Personal approach sells books, could sell widgets
Authors have the same goal business owners have: Sell product. Interestingly, the personal sales approaches three local authors use to sell books to buyers likely would sell widgets to buyers as well.
Fredericka Meiners, known to readers of contemporary and contemporary paranormal romance books as Ann Macela, gives bookmarks to everyone, even wedding guests. Kathy Graham reads to kids, whose parents buy books. Bob Goldsborough has learned to approach shoppers in bookstores.
"Here's the deal," states Bartlett author Meiners. "It's the publisher's job to sell to bookstores. My connection is directly with the reader. I try to meet as many readers as I can through my Web site and through review sites."
Meiners, who chose the pen name Ann Macela partly because "the name is shorter and can be bigger on the cover," connects everywhere. Last week she was packing Ann Macela bookmarks to give to the groom's family at a wedding in Boston.
"You can't be shy," Meiners says. "The checker at the Jewel, my dentist's hygienist, the guys at the car place" - all get Ann Macela bookmarks.
"You have to understand your target market. You have to know the niche and go for it," says Graham, author of "The Land of Lemons and Nuts," a picture book written to teach kids aged 4 through 10 about the economy, and president of Highest Quality Scripts Inc., one of a family of four businesses she owns in Sugar Grove.
"I identified all the possible places that might be interested in the book and began reaching out."
Graham targets include libraries, educators and foundations interested in financial education. A publicist has been hired to establish the book on Twitter, Facebook and similar web sites.
Wheaton author Bob Goldsborough comes with the cachet of having resurrected the highly popular Nero Wolfe mystery series, but he's on his own when it comes to promoting what is now a four-book mystery series featuring reporter Snap Malek and Chicago in the 1930s and '40s.
"I set up most of my own signings," Goldsborough says. "I'll walk into a store with my book and sell sheet (marketing plan) and ask for the manager or CRM (community relations manager, who schedules author signings)." If the store bites, Goldsborough sends out his own press releases and post card invitations about the signing.
In the store, Goldsborough has become effective at face-to-face selling, which he does politely and unobtrusively.
Where he once "would sit at the table hoping someone would make eye contact," Goldsborough now stands behind the table, which displays photos of the characters and events in his books, and looks for shoppers who appear to be browsing and, therefore, approachable.
He'll also visit the mystery stacks during slow periods and talk with book buyers there.
Questions, comments to Jim Kendall, JKendall@121MarketingResources.com. © 2009 121 Marketing Resources, Inc.