How to Market and Sell Your Books
The writer of the
Book of Ecclesiastes said, “Of making many books there is no end”
(Eccl. 12:12).
“Making them” is the
first part of the journey. Selling and distributing your books is a
major obstacle course, but it can be done with some planning, lots
of prayer and much perseverance.
The only way to get
people to buy your books is to make them aware they are available.
Internet Marketing is a vast subject, but well worth researching
because there are literally millions of buyers online at any one
time.
The best way to
learn how to succeed online is to learn from the experts. Patience,
discipline and perseverance are the keys to succeeding online.
 How to Effectively Market and Sell Your Product
on the Internet
Available from Pilgrim Publications SA
Click here for
more info.
Market Research
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Identity your readers. Are
they young, old, rich, poor, educated, urban, rural, Christian?
-
Locate your readers. Where do
they congregate, shop, worship? What magazines, newspapers,
literature do they read? What radio programmes do they listen
to? Where will you find them on the internet? Are they
computer-literate?
-
Concentrate on these areas as you
consider the best way to promote your book.
Pricing
When setting the retail price,
it is important to take into consideration that bookshops normally
require 35-40% discount, after which they add VAT. They do not take
kindly to being undercut by the author.
Preparation
of advertising material
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Catalogues - print in colour for distribution to bookshops.
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Extra
cover copies - to use as advertisements, especially for
bookshops. Keep in mind marketing agents do not carry loads of
books into the bookshops, but sell from covers.
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Quick
order forms.
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Posters.
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Collect testimonials and endorsements.
Distribution
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Christian bookshops.
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General bookshops.
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Specialty stores
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Online bookstores (internet)
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Libraries
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Non-traditional markets (places you don’t normally find books)
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Offer
incentives
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Consignment stock
-
Ask
your friends to purchase their books from your outlets
Bookshops make books available, but rarely
promote them.
So …
Advertise
-
Internet marketing.
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Web
presence
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Email
lists, newsletters and ezines
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Email
to personal friends and contacts
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Blogs
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Social sites, e.g. Facebook
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Press
Releases
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Newspapers and magazines
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Local
suburban papers
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Radio
and TV advertising and interviews
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Book
Reviews
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Pre-Publication promotions
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Special offers
-
Send
review copies to magazines
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Write
magazine articles on topic of your book
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Leaflets
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Postal mailshots
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Postcards - for "snail mail"
Visit my
online Bookshop for eBooks on these topics
Click here for more
information on how to turn your
manuscript into a digital (eBook) publication
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