Sales and Marketing Support
publish, promote and sell your books, the modern, professional and affordable way
Sales and Marketing is truly an integral part of the overall publishing process. After all, you want get your book into the hands of paying readers, don't you? You also want to recoup your investment as soon as possible and hopefully make a return on it.
At The Manuscript Publisher, we offer sales and marketing support that is based on our author-centred approach to publishing. This means that you own the stock of books and materials that are produced, once they have been paid for. You also retain copyright and all future publishing rights to your work. This is important because, as a self-published author, the right to profit from your work belongs to you and you alone. It is different with traditional publishing (i.e. the publishing house route). Here, you are signing over the right to profit from your work to someone else, usually for a defined period and in return for a payment of royalties on future sales (depending on circumstances, you may also receive an advance).
Marketing - the active and the passive approach
Our role in the sales and marketing process is to assist. We work mostly on a commission basis, taking a percentage of the sales that we generate, also providing sales and order fulfilment. We do not operate complex 'package deals', which tend to benefit nobody, least of all the author who is also the publisher in this case.
It is usually in the marketing aspect of the publishing process where publishing package deals fall down. Sales and marketing services, such as are offered, tend represent the passive approach and do not entail much of a commitment - e.g. creating a web page for your book without explaining how it is intended to drive traffic to the site. For publishing to succeed, ongoing attention to advertising and promotion is required, not just during the first flush of enthusiasm.
What is generally the case with the vanity presses and the publishing package providers, is that they make their money from getting you to 'publish with them'. Publishing here, is defined in rather narrow terms - the task of producing your book and often at unnecessarily inflated prices. Publishing however, cannot be reduced to mere aspects or components of the process, whether we are talking about design, printing, distribution and so forth. It actually involves a complete cycle: from completing your manuscript, turning it into a professionally produced book, getting that book into the hands of a readership that is willing to pay, collecting the money and putting it in the bank.
At The Manuscript Publisher, we take an active interest in the sales and marketing of your book. We do so because we want you to succeed but also, because we have an interest in sales generation from the point of view of a retail seller of your book:
We sell books through our online and print catalogues, as well as through other channels such as Amazon, eBay, etc.
We buy books from you on a sale or return basis, at 35% trade discount (50% in the case of trade orders) and provide order fulfilment
For e-books, we take 50% of income from sales but also undertake all the necessary e-book conversion, marketing and promotion using Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords and other e-publishing platforms
We issue you with twice-yearly sales reports, in June and December. Payments are issued within 28 days by cheque, EFT, PayPal.
We actively promote your book throughout the year, including at peak times, holidays, anniversaries, historic milestones, any occasion that offers opportunities to ride the wave of publicity. We do this through creative advertising techniques that include direct marketing, e-mail, social media, direct mail, print catalogues, festivals, book fairs and so on.
The fact that your book is part of our catalogue can enhance sales too - readers often stop by to purchase a particular book and end up buying two or several.
Marketing and Campaign Management
We also provide services to help you to sell your book through your own channels, keeping 100% of the profit. Examples of how we can help you in this regard include, but are by no means limited to:
Listing on Nielsens Book Data, accessible to bookshops, wholesalers and distributors, libraries and their suppliers, publishers worldwide
Listing on Amazon and other online bookshops and retailers; assistance in setting yourself up as an Amazon Seller
When your book is published, we will announce it to the world and to your target audience via press releases, e-mail circulars, social media campaigns to book buyers, bookshops, libraries, book clubs, newspapers and media outlets, writing and literary groups throughout Ireland, Great Britain, North America, the English-speaking world
We actively promote books through both popular and niche social networking and social media websites, including Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn
Help you to Managing your Web Presence as an an author, writer, independent publisher, including your own, free-hosted website for as little as €250 (no hosting fees, ever!)
Advertising and sales copywriting service
Press, publicity, PR services and advice including access to our media contacts database that includes local, national, international media
Crafting of press releases with targeted delivery to local, national, international media
Online advertising and marketing - search engine marketing, pay per click advertising, social networking tools, etc.
Integrated campaign management including direct mail, e-mail marketing, social media, advertising, PR, etc.
Design and printing of posters, leaflets, fliers, business cards, bookmarks, etc.
Web design, video editing, slideshow presentations and preparation of other audio-visual materials
Help with preparing and hosting your own book launch
Other opportunities specific to your project.
For authors, writers, independent publishers the worldwide web is an invaluable tool - one that you can hardly do without in today's writing and publishing environment.
In addition to being a publishing platform in itself, it also allows you to connect directly with your readers and your target audience. It can also be used a sales platform that eliminates many of the obstacles, barriers, inefficiencies that used to confront authors and independent publishers.
Building and managing your web presence as an author, writer, independent publisher is something that The Manuscript Publisher has invested a lot of time and devoted a lot of attention to. We have devised services and solutions directly related to the needs of authors operating in today's exciting yet challenging world of publishing.
Read more about how we can help you take to advantage of the opportunities that the worldwide web has to offer you, as an author, writer, independent publisher. Specifically, find out how you can have your own dedicated author website, for as little as a once-off fee of €250. No hosting fees, ever. More information ...
This is a free, online directory of resources related to writing and publishing today, which we provide. It is an unsurpassed resource and is constantly being added to. Listings of writers groups, literary competitions, festivals and events, libraries, bookshops, book distributors, media and publicity resources are included.
We encourage you to avail of this resource and to add to it too, by helping us keep it up-to-date or by informing us of other products, services, resources that may be considered for inclusion. You can submit details online.
Business Mentoring and Support
Publishing is all about slow and steady work and this is just as much the case where self-publishing is concerned. Time, effort, patience and perseverance really are the key ingredients. There are few, if any, examples of 'get rich quick' schemes in publishing. You would do well to be suspicious of anyone who is attempting to sell you just that. If in doubt, talk to us: we strongly believe in properly appraising you of all important facts before you commit.
For more information about our Sales and Marketing support services, even if you have already published your book, please Contact Us.