A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Building Mailing Lists for Marketing Your Book

 


It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.

Today's topic is about mailing lists. Wait! You mean that authors need mailing lists? You bet they do! Nowadays, a great many readers expect direct interaction with authors -- not with publishers. And the best way for an author to establish and maintain this relationship is through a newsletter and through targeted mailings, one of the best ways to promote and sell your back. Those require mailing lists, which are a must for all serious authors. 

So, where can you get mailing lists? 

  • Build your own. This is the best way – most economical, most effective, longest-lasting.

·       If you have a website or blog, it is easy to build your mailing list by having an opt-in link to mailchimp or other mail service right there where you do all your business.

·       If you display your book at an exhibit, e.g. the American Library Association, you should get a list of people who visited your display and want to be on your mailing list. If you exhibit through us, we will send you that information.

·       Whenever you hold an event, collect names and email addresses for attendees.

·       Do the research. Names and addresses of librarians, organization directors, and the like are online. It just takes a long time that way You can also see if Dee, who does our lists, is available for hire. (Just send us a query: info@msipress.com.)

  • Buy or rent a list. 
        • Most professional associations have lists for sale. They are not always pricey, but often they are, especially if only for one-time use.
        • There are companies that will research categories of people and sell lists. Comparison shop here; there can be vast differences in cost and in quality.
  • Participate in a cooperative e-blast. These are available through IBPA and other associations. In the response, you will get a few more names to add to your mail list. 


Bottom line: Serious authors who hope to make really good sales gotta bite the bullet and get that list of targets.

Lesson for today's Tuesday talk: Buy or build, a mailing list is very much needed.





 Read more posts about publishing HERE.



The Tuesday talks reflect real discussions between the management of MSI Press LLC and our own authors or those would-be authors who come through our doors but don't make the cut--yet. If you have a topic that you would like addressed, leave the question in the comment section. Chances are, in our 18 years of publishing first-time and experiences authors, we have had a conversation with one of our authors that we can share with you.

                             

Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter

Follow MSI Press on Twitter, Face Book, and Instagram. 

Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC?
Check out information on how to submit a proposal.

Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book
 in exchange for reviewing a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book?
Contact editor@msipress.com.

Want an author-signed copy of this book?
Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25)
and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In Memoriam: Carl Don Leaver

Image
  1948-2021 It is with great sadness that MSI Press notes the death of Carl Leaver, CEO of the Press and typesetter and graphic designer par excellence . Many authors have expressed not only condolences but also a sense of legacy from covers he designed that they love.  Here is his obituary: On August 16, 2021, Carl Don Leaver of San Juan Bautista passed into eternal rest. A forester with the US Forest Service in Idaho and Montana, he turned to nature photography while working in the Bitterroot National Forest. His photographs graced national magazine covers and on a weekly basis the local paper of Hamilton, MT, the Ravalli Republican. He later worked on photography projects for the US Army (AFEES) and taught photography at the New York Institute of Technology in Amman, Jordan. His final career change led him to computer graphics and publishing as co-owner of MSI Press LLC; his many typeset books and book covers have helped MSI Press authors win a large number of awards over the years,
Read more

A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Book Marketing vs Book Promotion

Image
It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.  Today's post looks at the difference between book marketing and book promotion, two terms that are frequently confused. Leading to the confusion is that some of the same activities are needed for both. In fact, good marketing is dependent upon good promotion. Perhaps the essential difference is that marketing focuses on sales, and promotion focuses on awareness --  noting that without awareness, sales generally do not happen. Book Marketing Book marketing includes promotion, sales, and increasing awareness of the availability of the book. It generally starts with a marketing plan that identifies the target audiences and selects marketing t
Read more