A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Marketing a Book Long after the Release Date

 

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 discusses the reality that after a book is released, life goes on...and on...and on. Soon (it seems) the book is no longer new, but old. Now what? Walk away or do something? What are the options?

Put the book on the shelf

Yes, many authors do that. There are differing reasons. Sometimes, the topic gets old. Other times, the author does not know what else he or she can do. Yet, other times, the author has simply moved on to other interests. In some rare cases, the author dies. In all these cases, except where the author has moved on to other interests, book sales can be revived unless the author no longer wishes to put in the effort. In that case, on the shelf the book sits. And, in life, that is an option.

Continue promoting

There are many ways an author/publisher can continue to promote an older book successfully:

• Continue to submit the book for reviews. Some big-time reviewers will not review a book beyond six months after the release date; others have a slightly longer timeframe. However, readers have no timefranes/deadlines. Encourage readers to submit reviews to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, your website -- wherever reviews do not expire.  
• Submit your book for awards. There are many awards that do not have publication cut-off dates, and others that have quite liberally inclusive dates.
• Use all the other traditional approaches to book promotion
• Get on talk shows -- you can update the information in your book or add to, but it is still the basis of what you are sharing with viewers.
• The same is true for podcasts; if you have trouble getting on podcasts, make your own and post them to Youtube, your website, TikTok, and other social media.
• Maintain your promotion efforts on your social media platforms.
• Continue periodic giveaways or sales, if those have helped in the past (they do not always help, but where they do, then repeat them).
• Jump onto a new format. If, for exanple, you have never blogged, now might be a good time to start a blog with your book at the center.
• Donate some surplus copies to local libraries. We do this every month, and sales have come from people who have seen the book at the library and want their own copy. 
• Do workshops for local groups and use surplus copies of your book as handouts for the workshop. (Of course, the workshop fee should cover the sales price of the book -- and whatever more you need to earn from the workshop.)
• Do a revival book launch. 
• The list goes on, like life goes on. It is only limited by your imagination.

Do something new

There are at least two new things available to authors whose books are old and not selling. One is to write another book. One book often sells another. In fact, one of our authors wrote a new book -- and the older book, which had been dormant, began to outsell the new book by a ratio of 3:1. 

A second thing that authors often do that is new is to revise the book and put out a second edition. New editions must contain something substantially different from a previous edition, but that is not hard to date. Simply updating information, dates, and graphics can do the trick. One of our books, our bestseller actually, is on its fifth edition, and the author is now deceased! He died right after finishing edition 5 seven years ago, but the book keeps selling.

Bottom line: The bottom line is that older books can sell; authors and publishers just need to use some ingenuity in promotion and marketing.

For previous conversations on this topic, click HERE.

See more Publisher Conversations with authors HERE.

 Learn more about publishing from an acquisitions editor -- how to get your book proposal accepted, why proposals are turned down/accepted, and how to find the right publisher for your book. On special sale for $5 while inventory lasts at MSI Press webstore. Also available as an e-book and an audiobook.

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.

                             

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