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You're A Mean One, Book Grinch -- (Or Are You?)

Book Marketing Firm Says Lessons Can Be Learned from “Grinch” Column

reprinted by permission from the Whoville Gazette

A way to stop the avalanche of self-published books.
Internet publishers are making my life miserable.
Now every Tom, Dick and Harry can self-publish a book relatively cheaply, then call me up to demand I review their 'book.'

Given the more than 60,000 titles published legitimately every year and the space we have for, oh, say 500 of them, it's just not possible to tackle these vanity titles."

- The Book Grinch, Patti Thorn
Rocky Mountain News, December 13, 2003

"You're a mean one, Book Grinch." At least that's what authors of nearly 100,000 independently published books must think about Patti Thorn, books editor at the Rocky Mountain News and self-proclaimed "Book Grinch" in her December 13th column.

But the book pros down in Book-ville, the tall and the small, are sheepishly singing her praises, after all. As with most seemingly harsh criticism, there are lessons to be learned.

"As professional book marketers, we, too, are caught in the same avalanche of self-publishers who want us to market their books,” says Tami DePalma, partner in the MarketAbility.com book PR agency. “Honestly, choosing amongst the hundreds we see every day is a daunting task. These authors (turned self-publishers) are as excited as the Grinch's dog Max frolicking in the snow atop Mount Crumpit. Like Max, it isn't until the marketing sleigh is packed full that authors realize how heavy a burden the publishing load can be."

But, before adding Denver's only nationally-acclaimed book marketing firm to the list of book industry veterans who believe that authors should quit publishing their works, consider checking the list twice.

"Every author should not just be allowed, but encouraged to follow their publishing dreams," adds Kim Dushinski, DePalma's partner at MarketAbility.com, a huge advocate of the Internet publishing industry at which Thorn shakes her head. "They just need to learn to market like savvy businesspeople. 'Demanding' that a book be reviewed is just crazy, but we have no doubt it happens every day to book reviewers nationwide."

To learn the "savvy" marketing tactics, MarketAbility advises authors that make the switch to publisher need a transformation as dramatic as The Grinch's evil-to-good transformation on Christmas morning.

"Not all books should be marketed through traditional methods, like sending books to book reviewers. I don't think Thorn believes that people should quit publishing books," adds Dushinski. "But publishers have to do something other than beat her over the head with them."

With over 150,000 titles now being published annually, 60,000 of them "legitimately," according to Thorn, the same old methods used even a few years ago don't always work today. If publications like the Rocky Mountain News only have the space for around 500 titles, publishers must get creative with their marketing...IF they want their book to succeed.

5 "Don'ts" to Help Keep Your Book from Getting Grinched

1. Don’t demand that your book get reviewed by anyone. Instead, find opportunities for coverage in sections like lifestyles, business, education, science and careers.

2. Don’t expect the book chains to dedicate even an inch of shelf-space to your self published book. Instead, make your website a hub for free information for people interested in your topic and send potential buyers there.

3. Don’t plan for more than 25% of your books to be sold through bookstores. Instead, sell through special markets, foreign rights, speeches you deliver and other publishers with similar titles.

4. Don’t expect people who come to your website to buy the instant they arrive. If you wouldn't walk into a brand new store with your credit card out and say "I'm here. What should I buy?" why would you expect your website visitors to be any different? Instead, get them to identify the problems they have. Suddenly they'll find that you offer the solution!

5. Don’t quit too soon. Instead, stick with it long enough to succeed. While novice publishers expect success in a few weeks, those who make it big realize that it can take 10-12 months or more.

-- Tips by Kim Dushinski and Tami DePalma.
Get more book marketing advice at www.MarketAbility.com.