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“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….
Things I wish aspiring published authors said every day
“Well, I like it, but I’d better find some independent opinions.”
“I am reading some wonderful authors right now”
“Better go, my writing group/class starts soon!”
“Yes, Ms./Mr. Editor, I do trust you…. let’s work on your suggestions.”
“Not everyone is going to want to buy my book.”
“Now, where is that list of agents I have been researching to find out exactly how I should submit my book?”
“ 4 agent rejections? Let me see what they said….”
“Huh, 14 agent rejections…. I’d better send out more queries.”
“Darn it, I haven’t talked to anyone about my book since yesterday.”
“I can’t wait to give/send copies of my book to a bunch more people today.”
“I know I was just at my local bookstore a few days ago, but I think I’ll shop there again today”
“I have no idea how my local library chooses books, I think I’ll stop down there tomorrow and ask the librarian.”
“I’d better get moving; I have to participate in several online discussions today.”
“I find so many other author’s and publisher’s blogs so very interesting. I should comment on them.”
“I’m going to find out if I can participate in a least one or two local book clubs this year.”
“I think my manuscript is completely done. I’m going to send it to a copyeditor.”
“I should make sure I have subscribed to as many book industry websites, blogs and trade publications as possible.”
Educated by the Audience
Last weekend I had the pleasure of traveling to sunny Florida to conduct a workshop for the Space Coast Writers’ Guild. While I may have been the presenter, I also learned a lot from this really fantastic group of writers.
In fact, I came home with a smart list of questions about the market and industry that I thought needed some extra research. These writers are really on top of their game.
We talked about marketing, positioning, platforms and social networking. They wanted to know category sales trends, competition and how to differentiate themselves from other books on the shelf. They asked smart questions about self-publishing, e-books and grass roots publicity.
While we spend a lot of time talking about the changing landscape of what’s happening with publishers, this group taught me another important lesson.
Savvy writers are learning to navigate our industry just as well….if not better…than the rest of us.
Bookstores as the new Top 40 radio station?
It seems that each day brings another industry bulletin about how a bookstore has closed or how a chain will be reducing the number of titles it will carry. Brick and mortar stores are having to make hard choices; limiting their selection.
High retail rents, gasoline for delivery trucks, the economy, and unemployment can all be blamed, but not for long. Yes, it is time for consumers to tighten their budgets, but that is not the driving force behind the reduction in titles on bookstore shelves.
As a culture, we have become used to “shortcuts” and “hot-keys” in our work and home life. Our radios offer the same 100 songs each day with only a smirking nod to “independent” music. Technology does more than entertain and assist us; it often makes our choices for us. As we sink more deeply into our dependence upon technology, we lose our willingness to work for our pleasure.
Gone are the days when we slowly browsed a library or bookstore shelf looking for the perfect book to fit our mood. Those of us who find the time to read a book no longer have the time to search for one. We reach for the review section, listen to the latest NPR praise and ask our friends what their bookclubs are reading.
Armed with a vetted list, we can log on line or run into a bookshop and make a beeline for the front table. Chances are, the 11 books we have heard good things about are stacked there.
It is not that America does not have time for books, we don’t have time for bookstores. That is bad news for both parties. We want a quick hit, a guaranteed success, a sure thing. There is nothing wrong with that, but it will forever rob us of that one amazing “find” that could have altered our thinking; the hidden gem that could touch us so personally and deeply.
I understand the America is asking for fewer choices and that the bookstores have to do what is best for their business… I guess I was just hoping for more time before the book industry became what radio degenerated into 30 years ago…. a place for the masses to be told what to enjoy.
Your Book’s Journey
It is every writer’s dream to see his or her book in the front window of the local bookstore. It is fun to imagine tall, colorful stacks of your books surrounded by throngs of curious readers flipping through the pages as others rush to the cash register. Feel free to continue this fantasy as you pound the keyboard, but if you’re interested in turning the vision into reality, then suspend the writing and read on.
In order to make that dream come true, you have to stop thinking like a writer and start thinking like a publisher. For publishers, the dream location is not the bookstore shelf; that shelf is simply a short stop on the way to the real destination … a reader’s bookshelf. The only bookshelf that truly counts is the consumer’s. This blog has been created to guide your book into (and then out of) the hands of people who actually paid money to read it.
If you’re truly serious about publishing your book, then you need to shake off the fantasy and take a good, hard look at the challenge ahead. This isn’t meant to discourage you. The better prepared you are, the more successful you will be in reaching your goal.
The path a writer’s work takes through the publishing process, into the retail market, and then onto a consumer’s beside table is arduous. On this journey you will encounter misleading signposts, paths damaged by overuse, and rough road from underuse. But you will also experience a number of wondrous sights and resting places. The sweeps and turns of the publishing path can be fascinating—but even more rewarding if you know the lay of the land ahead of time.
As a writer on the verge of publishing, you are enthusiastic about your work and determined to see it through to book form. While these are certainly helpful qualities in battling the challenges ahead, there is one tool that will help you to overcome the obstacles and push forward during the final stretch: knowledge.
The best way to start a journey is to learn as much about your destination as possible. Once you know where you’re going, you’ll be able to plan your route to get there. So set your writing aside for the moment as we explore the book industry and the oh-so-important destination: the reader.
To be continued…
D5 Creation