Hi all - I don't know where to turn, so I'm turning everywhere. I have just written and published a book, A Journey Forgotten, through iUniverse. iUniverse is a self-publisher, which means that I have to do all marketing and promotion myself. They have given me tons of ideas on how to promote, but I'm getting stopped at every point. Libraries, small bookstores, big bookstores, etc. refuse to let me do a booksigning.
So now, I'm looking to see if anyone owns or manages a business, and wouldn't mind making some tiny counter space for a few copies of my book to sell. I'd pay a commission to you to make it worth your while, and you would REALLY be helping me get a leg up in this hard line of work.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Did you try Women & Children First bookstore in Andersonville on Clark St?
I have had success presenting at a couple Chicago Public Libraries by offering informational talks. Perhaps you could offer a talk on How to write & publish your own book? Sharon Gums, a librarian at the Roden branch on Northwest Highway is open to interesting speakers. Also try Coffee houses. Good Luck!
A friend just wrote a book and published it through iUniverse too. He held book signings at friends/family homes and had his friends spread the word about the book signing. He was on facebook and had spread the word there as well. His book was a motivational book, so some of his friends who were teachers etc spread the word to others at conferences. His book is doing pretty well now.
Good luck and congratulations.
Hi E. -
Have you tried a bookstore in Palatine called Top Shelf? I have seen local writer's books in there for sale before.
Also, I have a friend who is a published author, and she has done online book tours at book sites (not book sellers, but other writers or groups). These might be ideas for you.
Good luck! Blessings,
M.
Hi E.,
Congratulations on your book! That's quite an accomplishment!! I self-published a book in 2006 and last year. The key is to get it out there no matter what. What is your book about? Think of all the non-book stores that might be interested in your book. My book was about tea in Chicago, I so sent letters to all the teashops in the area and offered to send them a review copy. I also wrote a press release (you can find a template on the internet) and sent it to TimeOut Chicago, the Trib, Sun-Times, Reader, and to some blogs that deal with food. I got an interview in TimeOut and mention on a blog, but the others never replied. I also sent a copy to Janet Davies at ABC Channel 7 and her producer called me. You should also target the local television stations. Independent bookstores are much easier to deal with than the chains. The chains use distributors and won't even talk to the author. Some indies that have been good to work with are The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square (they also have local author nights, so you might be able to get a reading in there), Women and Children First in Andersonville, the Book Stall in Winnetka, and Barbara's Books (although they took a long time to pay me). You can also have a book launch party to spread the word. A friend of mine offered to have one for me. I invited people I knew and they invited people they knew. It was a good way to start off selling books. Local coffee shops like Cosi, the Bourgeois Pig in Lincoln Park, and others often showcase local artists's work. You might contact them about doing a book signing party. It doesn't have to be at a book store to start off. In fact, I've never done a book store signing, but have done one at Argo tea, a tea shop in Bucktown, and at a gift shop out in the northwest suburbs. Do you have a website? Although I self-published my book, I created a website. It was expensive, but now there are much cheaper and easier ways to develop websites. You can even just do a blog, which is free. I belong to Chicago Women in Publishing, a great networking group. You could take out an ad in their newsletter. I think membership is $75 a year. You might get some helpful advice from them about marketing and publicity. I remember after I had published the first edition of my tea book, I was excited it was printed and in my hands, but I lost sleep over how to market and sell it. But 8 months later, I had only a few copies left out of the 1000 I printed. So, explore all options, no matter how non-traditional they may be. If you want to chat more about this, my e-mail address is ____@____.com luck!!!
My Favorite Books on Book Marketing and Promotion Every Author Must Read
By S. Lorenz
Westwind Communications
As a book marketing guy and book publicist it’s imperative for me to keep up with all of the great books and magazine articles being published on the topic of book marketing.
I’ve read dozens and dozens of books on book marketing and usually have found a morsel or two of useful information in each one. Here’s a list of my favorites. By the way, I’ve personally met or have spoken to each author and can attest to the veracity of the material they present and their credentials to discuss these topics.
PyroMarketing. Book marketing professionals know the secrets of success that drove the sales of Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life to a chart-busting best-seller and Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” into a huge cinema phenom. Those of us in the business understand that sales of both blockbusters were driven by techniques outlined in a book called PyroMarketing by Greg Stielstra who gained fame in book publishing circles when he served as the marketing director for The Purpose Driven Life, the best-selling hardcover book in history.
PyroMarketing embraces an idea that really has been in use for some time – niche marketing. That tool is well-known and used every day by book promoters but Stielstra lays out the niche marketing principles with a new, crystal clear message that is so compelling that it is a must-read for anyone who wants to promote an idea, service or product. Read my in-depth review and watch a short entertaining video on the concept at: www.westwindcos.com. Buy it at: www.pyromarketing.com.
The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion with a High-Tech Twist
This is an excellent “how to” book on the ins and outs of online book promotion and publicity focusing on the latest technology. Author Patrice-Anne Rutledge is a bestselling author, successful technology journalist, and online book promotion expert who has utilized online marketing techniques extensively to promote her books and writing career. Patricia plows new ground filling the gap in the book promotion marketplace with her highly focused book on bringing technology to the forefront in a book marketing campaign. “Web-Savvy Writer” is a MUST read if you want to utilize the most cost effective and viral methods in promoting your book like blogs, pay per click advertising, online reviews, ezines and more. After reading a few chapters you’ll soon realize what you don’t know about online marketing could fill volumes. She’s truly brilliant. Buy the online version of the book as it has hundreds of clickable links at: www.websavvywriter.com
John Kremer’s “1001 Ways To Market Your Books”
His 6th Edition published in 2006 describes more than 1000 ideas, tips, and suggestions for marketing books – all illustrated with real-life examples showing how other authors and publishers have marketed their books. John, who is a walking encyclopedia about book marketing says, “Eighty percent of all books are sold by word of mouth, but it’s publicity that primes the marketing pump. Remember that you cannot do everything, so hire the right persons to do the things you can't do. If you're not comfortable doing your own publicity, then hire someone who does it for a living." I could not have said it better. Be sure to check out his seminars on book marketing held around the U.S. too. Find out about that and his book at: www.bookmarket.com
Author! Screenwriter! How to Succeed as a Writer in New York and Hollywood
I always enjoy talking with Peter Miller, President, PMA Literary Film and Management, Inc. He’s one of the “big” agents in New York City. Known as ‘The Literary Lion,’ he has successfully managed over 1,000 books and dozens of motion picture and television properties. From big names like Vincent Bugliosi to the “next big star” he’s had eleven New York Times bestsellers and eleven produced films that he has managed or executive produced. He likes to do “three book deals” once he gets a writer he likes. In addition, he has a substantial number of film and television projects currently in active development. He divides his time between New York and Los Angeles, and frequently tours the country to speak at writers’ conferences and workshops. His insight into the publishing world and Hollywood is priceless. Buy his book, but if you can see him in person do it and tell him I said hi! www.pmalitfilm.com.
Since understanding all of the money making opportunities with your book can be a daunting task, I also recommend that you purchase Jim Donovan’s How to Write, Publish & Sell Your Book and Turn it Into a Never-ending Money Machine. His system will teach you the inner workings of the book business and how to leverage your books so they generate substantial multiple streams of income long after they’ve been published. Jim Donovan's books have been published in eighteen countries and are being read by hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world so he knows what he’s talking about. www.writepublishsellyourbook.com
Free Book! That’s right, Midpoint Trade Books, a major book distributor has published an excellent handbook which features seven keys that are important for independent publishers to understand and master. If you want a quick read on everything you need to know about publishing, printing, editing, marketing and distributing your book then this is the one. The importance of using a book marketing professional is stressed by author Eric Kampmann, President of Midpoint Trade Books. Says Kampmann, "Of course, there are many reasons why a book might become a success or even a bestseller, but we believe that the single best investment for you is an effective publicist." The 7 Keys To Publishing Success can be downloaded at no charge at: www.midpointtrade.com
Here’s a Very Expensive Book… but well worth the price. Its called “The Insider’s Guide to Large Quantity Book Sales.” Quite literally exactly what the title implies. BTW, we’re talking thousands of books at a time! Do I have your attention? You’ll be very impressed by the insight provided in the material about selling your book in large numbers. You have useful contact information for book club buyers and more importantly how to pitch and position your book for consideration. It also has sample contracts and agreements which are easily worth hundreds of dollars in saved legal fees alone if you had your attorney draft the documents. Written and published by the Jenkins Group Inc, this book is the result of years of the author, Jerrold Jenkins, publishing and selling massive quantities of books. If you are serious about selling large quantities of books and want the inside tips from a publisher who does it every day, then make the investment and download the book at: www.specialmarketbooksales.com/
Author 101 Bestselling Book Publicity: The Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book--and Yourself. One thing about the book marketing and book promotion business is that there are so many nice people in the business. I rank Rick Frishman as one of the top publicists in the U.S. not to mention he’s a nice guy too! His book, co-authored by Robyn Freedman Spizman and Mark Steisel, offers advice and insight about every stage of the publishing world. Using testimonials and commentary, this book lets authors, agents, and publishers alike show you the things you should and shouldn't do in promoting your book. Buy it at Amazon
Brian Jud’s “Beyond The Bookstore” is a terrific book about selling your book to everyone else other than a bookstore. I met Brian while co-presenting on a panel at a Learning Annex seminar in NYC on the topic of book marketing. I covered the topic of book publicity, he covered selling books. Brian Jud says since more than half of all book sales come from outside bookstores it’s important to target these markets. Mass merchandisers such as Wal-Mart or Costco, gift shops, airport stores, home-shopping networks, book clubs, libraries, network-marketing companies, catalogs, associations, government agencies, corporations, educational markets, retail stores and military branches all buy and sell books.
Brian walks you through creating a special sales plan, where to find the people you need to contact to make your pitch. If you really want to sell books outside the bookstore market then buy Beyond the Bookstore at: www.bookmarketingworks.com
Book Marketing A-Z by Francine Silverman. More than 300 authors, marketers and publicists, including yours-truly tell about their best promotional strategies with regards to book marketing. You’ll undoubtedly find several good ideas to implement. While you’re at it, check out Fran’s Book Promotion Newsletter which for $7.50 a year is the best value in book marketing in the USA. Buy her book here: www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com
There are many books out there on the topic of book marketing, book publishing and just plain everyday business marketing in general. You can read the ones I’ve described above but unless you want to spend days and weeks learning about book marketing, you might find it useful to retain an expert on book marketing or hire an experienced book publicist. I am sure that after you read two or three of these you’ll seriously question the idea of self promotion.
Why? The reason is that today’s book market is extremely competitive. The world is awash in books. Bowker (The keeper of all ISBNs) says that in 2005 more than 172,000 books were published in the United States, plus 206,000 published in the UK. How can Borders, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, your local library or anyone else effectively sell or showcase that number let alone the millions of previously printed titles? The answer: They can’t.
Furthermore, I do not recommend self-promotion, for the same reason you don’t cut your own hair. You can do it, but it’s not going to be that good. Book marketing and book promotion requires special skills and most authors simply do not know how to market a book nor do they have the time or, more importantly, the patience. A publicist develops and nurtures relationships with writers, editors and producers so they trust us when we give them a story idea about a book or author.
The bottom line: While I do recommend these books as a basis for understanding the book marketing and book promotion process a wise author would be even wiser to retain a book publicist to market and promote their book. If you come to the same conclusion please by all means give me a call!
About S. Lorenz
S. Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in book marketing and author publicity. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC Nightly News, The New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Family Circle, Woman's World, & Howard Stern to name a few. To discuss how Westwind Communications helps authors get all the publicity they deserve and more call ###-###-#### or email ____@____.com more information visit http://www.westwindcos.com/book
What is the book about?
Speak with your local library. I know that mine has been promoting local authors lately.
: )
