News
 Books:
The New Premium
by Jody Costa
Every time the tradeshow season rolls around, I hear
the same old question: How can I tap into the
special sales markets without using last year's
hats, bags, Frisbees, pens, and other boring
gimmicks? How about a good old-fashioned book?
The solution is simple and effective—good
old-fashioned books. Books that are high in valuable
content and actionable information will establish
expert credibility for you and your firm and deliver
a useful tool to your clients. And the best part:
You probably have all the information you need
already written in newsletters, case studies, user
manuals, etc. It is then just a matter of
repackaging the content and publishing through a
legitimate publishing house.
It sounds too complicated; where would I start?
Start by brainstorming about what information your
clients need most. It may be tips they request over
and over again or types of related information that
they look to you for as the expert in the field. Or,
better yet, it could be new information that you are
hoping will establish you as the forerunner in the
market.
Here's an example
A software company provided support material to all
of its customers after they made a purchase.
Research had shown that although customers could use
the product (an option trading program) effectively,
they would soon get frustrated trying to learn how
to trade options and give up. To alleviate this
problem, the software company created a small manual
outlining some key issues to be aware of when
trading and included it with every software package.
And, bam, there it was! Their first book was staring
them right in the face.
OK, so I have an idea, but now what?
The key is finding a small publishing company that
will see the value in both your content and your
distribution channels. You'll need to convince the
editors that the information is not just useful for
your best clients, but for the wider audience in
your industry.
This is where you really need to think about the
details:
• How does your book relate to the market?
• How can you disseminate the information—that is,
can it be sent to your internal lists and will
people actually buy it?
• What goals are you trying to accomplish with you
book, and how does it fit into your overall
marketing plan?
• Does it hold enough weight to gain credibility for
your firm in the wider consumer/business market—does
it offer more than PR/marketing fluff?
Once you answer those questions, you'll need to do
some research into the publishing firms. Stay away
from vanity press. These types of companies are
looking for substantial investment on your end
without any promise of return.
Try to find a publisher that is either established
in your niche market, or hungry to start a book line
in your niche market. In either scenario, your
chances of getting the editor's attention and
getting the book to market are greatly improved. The
publisher should offer full editorial support and
production capabilities. And, unless someone on your
staff is a published writer, the publishing company
should also have the ability to offer you a
ghostwriter to flesh out your book idea.
You'll want to make sure that the publishing company
has significant marketing resources to devote to
your book. You don't want to go through the whole
trouble of production and then have the book never
see the light of day. This is why finding the right
publisher is important; those who understand your
niche market will want to promote your book just as
much as you do.
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, look through
your existing content. You'll see that your first
book may be sitting there just waiting for you to
make a move.
- As published
on www.Marketingprofessionals.com. Jody Costa is an
editor with Marketplace Books
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Melissa Data
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