Books Are Not Bought...They Are Sold

During a recent conversation, Tate Publishing founder Dr. Richard Tate and I discussed the fact that books are not bought...they are sold.

As I've pondered that idea this week, I believe it really is true. Buyers at major retailers like Barnes and Noble, Family Christian, and Mardel don't just "buy" books for their stores. The books are "sold" or pitched to them by publishers.

The true reality is that all authors must work hard to sell their books. There is no "magic bullet" in this industry for first-time authors. Even placing books on the shelf of every major bookstore does not mean they will be bought...not without someone actively selling them.

A few months ago I saw former President Bill Clinton on the Late Show with David Letterman. He was there promoting - or selling - his new book. If a former President must work to sell books, how much more does the first-time author have to work? And while the platform may not be the same (most authors do not get a shot on Letterman), the principle behind it certainly is - every author must work hard to sell books. The good news is that at Tate Publishing, each author is assigned to a Marketing Representative that will partner with you to sell your book, so no Tate author must "go it alone."

Selling books is not an easy thing to do. But our Acquisitions Department only signs books that we believe are marketable, and Tate Marketing is then proud to get in the trenches and work hard with our authors to sell their books in a variety of ways.

If you are a Tate author, I would encourage you to not sit back and wait for your book to be bought...instead, roll up your sleeves, partner with your Marketing Representavie, and SELL your book!

An Author Who Found Her Niche at Tate Publishing

Tate Publishing author Nancy Dane contacted us this week to let us know how well things have been going as she is taking her book to her unique niche market. She sold over 150 books this past weekend! Here's a personal note from Nancy explaining how she did it:


"Although my local bookstore signings were successful, I was astonished when storeowners congratulated me on outstanding success if only a dozen books sold.
I decided to change tactics and target my specific audience. Since my novel is Civil War historical fiction, I began purchasing booth space at Civil War reenactments and related events. I also began speaking at civic clubs and schools. My research, a documentary history titled 'Tattered Glory,' is now being used as curriculum in Arkansas schools, along with lesson plans which use the novel as well.
Because of this marketing approach, (and lots of hard work!) the novel is on the road to success. In the past year, I have received fan emails from almost every state and two foreign countries.
While each book is unique, the key for successful marketing is to find and target your particular audience."


- Nancy Dane, author of Tattered Glory, Where the Road Begins, A Difference of Opinion
http://www.nancydane.com/



Nancy has done a fantastic job of spreading the word to the specific niche market for her book. She even told me she has braved the elements - sitting in both freezing 12 degree weather and blistering 100 degree heat to sell her books. Now that's commitment!!

Bookstores are a terrific place to start, and as is the case with any product, some find more success than others inside the retail marketplace. Nancy has been able to reach a whole new market - a market not inside the bookstore, but people who share the same passion for the kind of book she has written, a Civil War novel.

This is just one story of an author finding success in her niche...and Tate Marketing is proud to offer what no other publisher in the industry offers - a personal Marketing Rep that can help you discover your niche, pursue events in that realm, and then publicize those niche events as well...while still pursuing bookstores for the retail exposure authors desire.

If you haven't yet discovered your niche, please contact your Marketing Representative here at Tate Publishing. We are always happy to brainstorm and partner together to pursue new avenues for success with you!

Why We Do What We Do at Tate Publishing

People everywhere want a voice...somewhere they can express the message or story on their heart. By putting that idea to paper and being published, that person becomes an author. Ten, fifteen, or twenty-five years ago, it was a very rare thing to be a published author. And you know what? It still is.

While it is easier than ever to become a published author, it is not easy. We deal with authors daily in all departments - acquisitions, editing, graphic design, layout, multimedia, and marketing. We have the honor of working with some of the most talented writers in the world. They may not all be famous writers, but the manuscripts we have the pleasure of creating into books with these authors are some of the best anywhere.

Tate Publishing accepts for publication less than 4% of the manuscripts submitted to us. Our acquisitions department thoroughly reviews those submissions to pick only the best of the best. So when those books complete production and come to the marketing department, we have the pleasure of partnering with these authors to give these people the voice they so desperately want.

I've seen authors open their books for the first time, and it is a very special - and powerful - moment. Take a second and view the video, then come back...

This is why we do what we do. We give authors the lasting legacy of becoming a published author. A legacy and a voice that can live on far beyond the author's lifespan and affect others - family, friends, and those in far corners of the earth - for generations to come.

The Power of Finding Your Niche

Every single book has a niche. Have you found yours?

You may not have given this any thought…and if that’s the case, you could be missing the biggest and best market for your book.

But what really is a niche market? A niche market is a market that is made up of the specific people you want to reach with your book – people who need to read your book.

You might think, “Well, everyone needs to read my book.”

But the reality is, with over 300,000 new books released into the marketplace every year, it is difficult to write a book and expose that book to everyone right away. And while that may be your desire, if your plan is to reach everyone, you will likely miss a potentially huge segment of readers – the ones that need your book the most.

Who needs your book the most? Where can you find those people?

Are they children? Then take your book to where children can be found – schools, day care groups, library clubs, etc.

Are they Christians? Then take your book to churches, to Sunday School classes, and to Christian conferences and retreats.

Is your book about marriage or divorce? Then find a local marriage class or divorce care group and get the book in their hands.

Tate Publishing is the very best in the entire industry at exploring and pursuing niche markets for our authors. In fact, I know of no other publisher in the world that will pursue niche marketing for their authors – all other publishers are looking to bookstores only for sales. Tate Publishing is certainly in the business of bookstores sales, and we always will be. We can pursue any bookstore and any chain in the world to present your book and give it the very best chance to succeed.

But we will also go beyond the bookstore and beyond the traditional life of a book on the store shelf to help our authors find their niche – to find the exact audience for your book.

Niche marketing is powerful in that it enables you to take your book to the masses, rather than waiting for the masses to find your book at the store on their own.

Your Tate Marketing Representative is ready and able to partner with you to pursue your niche and continue to market your book beyond the bookstore. Please do not hesitate to contact your Marketing Rep – even if it has been awhile – to pursue your niche and reach the audience that must read your book!

Flying About

I've recently been on the road (or in the air, I guess) helping Tate Publishing grow beyond what it once was and providing our authors with even more opportunity and visibility than ever before. In September alone, I was in New York City meeting with our buyer at the Barnes and Noble corporate offices and also in Cincinnati to discuss with managers of the Berean Christian Bookstore chain our new agreement for hosting events in their stores nationwide.

While I don't like being apart from my wife and kids (who does?), traveling (read "sitting on an airplane runway") can provide some time for reflection on life and where you're going. I've seen so much growth and change in my three years at Tate Publishing that it's almost hard to remember where we were just three short years ago. It's pretty mind-boggling, really. When I started here, we had about 25 employees in the entire company. We're now pushing 100 here at our offices, and the marketing staff has more than quadrupled since that time, not including the staff of Key Marketing Group and Communications, the Tulsa-based public relations firm that we've partnered with to give our authors and artists the best representation they can have in the marketplace.

The meetings in New York proved extremely successful. Tate Publishing was moved out of the Small Press Department with B&N and is now considered Large Press. As a result, we are now able to present more of our titles face-to-face with buyers and to possibly have more of our product than ever on the shelves in B&N locations around the country. In addition, we have been given the green light from our B&N buyer to pursue events from coast-to-coast for our great authors.

In Cincinnati, we had the pleasure of meeting with the CEO of Berean stores, as well as many of their corporate staff, to present to the Berean local managers our new agreement for bringing in product to their stores and hosting book signings for our authors. Again, this was a tremendous success, and it is terrific to have a strong CBA Christian retail presence in addition to the outstanding ABA relationship we have with Barnes and Noble (not to mention Borders, Hastings, and others).

I knew that as I sat on the tarmac waiting to fly home from LaGuardia airport in New York that big things had happened, but even bigger things now lie ahead for Tate Publishing. The unprecedented reception we received on both of these trips was an indicator of what is still yet to come...