How to Market Books

The publishing industry has a long tradition of relying on key external suppliers, most notably from authors who provide their content to the industry but are not full-time employees. This chapter, new for this edition, will help those marketing books to understand how it feels to be an author – and show how you can harness their energy and expertise to promote the effective sale of the products you have created together. We will then consider how other relationships with service providers can help in the effective marketing of publishing content.

One of the remarkable developments over the past few years has been the rise of author involvement in marketing. Publishers increasingly rely on their authors to help them promote projects to which they have jointly committed – and the extent of their online connectedness may play a big part in decisions over whom to commission. Significantly there is also increasing author marketing activity without the involvement of the traditional industry; building a following through self-publishing, and in the process demonstrating demand for a particular writer’s work, has become an important new way for publishers to discover content in which they decide to invest.

It’s not uncommon for those marketing titles to have little understanding of their subject matter; and the more specialised the title, the more likely this is. There are many more arts than sciences graduates working in the industry, and given the importance of scientific, technical and medical publishing to the industry, there is bound to be a disparity between the number of people needed to work on such highly technical subjects and the quantity of qualified staff available. This is not necessarily a problem, provided the marketer is willing to be interested in the potential purchaser, engage with the need for the product and the benefits the user will receive from purchase.

If you find yourself in this position, be sure to read the information on which a decision to publish was based: the commissioning form (the name will vary from house to house but the purpose will be the same) that describes the designated market and the product’s benefits. And do this before you have any contact with the author. If you make it clear that you have little understanding of their key discipline, but were not even sufficiently motivated to do some basic research, they are bound to feel anxious.

While there are exceptions, in general, authors tend to underplay the role of the publisher in bringing their work to market; there’s a commonly stated (and very annoying to publishers) view among authors that all they have to do is ‘press a few buttons’ and out comes a book. In fact the role of the publisher in presenting work to the public, shaping the voice, managing the text to ensure meaning shines through, arranging an attractive cover and launching at the best time is all part of a highly skilled business. Low-quality self-publishing operations have shown how effective management of content is most apparent when missing. Encourage your authors to have a sense of how many people are involved in the presentation of their work.

On hearing that his son had had a book commissioned, the father of Alan Sillitoe 1 commented: ‘You’ll never have to work again.’ How wrong he was. Bestselling writers apart, writing in general is not well paid. Surveys have repeatedly shown that, in general, most authors earn less than the recommended minimum wage for their writing. They produce the raw material, those selling it get better remunerated. It’s hardly a situation designed to improve a relationship.

Traditionally, authors have known little about the publishing process and, ironically, the better the process has been managed, the less inclined they have been to enquire – effective publishing is often most evident when absent. Today how much they know about the process is changing, as those who have experimented with self-publishing appreciate just how much is involved. Helping them understand all the silent processes (reviewing and rejecting content, editing, managing production processes) that lead to the rightness of a product may encourage stronger collaboration.

• Encourage them to get in touch with you at the right time in the production cycle

A list of key contacts given to you on publication day is far too late; you need information a good 6 to 9 months ahead and preferably when the manuscript is handed over. The starting point should be the author publicity form, which you should make clear is a key marketing platform. As a marketer I have seen many sloppily filled in, with inadequate information (‘IRA, Boston 2015?’ instead of the full name, dates and details of the organisers for a key conference) and arrogant responses to key questions (‘I have already told your editorial director – ask them’). Explain that you are busy and they really do need to take the time to fill this in properly, and not assume that you have time to fill in gaps. You could tactfully say that you will be relying on colleagues and not everyone will be fully familiar with the initials they take for granted, so spelling them out in full is really helpful.

Ask them to send them in, and in digital format (so they can be forwarded), not just ring up, at sporadic intervals, as and when they think of them.

Authors who have self-published have already been through all the stages of manuscript preparation and dissemination. They may be moving into the confines of a traditional publishing house because they have decided they would rather write than publish, having discovered in the process that publishing is far more labour-intensive than they had realised.

A successful relationship can be built if their knowledge is both appreciated and built upon. Arrange a meeting to talk about their understanding of the market, the face-to-face responses they have received from readers. Build on their online connectedness to develop your own. Reinforce each other’s efforts, particularly significant given that their effective self-publishing was the reason they were commissioned.

Case study

Working with publishers after a self-publishing start: an interview with author Kit Berry

Kit Berry is the author of the five-book Stonewylde series (www.stonewylde.com). She is not particularly keen on labels but her work could probably fit within the overarching brackets of magical realism/romance/the healing power of nature/environmental awareness. Perhaps more significantly, she also fits into the growing category of successful self-published authors now acquired by a traditional agent and publisher – and who, having managed the various processes herself, does not want to be marginalised from expressing her qualified opinions.

Setting up a website for the Stonewylde series was the first thing I organised, as soon as I’d published the first book. My new partner, an IT expert, created a really interesting website with a contact facility. This enabled readers to get in touch with me, which they did with great enthusiasm. From this early interaction, my partner built a thriving social network for Stonewylde fans.

From the outset I sought to make links with organisations that wanted talks, as a means of bringing my work to new readers. I am a former English teacher, and know that schools are always looking for authors who understand the National Curriculum, learning outcomes and class involvement. My series of books is suitable for young adults and I enjoy speaking to and working with students. School visits are paid, with expenses too, so this was a source of income that allowed me to keep writing. I also offered talks to adult groups within a reasonable travelling distance – Women’s Institutes, Townswomen’s Guilds, Probus, U3A, libraries – anywhere that would have me. I have been invited several times to the Netherlands and the work has brought other invitations from overseas.

I found that people were interested not only in my books, but also in my personal story. Many people want to write, and they also like to hear of a real romance with a happy ending. As a divorced mother of three, I had worked full time as a teacher, juggling the marking of exam papers for additional income. It was frankly very hard going. I had always longed to be a writer and finally plucked up the courage to make the change after a mesmerising experience with a hare in some woods. Writing the books led to an increase in my confidence and then, after many years of being single, to meeting a new man – the IT expert whom I subsequently married. There are a lot of middle-aged women looking for a change in their lives, and I have consistently found they relate well to the story I tell. I am encouraged that people have taken comfort from my transformation, and some have used it as motivation to get started on their own life changes.

Sometimes I would get a fee, sometimes just expenses, but the chance to talk to a group of people always prompted book sales and, if they liked the work, word-of-mouth publicity. Whenever I attended an event I aimed to dress the part; a lesson I learned early on is that to the audience, an author is someone rather special, so it is important that one’s appearance reflects this.

Magazine interviews were another very positive form of marketing in the early days, and I would seek to be interviewed by any magazine with a relevant readership. My story fitted particularly well with magazines aimed at mid-life/career women who like reading about stories of change and new love. I always insisted on holding a copy of my first book in the photographs, as this was the whole point of the exercise.

As another potential market, I became involved in the mind, body and spirit (MBS) circuit of festivals and exhibitions. These events can attract really large audiences, and people are often prepared to spend considerable amounts of money, for example, on tarot readings, palmistry and psychic healing. I refined a talk that focused on the healing power of nature, one of the themes in my Stonewylde series. I then encouraged the audience to buy my first book and try the techniques themselves, and this proved really successful in building sales and finding new readers. One of the advantages of writing a series of books is that people will go on to buy the others if they have enjoyed the first one.

The online social network that my partner had created early on was an excellent way of keeping people interested and engaged. We joke that we should have started a dating agency too, because four different couples, now happily living together, met through our Stonewylde network. Nowadays Facebook and Twitter dominate the social media, and we have switched our efforts to these platforms. It’s important to maintain a constant presence; I find that my readers are keen to share their love of Stonewylde, which creates an ever-growing market for the books. Everyone today understands the need to promote themselves online, although constantly plugging your books is a sure way of putting people off. In my early days I did quite a lot of this, and now cringe at the thought of it. You must be a little more subtle.

I believe it is very important to maintain your author persona online, and not inadvertently mix personal and professional identities. Readers love to think they are gaining an insight into one’s personal life, but of course this must be carefully managed. I used my personal story to add interest to my talks and magazine interviews, but I would never share private information or feelings with any audience, online or in person. I have seen writers get into a mess by mixing their professional and their personal lives on Facebook and other social media. When anyone can ask to be your ‘friend’ online, it is important to remember that most of these followers are not your friends. If you have children, it is even more important to keep family life private. For instance, on Facebook I would post a picture of my dog looking adorable, but I would never dream of posting pictures of a family celebration. Even if you are OK with strangers seeing your personal photos and events, family members or friends may object to your thousands of followers seeing all.

One way round this dilemma is to write under a pen-name. Long before I started writing, a famous author told me that she wished she’d used a pseudonym from the outset, because now it was too late. Every time she used her debit card in the supermarket or garage, her identity would be revealed and she would be asked for an autograph. I remembered this advice, and consequently I keep my author name and profile separate from my real, personal one. Privacy cannot be reclaimed once it has gone; think big and assume you will be famous one day! Nobody wants to be stalked, so best keep private stuff that way. If you use social media as a business tool, remember the old maxim about never mixing business with pleasure.

Right from the start my partner and I consciously built up a mailing list, asking people who visited the website if they wanted to stay in touch, and then sending out newsletters at regular intervals. Anyone who emailed me to give feedback on my work, or to ask questions, was similarly added to the list. This created a community to whom we could later launch each new book, offering reduced prices for advance orders and building anticipation and excitement for the next title.

Being signed by a literary agent and then the work being sold to Orion was wonderful. I assumed that henceforth I would just get on with the writing, leaving the professional marketing and PR to the publishers. But having been responsible for it for so long, and observed what worked and what did not, it’s hard to switch off. I know my own market better than the publishers do, and I gain real energy from continuing to meet and interact with my readers. Everything I learned as a self-published author I still put to good use. Once one’s book is out, the publishers move on to marketing their next new book by their next author. But I know how important it is to maintain the marketing impetus, as there is a wide and untapped audience out there. So as long as the books are in print, my marketing will continue.

I kept back the merchandising rights when I signed the publishing deal, as we do well out of associated T-shirts, bags, posters and stationery. I produce bookmarks and badges as giveaways to reinforce the name. We have put a lot of effort into building Stonewylde as a brand, and want to ensure that we maintain its integrity. Before I sold my series to Orion, I trademarked the name and logo of Stonewylde. Having such a unique name has really been invaluable, and I was anxious that nobody would use the name I had invented, nor exploit my loyal readers in any way with shoddy goods. Although registering a name as a trademark is expensive, I’m very glad I did it. I’ve already had one run-in with a company in the USA who were using it – and who have now ceased doing so. I would advise writers to buy any domain names they think they may need in future right now. I bought ‘Stonewylde’ and ‘Kit Berry’ before I’d even started writing the books, and I’m so glad that I did. I have now started writing a new book very different to my previous work. I hope, using my mailing list and social media platforms, to bring my existing audience along with me. And it will be a challenge to build up a whole new audience as well, among readers who enjoy historical fiction. To reflect these new horizons, we have created an additional website, www.kitberry.com.

Figure 11.1 Picture of Kit Berry alongside her husband and fans at a book signing event in Glastonbury promoting the final Stonewylde book. Reproduced with kind permission of Kit Berry.

In addition to authors, the publishing industry has always relied on a wide range of other service providers, and in the course of a publishing career you will find yourself dealing with freelances or organisations offering copywriting, ghost writing, design, illustration, print – as well as a range of consultants and agencies responsible for particular aspects of your service provision, e.g., web marketing consistancies, analysts and marketing agencies. Specific advice on how to work with them and several case studies are already included within this book under the relevant chapters. As regards general advice for working with suppliers, there are a few additional things to mention.

A short description of how publishing organisations work is useful background information for those trying to implement effective marketing. In the rest of the world, business organisations are often hierarchical, with levels of management and accompanying responsibility, title and salary; policy is decided on at a senior level and filtered down through staff communication systems – although there are regular initiatives to create more employee responsibility and a sense of belonging.

Publishing houses tend not to be organised this way. Whereas there will still be a senior management team, and associated levels of responsibility, the management of publishing products and services tends to depend on a series of deals at job-function level. Thus a title cannot get out on time and to budget unless staff in various departments cooperate: editorial must make sure the manuscript is ready for production, production staff must source the dissemination and delivery capabilities so that once the words are ready the processes are not held up: the design department must create cover artwork that key retailers have agreed will sell the title, the marketing staff must prepare outline plans and the sales team persuade retailers to take stock. And all these functions must be going on simultaneously, thus a high degree of coordination and cooperation is required.

The publishing industry has always relied on freelance staff to help get the work done, and in a variety of different capacities. While this is useful for both parties – staff who have opted to go freelance due to personal or family circumstances, or a chosen change in lifestyle, will appreciate the chance to go on working, and in the process their experience and expertise are retained, without the expensive overhead of a full-time salary – you need to work hard to ensure they still feel included and valued.

Students today have to be extremely conscious of how they present themselves. Schools give classes on how to write a CV or a personal statement for a university application form, as well as how to present themselves for interview. They are encouraged to gain as much work experience as possible, and getting a placement in a publishing company is a great start towards a full-time job in the industry. There will also be those enrolled for courses of Publishing Studies at universities who seek placements as a route into the industry; there is a well-established route from successful placement to employment by the same organisation.

If you are put in charge of placement students doing work experience, do try to ensure what they experience is a real job, not a series of all the awful jobs you do not have time to do. Try to explain the context in which the job fits and why it is important. Think how you would like to be treated, rather than continuing with any in-house tradition of ignoring the intern (even if that was your own experience). Longer term, interns are likely to become industry colleagues, so it is worth taking the trouble.