Increase Book Sales Opportunities – Market to Booksellers & Libraries
If you want to increase your book sales, consider expanding your marketing plan to include bookstores and libraries. Rather than limiting yourself to selling e-books online only, add hard copies to your publishing strategy for a sales boost from brick-and-mortar outlets.
Start Developing Your Marketing Plan Early
Getting a library or bookstore to offer copies of your book is a tough sell but well worth it. It will expand your availability to readers and increase awareness of you as an author. By planning ahead and making this strategy a part of your overall marketing plan, you will be ready to roll when your books become available. There is plenty of competition vying for openings on their event calendar so don’t wait until your book is published to start lobbying for your spot.
Start Locally and Build Relationships
If getting out and selling copies of your book personally is outside your comfort zone, try starting in the neighborhood first. Contact your local library or independent bookstore and introduce yourself. Start by e-mailing them to set up a meeting appointment. By approaching them in a professional manner, you can start building a relationship. This takes time, so be patient.
Don’t Go Empty-Handed
When you meet the bookseller or librarian, be prepared. This is a sales pitch, and you need to put your best foot forward. Here are a few suggestions on what to bring:
- Books—Bring several hard copies that you can leave with them.
- Sales Sheets—These should show how many books you have sold, on what format and through which outlet (Amazon, your webpage, newsletter). Include book events sales, because they show you are getting noticed by readers who come out for signings.
- A Flyer—This promotional sheet should include the basic bibliographic information, the cover art for the book, and a brief story synopsis. to pass around among their staff.
- Reviews—Booksellers are wary of paid or reader reviews. They respond to objective, professional analyses like those done for newspapers or publications. Starred reviews in Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers Weekly will get their attention.
Participation Can Reap Added Rewards
Participating in events at your local bookstore or library is a way of cementing a relationship with the staff. It shows you want to work with them and allows them to get to know you. Offer to teach writing workshops, read books to children, or form a book club. Local participation is also a way to meet potential readers who might attend a book-signing event or add their name to your mailing list.
Acquire One Bookstore and More Will Follow
Indie authors make more money from e-books and print on demand (POD), but having your book offered through a bookstore or library gives you marketing opportunities you can’t get from online sales. Booksellers often want Before you think it isn’t worth the effort, consider that once you acquire one store, more tend to follow. If a competitor has the book, others will want it. The exposure and additional sales make it worth the trouble.
Does Your Book Interest Their Clientele?
When scouting out the stores and libraries you want to approach, understand their clientele and focus on the types of books they are looking for. Put yourself in their shoes and ask if your book is right for them. Don’t limit yourself to only bookstores or libraries, either. Think about where your book could sell outside of the normal locations. If your book is about the great vineyards of California, market your book to a gourmet specialty store or winery that caters to people who love wine.
Local Book Communities Support Their Own
By developing a strategy that includes marketing your work to booksellers and libraries, you will increase opportunities for sales. By establishing a presence in local outlets, you will increase your brand recognition and find a wonderful book community that supports local talent like you. Take the time to get involved with your readers through these facilities, and you will discover that promoting your book is far easier than you thought.
Why Dog Ear?
Are you unsure of how to effectively market your book once it is published? With over fifty years of traditional publishing experience, Dog Ear Publishing understands how to successfully promote your work to the right outlets. The friendly, knowledgeable staff at Dog Ear Publishing will guide you through the publishing process and help you achieve superior results. If your goal is to produce a professional-quality and professionally designed book and to achieve the greatest marketing opportunities possible for it, visit our website at www.dogearpublishing.net and take control of your publishing destiny today.
