are really only three major causes behind a book distributor turning you away at the door. We think of them as the three “P’s” of prospective book projects: pricing, packaging, and positioning. A large majority of the prospective book projects we see come to us with bad jacket and interior design, ill-conceived pricing, and no marketing plans. Distributors are not magicians and cannot take something poorly executed and turn it into a bestseller. Weak projects will most likely receive a “no” without further comment.
You are the publisher and responsible for the ultimate look and feel of your titles. You alone determine the pricing, packaging, and positioning. If you are willing to rethink these elements, consider some changes, you might be able to turn a “no” to a “yes.”
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What would help convince a distributor to accept my book?
There are several important and persuasive elements.
The first and foremost element is personal contact. Getting to the decision maker can help a lot. You need to persist in this because there are usually several gatekeepers standing in your way.
Second, references. It certainly helps if you have someone backing your project who knows the distributor (and whom the distributor knows). Your contact may be a consultant, a publicist, or an agent; if you can drop a name, it may help you get in the door.
Third, you need to have something to show off. Here, packaging is everything. If the book jacket looks like it could have come from a major publishing house, you will get more attention. If it looks like an inexpensive rush-job effort, you will get very poor results.
Fourth, how do you plan to get the public (your market) to buy your book? What is your plan, and whom have you hired to help you execute it?
Fifth, have you set a realistic publication date? Have you left enough time for your distributor to do a proper selling job on your behalf? Six months may seem like an overly long time, but in truth, it is just enough.
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What should a distributor cost?
The fairest answer to the question “Do these services cost too much?” is, “It depends.” We believe the charges for distribution services should be transparent and predictable.
By transparent, we mean that “hidden” charges should be eliminated. Publishers should carefully scrutinize the contract, looking for extra charges for a variety of activities that might escalate their real costs. Issues such as return reserves, storage of books, returns processing fees, catalog charges, and other miscellaneous items need to be looked at and closely considered before you sign a contract. It is better to get these issues cleared up and laid aside early on in your relationship rather than regretted later.
By predictable, we feel the contract should have a single percentage for the distributor’s fee, somewhere between twenty to thirty percent of net sales, depending on the annual sales volume of the publisher. If you are paying much above thirty percent, then you should look into the reasons why. If you are a publisher with annual sales of $2,000,000 or more, then you will probably find you have a certain level of negotiating power with your distributor.
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When should I bring in my sales force?
Though the sales team plays its active selling role long after the book has been written, it should be considered a valued confidant and partner from the outset. The earlier the sales team becomes involved, the more valuable they will be to you. They can begin to monitor sales trends before they actually begin their calls for your titles. Usually, a professional sales team becomes actively involved about six months to a year before publication, during which time they can preview the book with key accounts and get valuable feedback. That is also when they begin to sell the book into major accounts.
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How should I interact with my sales team?
If you are thinking of hiring your own sales force, keep the following three principles in mind. Are the sales representatives self-motivated? Is the sales force properly supported? Do they subscribe to the common purpose?
The first principle relates to hiring. If hired correctly, remedial correction from the management will be minimal. Work with self-motivated can-do people who will work beyond the call of duty to get the job done. Yes, there must be communication, but for the most part, as publisher, you do not need to interfere in the day-to-day activities of the sales reps.
Sales reps are called on to do much more than just sell. They are also on-the-spot customer service representatives, and they get frustrated and demoralized when not properly supported by the home office. Therefore, the second principle must be built around the idea of sales service support. Call it “customer service” if you will, but the motivation to accomplish tasks quickly and accurately must be instilled in every employee or service provider hired to support the sales team.
Finally, the sales reps must believe they are part of a sales team where the work of one supports the work of all. Sales reps can be “individualists” by nature, but management must work hard to make sure every representative understands they are part of a team. To the extent sales management can get reps to think in terms of “us” or “we,” you will find a happier, more motivated, and more productive sales team.
These same principles apply when using a distributor’s sales force, just not as directly. You will not be managing the sales team, but it is imperative for you to supply them with the proper level of support. If you will work with them, they will work for you.
It’s all about communication
I may sound like a broken record—I still haven’t identified an equivalent phrase—but you must communicate, communicate, and then communicate some more.
Bring your sales team in as early as possible. Welcome feedback from the sales representatives and from their accounts. Keep them updated on changes and events that will impact the sales of your book. Ask sales management how best to communicate with them. They may establish an e-mail distribution list or request that all information go through one source. Follow their lead. Time is money, and salespeople need to be focusing on sales.
Be specific. Your sales representatives are managing information on hundreds of titles daily. Make your communications actionable. ALWAYS lead with the Title, ISBN, Price, and Publication Date. If you are changing any of this basic information, clearly identify the change (e.g., Old Price: $16.95; New Price: $17.95).
Communication that is clear, concise, and actionable is the key to a smooth selling process.
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From frontlist to backlist
The successful launch of a title will help secure its place on your backlist. Backlist sales are often the bread and butter of independent publishers. Always remember to mention an author’s backlist when launching a new frontlist title.
Prepare a list of “like” titles to pass along to your sales team so that they can up-sell category backlist titles. You need to cross-promote your titles whenever and wherever possible.
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What should my marketing plan do?
The primary objective of your marketing campaign is to deliver sales at a profit.
To be a successful publisher, you need to develop a marketing strategy that presents a clear, consistent, and compelling message to engage every potential consumer to consider your title and close the sale.
Make certain everyone within your publishing organization understands your strategy. Encourage them to communicate this message in images and text, supporting every sales and marketing activity in the most cost-efficient manner. Everyone needs to be on the same page.
The most successful marketing programs launch titles on the frontlist and continue to support titles on the backlist throughout the life of the title.
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When does marketing begin?
Ideally, marketing begins at acquisition. Too often, marketing is left to the last minute, but successful marketing is a long-term proposition. It commences at time of acquisition and should be constantly reviewed and refined throughout the publishing process.
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Where do I start?
The four most important questions that every publisher should ask when acquiring a title are variations on the same questions the sales rep asks the editor, the book buyer asks the sales rep, and the TV producer asks the publicist.
- Who is the target audience for this book?
- How will that consumer find out about this book?
- How is this book different from every other title on the shelf?
- Who is the author, and why should the consumer pay attention to what they have to say?
The answers to these questions should be part of the acquisition decision process. Once a title has been acquired, the discussion begins in earnest and a marketing plan begins to take shape.
The successful plan first identifies the target audience—their demographics and psychographics. Where do they get their information to feed their interests? What newspapers and magazines are they most likely to read? What radio or television shows are they most likely to watch? Are their associations or professional organizations catering to the market? Are courses being taught? What are their favorite online destinations? Where do they shop, what formats do they prefer, and how much are they willing to spend?
The first resource should obviously be the author. Sometimes pulling this information out of them can be a chore. A well-conceived, detailed author’s questionnaire can provide excellent information about the author’s credentials, the target audience, project focus, and possible marketing directions.
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What is the role of sales in marketing?
A knowledgeable sales team should be an integral part of the marketing process. They can monitor competitive sales, pricing, and promotions, giving publishers valuable insight into successful campaigns. Get the sales team involved and consider their comments.
They will be expected to present your marketing plan at the time of sell-in and when they update their accounts on your activities throughout the launch of your book.
As publisher, you will decide which areas to pursue and which to table, but feedback from your sales group can provide excellent information to help you craft the most cost-effective marketing plan possible.
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How do you develop a marketing plan?
There are five major considerations:
- Distribution and sales projections:How many units are you going to ship, and how many do you think you can sell the first year?
- Contractual obligations:Did someone promise the author a ten-city tour? Have you promised a full-page ad in a national magazine?
- Is your author a confident spokesperson?Just because you publish their book does not automatically suggest that the authors will promote. Of course, the authors may have a different opinion about that. But, if you are planning to use the authors to promote, there are many options and expenses to consider.
- Are there account promotions available?What is the level of commitment and what will it cost? Is this the right place to spend your marketing dollars?
- What are your available dollars? What do you have to spend? Have you done a P&L? Are your sales projections realistic? What do you estimate for returns? Even though you have a budget for marketing, is it wise to spend it all?
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Trade shows
Should I attend Book Expo America?
Many independent publishers feel they do not belong at Book Expo America. They opine that the show belongs to the big boys, that it is way too expensive, and that there is nothing tangible to be gained from it. Well, all of this is true in a way, but our experience with the show tends to override the negatives in some very important ways. We believe that BEA is one of the most important events in the publishing calendar.
What about you? Should you go? By all means—publishing is a networking business, and BEA has become a wonderful networking show. It is a great time and place to discover new markets, new sales opportunities, and make new friends. It can be an excellent source of information on what the competition is doing, and you can pick up promotion ideas. When possible, attend some meetings to learn more about the issues and opportunities in publishing today.
BEA has grown beyond the bookstore market. A wide variety of publishers and groups involved in domestic and foreign rights opportunities now exhibit at BEA. This is an excellent opportunity to think about the rights potential of your titles. Plus, major network show producers, reviewers, and other members of the press can be found visiting the exhibits.
Are there regional trade shows?
If you can’t attend BEA, you might want to consider attending one of the many regional trade shows typically held during the late summer and fall. The American Bookseller Association Web site provides information on a wide range of events:http://www.news.bookweb.org. Attendance at one of these shows can be particularly helpful to launch your titles in your local region.
Review the ABA’s programs for opportunities to address booksellers or consumers during roundtables or other organized activities. Consider hosting a small event, such as a breakfast before the show opens, to present your titles or meet with booksellers one-on-one.
Some organizations may sell mailing lists of attendees. You might want to purchase a list if you are considering some direct mail or promotional campaigns to accounts. You may even want to advertise in the show catalog or PW’sShow Daily.
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Do I need to advertise to the book trade?
Publishers assess the effectiveness of trade advertising in a number of different ways: as a branding ad for their publishing program; to announce major new titles of national importance; and to identify their commitment to key publishing areas.
Who reads the trade publications? Producers, authors, agents, foreign publishers, reviewers, the entire rights community, librarians, and, yes, the bookstore buyers.
You have a number of options to consider. Review the editorial calendars and see if there are specific issues that might be more beneficial to your publishing program. If you are working with a book distributor you may want to participate in their programs. But no matter what you choose, “close the loop.” Make certain the ad includes the appropriate 800 number to reach your sales team and a snail mail or e-mail address to reach your company with any other inquiries.
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BookSense
Booksense is the marketing arm of the American Booksellers Association, who provides a number of marketing programs designed to reach independent bookstores in a cost-effective manner. One favorite is the “White Box Mailing” that is mailed to over 500 independents across the country. You can include in this white box (literally) advanced reading copies, flyers, bookmarks, posters, letter from the editor, and other promotional materials. Bookstores look forward to receiving these mailings; the materials you provide help them to determine if your book is suitable for their store. If the answer is “yes,” they will order your book from a wholesaler who, if the sales team has done its job, will be able to ship your book to that store the same day. For more information, contact Book Sense, Inc. atwww.booksense.com.
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Publicity
There is an age-old adage, “Advertising is what you pay for, but publicity is what you pray for.” That doesn’t mean publicity is “free”.
Publicity budgets need to consider the costs of preparing and mailing galleys, press releases, review copies, author tour expenses (including travel, hotels, per diem, media escorts, and props like posters and equipment), and other miscellaneous expenses. With a little work, a well-planned publicity campaign can get the book and author a tremendous amount of exposure. However, you are going to have to spend some money.
How do I begin to formulate a publicity strategy?
All authors want to be onOprah and have their book reviewed in the most prestigious publications. Consider the numbers. There are tens of thousands of new books published each year. If TV shows were to have a book segment every day, they’d still only be able to cover 365 books a year. Most newspaper book review sections cover less than twenty-five titles a week. So what is a publisher to do?
A professional publicity staff can go a long way toward evaluating the opportunities and preparing the materials and the author to deliver the best possible publicity message to the most targeted audience. If you don’t have someone on staff, consider hiring a freelance book publicist to shepherd your project through the publicity process. The “Public Relations Services” section ofLiterary Market Place™ lists firms who undertake book and author promotion campaigns. You might also consult with local bookstore community relations representatives. They work with publicists and might be able to offer some suggestions.
Early reviews
Many bookstores and libraries make their purchase decisions based upon pre-publication reviews of bound pages or galleys inPublishers Weekly, Library Journal,Kirkus, andBooklist. Most of these publications require galleys three to four months before publication. Submission guidelines, editorial calendars, and general information can be found at the following addresses:
Publishers Weekly
360 Park Ave. South
New York, NY 10010
www.publishersweekly.com
Library Journal
360 Park Ave. South
New York, NY 10010
www.libraryjournal.com
Kirkus reviews
770 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
www.kirkusreviews.com
Booklist
American Library Association
50 East Huron
Chicago, Il 60611
www.ala.org/booklist
ForeWord Magazine
129 ½ East Front Street
Traverse City, MI 49684
www.forewordmagazine.com
This magazine focuses on reviewing titles by independent presses.
Read the submission directions and policies regarding inclusion and follow-up inquiries carefully. Too often publishers make the mistake of pestering the publications regarding the status of a review. Follow their guidelines; they will respond when appropriate. Remember to send along finished copies when they come off press.
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Tools of the publicity trade
A good publicist will want to prepare a press release, comprehensive author bio, succinct message points, and visuals (author photo, jacket photo, etc., if appropriate).
These materials can be mailed or maintained as an electronic press kit on the publisher’s and/or book author’s Web site. Quotes or endorsements can be added to the materials as they become available.
Publicity “pitching” is very similar to an efficient sales call. Whether pitching an idea to a newspaper editor or radio or TV producer, the experienced publicist needs to deliver the message quickly and succinctly. How will this title and author educate, inform, or entertain the reader or viewer?
If you really want to communicate the essence of your book and author, improvise on the old elevator interview technique. “In twenty words or less, tell me about your book and author.” No cheating. It can be done. And it should be done to effectively communicate today. Twenty words or less can start a phone pitch; engage an e-mail reader, and effectively sell your book and author.
Press releasesannounce to the world that a book has been published. They can be sent out early to reviewers and producers to announce the publication and should include important contact information for a review copy of the book or interest in an author appearance. They can also be sent, or a second release can be included, with the mailing of the book.
Producers’ and reviewers’ desks are inundated with dozens of books each and every day. While press releases or review copies delivered with home baked cookies or other accompanying knickknacks may be amusing and interesting, in the end, the producer/reviewer wants to know, “Why is the author an expert? What is new or noteworthy? What will my viewers/listeners/readers learn that will improve their lives?”
If your press release successfully answers these three questions, your book will at least be considered.
Review copiesare the cornerstone of any publicity campaign. How many copies should you send out? How many can you afford to send out? The “low end’ for most mailings is 100 copies. Even the smallest independent publishers will send 300 to 400 copies if they can identify “serious” targets. If the author wants to send samples to friends and family, offer a discount. Save your expense for qualified publications, media opportunities, and significant endorsements.
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