If
you want to know about the trends in book publishing, such as which books are
selling well, what industry experts are preaching, and which genres are
surging, you no doubt want to keep up with the book industry by reading any
number of publications, blogs, and websites.
Publishers Weekly, New York Times, Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal,
and USA Today are good at shedding light on the book world. Many other sites offer useful information –
books.tumblr.com, readersread.com, shelfari, news.yahoo.com/books, reddit,
npr.org/books, omnivoracious, etc. You
can also connect with many groups related to some aspect of book publishing on
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. But, if
you really want new ideas regarding the writing and marketing of books, you
need to look elsewhere, and you need to think differently about the information
you uncover.
Book
marketing benefits from applying the general principles of marketing and the
application of things specific to the book world. You can’t sell a book like one would luxury
cruises but you can take certain aspects of the marketing practices of other
industries and find a way to apply it, on some scale, to what you seek to do to
get your book sold.
The
first place to learn of ways to promote and market your book is to look at
similar industries – music, movies, television, DVDs, white papers – anything
with content. Read up on those
industries and see if there’s a method you can apply to your world.
Second,
turn to what seems to be opposite of what you do and see if you can grab a
useful idea. If your content informs and
has substance, or entertains and makes us feel good, what could you turn to
that is seemingly opposite that? Selling
gadgets, food, hats? Check into it.
Third,
books are relatively inexpensive items.
Look at what sells for big bucks – premium furniture, cars, luxury
condos, jewelry, vacation packages. Can
you take the practices of the rich and elite and use them to sell a two-dollar
e-book? Maybe.
Lastly,
forget the words publish, promote, and sell for a moment. Now just let other ideas, facts, theories, or
histories come at you. Going to a
museum, a sporting event, even a funeral may spark an idea about what you’re
trying to accomplish.
Reading
up on the industry is a must but where you’ll really leverage success is from
finding ideas outside the book industry, and incorporating them into how you create, promote, and market your book.
Perhaps by reading Playboy, attending the open house to a mansion,
walking through a history museum, or waiting online at a grocery store will
inform you of a spark-worthy idea that may just help you become successful at
being an author.
Good
luck.
DID
YOU MISS THESE GEMS?
Do
You Believe In Book Publishing’s False Prophets?
A look into the
future of books and language and the struggle for relvancy
18
Questions You Need To Ask To Make Your Book A Success
Why do
I search for meaning #online?
Are
authors sexy enough to sell books?
Which
books are worthy of PR?
Will
Your Book Be Relevant – Or Read – In 2114?
Interview
With Leading Book Marketer Brian Feinblum
65
Websites For Writers & Publishers
Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in
this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the
nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and
email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the
third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2014.
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