ACTION VIA ASSOCIATIONS
by
Gordon Burgett
IBPA Independent
- July 2008
Action via Associations
Our current key target market—for three books
released in 2007—comprises the top educational administrative field
(superintendents and principals), and teachers. And our marketing campaign uses
the approach I describe in our new book, Niche Publishing.
I’ve been back to McNaughton-Gunn
(which has done an exceptional printing job on these books) three times for
each of these titles, and I’ll be back again before 2008 ends, probably
for all three.
We followed the usual procedures: contacting the
library dealers, Baker & Taylor, and both the usual book reviewers and
reviewers at the major education magazines and newsletters. And we sent out
“hello” copies to key educators at the national and state level.
In addition, we get authors directly involved in
selling, since they are among the top leaders in Illinois (one was the
equivalent of Secretary of Education, and the other two were Superintendents of
the Year). With their help, we have targeted the top associations where one or
all three were keynoting or were featured speakers. That usually resulted in
four-digit sales for distribution at the associations’ conventions.
(A high percentage of the listeners also purchase one, two, or all three books
at author-signing events.)
In turn, those sales have lead to thousands of sales
to schools, school districts, or other association meetings.
The books have also been made available in digital
form, but that brings in the usual disappointing 2 to 3 percent of the total
bought.
From the office, we’ve continued to contact
associations via direct mail, offering free book samples, but always with
the intent of selling in lots to regional meetings and at conventions. Now
we are also contacting companies that display at those meetings to suggest that
they use the books as giveaways to schools and as handouts at their
booths.
My best advice is: Publish books from highly
motivated leaders in a niche field that contain much-needed advice, and make
sure they’re edited to read well (which in this case means they’re
fairly free of educationese). Then work with the
authors to have them speak often and well to the most likely buyers of the
book. When it’s a win-win relationship with all involved, it’s
easy to expand with more good books through the selling venues that were
successful with the first launching.
|
Gordon Burgett |
(800) 563-1454 |