"Push/Pull" Book Marketing

Dear Authors,

We're back with another edition of BOOK BUZZ! to help you sell more books and touch more lives. The previous two BOOK BUZZ! issues focused on a particular theme. This one will discuss various topics that will be of interest to you--I guarantee it!

"PUSH/PULL" BOOK MARKETING

What is "Push/Pull" Book Marketing you ask? This phrase has to do with two important activities in marketing books (or any product for that matter).

First the "Push" side: This refers to pushing your book TO a distributor, store, or other outlet that sells books (like a catalog, etc.). This doesn't mean trying to FORCE your book ON them. It means enthusiastically letting them know about the reader benefits of your book and then letting them make up their own minds. Another way of saying "push" is "pitch" your book.

Pitch is a baseball term. The pitcher throws the ball and hopes the batter will swing at it. When you pitch a book, you hope the buyer will swing--take a serious look at it. In baseball, the pitcher doesn't want the batter to actually hit the ball, but strike out. But in pitching a book, the pitcher (salesperson) WANTS the batter (book buyer) to connect (show interest) with the ball and get a home run (place an order). In this bookselling analogy, sometimes the buyer will get a hit (show interest) but not score (place an order).

Now for the "Pull" side: This refers to pulling people into the stores where they might actually buy your book at retail. How do you "pull" readers into the stores? By creating interest in and demand for your book. That prompts an obvious follow-up question. How do you create demand for your book? There are several ways:

1. Do radio interviews (see BOOK BUZZ! #3). When you do an enthusiastic interview you create interest in your book. Tell your listeners to buy (or special order) your book at their local bookstore. When you "pull" readers into stores in this way, it makes the "push" side easier and sometimes prompts the store to seek out the source of the book in order to stock it.

2. Do speaking engagements (see BOOK BUZZ! #2). When you talk about your subject, you create interest. You also build trust. People need to trust that you will deliver what your book cover says it will do--provide a valuable reader benefit. You can sell your book "at the back of the room" when you speak, but don't forget to suggest that they can buy additional copies at their local bookstores.

3. Write an article or regular column about your subject. At the end of the article mention your credentials, which includes the fact that you are the author of _______________. Editors won't let you directly pitch your book. The "pull" is more subtle. Newspaper people get twitchy about anything that sounds like self-promotion.

4. Write an interesting, effective book. Your book should be one that readers will not only want to read themselves but also highly recommend to their friends. It is said that only 25% of all books bought are actually read all the way through! If a reader puts your book down after reading one or two chapters, they aren't likely to recommend it (buzz it). But if they read the whole book (or even read it multiple times) you've got a fan! Fans can do a lot to give your book "pull."

5. Write and publish your own e-letter or e-zine about your topic. Become the "de facto" authority on your subject. Your e-mails should not just be one long ad for your book. Give your readers content. You'll slowly build trust, keep them coming back for more, and eventually have a customer for life.

Push and pull must work together. If you have push without pull, you'll get a lot of returns. If you have pull without push, sales won't be as robust. With both working together, you'll have a book marketing machine!

ALL ABOUT MAX, BILLY, AND JOYCE

What do Max, Billy, and Joyce all have in common? They're all best-selling authors of course (Max Lucado, Billy Graham, and Joyce Meyer). They have what publishing insiders call "brand identity." I recently participated in a survey dealing with brand awareness toward authors. I'll let you know if there is anything relevant to our corner of the publishing world when I get the results. But I digress...

Why are these authors best-selling? "Because they are famous!" is the obvious answer. But how did they get that way? What did they do before they became "brands"? What came first, the best-selling book or the fame?

Each of these ministries is very different: Max is a prolific writer but he doesn't get out that much. Billy is retired and his crusades are in re-runs. Joyce is in-your-face nearly every day on the telly. What they all have in common is their dedication to their calling. None of them became well-known overnight. Last summer, my brother (who's a pastor) drove me past the little church where Billy G. had his first pastorate. Joyce and Max both labored for years in the Lord's vineyard before their hour came. What really comes first is not the best-seller nor the fame. What comes first is being faithful with the little we all must start with.

I encourage you to keep this all in perspective. Start small, keep plowing--sowing--watering, be faithful with what He's given you. If you don't lose HEART, you'll reap at the appointed time. All ministers want to bear fruit. I'm not talking about becoming a star. I'm talking about being a world-class worker in the harvest.

You may not become a brand like Max, Billy, or Joyce. But you can and WILL make a dramatic difference in people's lives!

INVESTING IN YOUR DREAM

I recently had a lenghty conversation with one of our authors about book marketing. The discussion eventually came around to the subject of investing in the publication of one's book. This author had become concerned after some weeks of not much happening sales-wise with his book. The fear of having missed God in his decision to invest in his book reared its ugly head. He earnestly prayed for a sign that he was on the right track.

Shortly thereafter, he ran across an article about Mel Gibson. It said that Gibson had invested about 30 million dollars of his own money to produce and promote his film, The Passion of the Christ. The big guys didn't want any part of this project, so Gibson stepped up to the plate (you can tell baseball season is upon us).

The author's response to this "sign" from the Lord was reassurance and encouragement to keep on keeping on.

Your message was worth investing in. It's also worth the time and effort to get it out there so the people can hear about and benefit from it!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

You don't have to reply to every BOOK BUZZ! that comes your way (if everyone did, I'd spend all of my time reading and responding). But I do want to hear from you from time to time. Let me know if the ideas in BOOK BUZZ! are helping you to reach more people. Let me know if you have questions that need to be addressed. Share testimonies of what worked--or what didn't. Offer your own ideas for buzzing books that can be shared with our other authors.

Thanks for reading this issue of BOOK BUZZ! and for staying involved in the book promotion process. May the Father bless all of your efforts!

Warmest Regards,
Brian Banashak, Publisher
© 2004, Brian Banashak