With 500,000 new books being published every year, how can you compete? How do you get seen and noticed? How will independent booksellers fall in love with your book and promote it in their stores and on the recommended reading lists? Relax, I’m about to give away the deep, dark secrets of book marketing.
The American Booksellers Association (ABA)
The book industry trade group has been around for over 100 years. Based just north of New York City in Tarrytown, NY, this organization watches over the business health of over 1,200 independent bookstores throughout the United States. Notice I keep saying independent bookstore and not the giant corporate chains and Amazon. The ABA has many helpful programs and resources for both the booksellers and the publishers who sell to them. The following info will help you know what is available.
The link to the following information and costs is http://www.bookweb.org/pubpartner/resources.html:
The Red Box
This is a once-a-month shipment of marketing materials to bookstores. You can get the below particulars at
THE MONTHLY INDIEBOUND RED BOX MAILING PROGRAM
Designed to serve as a monthly “In-Store Marketing Action Kit”, the Red Box mailing (actually a white box with a large red sticker) contains the stores initial quantity of the latest Indie Next List flyers as well as other timely news and information from ABA and IndieBound.
For inclusion in the Red Box, ABA Publisher Partners are invited to provide marketing materials including but not limited to:
* Shelftalkers, easelbacks, bookmarks, posters, or other point-of-purchase items to promote those titles chosen as
Indie Next List Great Reads or Notables, or other recent or upcoming releases
* Sell sheets and/or catalog copy for any “off-the-list” titles
* Seasonal catalogs and/or order forms
* Special offers, notice of backlist promotions, etc.
* Any other news about titles, authors, tours, confirmed media appearances, etc.
The Red Box mailing is shipped within the first 12 days of the month to approximately 1100 IndieBound stores. The mailing is prioritized, based on the level of a store’s participation in IndieBound and ABA programs. The minimum quantity for inclusion in any mailing is 450 pieces.
Effective with the January, 2012 mailing, standard pricing for inclusion in all 1100 Red Boxes is as follows:
• A sell sheet or flyer
• A standard (4” x 6”) postcard • A large-format postcard
• Shelftalker
• Easelback poster
• Standard poster, flat or folded • Pack of 25 bookmarks
$275; $.27 per piece for quantities less than 1100
$145: $.15 per piece for quantities less than 1100
$180; $.18 per piece for quantities less than 1100
$145; $.15 per piece for quantities less than 1100
$525 and up, dependent on size; $.55 per piece for quantities less than 1100 $425 and up, dependent on size; $.45 per piece for quantities less than 1100 $695, other quantities custom quoted
No galleys, ARC’s or finished books are included in the Red Box mailing. Those items are exclusive to the monthly White Box mailing (please see Appendix B).
We are happy to custom quote on any item you may wish to include in this mailing. If you would like your materials to also be sent to other active ABA Publisher Partners as well as to the nine Regional Bookseller Association Executive Directors, please provide an additional 100 pieces (same pricing as above).
Please contact Carolyn Bennett (carolyn@bookweb.org) at least three weeks prior to the White Box materials due date of a given mailing (please see Appendix D for these dates) with information about the item(s) you wish to include.
All materials should be shipped to:
Transport Specialties International, Inc. (TSI) Attn: Keith Gosselin
9 Joanna Court
East Brunswick, NJ 08816-2108
Phone: 732.698.0988, x 110
Please mark all cartons and/or packing slips:“FOR INDIEBOUND “month” RED BOX” Early shipments are possible, but must be pre-approved.
The White Box Program
THE MONTHLY INDIEBOUND WHITE BOX MAILING PROGRAM
Every month a box measuring 18.5” x 18.5” x 4” is sent to each of the approximately 750 actively participating IndieBound stores, filled with galleys,ARCs and finished books provided by ABA Publisher Partners. As with the Advance Access Program (see Appendix G), this is an excellent and cost effective way to reach the Independent Bookstore market with news of your titles. By collating, packing and shipping all these materials from one warehouse, we are able to offer publishers substantial savings in time, labor, and postage over individual mailings done on their own.
The cost of inclusion in the White Box is dependent on the size and weight of the galley,ARC, or finished book. Standard pricing typically ranges from $1.35 to $2.50 per piece. Upon receipt of the dimensions and number of pages, we are happy to custom quote for any proposed inclusion.
* The White Box mailing is prioritized, based on the level of a store’s participation in IndieBound and ABA programs. The minimum quantity for inclusion in any mailing is 450 copies.
* To reach all stores receiving the White Box mailing, please plan to provide 750 copies.
* If you would like your materials to also be sent to other active ABA Publisher Partners as well as to the nine Regional Bookseller Association Executive Directors, please provide an additional 100 copies.
There is an additional charge for the insertion of any bounceback cards, letters, or any other collation done in our warehouse. Charges for collation will be custom quoted.
Please contact Carolyn Bennett (carolyn@bookweb.org) at least three weeks prior to the White Box materials due date of a given mailing (please see Appendix E for these dates) with information about the item(s) you wish to include.
All materials should be shipped to:
Transport Specialties International, Inc. (TSI) Attn: Keith Gosselin
9 Joanna Court
East Brunswick, NJ 08816-2108
Phone: 732.698.0988, x 110
Please mark all cartons and/or packing slips:“FOR INDIEBOUND “month” WHITE BOX” Early shipments are possible, but must be pre-approved.
Children’s White Box
THE QUARTERLY INDIEBOUND CHILDREN’S WHITE BOX MAILING PROGRAM
Four times each year a box measuring 18.5” x 18.5” x 4” is sent to each of the approximately 750 actively participating IndieBound stores, filled with a variety of materials provided by ABA Publisher Partners specifically for Children’s book- sellers. As with the Advance Access Program (see Appendix G), this is an excellent and cost effective way to reach the Independent Bookstore market with news of your titles. By collating, packing and shipping all these materials from one warehouse, we are able to offer publishers substantial savings in time, labor, and postage over individual mailings done on their own.
Standard pricing for inclusion in all 750 boxes is as follows:
• A one-sheet or flyer
• A standard postcard
• A large format postcard • A shelftalker
• A pack of 25 bookmarks • A pre-folded poster
• An easelback poster
$190; $.27 per piece for quantities less than 750 $100; $.15 per piece for quantities less than 750 $125; $.18 per piece for quantities less than 750 $100; $.15 per piece for quantities less than 750 $475
$300 and up, dependent on size $400 and up, dependent on size
For galleys, ARC’s, F&G’s and finished books, costs for inclusion usually range between $1.35 and $2.50 per piece, depen- dent on size and weight. The minimum quantity for any galley,ARC, or finished book is 450 pieces. There is an additional charge for the insertion of any bounceback cards, letters, or any other collation done in our warehouse.
We are happy to custom quote on any item you may wish to include in this mailing. If you would like your materials to also be sent to other Publisher Partners and to the nine Regional Bookseller Association Executive Directors, please provide 850 pieces (same price as above).
Please contact Carolyn Bennett (carolyn@bookweb.org) at least three weeks prior to the Children’s White Box materials due date of a given mailing (please see Appendix F for these dates) with information about the item(s) you wish to include.
All materials should be shipped to:
Transport Specialties International (TSI)
Attn: Keith Gosselin
9 Joanna Court
East Brunswick, NJ 08816-2108 Phone: 732-698-0988, x 110
Please mark all cartons and/or packing slips:“INDIEBOUND “season” CHILDREN’SWHITE BOX” Early shipments are possible, but must be pre-approved.
IndIe Next List And Shelftalker Suggested Rate Card 2012
INDIE NEXT LIST:
Top 20 Listing, #1 Title $ 3,500
Top 20 Listing, Other Titles $ 2,500
This charge includes printing costs and postage for 450,000 fliers; store placement
“Now in Paperpack” (12 titles per month) $ 1,000
A pdf with jacket image, bibliographic information and bookseller quote as well as a shelftalker for each title is available for download at www.bookweb.org.
Top 10 Listing, Frontlist
Top 10 Listing, Backlist
Regular Listing, Frontlist
Regular Listing, Backlist
This charge includes printing costs and postage for 450,000 fliers; store placement
TEAR-OFF SHELFTALKERS:
Standard cost for regular Indie Next List titles, 1100 $2,875 Standard cost for Kids’ Indie Next List titles, 750 $2,175
Includes production and shipment, 5.5” x 7”, with four-color jacket image and bookseller quote, 50 tear-off sheets and printed backer.
Combined cost (to support an Indie Next List title) Kids’ combined Top Ten
Kids’ combined Regular
$4,500 $3,200 $2,700
Combined cost includes suggested rate for Indie next List placement and standard shelftalker production (see individual costs above).
Please contact Mark Nichols at mark@bookweb.org for further information Rates subject to change without notice.
Advance Access Program
This is an email alert to member stores where you can offer up free review copies of your book to those stores that request one. The ABA is currently re-doing its rate structure for this, so check back in from time to time to see when it becomes available again.
Snail Mail Lists
These are available for a price; however, I don’t think sending materials direct to the stores is nearly as effective as communicating through the ABA programs, which give them a much more valid image.
Summary
There you have it: the secret to success in book marketing. Yes, it is expensive! Yes, it’s well worth it. Book marketing is a full time job and an expensive undertaking. If you’re not prepared to do this, you might want to rethink the idea of self-publishing. It’s not for everyone.
This is a cross-posting from Bob Spear‘s Book Trends blog.