Marketing 101 for Self-Publishers presented at the RWA Conference in July, 2012 by Florrie Binford Kichler, president of the Independent Book Publishers Association.

1. Marketing 101 for Self-Publishers: Ten
Tools & Techniques to Maximize Sales
RWA Conference
July 28, 2012

2. Tool #1: PLAN
• Describe your product •Set your price
• Create your bio •Determine your sales
• Target your readers channels
• Specify your goals •Promote your title
Source: “Marketing Plan for Fiction Titles” by Brian Jud

3. “Fiction is the genre most significantly affected by the
completeness of both basic and enhanced metadata.”
TOOL #2. DATA
Metadata:
• Basic Metadata – ISBN, title, author, cover image, page count,
binding, publisher, publication date, main category or genre
• Enhanced metadata – description, review, author biography,
table of contents, video
• Impact on sales – Bookscan survey

4. DATA cont’d.
How to insure accuracy:
• Dedicated ISBN number for each of your books
• ISBN numbers show company name as the publisher
• Enter metadata correctly
• Check metadata at major online retailers monthly

5. DATA cont’d.
Sales Reports:
• How many units and dollars are you selling?
• Who are you selling to?
• What percentages of your sales are eBooks and print?

6. DATA cont’d.
Marketing Metrics:
• Website
• Social Media
• Customer Demographics

7. TOOL #3. MATERIALS
Cover, Postcards, Flyer, Bookmark, Business Cards
Elements of Front Cover:
• Artwork
•Title and subtitle
Cover: • Author/illustrator
Elements of Back Cover:
• Professionally designed • Promotional headline
• Readable as thumb-nail • Excerpt or review excerpts
• BISAC code
• Effective in black and white
• BRIEF author bio and small picture
• Publishing company logo and contact info
• Price, ISBN, Bar code (for print), QR code

8. Postcards
Elements of a postcard:
• Book cover on front
MATERIALS cont’d • Title, author, promo, order info

9. MATERIALS cont’d.
Advantages:
• Cost
• Inexpensive production
• Open rate
• Event giveaways
• Splashy promo pieces
• Book launches
• Mailing list updates
• Web-site invitations
• Testing
• Customer connections

10. MATERIALS cont’d.
Flyers Uses:
Elements: - Personal appearances
• book title -Online & offline mailing
• short excerpts from your book
• one-line review(s)
• book cover
• author bio (short)
• format, price, size, # pages, ISBN, pub date, genre, web site
• ordering information!
• back side – include a longer excerpt, more reviews/testimonials

11. MATERIALS cont’d.
Bookmarks & Business Cards

12. TOOL #4. YOUR BACKYARD
Local Marketing
• Local media outlets
• Convention and Tourist Bureau
• State Fair (organize author’s day)
• State or city historical societies
• Local bookstores
• Local libraries

13. TOOL #5. YOUR BRAND
• Social Media – Facebook, Amazon, Pinterest, Twitter,
LinkedIn
• Signature
• Google Alerts
• Website
• Blog
• Public Speaking

14. TOOL #6. AMAZON
• Author Central
• Author Page
• Check data
• Customer reviews

15. TOOL #7. NICHE
• Associations
• Location
• Services
• Book Clubs
• Re-purposing

16. TOOL #8. BOOK
AWARDS/REVIEWS
Awards
• Finding contests
• Deciding which one to enter
• How to promote once you’ve won

17. REVIEWS/BOOK AWARDS cont’d.
Reviews: Industry and Citizen
• NetGalley
• Target research
• Blogs
• Google alerts
• Review others
• Pay-for-review

18. TOOL #9. PIGGYBACK
Don’t reinvent the
wheel.
Analyze the
competition

19. TOOL #10. YOU
• Events
• Writing
• Virtual Tours

20. TOOL #11. (bonus) Over-Delivery
• Thank-you notes
• RSVP
• Return calls
• Take the extra step
• Keep your word

21. Thank You!
Florrie Binford Kichler, President
Independent Book Publishers Association
www.ibpa-online.org