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The Business of Publishing |
by:
Penny C. Sansevieri |
Congratulations, you're published! But what exactly does it mean to be "published"? Besides the fact that your work is finally in print also your college alumni has asked to interview you for their newsletter it or else means fame also fortune, right? Well, ok, maybe not on the level of J. K. Rowling, however at the very least you can expect a call from Oprah, right? I hate to be the one to break it to you however you're probably not even on her radar screen. The truth about publishing is really stranger than fiction also the truth is: getting published is only half the battle. The other half is to keep your reality check in balance so it does not bounce.
While publishing is all about creative expression, it's or else about business also it's those business savvy authors who will succeed in the end. Now you don't have to be an MBA to be a keen business person, you simply have to understand that the choices you make relative to your books future should be based on strategies that will enhance sales not just drain your pocketbook. So, how do you do this? First, take a long, hard look at your reader. At Author Marketing Experts, we always create a reader profile for each book we promote. This reader profile will tell us where to find buyers for the books we represent. Taking this first step helps us sort through our choices when it comes to book promotion also make decisions on behalf of our authors that are sound also will help leverage sales.
There are times when it's a waste of resources to do a nationwide radio or TV promotion. In fact, some of our programs don't include any outreach to broadcast media. Why? Because as alluring as it might seem to appear on the Today Show, what's the point if your audience does not watch morning TV? And, if your audience is not watching this show, the chances are slim they'll even consider you anyway. What? More rejection? Who needs it!
As you embark on or continue your campaign, ask yourself a few tough questions. First, what's your ultimate goal for this book? If it's just to give away at family reunions, that is great! But then you will probably want to nix any marketing. If your book is an arm of your business also you have speaking engagements lined up through the end of the year. You probably don't need to spend a lot on marketing since most of your sales will come from your speaking engagements (i.e. back of the room sales). On the other hand, if you wrote this book to grow your business or to leverage your credibility then you will probably want to dial yourself into your industry through enhanced media exposure.
For fiction authors this area becomes a little tricky. First, you need to determine your long term goals. By long term we mean: do you want to stay in this business or was this book just "something you wanted to do." If it's a hobby, then treat it as such however if this is going to be your career, then you need to keep your message out there on a continual basis, through venues such as author events, talks, signings, print also broadcast media.
Make sure the choices you make, make sense for your book also aren't just made because you've always dreamt of being on Oprah. I've known authors lured into inappropriate marketing plans by big, flashy names also promises of stardom, wasting thousands of valuable marketing dollars also heading in a direction that was not right for them. If you're serious about your work, ready to let go of your muse also face the task at hand with some business savvy, then you're really ready to get published. Below are some guidelines that will help further your success!
1) Reader profile: create one of these at the beginning of your marketing campaign also keep refining it as you move through the process. Refine also redefine who also where your audience is also how to get to them.
2) Time commitment: determine what you can also can't reasonably do. If you have a full time job it probably does not make a lot of sense to commit yourself to forty hours of marketing a week unless your boss is on vacation.
3) Investment: how much are you willing to invest in your future? Are you willing to invest money without seeing much in return knowing that you are building a foundation or do you want to see immediate monetary results? Most authors don't see a return on their investment for a year or more. Are you committed enough to yourself or your project to keep this investment going?
4) Reality check: what's realistic for the industry you're in? Are you latching onto a fad or something with more longevity? Are you getting into a brand new market that will require lots of reader education? Or are you trying to go mainstream with a non-mainstream topic? While this is an admirable goal, it can be like swimming upstream.
5) Budget: while we encourage authors to invest in their future, we've or else seen a number of people go into heavy debt, quit their jobs also even sell their homes just to promote their book. While that kind of dedication is certainly admirable, remember that although you have the potential to make a great deal of money it's not going to be overnight. The lure here is of course that "If I stick with it, this next sale will make me famous." Well, maybe or maybe not. If you've been plugging away for a while without any significant success get a professional to give you some honest, constructive feedback about your plan, your market, also your book. It might be that a poorly designed cover is the reason you're not making sales, or a topic that is fallen off of the public's radar screen. In the meantime as you're waiting to hit the big time you will still need a place to sleep also Uncle Vinnie's couch will get old real quick.
6) Burnout: we hear this term often, even to the point of being overused. What we're really talking about here is author burnout. We've found that the average author only markets their book for ninety days. That means ninety days of day also night marketing, radio interviews at 3am also a book signing every weekend. On day ninety-one they are so tired, so discouraged also so broke they quit. You can avoid this by giving yourself realistic goals also a realistic timeframe in which to complete them.
There's nothing in the world like seeing your book in print. If approached realistically, objectively also with sound business sense, it can be one of the most exciting times in your life.
About the author:
Penny C. Sansevieri
The Cliffhanger was published in June of 2000. After a strategic marketing campaign it quickly climbed
the ranks at Amazon.com to the ##1 best selling book in San Diego. Her most recent book: From Book to Bestseller was released in 2005 to rave reviews also is being called the “roadmap to publishing success.” Penny is a book marketing also media relations specialist. She or else coaches authors on projects, manuscripts also marketing plans also instructs a variety of coursing on publishing also promotion. To learn more about her books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at www.amarketingexpert.comTo subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@booksbypen.com
Copyright ã 2005 Penny C. Sansevieri
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