By Edward Nawotka
In today’s lead story, Dave Weich argues that book marketing needs to change with the times. It’s no longer nor has it ever really been a case of “If you publish it, they will come.”
Today, as Weich points out, the cost of producing professional level book marketing materials has fallen dramatically, placing them well within the means of most authors and publishers. Conventional thinking would suggest that, in today’s noisy marketplace, the more money you put into marketing, the better the chance you have of giving your book a chance. It’s the old saw: “You need to spend money, to make money.”
That said, the question arises, how much should you spend? Several DIY publishers offer marketing packages ranging from a few hundred dollars, which will often get you little more than an email blast press release, to tens of thousands, which should give you the “works” — galleys, a dedicated publicist, a Web site, et al.
The true value of these endeavors is difficult to calculate in terms other than outright book sales. Given that the average work of literary fiction sells less than 10,000 copies (often far less), what seems a reasonable sum? For a work of non-fiction, which likely has greater commercial potential, what then?
Tell us, and you can be anonymous if you’d like, how much you’ve spend on book marketing? What do you see as its value? Was it worth it to you?
2 Comments
Let me say immeditately that I am no marketing expert (just an enthusiastic reader, I’ve had a Kindle for a long time)but I do think the question is NOT the right one: it’s not so much a matter of HOW MUCH money to put into marketing as a matter of STRATEGY.
We all know “Times have changed” with the coming of digital books and that fact alone suggests that a new strategy has to be adopted. First and foremost, a new PRICING strategy, juggling between not only hard cover and paperbacks as has been done so far but also, and that’s more important, e-books. The Amazon model misses something important: the difference between owning a digital version and a paper version of the same book.
I think that what our experts in marketing don’t realize is that quite a few people, given a chance, would like to have BOTH the digital and paper version because their uses are quite different. The digital version you can take along with you wherever you go and read at odd times when you’re stuck and have nothing better to do, like when queuing up at the post office or waiting for the doctor. But you can’t share it with friends the way you do a paper book nor show it off as a decorative object in your house, nor refer to it when you need to use quotes. It just isn’t there, concretely.
So, strategically speaking, the prices should be linked: for example, if you buy the digital version, you get a discount on the paper version, and vice-versa.
A lot of people see e-books as replacing paper versions – but that assumes the market for books doesn’t expand. I believe that on the contrary, with e-readers and especially with the dazzling i-pad, a lot of people who previously never read a book are attracted (perhaps even for the first time) to literature.
It’s a golden opportunity for marketing guys: this is an EXPANDING market, and you should try and ride the tiger!
Unfortunately, I have spent several thousand dollars on having a press release created, having a focused email marketing campaign–twice–which netted few requests, having paid various marketing companies upload covers for articles, and placed it in all the international book shows and some library shows.
The BookExpo America in New York in May, 2010, netted the most interest, and the most contacts. The cost added up quickly: I paid to attend the show, flew in and stayed at a hotel, spoke to various and sundry publishers, attended breakfasts and luncheons (best part of the show) and did have a chance to really talk to several interested parties. I learned a lot more by doing that than all the rest of the investment dollars put together. I advertised in the Publishers Weekly for each day and all that got me was an incorrectly worded listing and printing companies who wanted to print my novel.
I am presently working on the second novel in this trilogy, however, and will take a different tack when that one is ready to market. It is far better to be able to talk to people in the business and get some truly clear ideas of how building your novel’s interest in the work place needs to happen.
My novel is also an ebook and I need to be sure it works not only on the Kindle but also on the iPad.
Abilene Gray, Author, ONCE UPON A COMMUNE, January 2010
-Fiction Award, SouthWest Writers, GEMINI MOON, 2003.