Produced a Book? It's Now a Business so Treat it Like a Commodity

By Irene Watson

I keep saying that most book marketers keep regurgitating the same thing over and over again and not giving us anything new. In fact, over the past few weeks I've received at least 8 different newsletters from book marketing experts and guess what, it's basically the same information on what you should do to sell more books. Many of them keep saying what they've already said before or the same thing someone else is saying in their newsletters. But, it's old information and there is nothing new. Maybe there isn't anything new, but regurgitating seems like a waste of energy to me.

I look at selling books with a different light. I've said this many times and I'll say it again - once you have a book published and its out to be sold, it automatically becomes a business. You have a product to sell, no different than McDonald's has a burger to sell. Your book becomes a commodity and getting people to buy it becomes your goal.

The first thing I suggest you do is pick a business to model after. And, I'm not talking about anyone in the book industry. It could be McDonalds, or it could be any other successful business. Study what they do, what makes them successful, and what avenues they take to promote their product. Being online sales are taking over with huge success, pick an online business that is successful and track what they do to promote their product. Personally I have several businesses - one large, one small - and I continually track what they are doing, and, specifically, how. I watch to see how they fill people's needs but most of all I first track to see what the needs are.

Now, you might say that you can't find any needs. Bull dung. Every person has a need and it could be fulfilled with your book! I have to admit, it's easier to find a need for a nonfiction book. But, it's not that hard to find a need for a fiction book. For example, we recently reviewed "Liberation" by Maria Lucia. The book is of fantasy genre that takes place in present day Washington, DC. I had the opportunity to do a live interview with the author. The interview went into the direction of how leading physicists are now exploring multi-dimensions and multi-universes, ancient astronauts, current political atmosphere and power in office, and convergence of Forces in 2012. What is the need of the potential reader for a book like this? To gain more knowledge of current studies and to delve into their being and contemplate on the struggles between the forces of good and evil while exploring their own spiritual dimension. Too deep for a fantasy book? Nope, it sure isn't. Read my post on relevancy.

Okay, next thing. Sign up for newsletters, blogs, RSS, Facebook and tweets by experts that aren't in the book publishing industry. You will glean more information about marketing your book from them than you will from directed experts. Are you asking how that could be? Well, remember, I said your book is now a business. Use business principles to market your book. It's as simple as that.

Here is my list that I either follow or receive information from:

http://www.marketingcharts.com/

http://conversionscientist.com/

http://www.marketingbeyondadvertising.com/

http://www.mondaymorningmemo.com/

http://desktoppub.about.com/?nl=1

http://www.brandingblog.com/

http://www.ted.com/

http://www.bryaneisenberg.com/

http://www.richcontent.com/universal_search/

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

http://everythingyoushouldknow.com/

http://prsecrets.com/

http://harvardbusiness.org/

http://www.blogtips.org/

http://www.tonymariani.blogspot.com/

http://onyourmarket.com/

http://www.widerfunnel.com/blog

http://www.site-reference.com/

http://www.wilsonweb.com/

http://www.whitepapers.org/

I encourage you to step out of the book marketing box and step into a business model box.

Do you have links to share? Comments? Tell me what business model works for you.

Irene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, where avid readers can find reviews of recently published books as well as read interviews with authors. Her team also provides author publicity and a variety of other services specific to writing and publishing books.

Comments

[Tyler Tichelaar]

Great article, Irene. Some of my best ideas have come from people outside of the book industry, resulting in more creative ways to market my books.

[Max Elliot Anderson]

Re: Produced a Book? It's Now a Business so Treat it Like a Commodity

Irene,

This is SO right on target. I like to tell new writers that writing your book is the easiest part. It's what comes next that represents the really hard work. I'm right in the middle of promoting a new one, but I'd suggest that people begin thinking of publishing as a business from the very beginning.

Nice job on your editorial.

Max