Marketing, then Manuscript?

or…

what am I doing in this crazy business?

© 2005 RLI Press

How did we get here?

• Long-held dream• Retired ’99• Life still complicated• Now or never!

• Same questions along the way

• Notebook?• Got carried away…

In the beginning…

• What would it contain?• Research other titles• Market research – who

would buy it?

• Bingo! A huge unserved market!

• "Mid-life and older adults want to expand their experiences of this country by visiting the famous attractions as well as the hidden treasures of our rural byways." says Hal Norvell of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). (from the AARP website, 2001)

• Despite the sluggish US economy, 2002 RV sales increased by 17% through August and more RVs are now owned by baby boomers than any other segment. (from RVIA, 2003).

• Boomers rank travel as a leading goal in retirement and predict their adventures will be their No. 1 expenditure. (from the Houston Business Journal, 1-7-2000- from a Del Webb study)

So now what?

• More research – publishing• Queries and book proposals

• Got a bite – major publisher! woo-hoo!!

• Ten months later

• Started again…• More of the same• Book? Outline and sample chapter

Independent Publishing?

• More research…• Subsidy & vanity

revealed– No major reviews– Cost structure such that you

can’t use traditional distribution & make money

– You don’t “own” your book – their ISBN – they are the publisher of record and control what you can do

– Limited marketing – hand selling & back-of-the-room

• True Self-Publishing seemed a perfect fit!

How we got published

• Networking• Gannett Design – book

“shepherd” or consultant• Agreed on cost, division

of labor, and timeline• Put team together• Rechecked my

competition and market analysis – over a year old

PRODUCTION-MARKETING – FEB.•Have cover completed?

•Get PO box

•Join SPAN

•File for ISBN (isbn.org) $225 pg 143

•ABI form to bowkerlink.com

•Get bookland EAN (fote1.com)

•Get LCCN # pg 150

•Notify Pub Weekly, Library Journal and Forward pg 153

•Get book cover blurbs /endorsements pg 152

•Apply for copyright pg 215

•Get toll free #

•Talk to KC about Villager cover story

•Develop "tips" sheet for giveaways pg 273

•Develop one sentence "book handle" 20-30 words pg 292

•Have new letterhead, labels & bus cards done

Now, write the book?

• Not quite yet… a few more things to do

• What marketing opportunities are “in the book?”– Should I include them? – Which ones?– What “hooks” will get them to buy?– How will these “hooks” help me market later?

• Now wrote marketing plan… not the book

Finally, “the book”

• Now, I wrote the book• About 180 hours to

write – then came…• Editing• Inside/outside design• Typesetting• Printing• Storage• And so, the fun begins

Making the 4 “P”s of Marketing work for you

• Product – What are you selling?

• Place – Where will you sell it?

• Price – What will you charge for it?

• Promotion – How will people know about it?

PRODUCT PLACE

TARGET MARKET

PRICE PROMOTION

PRODUCT

• Quality and organization of writing• Functionality

– Is it designed for easy reading? – Does it provide a unique viewpoint?

• Design & Packaging – Martha’s bailiwick!– Front & back covers – look and content– Spine – Size, fonts, type of paper, inks, binding – Paper or hardback, shrink-wrapped

• Branding• Service Policies

PRICE

Cost does not determine price

the market determines price

DO YOUR RESEARCH!

PRICE

• Discounts – 55% wholesalers & Amazon Advantage– 62-70% distributors– 40% bookstores– 50% gift stores, catalogs, etc. (non-returnable)

• Review copies – plan on 50-100 at least - FREE• Gifts and give-aways – radio shows, auctions

Can you make money considering your costs?

PRICE

Can you afford to not “play the game”?Book Sales by Channel

Other6%

Website9%

Shows/Present3%

RV Bk/Round4%

Free9%

AAA5% Camping World

9%

B&T40%

Amazon15%

PLACE

• How much product will you sell? (goals)

• Where will you sell it? (channel mix)

• Where will you store and distribute from? (distribution)

SALES PLAN

• How much will I sell and when

• How many will I sell at various prices, depending upon the buyer?

• Which channels will I use?

• How will the marketing “hooks” I put in the book help me?

• How will I finance the plan? (You won’t get all the money right away.)

Projected Book Sales by Channel

5% Review Copies, Prizes, Gifts

$0 $0

10% My Website (www.roadtripdream.com)

$17.95 $5,385

25% Amazon & other online $8.50 $6,375

20% Personal appearances $17.95 $10,770

10% Other retail – bookstores, gift stores, catalogs

$10.75 $3,225

15% Special Marketing Programs (“hooks”)

$10.75 $4,840

15% Baker & Taylor $8.08 $3,635

100% TOTAL

(3,000 copies)

$34,230

PROMOTION(MARKETING MIX)

• Tradeshows• Press Releases• Media Kits• Website – sell, info.• Newsletters• Book Reviews• News articles• Testimonials• Industry Shows• Review Copies

• Paid Advertising• Speaking• Writing articles• Award Contests• Posting to discussion

groups• Branding/message

consistency• Link exchanges• Promotional Products• Networking

PROMOTION

• To the Trade (push)– Tradeshows, press releases, reading copies,

advertising, contests, media web pages

• To the consumer (pull)– Articles, reviews, newsletters, speaking,

testimonials, interviews, discussion groups, advertising specialties, paid advertising

• Institutional (branding)– Website, letterhead, business cards, media kits,

postcards, labels, banners, advertising specialties– Develop a “logo” or memorable item

MY MEDIA COVERAGE

• 10 National Publications• 20 Regional Publications• 24 Live Appearances (500+

people)• 2 TV shows• 30+ radio interviews• 22 Internet articles/reviews• 4 Contests – 1 Finalist• 2 Educational conferences• SPAN, PMA, TPA, NWABP• AAA, Good Sams, Circle of

Trust• BEA next month

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Three marketing activities every day!

• NETWORK constantly, establish relationships

• Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up

• 80/20 rule – the “low-hanging fruit”

• Good calendar – pack it with activities

• Research additional ideas – file folder

• Invest your dollars wisely

• Use the multiplier effect

CASE STUDY #1Using your “hooks in the book”

• Target from book • “low hanging fruit”• Follow-up, follow-up• Establish relationship• Multiplier effect

– TV– Oregonian

• More profitable sales

CASE STUDY #2You’ve got to spend some money to make money

• Publicist – KSB Promotions

• Sent 50 review copies• Sent 100 covers with

inserts• Followed up each one

until “yes” or “no”• Provided everything

asked for quickly• Website media page• Multiplier – CBC

Radio – 14 shows

2 articles

hundreds of newspapers

hundreds of book sales

CASE STUDY #3The lowly link – develop the relationship

• Traded links• Sell book on their site• Sell their products on

my site• Invited to “Circle of

Trust” and RV Lotto• Multiplier effect –

meeting about segments on RVTV

Learning RVs the Easy Way – RV Education 101,

Everything you need to know about RVs

CASE STUDY #4Build relationships - NETWORK

• Met publisher at SPAN conference

• Established relationship (network)

• Submitted for Travel article – included

• Submitted for Book of the Year – finalist

CASE STUDY #5Follow the trail

• PCC Seminars• Contact told Tualatin

Library coordinator• Library got Oregonian

interested in article• Reporter introduced

me to Tribune• Meeting with reporter

for lunch – more ideas

OUT OF IDEAS?

• Come to this meeting• Network with others• Google yourself / your book!• Get a marketing book • Troll the internet for ideas• Investigate a new audience• Review your marketing ideas folder• Go do something else for awhile!

WHAT’S NEXT?• BEA & PMA-U• Book of the Year?• RVIA meeting – possible spokespeople in 2006• Another round of AAA seminars in fall• Get more book signings & presentations scheduled• Pleasure-Ways – co-promotion with dealers• Great North American RV Rally – joint promotion with Good Sam Club

& MyTripJournal.com• Follow-up on latest review copies• Start Newsletter• Develop new story angles• Work on paid seminars & coaching• Develop additional products• Meet with the RVTV (Outdoor channel) people in July – two segments• Evaluate each new sales effort

FEND OFF PUBLISHERS WITH MILLION DOLLAR OFFERS! -- IN MY DREAMS!

THANKS FOR INVITING ME!Make your dreams happen