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America’s 123,000 libraries purchase nearly $2 billion worth of books annually, according to statistics from the American Library Association and the Book Industry Study Group. Nonfiction books are especially well suited to library sales. To sell fiction to libraries, it’s helpful to have reviews in journals, book awards, or a strong local tie-in, such as a novel being set in the region.

Here are ten tips on how to sell to libraries:

1. Publish a library-friendly book. Library books take a lot of abuse, so libraries prefer books that are sturdy. However, given the choice between a hardcover and paperback edition, they may choose the paperback because it’s less expensive. Libraries generally will not purchase books with spiral or other nontraditional binding, and they don’t like books with “fill-in-the-blank” pages.  Nonfiction books should have a good index and preferably a bibliography. Librarians also prefer to purchase books that are cataloged using CIP (cataloging-in-publication) data.

2. Get your book reviewed in a library journal. Library purchasing decisions are based largely on reviews in the major journals. It’s impossible for librarians to keep up with the huge volume of books being published, and they value the screening process that the journals provide.  Eligibility and submission instructions vary by publication, so read the requirements carefully. Unfortunately, the journals can review only a small percentage of the books submitted to them. If you aren’t able to get reviewed in major journals, play up your other reviews in your marketing materials.

3. Make sure your book is available through major library wholesalers such as Baker & Taylor and Ingram. The majority of library book purchases are made through wholesalers, and some libraries won’t order directly from small publishers.

4. Apply to work with a library distributor such as Quality Books or Unique Books, if you have a nonfiction book.

5. Solicit testimonials from librarians to add to your marketing materials, and play up any awards the book has won.

6. Contact libraries in your area to inquire about programs for local authors, and contact libraries in towns you visit. Let the library know about your events or media coverage in the area, such as book signings, radio interviews, or newspaper feature stories.

7. Look into speaking opportunities at libraries, like lectures and readings. In some cases you can sell copies of your book at your event or even get paid a speaking fee. Sometimes these events are organized by the “friends of the library” or other similar volunteer groups.

8. Send direct mail to libraries, either on your own or through co-operative mailings. Address mail to the Collection Development Librarian for your subject area, and include a flyer with book details and a list of wholesalers and distributors that carry your book.

9. Consider donating a sample copy of your book to a few top library systems, to encourage purchases for branch libraries.

10. Exhibit at library tradeshows through co-operative exhibit programs such as those offered through the Independent Book Publishers Association, Combined Book Exhibit, and other organizations.

Excerpted from The Savvy Book Marketer’s Guide to Selling Your Book to Libraries by Dana Lynn Smith.  For book marketing tips, get a free copy of the Top Book Marketing Tips ebook on Dana’s book marketing blog and follow @BookMarketer on Twitter.

Successful Social Marketing book: http://bit.ly/socialmediasavvy

Book marketing blog: http://www.TheSavvyBookMarketer.com

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Step 1: Define your target audience.

Who is your main customer? What do they look like? What do they watch? Listen to? What other media do they consume? The more research you do the more you can identify and target your ideal customer to BUY YOUR BOOK!

Step 2: What’s your PLATFORM? Find your “book hook.” What message are you marketing?

Get your message “out there!” But what do you want to say? Are you an expert? An evangelist? Do you want to position yourself as a “brain” or a “creative” – or do you have endorsements that will speak volumes for you? Who you have endorse you will “pin point” how you will be perceived/branded in the market. Make sure your message that you communicates makes the media say “wow” and not yawn. Examine yourself and find your unique selling position. Why is your book worthy of media attention?

Step 3: Build a media “wish list”

We would all love to be on Oprah, Tom Joyner and Steve Harvey and TBN…that’s a for sure best-seller status. But starting out, get a focused, realistic media database that reaches the core target audience. What do you read, watch and listen to? Do you really know the media? Google the media you know matches your platform. Look up other authors in your genre and Google them to see where they have had media hits. Put those on your “wish list” and go and find those same reporters/stations. No need buy expensive media lists and doing mass mailings – that is old school and doesn’t work.

Here are some Eblast services/media to look at:
(targeting the African-American and faith-based African-American markets)
BlackGospelPromo.com
DetroitGospel.com
GoodGirlBookClubOnline.com
UrbanGospelPromo.com
GospelCity.com
BlackBookPromo.com
UrbanRoundUp.com
GospelEblast.com
GospelEFlyer.com
TheLoopOnline.com
MIProductions.org
GospelTruthMagazine.com
CushCity.com
UrbanGospelPromo.com
GospelFlava.com
Rawsistaz.com
MosaicBooks.com (300 BookClubs)
FriendshipProductions
GospelFruits.com
Izania.com
BlackChristianbookpromo.com
Gospeltube.com
Blacknews.com
Christianbookbuzzonline.com

Step 4: Create dazzling press materials

If you’re trying to pitch Essence, “O” magazine or your local weekly neighborhood newspaper, you better come correct. You only have one chance to make a first impression. Get customized press kit folders if doing mailing. Or get graphics help to design your EPK (electronic press kit). But whatever you do, get great author photos. A picture is worth a thousand words – and a “glamour” shot will get you noticed. Even in the Christian market, sex appeal sells. Make sure your press releases, fact sheets, articles and pitch letters stand out from the crowd and “position” yourself. BRAND!
Great error-free press material is the foundation to a good campaign.

Step 5: Media contact – they are your friends.

How do you meet the media? Go where they go. Go to conferences where you know media will be there like the Gospel Heritage Conference, The PowerNetworking Conference, The Stellar Awards, ICRS (formerly CBA) and even the regional/local National Black Association of Black Journalists. Not a bad idea to even join as an associate member. You’re a writer, right? Networking and building relationships is critical. If you can meet them, keep in contact by commenting on their work – so they know you’re just not “begging” allllllll the time – but really are an educated media consumer. (Also get their name right!)

When you prove yourself as an “expert” and dependable source of information, you get reporters to contact you over and over. And they will tell their friends about you because you will become known as a good source.

But never brow beat and badger a reporter/producer with unwanted phone calls, faxes or E-mails – that’s a quick way to make an enemy with the whole industry. If they don’t respond, ask them why and then move on. There are tons of other media that will reach your target market. Use your time and energy wisely and don’t be a pain – and when you really have something to contact them about – just a quick email is all that is needed.

For more info go to: www.pamperryonlinepr.com

See youtube.com/pamperry1 too for videos

“Ministry Marketing Solutions has been an undeniable asset in the promotion of my Christian fiction novels. Pam Perry, the company’s owner, has garnered me great exposure, helped me create solid marketing strategies and kept me before readers and the media in my target audience. Pam embraces clients with her heart and infuses passion and excellence in her efforts to promote their projects.”

Stacy Hawkins, Adams, Author, Watercolored Pearls

Author, and Pastor T.D. Jakes with PR Guru, Pam Perry (Photo Credit: Ministry Marketing Solutions)

It is not often that we come across a person in the Public Relations arena that has taken the torch to represent the Christian population with tenacity, integrity, and dedication.  Pam Perry is that individual.  She began Ministry Marketing Solutions ten years ago to assist churches, ministries, and Christian authors with building their brand of marketing to empower their target audience.  Her no nonsense approach, coupled with her drive for churches to work in excellence equals a product that has a solid foundation, brand identification, and relays a strong spiritual message.

Hope Today Magazine spoke with this PR Guru to learn what her driving force is behind her company, her passion for ministry, and why she became the vessel of empowerment to the Christian community.

Hope Today Magazine: Can you provide background information with regards to how you became involved in the Public Relations industry?

Pam Perry: I have been involved in Public Relations for the past twenty years.  I believe it to be my career, my calling.  I majored in Public Relations and Journalism in college. When I completed school, I worked for the Detroit Free Press for a number of years in the Advertising and Sales role.  I did this for about a decade and then moved into radio and broadcast sales along with some producing.  I left that, went into not for profit work as the Director of Public Relations.  There after, I decided to strike out on my own with working with two organizations, Joy of Jesus and the Salvation Army.  I combined all of my media, sales, and writing skills to work with those two organizations and that is how I formed the bridge to Ministry Marketing Solutions.

Hope Today Magazine: Can you tell of the services that Ministry Marketing Solutions provides?

Pam Perry: We do PR coaching. We take new authors who are new to the publishing field who do not know how to market their book or self-published authors who are trying to build a brand.  I teach them step by step, everything that they need to do in order to market their book.  We discuss branding, building the platform, social media training, media relations, internet marketing, as well as packaging themselves to gain speaking engagements.

Hope Today Magazine: You assist with building ministries as well?

Pam Perry: Yes, I do this for Pastors as well, typically if they have a book.

Hope Today Magazine: Why did you decide to focus your services towards ministries?

Pam Perry: That was just a love that I had.  I felt there was a huge need.  There was a void that I saw in that particular area. After working with companies who market their products well, I often wondered why the church that has more of a life changing message does not have the technical skills to be able to deliver their products to consumers that would buy into their story as well.  I really learned that from the Salvation Army. People really do not understand that the Salvation Army is a church.  They are a brand.  When people see the red kettles out at Christmas time, that is all branding. It really started there.  I opened Ministry Marketing Solutions because I wanted to offer my skills to churches that just didnt know how to get their products out.  Its good that we know the Word but we need to understand the profession of marketing.  I believe that Jesus is about excellence and when we dont do something in excellence, we are not being a good witness.

Hope Today Magazine: It is not often that we hear of a PR Liason speak so passionately about excellence with regards to marketing with churches.

Pam Perry: You don’t have to be a mega church to do things in excellence. You don’t have to be a T.D Jakes in order to have a really tight brand.  You can do something as simple as sticking to a consistent color.  That is branding.  The typical Christian needs to feel that their church is relevant. I look in the urban areas in which there is a church on every corner.  Why don’t the churches involve the community to rebuild those churches?  The reason why that does not happen is because the community feels that the church is just a little club that they do not understand, that is not relevant and basically recycles Christians every Sunday. We have to become relevant.  We have to engage the community.  This should be a lifestyle not just something that happens on Sunday. It can be the little things, texts messages or having a nice package for the CD of the sermon.  We can do things in excellence.

Hope Today Magazine: What would you say to critics that would say that this is further perpetuating the thought that churches are more concerned about the business than about an individual’s soul?

Pam Perry: I dont think that they are focusing on money rather than they are on branding and bringing people in.  However to get the people in first, you have to spend some money on marketing. You have to have nice post cards, business cards, and signs.  You have to look at companies.  Disney is known for customer service.  Just because we are a church does not mean that we can not take a page form the book of a company that is doing well.  We have to engage people.  We have to look at the culture of what we are up against.  You have to remain relevant. Everything that the world does we can take it, turn the page, and use it to minister to people.

Hope Today Magazine: Who have you worked with in the past?

Pam Perry: T.D Jakes, Teresa Hairston, Valerie Burton, Dr. Myles Munroe, and Pastor Andre Butler to name a few. Within the past ten years, I have worked with about two hundred Christian authors.

Hope Today Magazine: What do you envision for Ministry Marketing Solutions for the next five years?

Pam Perry: We will do more social media marketing for churches and authors.  What I have found is that people are confused about what to do with internet marketing.  I want to take that mystique out of social media.  I will be doing more training and speaking on social media marketing in the next upcoming years.  That internet train is not slowing down.  It is actuall speeding up.  We have to be able to navigate to stay relevant.

Hope Today Magazine: What is the Pam Perry Brand?

Pam Perry: You will see a lot of pink and a lot of books.  I love to give information.  I surround myself with information.  People will see a lot of pink yet when I open my mouth they are quickly made aware that I have knowledge and I am about business.

Editor Notes:
Pam Perry has been one of the more high-powered and visible figures in public relations. Her career serves as a notable example of the potency that personally handled promotion has acquired in the mass media. Perry’s rise in the wrangling world of publicity began when she worked in public relations and advertising. Pam Perry is a contributing writer for Hope Today Magazine. To learn more about Pam Perry, visit www.pamperrypr.com.

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" I'm Just Sayin' " Show with Pam Perry – VIDEO – Scroll I'm in PINK. http://post.ly/qOFe http://plurk.com/p/6rg09k #

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