On Nov. 13, if you want to be the first to buy the comeback album of the Spice Girls (and c'mon there has to one or two of you out there), you'll stand in line at your local Victoria's Secret.
Talk about filtering to your niche audience.
The profitability of non-bookstore retail outlets have been a best-kept secret of many small and self publishers. Case in point: Robert T. Kiyosaki's book Rich Dad, Poor Dad sold its first couple million copies via seminars.
As an author, you know best which non-bookstore retail markets might suit your book. Before your book is printed, consult with your publisher on the mechanics of utilizing these outlets. Would their distribution system be amendable to these markets? How about their distributor? Could you buy a few thousand copies and find these markets yourself?
Maybe then your book will end in the perfect spot, just like the Spice Girls.
Showing posts with label Non-bookstore retail outlets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Non-bookstore retail outlets. Show all posts
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Red dot means go
We'll admit it: there are times we take the sheeplike approach to trying out a new book.
Going into our library's New Fiction section can feel like a drift into the market's maelstrom of trends. Look over here -- African-American mystery. Over there: teen vampire adventures. And there: the over-the-hill chick lit.
In a bookstore, we're guided by book promotions delicate (posting of the NYT Bestsellers List), and overt (40% off a B&N designated hit). There are shelf ads, "Staff Recommends" bookstand, and stand-alone tables/bookshelves to guide the buyer.
A number of librarians have cottoned to adopting a bookstore's feel to their library. Beyond the comfy chairs, Teen Lit sections, and even lattes in the lobby, these libraries have adopted some of the stealth ways bookstores push certain titles.
(excerpted from www.ckls.org/~crippel/marketing/bookstore.html )
"One librarian, Sharon Baker, discovered that merely placing a red dot on spines of books on the regular shelves with signs on the end panels saying red dots mean recommended books increased circulation of those books by 9% to 179%. Dots of different colors could represent different genres, different awards (e.g., Nebula vs. Hugo) or different sources of recommendation (e.g., Modern Library list best novels)."
As a fan of the color red romantically, Mr. Obie Joe, is impressed with a quiet, but expert, way to help readers try out titles unfamiliar to them.
Going into our library's New Fiction section can feel like a drift into the market's maelstrom of trends. Look over here -- African-American mystery. Over there: teen vampire adventures. And there: the over-the-hill chick lit.
In a bookstore, we're guided by book promotions delicate (posting of the NYT Bestsellers List), and overt (40% off a B&N designated hit). There are shelf ads, "Staff Recommends" bookstand, and stand-alone tables/bookshelves to guide the buyer.
A number of librarians have cottoned to adopting a bookstore's feel to their library. Beyond the comfy chairs, Teen Lit sections, and even lattes in the lobby, these libraries have adopted some of the stealth ways bookstores push certain titles.
(excerpted from www.ckls.org/~crippel/marketing/bookstore.html )
"One librarian, Sharon Baker, discovered that merely placing a red dot on spines of books on the regular shelves with signs on the end panels saying red dots mean recommended books increased circulation of those books by 9% to 179%. Dots of different colors could represent different genres, different awards (e.g., Nebula vs. Hugo) or different sources of recommendation (e.g., Modern Library list best novels)."
As a fan of the color red romantically, Mr. Obie Joe, is impressed with a quiet, but expert, way to help readers try out titles unfamiliar to them.
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