According to a teleseminar, with featured speaker Jack Canfield, “Only one out of seven people in the United States go into book stores to buy a book.”
We know that books are still being sold, but where are they being sold if not primarily in book stores?
Through this teleseminar, I learned of the term “by-pass marketing.” What exactly does it mean?
By-pass marketing is selling in places you wouldn’t expect to see books for sale. Canfield mentioned venues I never even thought of. Putting on my thinking cap, I thought of a couple more.
Some By-pass Venues for Selling Books:
- Bakeries
- Nail salons
- Gas stations
- Beauty salons / barbershops
- Spas
- Cleaners
- Tailors
- Doctor offices
- Chiropractic and Acupuncture offices
- Radiology offices
- Local restaurants
You get the idea; sell anywhere you can.
Think of establishments in your area where you have to wait for services, or ones that get a lot of traffic. Obviously, it will help if your book is somewhat related to the establishment, but even if it’s not, give it a try. Talk to management or the owner and offer a percentage of sales, or a set amount per book. This is a win-win situation for you and the establishment. They have absolutely no investment of money, time, or effort, therefore no risk. Yet, they have the opportunity to make money. This should be a no-brainer on their part. All you need to do is ask.
Remember: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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Along with by-pass marketing, you need an optimized author online platform. If you'd like to learn how to create one or take an existing one up-a-notch, check out: CREATE AND BUILD YOUR AUTHOR ONLINE PLATFORM - Website Creation to Beyond Book Sales.
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Dear Karen,
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat idea! I have a lot of respect for Jack Canfield. I will keep these ideas in mind.
Thank you for sharing what you learned.
Never Give Up
Joan
Joan, me too! I've listened to a number of his teleseminars and webinars. He's full of information.
DeleteI've bought jewelry in beauty salons, why not books?! When hairdressers and dentists ask what is new, don't be too shy to tell them you're a writer--those folks know everyone in town and could be great help with word of mouth when a book becomes published. Thanks for the new ideas, Karen!
ReplyDeleteMy beauty salon sells clothes and bags, along with jewelry. It's simply a matter of putting your foot forward and asking. The worst that can happen is s/he isn't interested.
DeleteBut, it would be silly for these establishments not to say YES. There is absolutely no drawbacks for the owner.
Our local beauty salon carries art work from one of our local authors. I think this is a great idea. Thanks for sharing, Karen.
ReplyDeleteCheryl, you're only a small step away from getting the owner to carry your books. She's already opened the door to extraneous sales. You should go for it!
DeleteIf you are sure than only Talk to management or the owner and offer a percentage of sales, or a set amount per book.
ReplyDeleteStock, that's right. You should talk to management with an amount in mind.
ReplyDeleteThanks for three post Karen.
ReplyDeleteI have been talking to several local stores. They don't want to invest, but if I go back & offer a set amount for each book & I stock it, they might reconsider.
A great post, Karen. As all authors know, the bulk of marketing is in their court. I branded my writing to reflect the area where I live - Great Lakes Romance. I'm not locked in to one spot, because there's a lot of area surrounding the Great Lakes! What I have done is contact local stores and offer them my books on consignment. So far it's been a win win situation. The down side is making sure the stock is kept current. Local events are another great way to get noticed. On Valentine's Day I offered free chocolate to the first three people who bought my 4th book - Sweet Deception. In a small store that sells my books. Prior to that day I worked with a local paper and they ran a great article about my research for that particular book. My advice, keep involved in the area where you wish to sell your books. Join groups, the local Chamber of Commerce, Art Groups, and offer to meet with book clubs who have read your stories. My sales are increasing and I still have time to spend on my next release. Social media is a small part of my plan, primarily because I've discovered my target audience likes face to face rather than face to monitor! It's nice to see Jack Canfield and I think alike in some areas.
ReplyDeleteNancy, you're really on the 'book marketing ball." :) You're doing what all authors should do, you're actively marketing your book. Congrats on the sales increase and it's great that you've discovered what your target audience likes.
DeleteTracey, that's the way to do it. Most business owners won't invest in this venture, but there really isn't any reason they wouldn't want to make a commission for doing nothing!
ReplyDeleteThought provoking article, Karen. I have my devotion book on compulsive overeating in one pharmacy & one health food store. I love Jack Canfield's books, BTW.
ReplyDelete