By Scott Lorenz, Westwind Communications
For most self-published authors, it is extremely difficult to get book stores to buy their books. There are many issues that stand in the way, including distribution, returns, payments, and the quality of the book. Many authors have complained to me about the time, energy, and money required to get bookstores to stock their book. They bemoaned the fact that there was not a better way to deal with bookstores and other retail outlets.
Now there is a better way to get books into a non-retail channel besides bookstores. There’s a service to help authors sell their books to non-bookstore buyers on a non-returnable, commission basis. That’s correct. Non-returnable. So, when you sell a book into this channel, it stays sold. Instead of dealing with dozens of bookstores, the author can, instead, tap into thousands of sales persons to sell their books to buyers in schools, corporations, associations, military buyers and government agencies.
Authors working with Brian Jud’s Premium Book Company, LCC, will have their books shown in a catalog used by 65,000 commissioned sales people to sell to buyers, on a non-returnable basis, with whom they have a relationship. When an order is taken, the seller buys the book from the author at 60 percent off the list price and the buyer pays the shipping charges.
Writers who sign up with Premium Book Company will:
- Have sales representation to non-retail buyers for as long as the book is in print
- Have their book displayed on the reps’ trade association’s search engine accessible by even more sales people
- Pay a one-time setup fee of $250 for the first title, $175 for the second title, and $125 for each additional title added to the catalog
- Have an option of buying quarter-page, half-page, or full-page ads in the catalog
- Be able to exhibit books at major premium shows
- Have access to video tutorials that show how authors can tap the non-traditional bookstore market
In effect, the author hires a national sales force of 65,000 for $250. “We know who and where the buyers are and what they want, and so are equipped to do all the selling and negotiating for the writer,” says Jud. “The author gets incremental revenue without having to do any of the selling. Once the one-time catalog setup fee is paid, we sell on a commission-only basis.”
The advantage to his approach is that the author can focus on writing and appearing at book signings or seminars and leave the selling to others. I share the same advice with authors about why they should hire a professional PR firm to promote their books.
If you want to know more about this unique sales approach, and how it might benefit you personally, contact Brian Jud at BrianJud@bookmarketing.com. You can also check out his website at: http://premiumbookcompany.com/
The Bottom Line: The non-bookstore channel can be extremely profitable as books stay sold, unlike the traditional bookstore channel where books are ‘sold’ on consignment.
About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at http://www.Book-Marketing-Expert.com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist