Book Signings Be Damned

book signings be damned

Five Strategies for Effective Book Marketing in the New Publishing

Climate

NCPA (Northern California Publishers & Authors) Conference 2010

Clint Greenleaf - Chairman & CEO - Greenleaf Book Group

Humble Beginnings

And Dominique thought her first book was horrible…

Greenleaf Book Group

• Founded in 1997• Over 1,000 Titles• 4 NYT and 6 WSJ Bestsellers• John Gray and Kanye West• Inc 500 company• 38 Employees in Austin, TX

Tree Neutral

Learn More at www.treeneutral.com

Reality

Our Industry is tough, and so is every other industry out there

There is an over supply of books and not enough demand for them

Content and Platform rule

This is a Pity Party Free Zone

Let’s Sell some Books!

OVERVIEW

Marketing in the “New Publishing Climate” means many things.

Greater access to specific communities of readers results in more strategic and effective marketing.

A few words of caution:

Don’t abandon other means of marketing

for an all-online strategy.

STRATEGIES

We will cover the following strategies:

1. Focus on Your Community (or Communities)

2. Appearances with Value

3. Reviews

4. Build Expert Platform

5. Maximize Digital Opportunities

FOCUS ON YOUR COMMUNITY

Physical and Online Communities

Identify relevant communities and get active

Where are your competitors?

Know your target audiences.

Start by be strategic so you can adjust

your approach as needed based on feedback.


Associations & Corporations

Identify associations and corporations that find your content valuable.

Offer something to gain their interest:

• A free white paper for all of their people to download.

• An article for their newsletter.

• Network with the group and/or its leadership.


Book Clubs

Book clubs target groups of avid readers.

(strong word-of-mouth potential)

Create a reader’s guide with discussion questions.

Package the guide within the book itself.

Or promote it separately to reading groups.

A good resource:

www.bookmovement.com


Targeted Blog Outreach

Sites like www.Technorati.com provide metrics on blog readership

(approach your outreach strategically!)

Bloggers want a conversation, not a pitch,

(so do your homework on their content and personalize your approach!)


Awards

Awards build credibility within your community.

In addition to awards for the book, also consider awards for you

THE EXPERT to build your author platform and credibility.

Good resource for finding award opportunities:

www.awardsync.com

APPEARANCES WITH VALUE

When Book Signings ARE Okay

Sitting at a table, autographing books, does not work.

Think of ways to share value with your audience.

Sign & sell your books after.

(THIS DOESN’T HAVE TO BE IN A BOOKSTORE!)


Don’t Forget Libraries!

Libraries are often very receptive to author signings.

Libraries are also more likely to promote the event at no cost to you and leave your display materials up for a longer time before and after

the event.


Stock Signings

Stock signings are an effective way to:• Secure premium store placements.

• Increase buys on a store level.

• Minimize returns.

Bring your “Autographed by Author” stickers to the store.


Skype & Webinars

Virtual events are growing in popularity.

Here are a few ideas:

• Live book club Q&A via Skype.

• Instructional webinars.

• Children’s book readings.


Speaking

Research speaking opportunities through your community,

association, and organization relationships.

Also consider tools like Event Search on LinkedIn.

Start with Toastmasters or the National Speakers Association (NSA).

REVIEWS

Critical for Some Sales

For certain sales channels (libraries in particular),

reviews are critical for sales.

Book buyers face an increasing oversupply of published books, and they are looking for ways to differentiate and choose the best titles

for their audience.

REVIEWS

Word of Mouth & Syndication

Reviews spread the word about your book in 2 ways:

1. Traditional Word-of-Mouth“I read a review of a book I think you’d like.”

2. SyndicationMany major review publications license review content to

Amazon.com, BN.com, etc., and the content is featured

prominently on your title listing page.

REVIEWSMind Your Timelines

Most review publications require long lead-times,often 4-6 months.

Do your homework on major reviewer requirements, regarding both timeline and required materials.

REVIEWSTestimonials or “Blurbs”

Third-party endorsements, also called “testimonials” or “blurbs,” can also be effective to influence retailers and consumers.

Consider your target audience(s) and aim for a group of endorsements that speak to each.

These are often written by the author and sent for “approval” by the expert

REVIEWSConvert Fan E-Mails to Amazon Reviews

When readers e-mail you with words of praise:Respond with thanks. Ask them to help support you by

sharing their feedback as a reader review on Amazon.com.

Reader reviews and ratings factor into the Amazon visibility algorithm.

Template your responses and provide a direct link to your Amazon page.

BUILD EXPERT PLATFORMFind Your Niche

• What specific areas of your expertise to people want?• How is your philosophy/benefit different from that of your competitors? Can you position that in your messaging?• What value proposition or knowledge can you alone offer?• What awards can you boast?• Do you have longevity?• Volume and level of clients?• Do you “own” a word or phrase?

BUILD EXPERT PLATFORMFirst, Refine Your Elevator Pitch

Be able to confidently deliver your elevator pitch in 10 seconds.

It should include:

Who you are.What you do.

Why you’re different.How you can provide value, and to whom.

BUILD EXPERT PLATFORMNext, Create Content to Support It

Create and record as much as you can, including:

• Magazine or newspaper articles.• Scholarly papers or journal features.• Letters to the editor or opinion columns.• Blog posts.• Radio & TV interviews.• Lecture recordings.• Webcasts, podcasts, etc.

BUILD EXPERT PLATFORMSyndicate Your Content

Spread your content via the following:

•Submit articles to newspapers, magazines,

newsletters, blogs, etc.•Package your content as a free eBook.•Post audio/visual media (on your blog, Slideshare, etc.)•Ongoing social media upkeep (share your PR hits!)

.

BUILD EXPERT PLATFORMRepurpose Your Content

Post your work in article databases (www.ezinearticles.com, etc.).

Turn articles into press releases (tie to calendar events via www.chases.com).

Use segments of writing to answer questions on professional networks. (like LinkedIn)

Use it to answer PR queries (www.HARO.com, www.Prleads.com).

MAXIMIZE DIGITAL OPPORTUNITIES

Digital Portfolio

You want your content to be easy to find online.

Create a destination of information on your website for all of your content to live.

At a minimum, build and maintain a press room.


Social Media

Along with your digital portfolio, participation in social media gives you an active online presence, making you easier to find and communicate

with.

Be strategic. Consider:• LinkedIn• Facebook• Twitter• Blogs• Wikis


Newsletters & RSS Feeds

Capture and stay in front of your direct audience by offering newsletter and RSS feed opt-in signups on your site.


Blog

Update your blog at least twice a week.

In a perfect world, “chunk” content on the front end to make digital media more manageable.

For example, we perform content chunking during the editorial process to identify and pull out 50 standalone tweets and 15-20 blog posts/articles directly from the

manuscript.


Post Outside Your Own Blog

Commenting on the blogs of other prominent experts in your space is a great way to get in front of your target audience.

Don’t sell. Give value.

Don’t be afraid to debate and defend.

book signings be damned

Five Strategies for Effective Book Marketing in the New Publishing

Climate

NCPA (Northern California Publishers & Authors) Conference 2010

Clint Greenleaf - Chairman & CEO - Greenleaf Book Group

Documents

Book Signings Be Damned