<p>Courtesy of <a href="http://www.bookmasters.com" target="_blank">Bookmasters</a>' newsletter. This is directed at books (and my personal experience can attest to its truth), but applies just as easily to CDs and really any other media. </p><blockquote><p>1. Define your niche and cater to it in design and marketing planning.<br /><br />2. Make your design, inside and out, as good as designs from Avon or Random House. Amateur covers get turndowns.<br /><br />3. Don't stray too far from the norm. Although you want your book to stand out, you don't want it to stick out in a bad way. Find books that are similar to yours and books that are shelved where you would like to see your book shelved, and get a feel for what is similar among them. Customers have expectations within different genres.<br /><br />4. Spend time working on the spine of your book. In most bookstores, many books are on shelves with only the spine showing.<br /><br />S. Be sure there's a selling blurb beneath the titlewords that will help sell your book during the 15 seconds or so that a potential customer takes to look at it.<br /><br />6. Get a big-name endorsement to put on the cover. Write to the leading authors or authorities in your field requesting one; you'll be surprised at how often they'll respond.<br /><br />7. Create a professional-looking press kit that your distributor's sales representatives can use to bolster sales efforts and that you can use with media and when you're setting up signings and interviews.<br /><br />8. Start local. Plan programs and signings in your hometown and surrounding areas to create a buzz and then expand as your marketing budget allows. Aim for a regional bestseller list first to get on the radar of national chains.<br /><br />9. Use a variety of media outlets. Combine television, print, radio, and Internet campaigns for a comprehensive marketing program.<br /><br />10. Go visit bookstore buyers yourself. The more a buyer sees a book, the more likely the buyer is to buy. Whether it is through print, radio, television, or Internet marketing, through a visit from a sales rep or a visit from the author, the more your book is out there, the more likely it becomes that the book will be on the buyer's mind.<br /><br />by Randall McKenzie, national sales manager of <a href="http://www.atlasbooksdistribution.com/" target="_blank">AtiasBooks Distribution</a>.</p></blockquote>
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