It is one thing to write and publish a book, it is quite another to sell it. Set a sales goal for yourself. As stated in other sections, Webb Publishing feels that an appropriate goal for a new self-publishing author is recovery of cost and the satisfaction of seeing your book in print. Ultimately, a marketing plan outlines how you will achieve this sales goal. Self-publishing authors are responsible for their own marketing. An author should write a marketing plan to cover the twelve months following the launch of their book, addressing the following types of questions:

Book Sales:

Where shall I sell my book?

Options include consigning your book to bookstores and local museums and shops, setting up online sales via Amazon.ca and other sites, personal sales to your own contacts, finding a book distributor to handle sales for you, attending appropriate fairs and trade shows.

Consigning books to bookstores and/or distributors generally costs you 40%-50% of your book's cover price. Many self-publishing authors find this discouraging and prefer to sell directly to their customers instead of going through a middle-man.

Publicity:

Should I send out a press release?
Should I organize a book launch event?
Should I arrange some author appearances?

Writing a press release (an announcement of your book) is a great way to start the marketing process. It gives you a 'calling card' when you approach book stores and can be attached to any mailings you do. An official-looking press release shows that you are serious in your goals.

Try finding some free publicity by tying into local community events, accessing media (radio, newspaper, TV) for applicable interviews, etc.

If you consign your book to a bookstore, the book store may request that you host a book signing in their store. This is a good way to get a feel for the sales and marketing side of publishing, but we find that book signings and appearances do not generate many book sales.

Advertising:

How will people find out about my new book?
Should I do any advertising?
Do I need a website?

Again, these questions will be answered by the sales goals you set for yourself. If you can find appropriate advertising opportunities (ie: advertising that is targeted to your specific audience), and the advertising is affordable, then it may make sense for you to pursue it. In general, advertising dollars are best spent trying to target a specific audience (ie: there's no point advertising a book about hair loss to children).

Websites are a great way to provide in-depth information to potential customers. Webb Publishing currently provides a webpage within our website for each of our authors, and will design this webpage free of charge. We provide sales information for your book, including listings of bookstores hosting an author's book, as well as author contact information for direct sales. Our website is positioned well in the major search engines, providing a high profile opportunity for our authors. Authors are encouraged to direct potential customers to their webpage on webbpublishing.ca.

Webb Publishing is happy to provide estimates for the following marketing services: press releases, posters, business cards, personal web site development, planning sessions, and more. We have many years of media marketing experience and are happy to share our knowledge with an author during the marketing planning stages.