Marketing and publishing
Welcome to the NASW Marketing and Publishing Resource. This collection of articles aims to help NASW members take advantage of the new opportunities for marketing and publishing their books and articles, whether they are self-publishing or working with a commercial publisher.
Writers who work with commercial publishers well know that they provide little marketing support for their authors' books. Publishers usually launch a book into the marketplace with little marketing planning and give it only months to stand or fall before essentially abandoning it to the backlist.
However, the Web gives authors many powerful tools and outlets for marketing their work themselves, and almost all are free. This resource aims to offer a concise guide to such marketing, as well as extensive reference Web sites and books.
Also, writers have the ability to self-publish their own books and articles, using the extensive network of consultants and other professionals, as well as technologies such as print-on-demand. The NASW Marketing and Publishing Resource offers a guide to self-publishing, along with a range of useful references.
Although I've done research to gather information for this resource, I am admittedly new to publishing and marketing, although I'm actively involved. My wife and I have founded a small publishing company, Glyphus L.L.C., to ultimately produce our own books. And, I've finished my book Explaining Research, which is being published by Oxford University Press. I hope the lessons I'm learning in both efforts can help inform these articles.
Importantly, I hope my fellow NASW members will give me feedback — both insights into marketing and publishing from their own experiences and ideas for additional topics to be covered. Below is a list of articles in the Marketing & Publishing Resource. Best of luck with your publishing!
&mdash Dennis Meredith
meredith@nasw.org
Article list
Scroll down for summaries of these articles. Access to full articles requires an NASW membership and member web site password.
- Definitions: POD, subsidy publishing, self-publishing and more
- Publishing organizations, discussion and support groups
- Deciding to become a self-publisher
- Marketing your book
- Marketing on Amazon
- Promotion using Google Book Search
- How to build a compelling writer/author Web site
- Blogging to promote your book
- Using a publicity/marketing company
- Selling e-books and e-articles
- How to print on demand and make money
- Working with book packagers and consultants
- Using a subsidy publisher
- Basics of book design
- Picking an offset printer
- Nuts and bolts of book distribution
Definitions: POD, subsidy publishing, self-publishing and more
You will encounter a great many unfamiliar terms in marketing and publishing. Here is a useful guide.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Publishing and marketing organizations, newsletters and discussion groups
There are many active organizations and discussion groups and useful newsletters to help you with your marketing and publishing. Here's a list:
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Deciding to become a self-publisher
Given the considerable frustrations of working with commercial publishers, you may well consider self-publishing your book.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Marketing your book
Whether you go with a commercial publisher or self-publish, you must commit yourself to marketing your book to make it a success.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Marketing on Amazon
Taking full advantage of opportunities to market your book on Amazon is an absolute no-brainer, given that they cost nothing and are easy to do.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Promotion using Google Book Search
Displaying your book on Google Book Search is an excellent way to enable potential customers to browse your book online and buy it.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Building a compelling writer/author Web site
A quality Web site is your professional face to the world, and fortunately it takes relatively little money and effort to put on a good face.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Blogging to promote your book
People are much more likely to buy your book if they feel a connection with you and see you as an expert willing to share your knowledge. A blog is a perfect way to establish such a connection.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Using a publicity/marketing company
Although you can do considerable publicity and marketing yourself, a commercial firm can bring useful expertise to promoting your book.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Selling e-books and e-articles
Here are the pros and cons of selling your books and articles online in electronic format, as well as lists of outlets.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)How to print on demand and make money
The savvy use of print-on-demand technology can lead to lucrative self-publishing.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Working with book packagers and consultants
If you do not feel comfortable taking on the tasks of managing production of your book -- for example, hiring and supervising an editor, designer, indexer, printer, etc. -- consider using a book packager or consultant.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Using a subsidy publisher
There are many cautions about using a subsidy publisher, but if carefully managed, they can be useful under some circumstances.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Basics of book design
The design of your book's cover and text is critical to its perception by readers as a quality book. Such design, if done correctly, will require a significant investment, but it is a one-time cost that will pay off handsomely in terms of sales and your reputation as an author/publisher.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Picking an offset printer
While POD is the best way to produce small quantities of a book, offset printing yields by far the greatest economy of scale and can produce a more professional-looking product.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)Nuts and bolts of book distribution
Getting your book into the commercial pipeline requires understanding the machinery of the book trade.
Posted by Dennis Meredith, October 17, 2008 1:59 PM — Continue reading (NASW members only)
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