| Marketing a book has parallels to the marketing of | | | | university degree in marketing, there is no consensus |
| any other product or service. With that reality in | | | | in academia nor in the business world about a |
| mind, I have organized a 14 P framework that can be | | | | definition of this word. I know this because I have |
| used for conceptualizing and planning any marketing | | | | taught marketing at the college level. Imagine the |
| effort. | | | | confusion when I moved on to manage a |
| Book publishing can be defined as causing a book to | | | | communications consultancy, and clients would say |
| be in a printed form and available to the public for | | | | marketing when they meant in-person selling, or |
| purchase. Over the past decade, the first part - | | | | advertising, or setting up distribution networks, or |
| getting a book into printed form - has been | | | | promoting franchises or running contests or just |
| dramatically simplified because of Print-on-Demand | | | | about anything. This was frustrating, at times |
| (POD) manufacturing. POD allows authors to avoid | | | | embarrassing, and always counter-productive - until I |
| paying for a large print run and managing an | | | | devised the definition shown below. |
| inventory, yet to still have exactly as many printed | | | | This definition is the conceptual framework for the |
| books as needed. Pages of a POD book can be in full | | | | marketing mix you can develop. This framework has |
| color or black on white; the binding can be paperback | | | | been used with remarkable success to build tens of |
| or casebound (hardback) with either a dust jacket or | | | | millions of dollars of wealth for authors and other |
| a laminated cover. | | | | business clients. |
| The second part of the definition - making books | | | | When you are developing a marketing strategy in |
| available to the public for purchase - has been a | | | | any line of business, you will be thinking about how |
| marketing responsibility shared by the publisher and | | | | to allocate resources and align your efforts in a |
| the author. Making available can be thought of as | | | | number of areas simultaneously, trying to juggle |
| having two components: making potential buyers | | | | priorities. The classical 'marketing mix' I once taught |
| aware of your book, and ensuring copies are readily | | | | to business students asserts there are only four |
| accessible for those buyers to purchase. | | | | aspects (the 4 Ps) to be considered: product, price, |
| Depending on your publishing house or service, you | | | | place and promotions. This definition of the marketing |
| will have access to different tools for building the | | | | mix was created by Jerome McCarthy in his 1960 |
| awareness and accessibility. It is best to understand | | | | book called Basic Marketing: A Managerial Approach. |
| the bookselling environment so you can be most | | | | In the real world, the 4 P framework is clearly |
| effective with your marketing initiatives - at | | | | inadequate. I propose that you use a following more |
| whatever scale and by whatever means you decide | | | | robust definition with 14 Ps when you are plotting |
| to promote your book. | | | | how to sell your new book. |
| MARKETING IS NOT THE SAME AS HIGH-PRESSURE | | | | Marketing is the process of creating, implementing, |
| SELLING | | | | monitoring and evolving a strategy for the complete |
| Some people are terrified and paralyzed by the | | | | marketing mix, which is: |
| irrational notion that marketing is synonymous with | | | | - having a needed product (or service) |
| personally badgering people, somehow coercing them | | | | - available at a convenient place (and time) |
| into buying something they do not particularly want | | | | - for a mutually satisfactory price (value), |
| or need. Relax! You really do not need to transform | | | | - while ensuring that the correct segments of the |
| yourself into an obsessive, self-promoting ego-maniac | | | | public |
| to be successful. | | | | - are aware (the promotional mix) |
| Such common misconceptions can prevent an author | | | | - and motivated (positioning), |
| from seeing that marketing is actually a creative | | | | - all in a manner which takes advantage of strategic |
| exercise, an intriguing puzzle-solving process with | | | | partnerships |
| limitless possibilities. Authors are very creative people | | | | - and contributes to the overall purpose (passion). |
| and, therefore, well-equipped to find marvelous | | | | The promotional mix includes: |
| solutions. All they need is a practical framework for | | | | - personal sales, |
| decision-making, plus some basic knowledge of the | | | | - publicity & public relations, |
| book trade and the available options. | | | | - paid advertising, |
| For the marketing of your book to be sustainable, | | | | - and sales promotions. |
| one needs to find a balance - weighing one's home | | | | Ideally, this will be done with respect and |
| life and other priorities on one hand, with your time | | | | consideration to: |
| and financial commitment to book selling on the other. | | | | - financial profits, |
| Balance is easiest to sustain if you can select | | | | - the planet (our environment) |
| marketing tactics that suit your fancy, so you can | | | | - and people (society). |
| enjoy promoting your book, rather than feeling | | | | While you digest that mouthful, consider that, as you |
| drained or uncomfortable. I have confidence you can | | | | solve your book's marketing mix puzzle, you will |
| find the time and the commitment to carry out a | | | | often be substituting creativity and personal |
| few high-payoff promotional activities. After all, you | | | | connections for the brute-force, expensive strategies |
| had the personal discipline to write an entire book, | | | | employed by the large publishing houses. |
| right? | | | | The preceding marketing advice is an excerpt from |
| Before you and I go any further, let us agree on | | | | Book Marketing DeMystified by Bruce Batchelor [ISBN |
| what marketing means and entails. | | | | 978-1-897435-00-7]. |
| Surprisingly, even though one can get an advanced | | | | |