Straight From the Publisher–Niche Marketing of Books

Whether you self-publish your book or it is published by a traditional publishing house, guess who’s going to have to promote it? You guessed right. The answer is YOU! “But…but,” you say, “if my book is put out by a major publisher, won’t they promote it?” The answer is NO, unless you are a celebrity by virtue of a theatrical or political career; or if you are a previously best-selling author, or if you are in the spotlight of the national news for an extended time. You see, publishers promote the books they think have a good chance of being blockbusters?best-sellers. And they know that celebrities sell books. All the rest of their books, including yours, they essentially leave to sink or swim by themselves.

So the point is, whether you self-publish or have your book published by a small press or a major publisher, YOU will have to promote it.

Now there are many, many ways of promoting books, but I can tell you this: for most authors, the most effective, least costly, least time-consuming, least annoying method of promoting your book is through niche marketing.

So if you have a book in print or soon to be in print, start compiling lists. Make lists of everyone you know or have met personally, who might be interested in your book. Network like crazy! The most powerful means of selling anything is through personal contact.

Next make lists of persons, from prominent figures down to local officials, who have something to do with the subject of your book. Next make lists of every non-profit organization, corporation, school and government agency that could have an interest in the subject of your book.

Use your creativity. Think of all the angles of why someone or some group might be interested in your book.

Here is an example. One of my authors wrote a book about a Finnish-American man who was born in Helsinki and lived in the U.S. for almost forty years. In the 50’s he became a national champion in men’s ice skating. Years later, he was instrumental in creating Olympic-quality athletic facilities for disadvantaged kids in his area, and still later, as the head of a local union, he helped improve dangerous working conditions in factories in the Midwest. In short, he was a good guy?a hero.

Now who might be interested in this book? First thought was the labor unions in which he was involved. The author created an attractive promotional flyer and he sent it to the heads of all the unions in the region, emphasizing that many of the benefits they now enjoy are due to the efforts of this man. The unions responded with some substantial orders for books. Then the author contacted ice skating associations and clubs. Then, with a bit of research, groups that used the athletic facilities this man helped create were contacted. After that came the Finnish-American ethnic organizations throughout the U.S.

Then the author hit upon a small gold mine. He first wrote to the mayor of the town, in Finland, where the book?s hero was born; then to the Finnish equivalent of its Chamber of Commerce; then to some genealogical societies in Finland, who like to keep track of where native sons and daughters have moved and what has happened to them. The orders from Finland eventually overtook domestic sales, even though the book is available only in English.

In a nutshell, after two years, the author made about six times the amount he invested in the 1st and 2nd printings, and at last count had sold some 12,000 books.

To all authors and aspiring authors: it can be done. It’s called niche marketing, and what it takes more than anything else is?imagination!

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