Sell More Books Through Segmentation

If you're like most book publishers, you're always interested in finding new ways to increase unit sales, revenue and profits. One way to achieve this goal is to tap into new markets for your current titles. Easier said than done? At the upcoming Publishing Business Conference & Expo, March 8-10, in New York City, Brian Jud—president of Avon, Conn.-based Book Marketing Works—will lead a session entitled, “Sell More Books in Large Quantities, With Fewer Returns,” to help publishers discover and sell to new markets.

Jud recently spoke to Book Business Extra to give readers a sneak preview of the information he will present during his session, which will be held Tuesday, March 9, at 4 p.m.

Book Business Extra: How can publishers create micro-markets, and then optimize those opportunities?
Brian Jud: … I'll [ask publishers], "Who's your target reader?" And they'll say, "Well, everybody." I'll say, "Well, you can't sell to everybody. Can you narrow that down a little bit?" Because what you want to do is create groups of people who buy for the same reasons. And that's what the concept of segmentation. For example, if you have a children's book, you may sell it to bookstores, or you may sell it to moms' groups, children's hospitals, the home-schooling market, PTAs, day-care centers or toy stores. And they all buy for different reasons. So you need to organize these buyers into groups, according to their reasons to buy. That's the concept of these mini-markets or market segments. ... People say, "Well, I'll sell my books to libraries." That's certainly a market segment. ... A mini-market is the library. A micro-market would be, "What kind of library?" ... It's finding out how people use the book and then marketing it to them. You want to help them buy instead of selling it to them. And if you can create those micro-markets, then you can maximize the opportunity. You sell a lot more books. If you say, "This is the best book that's ever been written about how to get a job," first of all, they won't believe you. They'll say, "So what? What's that mean to me?" ...