Increasing Sales, One Chapter at a Time

“Does the author make a difference? You bet. That’s the case in any topic area that you publish in these days,” agrees Simonds. “… It’s becoming more and more important that authors have this already established credibility and expertise, because there are so many books already out there right now. To have that voice heard above everybody else’s, how are you going to do it?”

According to Wikert, in addition to focusing on authors who have established communities, professional publishers need to focus on building communities as well to be successful. “You need to figure out how to get involved in the community without appearing like you’re just dipping in and out at will, and you’re taking an active stance in that community to help build it,” he says. “One thing that turns people off most is if a publisher were to show up on a discussion forum, and it was nothing more than an advertisement for one of their new books. So we have to be really careful there, while at the same time, try to foster the development of the community.”

Wikert cites Wiley’s Wrox Web site (http://p2p.wrox.com)––a complement to the publisher’s series of “Wrox” books, which are written by programmers for programmers––as a good example of how the publisher is successfully building a community. The site is a forum where programmers can post comments or ask questions of other programmers. “[It’s] been a really nice reservoir for us,” Wikert says, “of knowledge and contacts to tap into for potential authors as well.”

“One of the hot topics or trends we’re faced with now [is] how do you get involved in [communities] and how do you monetize that?” Wikert continues. “How do you use that as a vehicle to help promote your brand to bring people back to buy your products?”