WHAT PUBLISHERS DO TO MARKET YOUR BOOK (..and how you can help them)

If you weren't lucky enough to attend the New England Crimebake in person last year, here's a taste of the Bruce Harris marketing seminar that you missed. Bruce will be available to answer questions on Jungle Red for the rest of the week so come back and pick his brain.

While traveling with Rosemary, I’ve heard many writers wonder aloud “What do publishing companies really do to help market books? What happens at all those meetings they’re always attending? Why isn’t my book getting more attention?”

I’ve had a 40 year career in publishing and maybe I can answer some of these questions.
Most publishing professionals are smart, dedicated people who work long hours without huge salaries or expense accounts.
Traditional ways of marketing and selling a book are giving way to new digital paradigms but at the same time print on paper books are by far the biggest revenue producers for almost every publishing house so everyone is concerned with increasing market visibility for each and every title.
What happens after your agent finds an editor who loves your book? It’s a lot like learning you’re about to have a baby.

FIRST TRIMESTER (9-7 months before pub. date)
The editor and publisher structure a deal to put your book on an upcoming list. Most publishers now have 3 lists: Spring : generally May-August; Fall: September-January and Winter: Feb-April . (There are many variables - Random House may do it differently from Macmillan or Little Brown and, just to complicate things, other publishers have only two seasons.) Find out what your publisher does.
Once a book is on the list, the marketing process begins. Most publishers have a launch meeting where the editor presents your book to people from publicity, sales and marketing. The editor is your voice. It really helps if you have provided some ammunition he/she can use to make this book stand apart from the other 30 or 100 books being presented at the same meeting.
It can be a great quote or tagline, the fact that you know Oprah, or that you have 100,000 friends on Facebook - anything that will make them remember you and want to read your manuscript.
Many publishers send out author questionnaires. Take this seriously. They’re are asking these questions to elicit who and what you know and how to pitch you to buyers.
Some houses (like Penguin..) have created digital marketing guides helpful to both new and established authors just getting their feet wet with blogs and websites. Ask if they have one.
If you haven’t already, at this time the author or publisher should register the domain name for the title.

SECOND TRIMESTER (6-4 months before pub. date)
The art director is creating the perfect jacket for your book – give them ideas. They probably won’t have had the time to read your book so anything you can offer will likely be appreciated.
A preliminary budget and first print quantity have probably been set. By now, there may be a galley or advance reading copy (ARC) of your book. Now is a good time to have a frank and productive talk with your editor about realistic but optimistic expectations. Your cheerful enthusiasm and energy is a plus that can make a huge difference in-house.
Sales people will be selling your book to bookstores three to six months before publication date. Find out who your local sales rep is and try to meet them.
At this time, you should be working with your publicist on your book tour (or blog tour.) Most publishers don’t compensate for tours but bookstores and libraries still want authors and these are worth doing even if you only travel within a 50 mile radius of your house. It’s likely there won’t be any advertising for your book so publicity will be the main marketing engine to generate sales.

THIRD TRIMESTER (3 months-pub. date)
Get media coaching and do some role playing before you speak in public about your book. It will help you refine your pitch. Try it out on your editor and publicist (and friends) to get feedback.
Your book will usually ship 4-6 weeks before the publication date to allow for reviews and get books into stores across the country.
Now, your book is ready to be born and make its way into a difficult world. You and your publisher have a common interest; you both want your book to succeed and thrive. Keep your editor and marketing team up to date with all the things you’re doing. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice and help but realize the pressure your publishing friends are under and try to be considerate of their time too.
I’ve had some wonderful adventures in the world of books and publishing and I hope that you’ll all keep writing and reading books in the years to come.

Bruce Harris

(Bruce Harris has worked at Random House, Crown Publishers and Workman Publishing and has been involved in the marketing of dozens of bestsellers from Martha Stewart to Maya Angelou and from Ram Dass to Ruth Rendell. He is currently retired but, consulting for small presses and individual authors.)