Your book is finished. You have adoring fans among family and friends. And the grassroots support is growing. Now it’s time to get your book “out there.” But how?
Publicity is a difficult business, period. With 400,000 books being published each year, it is difficult to get your book noticed. But working with a book publicist can help.
A book publicist works to get your book placed in “free” media outlets, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. These outlets are looking for current, interesting content—and if your book fits the bill, then you can generate some good buzz.
Most publishing companies (even the large ones) ask authors to hire publicists on their own dime. But hiring a book publicist means shelling out several thousand dollars per month. Unless you have a bestseller on your hands, you’re most likely going to put everything you make on royalties back into publicity for your book. In fact, book consultants often advise authors to do that very thing. They sometimes argue that the first book is a wash, and the money will come in the second or third book—once you’ve made a name for yourself. (Sourced Media Books is an exception and runs a publicity campaign for authors free of charge.)
While book publicists can be expensive, they do offer valuable services. A book publicist will usually help you (1) design a publicity plan; (2) create a press kit (a pitch letter, press release, sell sheet, and sometimes a video trailer); and (3) pitch your book to targeted media outlets. Some book publicists also manage the social media side of the book publicity, although there will usually be a separate fee for this work. Most publicity plans run about 90-120 days.
When looking for a good publicist, you may want to ask them the following questions:
1. How do you target which media to pitch to?
2. To how many outlets will you pitch?
2. Will you be pitching to national, regional, or local outlets?
3. Will you manage my Facebook and Twitter accounts? If so, will you charge an additional fee?
4. Will you create Internet links to my website? If so, how?
5. How broad will the press release be distributed? Will it be through the Associated Press or through regional channels? Will it reach traditional media or through the Internet only?
6. Will you offer review copies in the pitch?
Book publicity is certainly not easy, but it can be well worth it. Whether you hire a publicist or venture out on your own, make sure to generate buzz in the media--and watch your sales grow!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
How to get your book into bookstores
Lots of authors want to know how they can get their books into bookstores. Although more books are being sold online than ever before, having your book available in bookstores gives it more street cred (at least for now).
First, make sure to put your book into Ingram's national database. (For small niche markets such as the LDS market, this is not necessary--but you will still need to get a distributor that serves that niche market.) This makes your book "available in bookstores everywhere"; if it's in the system, someone can walk up to the information desk at Barnes and Noble and order your book--even if it's not stocked on the shelf.
Second, make sure your book is labeled "returnable," meaning that bookstores can return your book to the distributor if it doesn't sell. Because of this "returnable" requirement, you won't be able to get a print-on-demand book into a bookstore. Be wary of print-on-demand publishers that offer to put your book into Ingram's database, implying that you'll be able to sell it in bookstores. Perhaps there's an independent bookstore somewhere that will take a chance on it, but Barnes and Noble has a firm policy against buying any print-on-demand book.
Third, you need to have a strong marketing plan (including publicity) for your book. Most publishers now won't even accept a book for publication unless there's a strong marketing plan in place. Start local and gather grassroots support, then build upon your success. One of our authors, Jimmy Adams, has done this very successfully. He started with local media and book signings and built upon his success. Waffle Street was recently featured on Wall Street Journal Live (check out the online interview here).
Fourth (and this is the hardest part), you need to be patient while bookstores start small. Book buyers usually won't stock their stores with 30 copies of a new author's work. If they buy copies, they will buy a couple and see how they sell. It usually takes between 3-5 years for a new author to become established and gain a following. Be patient, consistent, and positive.
There are many other nuances to getting your book into stores (i.e., conventions, catalogs, etc.), but I'll save those for other posts. If you follow the four points above, you'll be off to a great start!
First, make sure to put your book into Ingram's national database. (For small niche markets such as the LDS market, this is not necessary--but you will still need to get a distributor that serves that niche market.) This makes your book "available in bookstores everywhere"; if it's in the system, someone can walk up to the information desk at Barnes and Noble and order your book--even if it's not stocked on the shelf.
Second, make sure your book is labeled "returnable," meaning that bookstores can return your book to the distributor if it doesn't sell. Because of this "returnable" requirement, you won't be able to get a print-on-demand book into a bookstore. Be wary of print-on-demand publishers that offer to put your book into Ingram's database, implying that you'll be able to sell it in bookstores. Perhaps there's an independent bookstore somewhere that will take a chance on it, but Barnes and Noble has a firm policy against buying any print-on-demand book.
Third, you need to have a strong marketing plan (including publicity) for your book. Most publishers now won't even accept a book for publication unless there's a strong marketing plan in place. Start local and gather grassroots support, then build upon your success. One of our authors, Jimmy Adams, has done this very successfully. He started with local media and book signings and built upon his success. Waffle Street was recently featured on Wall Street Journal Live (check out the online interview here).
Fourth (and this is the hardest part), you need to be patient while bookstores start small. Book buyers usually won't stock their stores with 30 copies of a new author's work. If they buy copies, they will buy a couple and see how they sell. It usually takes between 3-5 years for a new author to become established and gain a following. Be patient, consistent, and positive.
There are many other nuances to getting your book into stores (i.e., conventions, catalogs, etc.), but I'll save those for other posts. If you follow the four points above, you'll be off to a great start!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
How the Editing Process Works
Ever wonder what happens when a publishing company gets ahold of your manuscript? Here's the basic process.
First the publishing company decides whether to take your manuscript. This involves an acquisitions editor and often the finance and marketing departments, as well. If your manuscript is accepted, you can be assured that the company found your book to be (1) well-written, (2) marketable, and (3) potentially lucrative. Especially in today's economic environment, publishing companies won't take the risk if even one of these elements is missing.
Next, your manuscript goes into the copy editing phase. Here, a copy editor will edit for macro elements, such as organizational structure and flow. Copy editors will move text around, rewrite portions, and perhaps even ask you to go back and write additional content. But once your masterpiece makes it through this stage, you can be assured that your book "makes sense" for its intended purpose, audience, scope, and format.
Typesetting is next. In this phase, your book receives the face lift you always hoped it would. It is placed into book form using a desktop publishing programs. The industry standard is Adobe InDesign, but Quark is also good. Be wary of publishers who typeset your book in another program, such as Word or Publisher--even for an electronic book.
Proofreading follows the typesetting phase. By the time your manuscript gets to this point, all of the content issues and macro elements have been corrected. During the proofreading phase, editors check only for mistakes: typos and inconsistencies in the layout, such as a page number error or a misplaced heading. There should be two proofreaders on each manuscript.
Cover design occurs somewhere during this process. Usually, a graphic artist who specializes in book design is used to create a compelling cover that will sell your book at a glance. Most authors show strong preferences for particular covers, but the publishing company always retains the right to have the final say. An ISBN and bar code are assigned to the book and placed on the cover to ensure that bookstores will be able to carry your book.
Once the manuscript is print-ready, it is taken to the printer. It will take about four to six weeks to have it printed via offset printing. Digital printing usually takes a bit less time.
When the printing has finished, your masterpiece is ready to be distributed to retail outlets!
First the publishing company decides whether to take your manuscript. This involves an acquisitions editor and often the finance and marketing departments, as well. If your manuscript is accepted, you can be assured that the company found your book to be (1) well-written, (2) marketable, and (3) potentially lucrative. Especially in today's economic environment, publishing companies won't take the risk if even one of these elements is missing.
Next, your manuscript goes into the copy editing phase. Here, a copy editor will edit for macro elements, such as organizational structure and flow. Copy editors will move text around, rewrite portions, and perhaps even ask you to go back and write additional content. But once your masterpiece makes it through this stage, you can be assured that your book "makes sense" for its intended purpose, audience, scope, and format.
Typesetting is next. In this phase, your book receives the face lift you always hoped it would. It is placed into book form using a desktop publishing programs. The industry standard is Adobe InDesign, but Quark is also good. Be wary of publishers who typeset your book in another program, such as Word or Publisher--even for an electronic book.
Proofreading follows the typesetting phase. By the time your manuscript gets to this point, all of the content issues and macro elements have been corrected. During the proofreading phase, editors check only for mistakes: typos and inconsistencies in the layout, such as a page number error or a misplaced heading. There should be two proofreaders on each manuscript.
Cover design occurs somewhere during this process. Usually, a graphic artist who specializes in book design is used to create a compelling cover that will sell your book at a glance. Most authors show strong preferences for particular covers, but the publishing company always retains the right to have the final say. An ISBN and bar code are assigned to the book and placed on the cover to ensure that bookstores will be able to carry your book.
Once the manuscript is print-ready, it is taken to the printer. It will take about four to six weeks to have it printed via offset printing. Digital printing usually takes a bit less time.
When the printing has finished, your masterpiece is ready to be distributed to retail outlets!
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