For the new writer the prospect of getting their title on bookshop shelves is
exciting. But there the book will still be competing, not only with thousands of
other titles, but with some supported with big discounts and a lot of hard
marketing from the publishers. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if an alternative route
to volume sales existed?
Fortunately there is an alternative. Publishers apply the term ‘special
markets’ to the many other places where books can be sold. They are unlike
traditional sales in several important respects. The order for the book is often
a one-off at a package price and the goods are seldom sold on sale-or-return.
These sales are a straight business deal between the book producer and the
retailer.
The channel for this type of book sale is not the traditional bookshops.
Department stores sell books. Food stores sell books. Customers will only buy a
limited number of commodity titles as they push their trolleys down
the isles. Cookery and lifestyle books that complement the merchandise on
display appear to work. Usually there’s a selection of bestsellers.
Customers are not going to stand and browse, so the product has to sell itself.
Starting small is realistic and don’t be surprised if the store expects you to come round and
top up the display every day because that is the way that merchandising often
works. You might be able to service a single shop yourself so there is no point
in trying market your book to the national buyer. Think local.
But don’t ignore the supermarkets altogether. They are increasingly adopting
the ‘store within a store’ approach so how long before they have family friendly
bookshops? Supermarkets are a big outlet but the margins they demand is reported
to be about 70% and you will need to find the capital for a big print run plus a
friendly lawyer who will check the small print. You don’t want them rejecting
the print run because there are a few spelling mistakes.
Museums and heritage sites are another channel which can shift books. If a
visitor attraction is pulling in a thousand people a day during the season the
visitors have already selected themselves as possible customers because they are
interested in the attraction. Here, a special cover which reflects the venue
could enhance sales as it serves as a souvenir. But the price point for such
sales can be low so production costs can be an issue. Visiting an attraction is
often a family trip so activity books and adding a quiz might boost sales. Sales
in this environment are close to the education market so it might make sense to
target the children.
TV home shopping might be an expanding market and one well suited to
particular titles. Nobody has really explored this avenue yet but the
demographics of the channel might make it ideal for certain titles. This channel
allows the writer to stand up and talk at the potential readers. It would be
tough to sell fiction like this but non-fiction might work.
In many countries there is a well-developed
‘display marketing’ channel.
Books are delivered to locations for a limited time in mobile displays with the
venue provider receiving a share of the money. These are venues such as schools,
in homes and at special events. The books are competitively priced at levels
close to the remainder bookshops that move in and out of vacant high street
premises. But do not confuse this with the remainder market. These specialist
retailers have normally placed an order for this print-run.
Display marketing is massive and it reaches those who do not patronise normal
bookshops. The majority of the stock carried by the established traders in this
field consists of full colour, non-fiction which is expensive to produce.
However, it is a channel and method of selling which might be suitable for
certain titles provided you can find a display marketer who is focused on your
market and there is enough margin left to make it worthwhile for you.
A training course might have a much higher perceived value if it is supported
by a book. It will surely enhance the perceived value of the course if the
attendees receive a book as part of the course fee. Even if they daydream
through the presentation, they can read up on what they have missed. In some
cases the book could be distributed with the attendance documentation to allow
attendees to brief themselves. However, the strategy is normally to distribute
the books immediately after the event to reinforce the information imparted. You
do not have to present courses yourself. Courses are offered on almost every
topic so approach colleges and independent trainers. A book about herbs could be
sold with a cooker course.
If someone is promoting a product or event, you might be able to persuade
them to use your book to enhance or complement their promotion. This is known as
custom publishing and the title looks as if it has been produced specially for
the customer. This might be written to order but in most cases a new cover or a
few pages at the back will suffice to link the book to the promotion. The
possibilities are endless. This is an area where the fiction writer might find
success. If the plot of the book is based on an event or in a popular location
your book could provide the promoter at a public relations event with something
more durable to give the press than a pen or bag. And just think who your books
will be reaching at these events!
The Internet has provided a few more marketing possibilities. There have been a few attempts
to sell new books via Ebay. They cannot have been very successful as
few have followed this path. However, many people are publishing their own work
and using the attraction of Amazon to create their own virtual bookshop within
the structure. There are a number of options which are all explained on the
site. The margins demanded are outrageous but do you have an alternative?
Turning a book into a gift is another route to sales. This might involve some
packaging. A book about an artist might have a companion CD with images, while a
book about massage could be packaged with oils. A novel set in a particular
location might find an enhanced market if sold with a regional map perhaps. Gift
shops often outnumber bookshops in larger cities. And there are well-established
gift-giving seasons so the challenge is to come up with an attractive and
original package. Talking to the buyer is a good start.
There are numerous catalogues. Books might be sold alongside gardening
equipment, beauty products, holidays or gift merchandise. If the book enhances
or fits the theme of a catalogue, it might be possible to persuade the merchants
to list your book. The problem again is the lead time and the margin you are
likely to receive, so volume is everything. There are professionals pushing
their titles at the book clubs and they will tell you how tough it is so seek
out a small catalogue or book club.
You have probably have spotted that there are two big drawbacks in all this
for the writer. First, you need to be your own publisher in order to be able to
make the decisions. Second, you need to be closely integrated with your printer.
A number of the ideas mentioned above call for different covers or perhaps
adding a few pages. The third drawback of these channels is the thought and
effort required to identify, promote and pursue these leads. The last problem is
that many of the ideas mean that you have to think big so you will need some
financial backup. One should perhaps add that these channels are mostly for
non-fiction titles.
Ideally, you can find a commission agent who has the contacts, skills and
focus to make these deals. In a country like the US this is viable. Such
specialists exist but they are rare even in the large European markets. Any
promotion is likely to entail thousands of units to make it profitable. In
smaller markets, it remains hard to make a living but this must be an
opportunity for someone to start a cottage industry.
Selling is always the hardest part and it is easy to see these sales avenues
as a distraction from the hard, but fun part of the creative process. But
pursuing some of these avenues brings you much closer to your readers and should
allow you to learn a lot more about your market. The rewards, as you will be
producing your book yourself, are potentially very good, much better than the
few per cent passed on by publishers in royalties. As Jack Niklaus, the golfer, famously
said, ‘The harder I work, the luckier I seem to get.’ One ‘lucky break’ and your
career as a professional writer could be launched.
Outlets for writing
