To write books is easy, it requires only pen and ink and the ever-patient paper. To print books is a little more difficult, because genius so often rejoices in illegible handwriting. To read books is more difficult still, because of a tendency to go to sleep. But the most difficult task of all that a mortal man (or woman) can embark on is to sell a book.
— FELIX DAMN, Tht Writer’s Quotation Book (Penguin, 1980).
Have you opened the book to this chapter first? Perhaps you’ve already written your book and had it printed. If so, you may have a problem.
Before you attempt to market your book, two questions should be asked. Is your book well written? And is it well designed? Not in your naturally biased opinion, but in the opinion of others. If others cannot sincerely answer yes to these questions, then you may be wasting your time and money attempting to sell an unmarketable book.
How Many Advance Review Copies Should You Send Out?
In any business with a marketable product, your sales will be a direct function of promotional efforts. Perhaps the best answer to the question of how many promotional copies to distribute is: however many it takes to market the balance of your books.
The author printed 212 advance review copies (ARCs) with the initial printing of Hemorrhoids (five thousand copies). After distributing all the ARCs, an additional hundred plain copies were sent to more promotional sources.
If your initial printing is a thousand books, a minimum of one hundred should be ARCs. When you promote your book properly, these books should not last long.
It is not practical to list all the places where you should send or distribute ARCs. As each book is different, each book should be distributed differently. The information in this chapter indicates where your promotion should begin. As long as you have books available to sell, you should continue marketing your book with innovative techniques in new areas. The only limits are your imagination and capital.
By the time bound books arrive, you should have prepared mailing packages with addressed labels for most of your ARCs.
Trade Reviewers
Among the most important persons to receive ARCs are the book review editors of the trade review magazines within the book industry. They are the major source of reviews used by acquisition librarians.
These reviewers are listed in Literary Market Place (LMP), an annual that is available in most libraries. An index for LMP appears in the front; look up “Book Review Services/’ and photo-copy the three to four pages that list them. Then go to a large library and check each publication listed to see if it warrants an ARC. Many do not.
A few of the more important services are described below. Addresses are not furnished, as you should use the up-to-date personal names provided in the latest LMP.
Booklist: Published by the American Library Association. A good source for acquisition librarians, but it seldom reviews author-published books. If you try this publication, send “uncorrected proof” copy (described later in this chapter).
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: Published by the University of Chicago. Fairly important to children’s book acquisition librarians.
Choke: Published by the Association of College and Research Libraries. Reviews books of interest to public, high school, and college libraries.
Horn Book Magazine: Reviews books for children and young adults.
Kirkus Reviews: Reviews all books. Important to acquisition librarians, although known for more negative than positive reviews. Seldom reviews author-published books. If you choose to try this publication, send uncorrected proofs.
Library Journal: The premier book reviewer for acquisition librarians. Reviews all worthwhile books, including those that are author-published. Send uncorrected proofs.
The New York Review of Books: Not published by The New York Times. Only reviews approximately five hundred books yearly, many of which are published by the university presses.
Publishers Weekly: Occasionally reviews author-published books. If you wish to take a chance, send uncorrected proofs.
School Library Journal: Reviews young adult and children’s books. Send uncorrected proofs.
Small Press Review: Don't send your book here if it’s nonfiction. This is a “literary” reviewer.
There are more than fifty book review services listed in LMP. Check all of them to see which specialize in your field. If you cannot locate a copy of their publication in a large library, consider this carefully before sending them an ARC. If a large library does not carry their review publication, then they may have little influence with acquisition librarians.
The trade reviewers listed in this book should receive your ARCs four months prior to their publication date. They require this much lead-time in order to review your book and publish their review.
A few of these book review services prefer to have uncorrected proofs of the books they review. This is what they are accustomed to receiving from the major publishers, so it is wise to go to the extra expense if you believe your book has a reasonable chance of being reviewed in these publications.
An uncorrected proof is simply a photo-copied copy of your galleys, cut up into normal page si2es, to which a plain cover has been attached. Artwork that is not attached to the galleys is included at the back of the proof (properly labeled). The major publishers usually write in page numbers by hand. To make a cover, simply photo-copy the typesetting for your actual cover on a heavy colored paper. Then rivet the book cover and its pages together at a photocopy shop.
For Listing Purposes
LMP recommends in the introductory paragraph of its “Book Review" services section that publishers send two copies of finished books to two addresses, for listing purposes:
Registrar of Copyrights Washington, D.C. 20540
for listing in the National Union Catalog.
R. R. Bowker Co.
Weekly Record Dept.
205 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10452
for listing in the Weekly Record, the Cumulative Book Index, and the monthly and annual editions of the American Book Publishing Record.
Magazine Book Reviewers
There are two sources of magazine book reviewers: LMP and the more complete Ulrich’s International Periodicals Directory. Both publications should be available in large libraries.
They list hundreds of magazines, specializing in every subject, that review books. Make a list of magazines that sound as if they might be interested in your book.
Select magazines that have reasonable circulations, at least five thousand. Then try to locate copies of these magazines in your library. Check each magazine to see if it reviews books such as yours.
Since available capital may prevent your sending ARCs to all the magazines that might be interested in your book, consider sending news releases to most of the magazines with low circulations. How to prepare news releases is explained at the end of this chapter.
Newspaper Book Reviewers
LMP provides an extensive listing of all the major newspapers in the country with book review sections. It would be a waste of books, postage, and your time, however, to send ARCs to the more than 250 newspapers listed. Most of these papers prefer to review bestsellers by the major publishers. When they do review author-published books, they seldom list an address where books can be purchased.
If you do send ARCs to these newspapers and receive reviews, you may never realize it. Readers of the reviews will have to search out your address in Books in Print, assuming this reference has listed your address in rime for such reviews.
Perhaps the best advice is to send newspapers a news release, offering a book to those editors who are genuinely interested in your subject.
While most newspaper book reviewers are poor prospects for reviews, feature editors in your own region can be excellent sources of publicity. How to generate this publicity is explained in the next chapter.
Book Review Syndicates
Approximately half (ten) of the book review syndicates listed in LMP should receive an ARC. These include:
1. AP Newsfeatures
2. John Barkham Reviews
3. Book Beat by Joan Orth
4. Alan Caruba/Interlude Productions
5. King Features Syndicate
6. Jeffrey Lee Syndicate
7. Jerry Mack—Book Review Service
8. Mid-Continent Feature Syndicate
9. Register & Tribune Syndicate
10. United Press International
Send news releases to the balance, if they review books of your type.
Columnists and Commentators
There are more than 160 columnists and commentators listed in LMP. Again, make a list of those who specialize in your book’s field. Send ARCs to these few, and news releases to others who review general subjects.
This list duplicates many names that appear on LMP’s list of book review syndicates.
Radio and Television Stations
More than 290 major radio and television stations are listed in LMP. ARCs should be sent to the nearest stations, and news releases to the balance.
Before sending ARCs to these stations, contact their program directors first to ascertain their interest in your subject.
See Chapter 39 for more information concerning radio interviews, and Chapter 40 for details concerning television appearances.
Adult Book Clubs
There are more than 125 adult book clubs listed in LMP, a few of which may warrant ARCs. If you send ARCs to some of those listed, be sure to include terms for the sale of one hundred, five hundred, and a thousand books.
Corporations
The author sold hundreds of copies of Hemorrhoids to corporations that manufactured cryosurgical instruments for the treatment of the affliction.
If there are companies that could tie your book into the marketing of their own products, send them an ARC. Include the terms under which they can purchase books also. It’s customary to give such buyers a discount in the 50 percent range.
Telephone these firms before sending ARCs, to ensure that books are sent to the correct person.
Professionals
Specialists in the field of your book who are influential in their professions are excellent sources of book sales.
The cryosurgeons listed in Hemorrhoids all received ARCs, with a letter requesting their "critical comments.” The warm response to these ARCs resulted in hundreds of book sales to medical libraries, medical clinics, physicians and their patients, cryosurgical instrument manufacturers, and even a feature article in the New York Daily News.
Similar results occurred when the author's Bond book was sent to professional acquaintances. Many of the persons who might be sent an ARC should be sent a promotional brochure instead (as explained in Chapter 35).
Bookstore Chains
Few author-published books are purchased by the major chains. Walden's bought a thousand of the Hemorrhoid books when they were first released, in addition to a thousand of Gerald Steiner’s Home For Sale By Owner. These were exceptions, not the rule.
Chapter 41 of this book suggests that you postpone contacting the major chains until you’ve established a sales record at local stores.
If you wish to offer your book to these outlets immediately, contact their buying agents directly. The two major chains are Walden Book Company and B. Dalton/Pickwick. Walden seldom purchases books from one-book small presses until they have an established sales record.
Walden Book Company
Attn: Small Press Buyer
201 High Ridge Rd.
Stamford, CT 06904
B. Dalton Bookseller Attn: Small Press Buyer 7505 Metro Blvd.
Minneapolis, MN 55435
If you are impatient to offer your book to the chains, at least read Chapters 41 and 42 before contacting these outlets.
Requests for Free Copies
If your book receives national reviews, you can expect to receive a number of requests for free books from persons or publications that are not listed in LMP.
As a rule, send ARCs to persons making these requests. If you doubt their authenticity, send them a letter explaining that you receive a large number of requests for free copies and ask them to send you a copy of their publication first.
The author received such a request from a quarterly health magazine that had been started by a Yale medical school graduate. When their publication was requested in turn, the author received an early copy of Medical Self-Care Magazine. After an ARC was sent, an excellent review appeared in a subsequent edition. Later, editions of the magazine were sold in book form to a major publisher. Orders for Hemorrhoids have been arriving ever since.
You may also receive requests for free copies from college instructors, ministers, private libraries, and so on. If you choose to send free copies out to non-reviewers, use your slightly damaged copies for this purpose. Most of the time the author simply sends a brochure in response to such requests.
Your ARCs should be accompanied by a personal letter addressed to the individual reviewer of each publication. Above all, this letter must be easy to read.
First, say why your book is exceptional—briefly. Then outline its highlights, in list form, not lengthy paragraphs.
Conclude the letter with your credentials. If this is your first book, state your qualifications to write it. Do not sign your own name, as that would signal your book has been selfpublished. Your book deserves a fighting chance. The sample cover letter below accompanied the author's Bond book, with excellent results. A subsequent Library Journal review pushed the book into a second printing within three months of its release.
California Financial Publications
We are proud to present this advance reading copy of our latest book for your perusal. It is the first complete reference on the subject of investment bonds.
The book is written for practical use by both investors and members of the securities profession. It explains:
. . . what investment bonds are,
. . . how and why their values fluctuate,
. . . how bond yields are determined,
. . . when the best buying opportunities occur,
. . , how to conduct bond research,
. . . where the best values can be found,
. . . how to buy new-issue and seasoned bonds,
. . . the advantages of tax-free bonds,
. . . how to establish retirement bond accounts, and . . . many other subjects which will enable investors to maximize their income and capital with bonds.
We believe the book will become the reference in its field, as have the author's other books in their respective fields. These books are:
STRAIGHT TEETH: Orthodontics & Dental Care (Morrow)
HEMORRHOIDS: A Cure & Preventative (Morrow)
Both of the above titles have been favorably reviewed by Kirkus Reviews (5-1-80 and 12-15-79). Library journal “highly recommended” the latter book, while Publishers Weekly has just provided a fine review of the former book (4-25-80).
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
L. C. Bunnell Marketing Director
Enel:
LCB:em
3900 Shenandoah • Oceanside, California 92054 • (714) 941-4096
If you decide to send news releases to a large number of publications, radio and television stations, and other reviewers, have them printed. Also consider using the "bulk rate” at the post office when the number of addresses exceeds two hundred. If you mail five hundred news releases, each weighing under an ounce, it would cost $ 115 at the current first-class mailing rate. The bulk rate total would be approximately $62.50.
236 How to Publish, Promote, and Sell Your Own Book Writing a News Release
Using your company letterhead, place the words “FOR IMMEDIATE release” at the top of the sheet. To the right of this title, place a “contact” name at your daytime location and phone number.
Above all, the copy that is used on a news release must be interesting. You can borrow from the promotional copy on your book covers and half-title page, but down-grade all over-enthusiastic phrases. If the editor receiving your news release thinks you’re looking for free advertising, you’ve written a poor news release.
Ask others if they find your news release interesting. If not, rewrite until it is. It may help to read a few newspaper articles in order to understand how to prepare information in a “news” fashion. Double-space the text.
Conclude the release with the lines:
It is available from (your press), (your address), for J(price), plus
$1.50 postage and handling.
If the news release is written so that it can be published word for word as is, you may be fortunate to have the publication include this last phrase at the conclusion of their article.
List a street address prior to your post office box on your news release.
Enclose Photograph and Reply Card
Enclose a professionally taken photograph of either the book or a related subject. Its size should be from 3” X4" to 5"X 7". If you print your news release on high-gloss paper, you can make the photo part of the release.
It is customary to include a reply card to invite editors to request a copy of your book. If you have sufficient capital, print reply cards on the back of stamped postcards.
Invite Articles
Many author-publishers have been successful in promoting their books via magazine articles they have written. Why not invite the editors of publications receiving your news releases to publish an article about your book?
If you wish to do this, add an additional phrase to the end of your news release:
If your publication would be interested in a full-length article on this subject, please contact (name) at (address), or call (telephone #).
Someone has written a “get-rich-quick” book, on sale for $24.95. It instructs its buyers in the technique of obtaining free review copies for resale to willing bookstores. Be careful.
Obtaining Yo ur First Reviews
There are numerous means by which you can collect the first reviews of your book. These suggestions should serve as only a beginning for you.
Once you’ve written and published a book, you are an author. As a local author of a new book, you are news.
When you contact local newspapers or magazines, don’t ask for their book review editors. Medium to large newspapers receive hundreds of books a day for their book review editors, and yours is just another book to these people. They don’t like to explain why they may not be able to review your book, or that it would be many months before they could even consider it.
Ask for a Reporter
Why not bring your book to the attention of someone at the newspaper who is eager for a good story?
Do your homework. Check your local newspaper on a daily basis to see which reporters customarily interview authors. Save the articles these reporters write. If you cannot find articles about authors, then look for feature articles about local persons of general interest.
Call newspapers and ask for these reporters by name. Mention that you have read their articles—even discuss them. In some cases, it may be appropriate and effective to invite the reporter to dinner.
Contact After Deadlines
All reporters have “deadlines” to meet. Before these deadlines, reporters are too busy to be contacted easily. If you telephone at the wrong time, ask when the reporter will be available. Sometimes you can leave a message and be called back, but don’t count on it. These are busy, harassed people. But they are also looking for a story. Keep telephoning till you get through.
When you reach a reporter, begin the conversation by saying:
“I read your article on__And I thought you might be
interested in doing a story on a local author.”
Then be quiet. Let them ask what the book is about. Highlight the most interesting points. If your book discusses a new method, stress that. If it reveals fascinating facts, explain them. Be brief—and be ready to answer questions. If you have already written an interesting news release, refer to it during the conversation.
The Interview
Prepare written material about yourself and the book to give to the reporter. This will save the reporter the necessity of writing everything down.
1. Your resume. Age, work experience, family, education, etc.
2. Why did you write the book? -
3. How did you write it? Where? When?
4. How was it published? People admire initiative, so don’t hesitate to admit the book is self-published.
5. What are the highlights of the book? List page numbers with interesting quotes or examples.
By furnishing all this information, you are essentially writing the reporter’s article. That’s fine. The article should say what you wish said.
Most reporters will expand on whatever they’re furnished. The more you provide, the longer your article is likely to be.
What to Furnish the Reporter
An ARC should be given to each reporter, with tabs on those pages with highlights.
Have a photograph available taken by a professional. Many reporters will take a photo themselves or bring a photographer with them. More readers will notice your article when it’s accompanied by a photo.
Also give reporters a copy of your brochure, as this provides ordering information for your book. Asking that the reporter include ordering information in the article is a touchy matter. Editors may eliminate this data, as it smacks of advertising. As a minimum, request that the article state which stores are carrying your book locally. If the reporter will include your address, use a post office box. You don't want City Hall calling to sell you a business tax license. Your home may not be zoned for commercial purposes, either.
Which Newspapers to Contact
If you’re inexperienced in publicizing, contact smaller papers first. Usually, these will be weekly papers. Even when contacting small papers, ask for a reporter or columnist by name. Cold calls to editors generally end up as brushoffs.
You may be pleasantly surprised to have favorable reactions at most of the weekly papers you contact personally. This will be because they are more anxious for local news than the larger papers.
After gaining some experience with the smaller papers, go see a few of the local dailies. Don’t take your press clippings from the smaller papers with you. All newspapers like to think that they were the first to cover a news item.
If you’re rejected the first time you contact a paper, don’t give up. Don't assume that you selected the correct person on the first try.
Editing Your Reviews
While your first review may be favorable, it may also be poorly written. In order to use this review for promotional purposes, you may find it necessary to omit extraneous material, indicating these deletions with ellipsis points. This may appear irregular, but all publishers do it. Available space will probably require a certain amount of editing anyway.
Do not overlook the value of your local library in generating publicity and early reviews. Alida Allison, author of The Toddler’s Potty Book, contacted her local library and received the following review:
The Toddler’s Potty Book treats a sensitive subject with the positive, straight-forward approach many parents have been looking for, but are unable to find through contemporary children's books. That difficult transition from diapers to toilet is not always something that "just happens" in the course of growing up.
Parents need as much help in overcoming their attitudes on potty training as children need in coping with this important phase
of growing up. Young families will find it is a must to have on their bookshelves as families grow and the need arises.
This, among other local reviews, was printed on a promotional mailer that was sent to three thousand libraries—with favorable results.
When reprint rights were sold to a major publisher, this review was placed on the back cover of their edition.
Be a Featured Speaker at the Library
Many libraries have an active speakers’ program. Contact your library and ask who coordinates these programs. Make an appointment to meet the coordinator.
On one occasion, the author was invited to appear at an annual book fair to autograph books. A pleasant afternoon was spent selling and autographing more than $100 worth of books. A few excellent contacts were made as well.
On another occasion, the author was invited to provide an evening program discussing his Slim book. The Friends of the Library sold books after the lecture. This, too, was a profitable evening. None of this would have happened unless the library had been contacted first. Most libraries appreciate local authors and will go out of their way to help publicize your book.
The author normally offers to donate 10 percent of the sale proceeds at these affairs to the library’s book fund. On several occasions when appearing at a library function, the library has purchased books from the author.
If you overlook your local libraries when promoting your book, you may be ignoring a gold mine.
Regardless of the subject matter of your book, find professionals (doctors, professors, bankers, attorneys, ministers, and others) who are willing to give you favorable comments on it.
In giving these professionals an ARC, don’t ask for “favorable comments.” It is far better to ask for critical comments. When you ask for criticism, these critics become psychologically inclined to give you compliments instead.
If your book is worthy, most of the comments you receive from these sources will be favorable.
Go to every meeting involving people in the book industry that it is practical for you to attend. You’ll meet other authors who have published their books. They will assist you in locating professional assistance in publishing your own book.
At a book publicist’s gathering, another writer introduced the author to a woman who subsequently provided reviews for two books in a national health magazine.
As jealous as authors can be of another’s successes, we are still glad to see such success. It means that we too can aspire to such heights. You will find that most of the authors you meet will be quite willing to help you, often without being asked.
Be considerate of another author's time. Do not contact an author by telephone unless invited to do so. It is better to write a note, enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope. In addition, do not ask another author to recommend an agent; that information must be volunteered.
When you’re turned down after contacting a newspaper, library, or professional, do not worry about it. In the normal course of contacting scores of people, you’re going to run into a certain number who are having a bad day or are otherwise unreceptive. Running into these people is part of the process of publicizing a book. It’s necessary to give them a try in order to find the ones who will cooperate.
In contacting local newspaper reporters, the author has had a success ratio of 50 percent. That means rejection half the time. The other half made the experience worthwhile.
Your Promotional Brochure