MARKETING BASICS
Q: Now that my book is published, how do I promote it, and what does Bear Creek Press do to help?
What Bear Creek Press does:
1. Sends press releases to newspapers.
2. Sends announcements to bookstores.
3. Sends review copies to reviewers (by request).
4. Handles retailers' orders.
5. Furnishes promotional materials.
What the author does:
Everything else.
After the press releases and sales pitches go out, the success of your book depends almost entirely on self-promotion, and this in turn depends almost entirely on your personality -- one usually associated with car salesmen, insurance agents, and casket peddlers. A couple of our authors sell a couple thousand or more of their books per year; others sell zero (that's right -- zero, zip, zilch, nada, nothing). Where you fall in this range is up to you; we published your book not for the money (though we're certainly not opposed to making some) but because your book deserved to be published. The rest is up to you. So determine how much you want to sell your book: how hard you're willing to work and how much time you're able to spend -- how many miles you'll drive, stores you'll visit, appearances you'll make, presentations you'll give. And be honest. (Me, I'd rather have a root canal than ever give a reading or say a word in front of an audience.)
To see how this works, let's take the case of a Bear Creek Press author we'll call Joe (because that's his name). Joe sells an extraordinary number of his books every year. Among the reasons for his success are that he does the following:
1. Participates in numerous direct-sales opportunities throughout his region, which includes everything from Saturday Markets to the State Fair with a whole lot in between (daffodil festivals, state tournaments, art fairs, chicken fights, hootenannies, etc.).
2. Searches constantly for new venues for direct sales.
3. Gives presentations about his books to numerous organizations.
4. Contacts local media to arrange interviews and feature articles.
5. Visits every book outlet in his region often, making personal contacts with booksellers to see if they are interested in carrying his book or, if they already carry it, if they want to buy more.
This takes an enormous amount of time, labor, and energy -- and most people are either unwilling or unable to make a similar commitment. Even so, when it comes to marketing your book, it all comes down to this:
This is true no matter who publishes your book, whether it's the biggest
or smallest publishing house on the planet -- even if it's the largest publishing
house on the southwest bank of the Wallowa River. And if you think this
is just a quirk of a small press, then please read the following:
Janet Harris, from "Ten Tips on Nonfiction Books: Frank Talk From an Acquisitions Editor," Byline magazine, May 2006
Patricia Frye, from "Publishing -- the Raw Truth," Publishing Basics, August 22, 2007
Q: What kind of money can I expect from sales of my book?
Keep your expectations low. In general, the book business involves the expenditure of lots of time and energy with little profit in return. In fact, more than 60 percent of published books fail to earn back enough to cover the author's advance. Obviously, only a small percentage of books make a profit, and very few of these make a significant profit for either author or publisher. That's why Stephen King and his ilk are walking gold mines; one bestseller can keep a major publishing house afloat for quite some time, earning enough to keep the publisher publishing less profitable books. How much you make depends on how hard you're willing to work to promote your book, and how well the public receives it.
Q: What is a good showing on sales, a number that indicates a book is doing well?
It varies. For BIG publishers, a few hundred thousand; for Stephen King,
a few million; for Bear Creek Press, 500-1000 per year for the first year,
maybe two, then sales always decline as more and more of the potential audience
is reached. For the BIGs, the longevity of the book is usually no more than
a year before it's scrapped; for Bear Creek Press, it depends on the author
because most sales are direct, from author to buyer. Some work extremely
long and hard at finding venues and selling books, but most don't have that
kind of time or are unable to make the investment in time and labor necessary
to keep sales numbers up.
Q: What is protocol for setting up a signing?
Quite simply, you into the bookstore, introduce yourself to the bookseller (if it's an independent store, she's probably working behind the counter) and ask if she would be interested in setting up a signing. To help with this, you can say that Bear Creek Press will furnish press releases to local papers, posters advertising the event, fast shipments to the store, or anything else that might help relieve the bookseller of some of the work involved.
Q: What can I expect from the owner?
Even though a signing is ideally designed to help both author and bookseller make a profit in some form -- money, sales, publicity, good will, customer service, anything that helps strengthen the bonds of the community of the book -- long hours, little pay, and low attendance mean fewer booksellers these days are willing to sponsor readings or signings by unknown authors. (This is especially true of chain mega-stores, so your best bet-perhaps your only bet-is with the independents.) Therefore, you can frequently expect to hear, "No, thank you. We don't host signings because nobody comes." As much as this sounds like an excuse, it's too often true. Yet even if the bookseller declines, remember that you've still made an important personal contact with the one person who can help you more than any other: the independent bookseller. Even if she won't schedule a signing, she might stock your book.
Q: Is there anything I can do to persuade her to schedule a signing?
You can offer more than a signing. The next step up is a reading, though the market is so saturated with these that it's become standard fare. What might work is to offer a presentation. Depending on your book's subject and your approach to it, this could consist of a slide show, or a Power Point presentation, or a question-and-answer session about you, your work, your book, or your passion for the subject. The funny thing is that once you put such a show together, the best place to use it isn't a bookstore at all, but with groups hungry for the kind of information you have: senior groups, social clubs, civic organizations, etc. You give the presentation for free -- though many writers begin to earn speaking fees or "honorariums" -- then casually mention that you brought along copies of your book, in case anybody is interested in buying one. This is also more profitable, because the group doesn't take a cut, as bookstores must.
Q: Does it help to give the bookseller a free copy of the book?
No. If booksellers are truly interested, they'll make a deal and not expect a free copy; if they're not interested, they'll take the book, sell it, and that's the end of it. In addition, even those booksellers not interested in carrying the book might take a free copy as a polite way of seeing you to the door. You can give away a lot of books this way.
Q: If the owner says "yes," what can I expect from the public?
Such an event can be either the most gratifying or the most humiliating experience of a writer's life. To prepare for this, expect the worst but hope for the best. The worst: Nobody comes. That's right. Nobody. If that happens -- and it's happened to virtually every writer at one time or another, including some of the big shots when they were just starting out -- then you pat yourself on the back for being strong enough to play this goofy game, go home and hug your spouse or your kids or your dog, and do what you can to soothe the hurt. The best: A massed throng swarms you and chants your name and offers you the keys to their cars. If this happens, you'll know you're on your way -- if ego is the reason you write.
Q: Do signings help sell books?
Book signings or readings may be overrated as a sales tool. They work in either of two situations: You're famous or you have a multitude of family and friends. (And if you're famous and have the multitude, it's a sure thing.) All others get the scraps left behind at the table of fame. Furthermore, the introverted qualities shared by many writers -- reflective introspection and voluntary solitude among them -- often make these same people miserable when thrust into the spotlight, which can create an unpleasant experience for everyone involved. Overall, the sales generated by a signing may not be significant enough to justify the time and labor invested in it, especially if the writer must venture far from home. Sure, you've heard all about Mr. Big Writer's promotional tour sponsored by Mr. Big Publisher in which BW visits 300 bookstores in 30 days or some such thing. And that's just it -- you heard about it or read about it even though you weren't at one of those bookstores. That's because the media reported it. In these cases, the purpose of the tour is not to visit bookstores but to draw the media's attention to the writer and his book.
Q: I was wondering if cover blurbs actually boost sales. Do you think such praise actually figures into readers' decisions to buy books?
It may play a role, though it may be a small one. The writer's fame or reputation, cover design, and subject matter are probably much more influential. It may also be that the more knowledgeable a reader is, the more unlikely the blurbs affect his buying decision. For example, if you check books by members of the "Northwest Clique" of writers, you'll find they all write blurbs for one another, that all their praise is impossibly glowing, and that none of them could have ever found the time to read all those books in the first place. Might as well just print on every cover "This is the finest piece of writing ever created since the beginning of time, and nothing that will ever be written for the rest of human history can possibly match it, so all other writers may as well quit, and we should burn all other books so as not to tarnish the unmatched beauty and virginal purity of what you now hold in your hand." Nevertheless, it's still darn nice to have all those good words gracing the cover of a book.
A case history from the Bear Creek Press files:
We once published a book by an author who had so many blurbs already rounded up before even pitching his manuscript that we couldn't fit them all on the cover. These words of praise come from a former governor, a Pulitzer Prize winning writer, a popular novelist from the South, and a virtual Who's Who of writers from Alaska, which was the setting for the book. In addition, every reviewer who read the book loved it. And you know what? After numerous and repeated and intense efforts to the contrary, we never did place a single of these books in the author's home state of Florida. That's right -- a writer living in Florida and not a single bookstore in that state, not even in his own town, would stock the title. So much for blurbs.
We did, however, have better luck in Alaska, thanks largely to the author's own efforts, including flying there at his own expense to take part in some signings and to meet with old friends. But we spent more time and money in trying to promote this book in Alaska than we have for any other title in any other place. We hired a woman to call every bookstore in Alaska and came up with one event. Hired a second woman to call every bookstore in Alaska and came up with two more. A huge e-mailing resulted in one more. Yet all bookstores there seemed locked into doing business with one distributor, and the author's visit to that distributor resulted in several subsequent orders. But when those orders stopped, the book faced an inevitable death -- at least as far as sales were concerned.
So, again, blurbs are good to have but do not guarantee success. This is an unpleasant reality of the business, but one you should look at with eyes wide open. Do not, however, stop from rounding up these critters. And keep in mind that your turn will come -- just as these writers are doing you a BIG favor in endorsing your work, the day will come when you will be asked to return that favor by offering a bit of praise for a struggling and unknown author out fishing for a blurb. It's the least writers can do for one another.
Q: How do I approach the chain stores, such as Borders or Barnes & Noble, about carrying my book?
The guiding principle is this: The chains are NOT your friend. With a few exceptions, mega-stores such as Borders, B&N, and the like are "bestseller" stores that specialize in mass-market appeal: big names and known titles; their business is based on celebrities and bestsellers, and this is the realm of BIG publishers and BIG money. As a result, they rarely accommodate, and usually reject, the books of fledgling writers and small presses when it comes to stocking their titles, hosting signings, or in any way supporting books coming from anywhere but mega-publishers. With a few exceptions, the chains often behave as an exclusive club to which few are invited. As an example, let's say your book makes an appearance in a local or regional newspaper, and some readers want to purchase it. Because most people associate bookstores with the chains, they visit or call the nearest mega-store to buy your book. But the mega-store, of course, doesn't carry it. Now the guy at the front desk does one of three things:
1. He tells the customer that the book is unavailable because it's not sitting on the store's shelf.
2. He checks the store's data base, doesn't find the book listed there, and tells the customer that he cannot get it.
3. He checks Books-in-Print, finds it listed, and because he's interested in customer service, he calls Bear Creek Press to place the order.
Many will do number 3. So what's wrong with that? The store orders one copy of the book; another customer comes in and asks for it, so the store orders one more copy. If 100 customers order the book, the store will order it one book at a time, which means that 100 orders will be processed and shipped one at a time -- a good way to lose money. As a rule, the store will not acknowledge the demand for the book and put in an appropriate order because the author is not a big name and the book is not a known title. This situation can vary slightly from store to store, depending on management. One Borders in St. Petersburg, FL refused to carry a Bear Creek Press book written by a St. Petersburg author, no matter how often the guy asked, no matter how much paperwork they demanded. Yes, we jumped through the hoops for the writer, and after finishing their application forms and waiting six weeks, Borders sent its official answer: "Unfortunately, we cannot carry your title, and we cannot give you a reason for our decision." On the other hand, a woman at Borders in Eugene has the heart of an independent bookseller, which she used to be, and so carries a selection of regional titles and accommodates local authors for signings. But people like her are extremely rare at chain stores.
Q: What about Amazon.com?
Let's say your publisher is so close-minded about Amazon that he refuses to deal with them (this attitude has been shaped by experience). Therefore, you take the leap yourself. To do this, you'll probably have to sign up for their Advantage program, which you do (and soon learn that the advantage is all Amazon's). Let's say further, just to have a round number with which to work, your book's cover price is $10. You buy your books from the publisher at a 50 percent discount. You now have $5 invested in one book. Sell 100,000 of them and you'll be set for retirement. Amazon e-mails you and orders one book. They require a 55 percent cut from the cover price. You sell them the book for $4.50. You're now 50 cents ahead. But you have to pay shipping. Including the envelope and using media mail, this one book will cost approximately $3 to ship. You also have to print the mailing label, and if the package weighs more than one pound, you must deliver it to the post office window. Not counting the drive to the post office, you have spent $5 on the book and $3 for shipping for a total cost of $8; Amazon has paid you $4.50. You have lost $3.50 on your one book. Even though a publisher can come out slightly ahead because of production costs totaling less than 50 percent of the cover price -- way less, we hope -- the profit margin is incredibly slender, not usually justified by the time and labor involved in processing and shipping the minuscule orders Amazon usually makes to small publishers.
These are some reasons for loving-for cherishing-independent bookstores. And speaking of independents...
Q: What about Powell's in Portland?
As a BIG independent store -- arguably the biggest in the world -- Powell's shares characteristics of both the independents and the chains: It hosts numerous signings and readings, but is uninterested in any but "name" writers or books; it stocks a large inventory of regional titles, but may not respond to new authors and their work. This is true even if a customer walks into the store and tries to order one. The following is the explanation for this from an employee of Powell's:
"Powell's hasn't taken special orders or conducted book searches for customers for years. We refer folks to the publisher or to Ezra The Bookfinder in Eugene or Abbey Road Book Search in Denver. Unfortunately, if the person seeking the book asks about it at the store or calls us to ask if it is in inventory, their inquiry doesn't even trigger orders. Unfortunately, the only process that 'alerts' buyers to the fact that people are seeking a title is when the person seeking the book either goes to the website and puts the book on their 'notify me' list or selects the 'notify me if a used copy becomes available' option on the item page. Even if the book is not presently in inventory, the information page should still show up if it is in print and on backorder."
Q: Should I try to sell directly to bookstores, or should they buy from you?
They should always buy from the publisher. You'll find no advantages to selling directly to stores but numerous disadvantges: You'll have to fill the order, provide and track the paperwork, and do the collecting -- all for no more gain other than the standard royalty because you buy your book at a 50 percent discount, but then you sell it to stores for a 40 percent discount, leaving you with a 10 percent profit. (If you do not give a store a 40 percent break, they will not want to do business with you and will dread seeing you come in the door.) So go ahead and make the contact with the bookseller, pitch your book, explain the publisher's discount and other terms, and then hand them a Bear Creek Press business card. Then it's up to them whether they want to pursue the deal.
Q: What are the advantages of selling directly to individual buyers?
For the author, the advantage is more money per book sold. Our standard royalty is 10 percent, but you can buy copies of your book at a 50 percent discount, giving you a 50 percent return on the sale. Some authors want every opportunity for the increased profit, while others care not a whit. The disadvantage is the investment of time and labor in making sales that may not yield adequate compensation.
Q: Is selling at special events a good idea?
Depends on the event. One thing to keep in mind, no matter where you're pitching your book, is the answer to this question: Why did these people come here? For example, we've had authors try to sell baseball books at ball parks and basketball books at state tournaments with limited success. Why? Because their intended audience went to those places to watch ball games, not to buy books. The same is true for flea markets or car shows or rodeos or any other activity that draws people not attending primarily to buy books. The result is almost always a success rate far less than expected, especially if venue fees are charged. Do not, however, let this keep you from pursuing all reasonable promotional ideas. In this case, "reasonable" means you have the time, the enthusiasm, and the finances to do it. Most important is that you find it fun or gratifying or in some way worthwhile.
Q: What's the best outlet for direct sales?
Without doubt, Christmas bazaars. The reason ties in with the answer to the question: Why did these people come here? The answer at a holiday bazaar is to spend money, to buy something for Grandma or Uncle Joe. Such venues can generate excellent sales in a short time. Furthermore, many communities have a number of events nearby, so an author can sign up for several of them.
Q: Does Bear Creek Press help with venue fees?
Yes. We pay half of all venue fees, though the author must report those fees for reimbursement. The amount is added to the author's royalty check each quarter.
Q: Can you give me some information about the Oregon Authors Table at the Oregon State Fair?
One of the two people in charge of the fair's Oregon Authors Table -- the Commercial Exhibits & Concessions Manager -- sent along the following information:
Here are some facts and guidelines (along with some comments) about the Oregon Authors Table:
BCP Comment: Darn tough. Please note that this fellow has never sat for 12 12-hour days at the table. He is right, however, in that most authors do seem to enjoy it. Grueling but rewarding is probably a consensus opinion.
BCP Comment: Bear Creek Press pays for one space. Some authors want more room -- you cannot believe how small two feet of table is, especially after dozens of hours -- and purchase the rest accordingly.
BCP Comment: He right about the marketing and the thousands of people -- we'll forget for now the idea that you'll be exposing yourself to these people -- but his statistics about the "average" are somewhat slanted. Some authors sell 50 and others 400, so average ain't average. At a recent fair, three Bear Creek Press authors sold a total of almost 1,000 books. This is a good place to mention that all three sell, really work at pushing their books, probably the reason for their sales figures. One such author believes that the state fair is the pay day for writers who take advantage of it. But another participant, possibly the most successful self-publisher in the Northwest, attends only every other year because the event is so exhausting. Nevertheless, how you approach this kind of direct marketing is up to you; some are extremely aggressive to the point of being annoying, while others are darn casual, almost indifferent, about it. Also be aware that most authors at the table are self-published; most of the books are nonfiction; and many authors are selling more than one title, which results in a greater potential for total sales.
If you're interested in learning the details, contact the Oregon Authors Table by e-mail or call the Oregon State Fair office at 503-947-3246. The usual procedure is for you to be placed on a mailing list, after which you should receive an application, according to fair officials, "by late June."
Q: When selling at a bazaar or other venue, how should I display my books?
1. As much as it's within your power to do so, always display your book FACE-OUT. A face-out display will always outsell spine-out; in fact, some authors and sales reps go to great lengths to get this favored treatment at book stores.
2. Don't let the display case outshine the book they're displaying. Clear acrylic that presents the books FACE-OUT (see 1 above) may be the best, and you can find a good selection at a company called Clear Solutions (a suggestion, NOT an endorsement). You can expect to pay $20-$25 (including shipping) for a good one. In spite of the expense, this guarantees an effective display and may be worth the investment.
3. If you're worried about wear and tear on the books as the result of repeated handling, then you can shrink wrap all the books but one, which is then designated as a "reading copy." (The wrapping itself is a do-it-yourself project requiring only some plastic wrap and a hair dryer.)
Q: Are there outlets other than bookstores that will sell my book?
The number and variety of retail stores eager to sell books, especially by local authors, continues to grow. We have placed authors' books in grocery stores, gift shops, clothing outlets, pharmacies, restaurants -- even a beauty salon. The reason for this is that the authors themselves approached the business owners about carrying the books, and the results of this marketing initiative and creativity have been extremely and pleasantly surprising. "It doesn't hurt to ask" seems to be the attitude that is opening up these unexpected outlets. So if you're comfortable asking, give it a try.
Q: Which newspapers and bookstores receive information about my book?
Ideally, Bear Creek Press covers the Northwest; in the bookseller's world, this consists of five states: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. But practically, we focus almost exclusively on Oregon, unless a book or author has a direct bearing on another state. Therefore, all daily newspapers and independent bookstores in the state, as well as your local newspaper and nearest book outlet, receive a press release or announcement about your new book. Furthermore, the press release sent to appropriate media offers a review copy, which is promptly mailed upon request.
Q: How do I approach newspapers about my book?
The author's contact occurs after the publisher's; that is, after papers receive the press release describing the new book and its author. Keep in mind that the publisher and the media view this press release differently: for the publisher (and author) it's advertising; for the media it's news. Either way, the press release is intended to come across as something beneficial to the community the newspaper serves. With that in mind, you have two approaches to your contacts:
1. With your local newspaper, pitch the idea of "local writer makes good." This is an almost-sure bet with papers within your region, though it all depends on the temperament of the staff in general and the editor in particular. Working in your favor is that you are an Oregon writer, a Northwest author, and we love local authors, local books, local successes. Often, all that is needed from you is a phone call to the paper explaining who you are and what you've done, and a reminder that the newspaper has received a press release to that effect.
2. With outside papers, you can call, ask for the managing editor, and say, "I'm coming through town to promote my book and was wondering if you'd be interested in an interview?" It's amazing how many times this works. One self-published writer in Walla Walla loads up a box of books in her car, drives to every newspaper office in the region, and says, "I want someone to interview me about my book." Does it work? In the La Grande daily she got herself a full-page color spread, and had similar results at other papers. It helps that she's in her 70s and the book is about hiking trails in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, but the point is that newspapers, especially the small dailies, which in the Northwest is any daily outside The Oregonian or Seattle Times, are looking for stories. The important thing here is to specify an interview. An author interview is which is far more effective than a book review, perhaps because it reaches more readers while wearing the guise of news.
Q: How can I get magazines to review my book?
First, track down those periodicals that do reviews of the kind of book you've written; then, follow their protocol for submitting a book for review. These days, both steps can often be handled by searching the Internet for likely magazines, though nothing replaces personal experience. For example, if you've written a book about your life as a rancher, and if you already read or subscribe to "ranching" or "country" or "agriculture" magazines, that's the place to start -- with those magazines on your coffee table at home. The traditional standby, of course, is Writer's Market, a yearly compilation of potential markets in every subject. A word of caution: When it comes to unknown authors, reviews seem to sell few books, no matter how glowing the praise for the writer or story.
Sure. Two groups of people in particular can lend extra weight to your book's appeal: experts in the field and names in the news. For example, if you've written a book on mountain climbing or pet psychology or lawn care, then find experts in those fields who might say something nice about your book. (It can be as simple as "This is the best presentation of the workings of the feline mind I've ever encountered," signed Felix T. Kat, Parapsychologist, the Pussy Institute.) Simply contact them, tell them what you have, and see if they might be willing to give it a look. If they should like your work and say so, then they might be encouraged to offer a blurb. The same thing is true for names in the news; it's often surprising how often a writer or politician or businessman with a face and name familiar to the public will consent to a writer's request for help.
It can be a good idea if it meets two criteria:
1. It's appropriate to the magazine.
2. It can stand alone as an article.
The publicity comes with the author information that most magazines print with their articles, often citing the title of the book and even a Web site address for those who want more information.
Q: Do you nominate titles for anything like the Oregon Book Awards?
A: In the past we have nominated a number of titles for this and other awards, and we will continue to do so in the future because we feel that any book we undertake is certainly deserving of such recognition. Unfortunately, those living in the world of award-giving do not see things the same way. If your book receives such an honor, its success receives a significant boost -- but the odds are long. As an example, the following is an email conversation between a deservedly disgruntled author (DA) whose book was nominated for an Oregon Book Award in 2008 -- and who possesses a good understanding of the flaws in such an award -- and the Grand Poobah (GP) of Bear Creek Press:
DA: The thing that really irritates me is that they have the nerve to call it the Oregon Book Awards when all they are talking about is Oregon AUTHORS. Not one of the books nominated is about Oregon or Northwest history, culture, trends or individuals! I'm sorry but that sucks. Aren't there any awards that recognize the creation of significant books about Oregon or Northwest themes? I don't think I've seen any. In my opinion, a worthwhile Oregon Book Awards competition would reward good books about Oregon whether they were written by Oregon authors or not. And the publishers of the nominees are all presses outside Oregon -- a sorry commentary indeed.
GP: I agree with everything you say about these awards, which involves a somewhat dubious business. And a business it is, too. It's the way some publications and organizations make their money, pay their salaries. For a "nonprofit" organization, numerous entries can give them leverage when applying for grants; for magazines and journals, the entry fees help keep them in the black. The reason I submit an occasional entry for the award is that the book is worthy. Even so, it is bound to be ignored.
MT: Another award [that of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association] doesn't address content and only requires that, "the author and/or illustrator reside within the PNBA region (Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Montana, Idaho and British Columbia), and that the book be published within the current calendar year."
GP: The PNBA award is also unusual in that it is determined by who or what strikes the fancy of the organization's members. One year, a prestigious publisher from Portland, known throughout the Northwest for her exquisite literary tastes, endorsed the male-author-of-the-moment with the gushingly-enthusiastic, "He's GORGEOUS!" (I'm not making this up.)
Bear Creek Press
With its World Headquarters located at the old Abbie Riggle Place on Bear Creek Road just one mile from downtown Wallowa, Oregon, Bear Creek Press is the largest publishing house on the southwest bank of the Wallowa River.
"Well-designed and well-printed books."
Statesman-Journal (Salem, Oregon)
"There could be nothing so important as a book can be."
Editor Max Perkins in a letter to author Thomas Wolfe
