Non-Fiction Book Marketing – And art and a science to success
How you market your book depends on the subject matter,
your ability to speak well on the message, your ability to
attract attention for the book, current trends in the world
market, and a variety of other factors. Regardless of how
you specifically market your book, do not underestimate the
time, energy, and tenacity it takes to do it well.

Among the marketing channels an author should consider are
public relations (PR) kits and press releases to print and
broadcast media, Internet marketing, speaking, exhibiting,
catalogs, and special and premium sales marketing (markets
other than bookstores). Your current client or prospect
lists may be your best immediate source of sales. A book
should be one piece of an overall personal or business
marketing plan.

It is important for these three decisions to be made as
early in your process as possible. Do some research and
some soul-searching, and you will be poised to make the
most of your hard work in developing your book.

Your marketing strategy should include what marketing
activities you plan to undertake, along with your budget
and timetable for those activities. What are you going to
do to be sure your audience knows your book is available
and the place where it’s being sold?

Most first-time authors are shocked to find out that
publishers do very little marketing on behalf of authors.
The traditional publisher will get your book into its
catalog, on its Web site, and into mainstream distribution
and bookstores, but little else.

Publishers allocate a miniscule marketing budget of $500 to
$1,000 for a new title with a new author, which pays for a
few hundred flyers, press releases to the appropriate news
organizations and magazines, and a few dozen review copies
to go out on request. Only a few of all books at the major
publishers have marketing budgets of $20,000 or more, the
kind of budget needed to do a credible national marketing
campaign.

Effective marketing will start with preparing your
resources such as:
• Targeting important endorsers for testimonials
• Creating a high-impact cover
• Preparing a full and professional media kit
• Adding to or making a Web site for you as an author
• Designing appropriate print collateral materials

You must also decide what will be the most effective type
of marketing for your book based on what you like to do:
• Writing articles
• Public speaking
• Email campaigns
• Exhibiting at trade shows or other events
• Public relations resulting in interviews in broadcast and
print media
• Web promotion and affiliate sales, perhaps using blogging
or podcasting
• A launch part, book tour, or book signings

Finally, consider how you will get all of these things
done. Do you have the time and resources to do it all
yourself? Or will you hire a virtual assistant, PR
professional, speaking or media coach, writer, or speaking
agent to help you?

Each of these items has a cost, either in dollars or in
time taken away from other business money-making
activities. The impact of book marketing time, energy, and
money can be negative on your business unless you plan for
it up front. Just be sure you market your business and your
book together.

The author most likely to succeed makes the best use of her
own connections. Think about whom you know and whom that
person knows. Even if you hire a publicist to carry out
your PR plan, that person can do his or her best work with
enthusiastically proactive author clients. If you expect
the publicist to do it all while you are busy doing other
things, then you will probably be disappointed with him or
her.

You have to be not only proactive but also organized and
persistent. Keep a record of every media contact and
exposure you’ve ever had, so you can contact them again
when you have something newsworthy.
engraved plaques

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Gail Richards is founder of http://www.AuthorSmart.com a
dynamic website connecting aspiring authors with the
classes, audio library, tools, information and resources
needed to make smart, informed decisions at each step in
the nonfiction book publishing journey. Jan King is the
founder of http://www.eWomenPublishingNetwork.com a
membership organization devoted to supporting and coaching
women who become successfully published nonfiction authors.

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