Numerous studies have been done on how buyers respond to promotions prior to actually buying a book. Publishing gurus generally agree that a potential purchaser must experience some level of contact with your a course in miracles at least eight times before he/she is ready to buy. This may sound excessive, but it’s been tested and found to be correct.
Creating the Promotional Mix
So use the many facets of the potpourri that book publicists consider as they design their attack. You’re undoubtedly going to want to be both on and offline. Hopefully, you’re not too shy to appear on radio and television.
As a skilled writer, you’re able to churn out articles for syndication to tens of thousands of readers on the Web. Take advantage, but don’t ever neglect print media despite the drastic stories of collapse of this much-maligned, but very effective, promotional tool.. Magazines and newspapers are still read by millions of people. Get your name out there.
Organize Your Routine
How, you ask, can you manage to do all this as just one person? Very simply. By rolling up your sleeves and organizing your efforts. If you don’t have the financial resources to have a high powered PR firm tackle the job for you, and most of us writers don’t, you’ll have to do it yourself if you want to sell your books.
First of all, set a timeline for your activities in which each element builds on the prior one. Don’t rush to see your book on the shelves of bookstores across the country. Your initial challenge is to build recognition of your book so that people come to the store requesting it.
Tackling the Program
Before you begin actively promoting your book, make certain several key elements are in place. Build a web site. If you already have one, make sure it is updated with all pertinent information about your new book and has a page where your book can be purchased easily.
If you were published traditionally or through a POD (Publishing on Demand) house, your book has been placed with at least one of the major wholesalers, Ingram or Baker & Taylor, and possibly with Amazon, B&N.com, Borders.com. and Books-a-Million.com. In today’s marketplace, the Internet has also become a major selling vehicle that you can’t afford to neglect.
Your web site serves as your home base on the Internet and makes it possible for online bookstores to link to your selling page. It allows surfers to find your book through the search engines and order it on your site. If you don’t give customers a place to go to find your book once your publicity starts, you have wasted time, money and effort.
