Author Smarts: Create and Offer Pre-Publication and Post-Publication Flyers
Pre-selling six months prior to having your book in hand is not too early.
TIMING IS ESSENTIAL
Give yourself a little flexibility—saying that a book will be shipped on February 1st might sound far off the previous October—it’s only three to four months away depending on which part of October you are talking about. Let’s face it, things happen that could delay a book—be they rewrite, interior or exterior design, editing, printing. Or a crisis has rolled in … or, just maybe you’ve lagged a tad. A little breathing room always helps.
Instead of saying that your book will be available on April 15th, it’s better to say SPRING of 2022. Spring typically starts around March 20th with Summer sizzling in on June 21st. That gives you a three-month window to get your book out.
If you have settled on the price, offer your special at that price with free shipping as the incentive. That’s going to give the buyer a decent discount. Let the buyer pay by cash, check or credit card.
Below is one that I created for the first edition of my book, How to Avoid 101 Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers & Boo-Boos. in 2016. As of 2022, it has been updated with a new title, cover, and revised. The new edition will be available in Spring 2022.
Do not spend the money before printing. It’s usually one of your bigger chunks to pay for in the publishing process if you do a true print run. For me, this is the ideal spot to direct prepayment moneys to.
Author Tip: Before you ship books out, create a form or flyer that is included with all book shipments about any of your other books and services. The buyer has your book in hand, and now has more information about services, products, or other books that you offer. This makes your book fulfillment mailings another avenue for marketing.
As the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), it’s your job to get your book out there. You are the #1 marketer—don’t forget that.
When books solve problems; when books deliver hours of entertainment and escapism; when books that educate—and you let the world know it’s coming … you hit a home run.
Dr. Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. Often, she must roll up her writing sleeves and become a Book Doctor, juicing up storylines and author words. She empowers authors and works directly with authors who want to be seriously successful and has been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the ’80s. Judith is the author of 37 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms, Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers, and How to Create a $1,000,000 Speech. Her personal memoir When God Says NO-Revealing the YES When Adversity and Loss Are Present is a #1 bestseller on Amazon. Collectively, her books have earned over 45 book awards. Judith speaks throughout the year at publishing conferences.
Throughout the year, she holds Judith Briles Book Unplugged in-person and online experiences: Publishing, Speaking, Marketing, and Social Media. All are two-day intensives limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. Join Judith live for the “AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing” podcast on the Toginet Radio Network HERE.
Follow @AuthorUYOUBooks and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorYOU, and join the Facebook group Book Publishing with The Book Shepherd. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her.
©2022 Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd™ All Rights Reserved.