Today’s marketing landscape presents an array of opportunities for book promoters. Here’s how to make sure you’re getting the most from your campaign

By Matt Steinmetz

… But Don’t Forget Key Traditional Marketing Tactics

When presented with so many multimedia marketing opportunities, it’s easy to become obsessed with online initiatives and forget the foundations of traditional marketing, regardless of medium. Laura Waldron, marketing director of Penn Press—the University of Pennsylvania’s publishing arm—and founder of Westholme Publishing, offers these tips for creating an effective marketing campaign.

10. Partner with acquisitions.

Communication with the acquiring editors is crucial in shaping both individual book projects and long-term trends in [acquisitions]. Be sure that everyone is on the same page about the kinds of books your house can effectively promote and sell, and that acquisitions and marketing share sales and marketing expectations for a book.

11. Know the field.

Who else is publishing in your fields? Who are their authors? How are they pricing books? How are they promoting them? And most importantly, how are their books selling?

12. Think like your customers.

Where do they buy books? How do they find out about new books? What kind of promotional offers are most attractive to them? These things can change over time, and need to be re-evaluated periodically.

13. Leverage publicity.

Got a good review? If it is [pre-publication], send it to other reviewers on your list, bookstores, sales reps, wholesalers, to let them know that the book is becoming hot. Send positive published reviews to the same folks and would-be authors to show them what your [company] can do for them. (Most university presses are in the position of publishing people who are also their customer base, so you’re marketing the [company] as well as individual books.)

14. Keep the supply chain fed.

Just as an army marches on its stomach, so too are book sales dependent upon physical limitations. You have to have books where you need them. If you anticipate a good review, let all your wholesalers and reps know so that books can be out in bookstores where people can find them. If you have an author appearance anywhere, send enough books to make a display, since that will earn you more impulse purchases.

“Kids love the games, the additional material about the authors, videos and all the different interactive elements online that extends their book experience,” Lisa Holton, president of Scholastic Book Fairs, says.

5. Reach your target audience with interactive tools. “Delaying the Real World”—a book billed as a “Twentysomething’s Guide to Seeking Adventure”—touts the Web site www.DelayingTheRealWorld.com, featuring an e-card, an active message board and continual updates from a fellowship winner blogging from Cambodia. “Considering the demographic, 20-30 years old, the site turned out to be the perfect way to inform and connect with the target audience,” says Costanzo.

6. Be targeted with e-newsletters. “A lot of publishing companies bother people with endless e-mails,” says Deborah Shine, publisher of Star Bright Books, Long Island City, N.Y., which publishes children’s books. “I think there comes a point where that can have a negative effect.”

Costanzo says his company has a strict opt-in-only policy and that he won’t buy lists from third parties. “We only target people who have signed up to receive our messages,” he says. The policy has led to the company’s unusually high open and click-through rates.

7. Build a loyal subscriber base. “To build [our] database,” Henson says, “we have run many promotions over the past few years. We have offered book giveaways through outside organizations that are relevant to the title. ... We encourage our customers to sign up when ordering our products and when using our Web site. We do raffles at book shows and exhibits, again for book giveaways, and collect names for our e-zine. We advertise that certain specials and promotions, including book discounts, are only available to our subscribers. We have run blurbs about the e-zine in other health-related e-newsletters.”

8. Maintain a synergistic relationship with other departments. “Online marketing directors and managers for a mid-size publisher should make an effort to have early conversations with editorial, publicity and marketing about what efforts are planned for a book, so that a synergy of URLs, imagery, tag lines, etc., is developed to maximize offline/online awareness,” says Costanzo. “A book jacket, print ad, press release, etc., can really help bring attention to the online marketing on behalf of a title and vice-versa. ”

14 Tips for Making the Most of Your Multichannel Marketing Campaign