A Breakdown of 2008 Marketing Plans

There are a good number of books yet to be sold that are sitting in a warehouse in Kansas. In order to move them out and onto store shelves, and in turn off the shelves and into people's homes, spreading the word is a necessity. So, for those who are interested, following is a very general breakdown of the four main marketing points for the immediate future:

1. A web site. Obviously! The official website is located on the back of each book, and attached to whatever marketing plans and correspondence is generated. All book information is available on the website, including links to purchasing from various online merchants.

2. Blogging, ezine contribution, and social networking. The obvious way to get the word out is to connect with people who may share interests in traveling to a Tourist Town Guides destination.

3. Review books. 150+ books have already been sent to pertinent media outlets, along with press releases. Hopefully some of the books will generate press. Hopefully good press.

4. Representation at regional trade shows. This is where the distributor helps out. The books will be on display and represented at various regional book shows. We're not doing BEA this year because - I'm told - the market for these is regional, not national.

5. Paid ads to wholesalers and retailers. This is another point where the distributor is immensely important. They will help to organize, design, and place appropriate ads in appropriate trade magazines. Though this method gets books into stores, it doesn't necessarily get the ultimate consumer to buy.

Of course, there are specifics to each of these that I'm not going to get into here. I'd like to hear any additional marketing ideas.

Labels: marketing

posted by Dirk Vanderwilt @ 8:16 PM 1 Comments

Talking Too Much About Marketing...

I know I have been focusing a lot on book marketing in this blog, but only because that is what I'm currently most involved with. I promise there will be more information about other aspects of publishing as soon as I start to work on the "next round" for the next year(s).

Labels: marketing

posted by Dirk Vanderwilt @ 8:28 PM 0 Comments

Website Pros and Woes

These days, a website is as important a selling tool as door-to-door and direct mail have been historically. Whenever a company representative is interviewed, one of the first questions is "What is your website?" (not "Do you have a website?" - since it is automatically assumed that you do). It is that important.

This is especially true with companies that sell information - like books and newspapers. It is hard to find information online that you have to pay for that isn't readily available elsewhere for free, or (in the case of copyrighted works) a free alternative. So a website for information companies must be designed with great care.

My ultimate goal for TouristTown.com is to provide free travel information online, but without losing book sales. I want customers to be able to view the site not just as an online store front, but also as a place to communicate with other users, find peer reviews for tourist attractions, and learn generally about the covered tourist destinations. These kinds of sites already exist, so the important thing is to make sure the site stands out - still, without detracting from book sales.

I just got around (this past weekend) to uploading the new cover designs to the Bookstore pages of the site, and I realized how far behind I was in keeping it updated. The site should be my next big important step since the books are already starting to show up on store shelves, and the website traffic is inevitably going to increase as more people become aware of the series.

Labels: marketing, website

posted by Dirk Vanderwilt @ 8:23 PM 0 Comments