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Which PR Efforts Turn Into Book Sales Take two…
— By Amy the Meanie —
For several years now, I have watched authors focus their PR efforts on TV and Radio. TV and Radio are wonderful tools for advancing the author’s name and message. They are a great way to get the author “out there” and help them become an acknowledged expert in their field.
But very little TV and Radio turns into book sales. Local morning shows are perfect for the author trying to get national media and speaking engagements. Local morning TV and radio shows showcase them beautifully.
But in my experience, they do not sell many books.
Readers read. If you want to really move books, go where folks are reading. Magazines, newspapers, newsletter, online, blogs, news sites, etc. These are the sites where a reader sees an author’s potential and message, can write down or click over to the book mentioned and either buy it or file it away for a future purchase.
How many folks in their cars on the way to work can write down an author’s name?
There are exceptions of course! Imus, NPR, Ellen, Oprah… but let’s take a look at some numbers.
Below are some stories and numbers in my recent experience that support my opinion about print and online vs. TV and Radio. Each of the books mentioned below are beautifully designed, appropriately priced for the marketplace, well written and professionally edited non-fiction books. They look like any other book on a bookstore shelf. They are all published by micro-publishers or self-published.
Last year, a New York Times bestselling author/client in my distribution company roster self-published a non-fiction book. He had the pedigree, the press. He was on 60 MINUTES. That week, he sold 113 books. He was on NPR. That week, he sold 121 books. He was in the New York Times and sold 567 books.
Another client of mine was on the 700 Club last month. She sold 3 books. 3. Two months before, another 700 Club guest who was an author in my distribution company sold 6.
I have had over a dozen clients on local morning talk shows this summer. None have sold more than a 21 books that week.
This is not to discourage you from hiring and working a strong PR plan. Just the opposite! Let’s look at a few other numbers.
An author with a personal finance book was in the Roanoke newspaper a few months ago. Sold 57 copies THAT DAY.
Another author (business leadership book) was in the Louisville Courier last week. She sold over 40 books that day.
Readers read. If you are trying to launch your media and speaking career, than please focus on TV and Radio. But if you trying to sell books, please consider an on-line and print heavy focus to start.
Readers read. You’re reading this aren’t you?
For more information and guidance on how to affect book sales, please visit www.newshelves.com or email info@newshelves.com
See how that worked? Couldn’t do that on the TV!
“I want to sell a million copies”
I hear this sentence at least three times a day. A million copies. The magic number. Just thought I’d throw a few more magic numbers out there….
Here is a brief run down of Stephen King’s latest marketing program for his last book from an October 2011 Wall Street Journal Article.
Mr. King and his publisher, Scribner, face an odd challenge as they unleash an elaborate marketing campaign to promote “11/22/63.” How do you rebrand one of the world’s most famous and successful living authors? Scribner is targeting history buffs with book-giveaway promotions on bio.com and history sites. To reach news junkies, the publisher bought ad time on 11 p.m. news programs in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The 30-second ad, which will also run on the CNN airport network and on the A&E and Syfy networks, shows archival footage of Kennedy’s Dallas motorcade, with a voice-over that says, “What if instead of justwatching history, you could change it?” Mr. King’s book tour will include appearances at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston and at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas, the site Oswald fired from. The Dallas museum is preparing to host 1,000 people.
So what do we take away from this?
Mr. King has a huge following and decades of New York Times Best Sellers behind him.
He was on the road for weeks doing events in high-profile locations.
His publisher purchased ads on CNN, A&E the 11pm news in major markets.
Scribner also launched a multi-platform online campaign that gave away over 3000 books.
The magic number since the book released last November? According to Bookscan, Mr. King has sold 576,361 copies across all formats.
One of the best-selling authors of all time spent over a hundred thousand dollars on marketing with his publisher and even with eBook sales included, did not reach a million copies.
What is the real magic number?
It starts with the amount of time you spend getting the package of your book right
It is followed by the number of months you spend planning and orchestrating your launch
Right behind that is the number of ads and programs you participate in.
But that last number does not count much unless the ads and programs are in top venues (USA TODAY, PEOPLE, CNN…)
Next up is the number of PR and marketing professionals you are working with.
Then is there are the amount of reviews you get
A BIG number is how many retailers are getting your marketing and PR information to convince the buyers to buy your book.
Finally, there is the elusive “tipping point” number. How many people have to love and recommend your book before it takes on a life of its own?
So what is the answer to the question “what are the right numbers for my book?”.
It is different for everybody, but start with THOSE numbers and THEN tell the world how many you plan on selling. If you are going to spend 20 hours and $4000 on sales and marketing, your book will not “catch fire”. The stories of books that grow from nothing and become huge successes have enormous numbers behind them. Numbers of hours, numbers of dollars, numbers of supporters…. the ratio varies, but the totals are the same. At least a million….
A Game of “Chicken”
I got a call from a publisher pal the other day asking me to help him rework his 2009 sales estimates.
Book #1? 1500 units. Book #2? 1000 units Book #? 2000 units….
As I go through the list it becomes clear that he cannot afford to publish most of his Fall line.
Looking over his list again, I see wonderfully written, smart, quirky books that in 2006 would have charmed the socks off of the media. At least one of them would have become a minor sensation and carefully nurtured by a score of pr and marketing people. The books would have sold between 5000 – 10000 in the first year to the bookstores and libraries who support new authors and small presses.
Today, the books are not going to receive any pr or marketing outside of the author’s efforts and a few press releases from the publisher’s office. In addition, while the publisher is realizing he has no money to promote, bookstores are realizing that they have no money to risk on smaller books without promotion.
It is a vicious game of chicken… publishers lament the lack of distribution and bookstores bewail the lack of promotion. And more and more consumers go on line. How are small publishers going to get the word out about new authors with print media crumbling in on itself and the online cacophony rising with each passing day?
D5 Creation