Jason Wrench, Associate Professor in Communication and Media at the State University of New York at New Paltz, share some advantages…
Traditional vs. open textbook authoring: An interview with Steven Barkan
Steven Barkan is a Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Sociology Department at the University of Maine. He is…
The advantages of working with a small textbook publisher
Small textbook publishing houses offer author some distinct advantages that may be worth considering. According to Linda Null and Julia…
Textbook promotion: How to earn local, national media attention
“Houghton Mifflin Harcourt putting a halt on buying any new manuscripts”
“Publishing companies will no longer expense (extravagant) lunches with literary agents”
“Plunging sales and stocks reported from booksellers”
With headlines like these, the publishing community is wondering how the book industry will survive in a rocky economy, especially those in publicity. Anyone in public relations, media and even writers know promotion is needed to sell books but convincing upper brass can sometimes be an uphill battle. The good news is anyone can promote his or her work. A fancy Manhattan PR firm doesn’t have to be hired for big dollars.
How to advocate for your textbook before, during, and after a national sales meeting
Reid Hester, a 15-year veteran in textbook sales and marketing, and Robert Christopherson, a best-selling geography textbook author, share their advice for making the most of your participation in national sales meetings:
• Provide specific, actionable information. “If it can be used to sell your book, it’s worth its weight in gold,” said Hester. For example, build sales-ready bullet points about your book’s features. Or track the updates and changes you make to a new edition as you make them. “Your editor and the sales reps will want to know,” said Christopherson.
6 Textbook proposal writing tips
Six textbook authors share their textbook proposal writing tips:
“Make sure there is a demand for your book that currently is not being met by exisiting texts.”
David J. Ellenbogen, author of Elementary Algebra: Concepts and Applications
“Beware of putting anything in writing too early, since some editors will take your preliminary ideas to be definite proposals. When you do write the proposal, assume it will be your last chance to convince an editor to take an interest in the project. Also keep in mind that no matter how convinced you are that your book will be the best in the field, you have to make that clear to the editor, and you also have to explain to the editor how that is going to be clear to potential adopters.”