The marketplace for B2B books today is probably the most competitive it’s ever been. It is important to map out a detailed marketing plan at least five to six months in anticipation of your title’s release on Amazon.com or in bookstores, in order to get your book noticed, reviewed and sold.

Today’s book market consists of savvy buyers who approach a variety of different channels when it comes to finding and buying their books. As a result, an integrated marketing strategy is essential for your book’s promotion, where the use of traditional media such as print and TV is paired with newer media channels via the Internet.

PublishingTrends.com polled publicists for publishers and independent firms and agencies in 2008, and found out that more than 70% of publicists today budget half of their resources to Internet publicity and marketing. The remaining 30% suggested that they dedicate more than half of their resources to online publicity. In addition, research shows that more books are sold on the Internet today than any other product, and the numbers are increasing. An online component, therefore, is integral to any book marketing strategy.

Timeline

It’s never too soon to start planning your marketing strategy. The best time to begin is when you are preparing your book proposal. Publishers expect to see at least an initial plan for promotion before they offer a contract, and it is also a good way to demonstrate that there is a specific audience for your book and that it will sell. Any resources or support that you can offer in terms of publicity and exposure will only help your book secure a contract.

Though the main marketing activities will occur near your book’s release date, it is important to plan ahead so that your publicity initiatives do not all roll out at once, and you have ample time to prepare all your marketing materials. Start by identifying your target audience (this should be part of your book proposal), and doing some research on them. Find out where they hang out and what books they read so that your marketing strategy can be targeted from the get-go and ultimately be more effective.

Create Buzz

One of the best marketing tools, especially in the book market, is word of mouth advertising. With the amount of advertising, promotions, and just the sheer number of books available out there, readers often end up relying on recommendations from their peers.

Creating buzz about your book, therefore, will undoubtedly give it that extra boost. One way to create buzz is by sending out advance copies to influential readers. This may include booksellers, librarians, book reviewers, and bloggers – targeted people who you believe will enjoy the book and talk about it should receive a copy.

Gather book reviews

In addition to creating buzz, sending out advance reading copies (ARCs) enables you to gather the all-important book reviews before your title hits the shelves.

A powerful tool that can convert your potential audience to become future readers, the book review is a crucial element within your communications strategy. Narrow down your target list to reviewers whose focus is within your genre, and contact them first before requesting a book review.

Remember to pace out your requests so the reviews do not all go live at the same time – try to time them to coincide with your book’s publication date, and allow for a steady trickle to create a constant stream of new readers. After you have been listed on Amazon.com (see below), you can also start to collect customer reviews once the book becomes available.

Get exposure on Amazon.com

As the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon.com has become one of the most trusted sources for books among both authors and readers. Almost all B2B books in the marketplace today are available through Amazon – it’s a great platform of exposure for your title, and is an easy way to get things started.

Create a seller’s account, and remember to add keywords or tags to your book’s listing so that your readers can find you easily.

It is helpful to create an author’s page as well, where your readers can learn more about you and your company. This can also help connect any future titles you may release, and have them all listed together in one place for easier browsing and ultimately, higher sales.

Set up an online presence

In addition to being listed on Amazon.com, it’s also a good idea for your book to establish an online presence of its own, away from the distractions of other available titles.

Purchase a separate domain name for your book, and remember to link it to your company website. Your book should be displayed prominently on the website and should be easy to order, while contact details should also be included for any feedback or comments.

Alternatively if you have many titles to your name, you can even consider purchasing a domain for your own name, like what David Maister has done with http://davidmaister.com.

You may also consider optimising your website through SEO to divert more traffic to the site. Testimonials are a great marketing tool to include on your website as well – these can be collected prior to the book’s publication

Maximise media exposure

As part of an integrated communications strategy, traditional media channels such as print, radio, and possibly TV, are also important for the promotion of your book.

A press kit can be compiled early on, and should include information about the book, an author’s biography or company background, a sample book cover, favourable reviews and testimonials, and of course, contact information.

Closer to the release date of the book, compose a press release and try to tie the topic of the book to current events at the time to make it even more relevant to your audience. In addition to sending out your full press kit to targeted media and journalists, you may also choose to include book excerpts for print media around the time of release.

This is a good way to get your foot in the door before you pitch for interviews and features in newspapers, magazines, and radio.

Another option is to request to submit an article to a local newspaper. Instead of blatantly promoting your book though, write about something relevant and back up your topic with facts from your new title, or at least request to include an author’s blurb at the bottom.

Get personally involved

One-on-one contact and a personal connection to your audience are very effective tools when it comes to promoting your book. This can come from trade shows, conventions, networking events, book signings, presentations, and many other events.

Publishing a B2B book through your company’s network provides a wide spectrum of opportunities – by taking advantage of your company’s already established credentials, you can easily set up training sessions or workshops based on the topic of your book where you outline techniques or information. This will allow you to reach groups of targeted audiences, and also provides a new channel for sales.

You may choose to give away signed copies at the workshop, or have them available for sale. Many booksellers also arrange author appearances for their customers so be sure to take advantage of that as well. This is a great way to reach a new database of potential readers, and is an opportunity to engage your audience in a more captivating way.

Alternatively, if your company is equipped to do so, you may consider organising a book launch event for your clients, partners, and friends, not only to celebrate the release of the new title, but more importantly, as a way to garner further exposure for your book.

The promotion of a book continues on for as long as your book remains in print. There will always be a new crop of potential readers who may benefit from reading your book, so marketing efforts should not cease following the title’s release. Continue to reach out to new readers by connecting current affairs to the book through periodic press releases that can be sent through to various print and online media channels.

Work with your publisher’s marketing team

When your book is being launched by a publishing house, many of the activities described above may be shared between your company and the publisher. In addition, do ensure that the publisher will include your book in their cluster flyers and catalogs, help send some copies to Amazon Vine and specialist book editors for book reviews, and promote your book to their inhouse database of contacts. In addition, you may arrange promotional codes for discounts from the publisher for select business contacts.