How to Dazzle Potential Publishers With

Your Marketing Plan

By Patricia L. Fry

(Partially excerpted from Patricia Fry’s new book, “How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less.)

In these competitive times, the promotions portion of one’s book proposal is among the most important aspects. A publisher wants to know that you have a grasp on your target audience and that you understand how to reach them. He also needs your assurance that you will help promote the book.

HOW TO LOCATE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

Who is your target audience? Who are the primary readers for your book? What segment of the population did you have in mind when you conceived the idea for this book? Who did you want to help, educate, inform or entertain? And PLEASE do not say, “Everyone.” Say this to a publisher and you will definitely receive a rejection letter. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all book. Even the world’s best-selling book, the Bible, isn’t embraced by all of humanity. Tell a publisher that your audience is everyone and you’ve just blown your professional cover.

Now get real. Who is your target audience? I generally encourage a hopeful author to determine his target audience before he ever begins to write his book. The process of developing a book proposal has caused many a writer to change their focus. One reason to shift gears is to attract a larger audience.

For example, a book designed to teach summer gardening techniques in Northern California would draw a larger audience if it were expanded to cover all of the seasons in the entire northwest. A book teaching senior citizens to fly would have a wider appeal if it included beginning pilots of all ages and a section on how to purchase your first plane.

YOUR PROMOTIONAL PLAN

What can you offer the publisher in the way of your expertise toward promoting this book? What are some of your ideas? Where do you see it being sold? How can you participate in going after sales?

I interview publishers regularly for the SPAWN Market Update posted monthly at the SPAWN Web site member area. (That’s Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network— http://www.spawn.org .) When I ask these publishers what sort of authors they most like working with, they almost always mention those with time, energy, ideas, the ability and the WILLINGNESS to promote their own books.

THE BOOKSTORE

Most authors expect to see their book sold through bookstores. Unfortunately, only a fraction of the books published each year ever land on bookstore shelves. A well-known publisher with a good track record can usually get your book into bookstores. Even you can persuade bookstore managers to carry your book if you can initiate enough sales to make it worth their while. Get a gig on Oprah or Montel, for example. Arrange for widespread newspaper publicity. When customers come in by the droves and start requesting your book, bookstore owners will carry it.

But are you sure that bookstores are the best outlet for your books? Just look at the competition. Even someone walking into a bookstore expressly to purchase your book (which, if it’s listed in Books In Print can be ordered), is easily swayed to purchase a title that’s in stock.

Most book promotion experts and successful book promotion professionals agree that specialty stores are more lucrative outlets for many books than traditional bookstores. So, in your proposal, you might list some of the types of stores that could be a match for your particular book—an automotive shop for a book on vintage cars, for example; hospital gift shops, baby stores and maternity shops for a parenting book and pet shops, feed stores and veterinarian offices for a book on animal behavior or pet-related poems.

EXAMPLES FROM MY BOOK PROPOSAL

Here are some of the promotional ideas I offered the publisher in my book proposal for Youth Mentoring, Sharing Your Gifts With the Future (Liguori Publications, 2004). I said that I would be available to promote it through book signings and speaking engagements to civic organizations, youth foundations, clergy, educator’s groups and so forth. I said that I would send press releases and offer follow up to the seventy-five or so organizations and agencies I included in my resource list. I said that I would do radio and TV spots as well as write articles for magazines. I listed some of the magazines that might publish an article on this topic and their circulation (information available in Writer’s Market). I promised to promote the book on my Web site. I also said that I would solicit book reviews in appropriate magazines, newsletters and Web sites related to youth-oriented clubs and organizations. I told them that I envisioned this book being sold through traditional and religious bookstores and gift shops as well as catalogs for educators, religious leaders and family counselors.

As a measure of proof, I shared with the publisher some of my credentials and experiences related to public speaking, book tours, media interviews and so forth. It’s important that the publisher have something to hang his hat on—that you can convince him that you are not just blowing in the wind.

WHAT EXPERTISE CAN YOU OFFER?

Perhaps you’re willing to give seminars on the topic of your book. If so, state this in your book proposal. Would articles in key publications be a good way to sell this book? Are you willing to solicit assignments and write those articles? Be sure to tell this to the publisher.

What are your strengths—public speaking, being organized enough to send out press releases regularly, planning and running seminars? Talk about your background and expertise. I’ve been involved with Toastmasters for a number of years and frequently do public speaking. I typically include this in the promotion section of my book proposals. I also mention my affiliations that might help in the promotion of my book—magazines that I write for regularly, organizations that I belong to, etc.

YOUR BOOK AS A PREMIUM ITEM

Perhaps your book would make a good premium item. Suggest this to the publisher. Companies often purchase large numbers of books to give away to customers. For example, a historical novel might be of interest to a bank or other large business in the area where the story takes place. A local history book might appeal to the school district, historical society, museum and libraries in this place. They might offer to purchase your book at a discount as a fund raiser.

A scientific book could be a premium item, too—for businesses related to the topic, perhaps. And this book could be marketed through museum gift shops, appropriate scientific organizations and Web sites, schools as well as children’s bookstores.

A book related to art and to children might be a good premium item for banks, law firms, large companies that manufacture art supplies and so forth. This book could also be sold through children’s bookstores, art supply stores, gift shops and catalogs of books for educators, artists, psychologists.

YOUR MAILING LIST

Create a mailing list. Start now adding to your mailing list. Add family, friends, acquaintances, your kids’ teachers, your dry cleaner, coworkers, fellow volunteers, people you know from the gym, former classmates. You get the idea. Collect business cards and brochures, especially from folks with whom you’ve discussed your book and who seem even remotely interested. When your book comes out, send each of them an announcement and an order form and/or an invitation to a book signing.

Make time to go through your local telephone directory and online directories for other communities. Highlight organizations and companies that might be interested in your book. For my youth mentoring book, I contacted family counselors, schools, mentoring organizations, civic organizations and youth organizations.

PLAN A SUCCESSFUL BOOK SIGNING

Most new authors see dollar signs and prominence when they envision their first book signing. In reality, most book signings generate little acknowledgement and few sales. You have the power to change this reality by planning ahead.

The typical author signing results in anywhere from 0 to 8 book sales. One of my clients was the guest author at a very small, local bookstore recently and he sold over fifty copies of his $24.95 true crime book. How? He arranged to be interviewed in two local newspapers so that the articles appeared during the week of the event. He sent custom-made postcard invitations to his entire mailing list. He made sure that there were posters noting his signing displayed prominently in the store. He told everyone he talked to about the event. And he gave the bookstore manager flyers to be included with each purchase during the weeks prior to the signing.

Perhaps you are beginning to see the importance of establishing and maintaining a complete and up-to-date mailing list.

These are just a few of the promotional ideas you might include in the marketing section of your book proposal. For additional information about creating a marketing plan and for writing a complete book proposal, read Patricia Fry’s new book, How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less (Matilija Press, 2005). Ordering information: http://www.matilijapress.com/

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