Publishing Poynters
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Book and information marketing news and ideas from Dan Poynter
January-March 1999 |
To list your book with Amazon.com, fill in the form at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/ partners/publishers/pub-listing-form.html
Photo captions. Put three- to four-line captions under the photos in your ads, brochures, and newsletters. Readers often skip the print, look at the photo, and read the caption. They will go back and read the text if your caption interests them. Thanks for this promotion tip from Andrew Linick, The Copyologist™
Holt Uncensored is a free email newsletter on books and the book industry by Patricia Holt, formerly with the San Francisco Chronicle and Publishers Weekly. To subscribe, log on to http://www.nciba.com/patholt.html
Only 44 US printers specialize in books. They provide the best prices because they buy their book-paper by the multi-carload. They also offer the best quality and service. You must make up an RFQ (Request For Quotation) and send it to all 44. For a list of printers with instructions, see our Doc. 603 Book Printing at the Best Price. $11.95. Tel: 800-PARAPUB.
The Self-Publishing Manual just came of the press for the 11th time. Over 85% of the addresses (mostly area codes) in the Resource section had changed in just 12 months. This "20th Anniversary Edition" is still $19.95.
Shipping room tip. Place clear tape over your shipping labels and packing list envelopes to assure they are not scraped off by another carton in transit.
Need a book modified? Want to remove a page and insert another without disturbing the binding? For details, contact Dunn & Co., Inc., Dave Dunn, P.O. Box 968, Clinton, MA 01510-0968. Tel: (508) 368-8505.
No sales tax. California's taxing authorities have determined we do not have to collect the 7.25% sales tax on mailing list rentals when the lists are on one-across peel-and-stick labels. Lists are only taxable when supplied on mag tapes. Para Publishing rents all sorts of book promotion lists. See the order blank for more information.
To track emerging online trends, check the Internet surveys at http://www.nua.ie/surveys/
Books on contemporary spirituality wanted for review. Send to Fearless Books, D. Patrick Miller, 1678 Shattuck Ave #319, Berkeley, CA 94709, 800 480-2776. http://www.fearlessbooks.com
Exhibit your books at conventions. For a list of inexpensive co-op opportunities, contact Mark Trocchi at Association Book Exhibit, Tel: 703-519-3909.
Marketing for the Home-Based Business is a new book by Jeff Davidson. It is must reading for anyone doing income-generating work at home. $11.95. Contact: Jeff@BreathingSpace.com
Bring attention to your book by being a columnist. Send query letters to editors of matching genre magazines and include four sample columns. Thanks for this tip from Charlotte Digregorio, author of You Can Be A Columnist. Tel: 503-228-6649.
Want to reduce SPAM? Fill in the opt-out form at the Direct Marketing Association. http://www.dm1.com. (That is a "one", not an "l". Many thanks to Linda Radke at FiveStarSupport.com for this tip.
To learn more about selling your consulting services by telephone, see http://www.att.com/900services
Book promotion idea. Hire an intern from a local college and arm the student with our step-by-step Special Reports on Book Marketing, Book Reviews and News Releases. The reports provide all the names, numbers and direction the student will need. Interns are inexpensive and working for you will teach them valuable skills. Request a descriptive brochure on our Special Reports.
Free weekly marketing tips from Marcia Yudkin, author of Six Steps to Free Publicity. Send an email message to majordomo@world.std.com. Leave the subject line blank. In the message box type subscribe marketing.
Travel guide manuscripts wanted by publisher. Contact Carousel Press, Stephanie Dillon, Tel: 510-527-5849.
Parenting mail list. Over 250 magazines, newsletters, etc. $25. Book Peddlers, Natalie Allen, Tel: 800-255-3379. http://www.BookPeddlers.com
Put a few drops of vinegar in the water tray of your gummed-tape dispenser. It helps the water to cut the glue and makes the tape stickier.
We want to keep you. Please help us update our mailing list. Send an email to address@ParaPublishing.com with your full current name, address, telephone, fax, etc. It is hard to keep up with area code and other changes. Please contact us now.
Want to know if a long distance carrier has slammed you? Just dial 700-555-4141 and a recording will tell you the name of the carrier for that line.
 Editorial:All the publishing magazines and newsletters, including this one, devote more and more space to promotion resources available on the Web. This is because we are not in the book business, we are in the information business. (If you publish fiction, you are in the entertainment business). Publishers must embrace technology and move from a print culture to an electronic culture. Times change-so do we. Is this any way to run a publishing company? We think it is and we have been doing it for 30 years. |
Put an order blank on the last page of your book-facing out. Let readers know precisely how much to send for the book, shipping, and sales tax (if in the state) so they can send copies to their friends. Offer your other books, tapes etc. products too. Order blanks are the easiest promotion you can do for your book-and they work.
If your long-distance telephone rates are not under 10-cents/minute, it is time to call your carrier and ask the magic question: "Do you have any new product?" All carriers are lowering rates and they are not telling present customers. When you call and use these words, they know you are rate shopping and they do not want to lose you. This works for cell service too. We just cut our bill in half. The future? Look for monthly flat rate charges instead of per-minute charges.
Book design: To get what you want, just buy one. Visit a bookstore. Check your section, then look into other sections. Find a book you like-on any subject. Consider binding, layout, feel, margins, type style, everything. Then buy it. Use this book for a model. Tell your typesetter and printer you want your manuscript to look like this book.
Review copies. Book reviews are the least expensive and most effective way to promote books. Considering the cost of the book, promotional materials, mailing package and postage, each promotional package costs about $3 as it goes out the door. That means you can send review copies to over 300 appropriate magazines for $900. If you are writing on a subject of interest to business people, your book should be of interest to the over 1000 business magazines in the U.S. Unfortunately, most large New York publishers are very cheap with review copies-sending out less than 50. For business magazines and other reviewers, see our Mailing List brochure.
Editorial copy vs. advertising copy. On the average, people spend seven minutes with their magazines. Obviously, they see very few of the ads. Of those ads they see, they read very few. Of those ads they read, they believe very few. Of those ads they believe, they act on very few. People are skeptical of advertisements. On the other hand, readers believe editorial copy. Now ask yourself: how much advertising space can you buy for $900? Not much-and it will not sell many books anyway. So, why not send out review copies that will result in editorial copy that people will believe? See our Special Report Book Reviews.
Dan Poynter will be speaking: In addition to the Santa Barbara workshops, Dan is taking his book-marketing message on the road. Come and meet Dan or send someone from your staff. Call telephone numbers now for details. Dan will be speaking on:
January 23-24: Book marketing/promotion/distribution seminar in Santa Barbar a with Dan Poynter. For details, contact Para Publishing, PO Box 8206-896, Santa Barbara, CA 93118-8206. Tel: (805) 968-7277, Fax: (805) 968-1379. Document 167. Workshop@ParaPublishing.comDan Poynter also speaks on parachute topics and how to be an expert witness. Request his parachute and expert witness calendars. Want Dan to address your group? Request Document 136 for details.
January 27: How to Write and Publish Books, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. Document 165
February 4: How to Write and Publish Books, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, San Diego. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi 619-544-9700. Document 165
February 16: How to Write and Publish Books, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. Document 165
February 19-21: Book writing and publishing. Tampa. Fmi: Paul Bauer 518-274-4642.
March 6: Self-publishing. California Writers Club. West Hills (LA), CA. Fmi: Dean Stewart, 310-309-5740. Dstewart@rysherinc.com
March 20: Book promotion. Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. Corte Madera, CA. Fmi: John Sievert 415-469-8901, jon@humblepress.com
March 23: How to Write and Publish Books, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. Document 165
April 10-11: Book marketing/promotion/distribution seminar in Santa Barbara with Dan Poynter. For details, contact Para Publishing, PO Box 8206-896, Santa Barbara, CA 93118-8206. Tel: (805) 968-7277, Fax: (805) 968-1379. Document 167. Workshop@ParaPublishing.com
April 21: How to Write and Publish Books, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. Document 165
April 28-29: Publisher Marketing Association Publishing University. Los Angeles. Tel: 310-372-2732.
May 13-15: Magnificent Marketing Symposium, Beverly Hills. Fmi: Dottie Walters 626-335-6127. Dottie@Walters-Intl.com
It is time to share: Please send us your book marketing tips for inclusion in Publishing Poynters. You will be helping the thousands of publishers who receive this informative newsletter. When sending marketing opportunities, you must include full details and your telephone number.
Publishing Poynters distribution: A. Any U.S. publisher who contacts Para Publishing or purchases a service or product receives this newsletter via the Postal Service for a year. B. Current and past newsletters may be retrieved from our Fax-On-Demand system or web site at any time. Current editions appear at least a month sooner than by mail. C. You may subscribe for $10/two years to make sure you get copies by mail.
Para Publishing, Dan Poynter, PO Box 8206-207, Santa Barbara, CA 93118-8206 USA. Tel: (805) 968-7277; Fax: (805) 968-1379; email: DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com; Web site: http://www.ParaPublishing.com
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