“I don’t know how to publish an author who will not engage online. It seems like Lotto would be more successful.”
–Debbie Stier, associate publisher, HarperStudio, and director of digital marketing, HarperCollins
The shifting of authority and influence from traditional media outlets to literary bloggers and passionate reader-critics has forever changed marketing for publishers and authors.
As Shiv Singh noted in his keynote presentation at the 2010 Digital Book World Conference, engaging directly with readers is a must, and “Marketing in the Digital Age” was one of the primary themes of the conference, with several sessions addressing it from different angles, including niche publishing, publishers and authors engaging communities via social media, and blogs as “the new farm system” for finding authors.
Here we’ve collected the audio from each session, along with the recaps of each by Iris Blasi and Marian Schembari.
Getting Comfortable in the Niches: Reports from Publishers Working Their Verticals
Speakers: Brent Lewis, Harlequin; Reid Tracy, Hay House; Margo Baldwin, Chelsea Green; Rebecca Smart, Osprey Publishing
Moderator: Michael Cairns, Information Media Partners
Is Niche the Key to Publishing Survival?
By Marian Schembari, Contributing Editor, Digital Book World
Not only is focusing on a specific niche beneficial in terms of selling books, it ultimately helps a publisher grow by establishing authority within their niche. Because niche publishers are focused on engaging with a targeted audience, they must concentrate on building a brand and a mission; they can’t just publish books.Chelsea Green started off as a generalist, but they now publish books on “the politics and practice of sustainable living” and are firmly entrenched as a valued member of their community. Baldwin emphasized that it wasn’t only being niche that helped them grow, but realizing the importance of publishing with a mission – an overarching principal that pulls the company forward.
“We saw 7% growth over 2008 last year in an industry that is flat or down, so something (our community focus, newsletters, etc.) is paying off,” noted Baldwin.
How Publishers Can Build Their Own Communities: Using Social Media Tools
Speakers: Pablo Defendini, Tor.com; Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, F+W Media, Inc./Digital Book World; Jennfier Hart, HarperCollins
Moderator: Charlotte Abbott, Follow the Reader
How Publishers Can Build Their Own Communities
By Marian Schembari, Contributing Editor, Digital Book WorldOne issue that came up several times during the panel was the issue of social media as a major time-suck. If your blog/website/Facebook page actually gets the traffic you want, it can make upkeep difficult to manage. The panelists suggested setting up Google Alerts and Twitter searches; using Google Analytics to gauge what works and what doesn’t; and retweeting links when there’s no time for in-depth engagement.
Hart advises publishers to be vigilant about monitoring traffic because it helps identify what’s resonating with your audience, and what isn’t, to figure out what people find most interesting. Comments are also an effective way to keep your ear to the ground. However, the bottom line is that if you do this right, it’s going to take time.
“Sleep is optional,” she noted, half-jokingly.
Get Noticed! How to Earn Attention for Every Book
Speakers: Debbie Stier, HarperStudio; Yen Cheong, Viking and Penguin Books; Peter Costanzo, Perseus Books Group; Ryan Chapman, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Moderator: Kate Rados, Chelsea Green Publishing
Getting Noticed: Everyone’s an Online Marketer
By Iris Blasi, Associate Editor, Union Square PressIt was a given at the panel that, in today’s publishing environment, every author needs a web presence of some sort. The question was finding the online cocktail that best suits each individual. A website, a Facebook fan page, and a twitter account? A WordPress blog and an active email list of subscribers? What was reiterated time and time again was that online activity needn’t be expensive to be effective.
“I would rather my author have an updated Wikipedia entry than an expensive website,” Chapman said.
According to Stier, success in developing an online presence is directly proportionate to time spent. “It’s blood, sweat and tears,” she said. “If you put in three hours of time, you’re going to get three hours of results. If you put in ten hours of time, you get ten hours of results.”
The New Farm System: Scouting Blogs and Self-Publishers for Commercial Books
Speakers: Kate Lee, ICM; Sulay Hernandez, Simon & Schuster; Patrick Mulligan, Gotham Books
Moderator: Victoria Sutherland, ForeWord Magazine
The New Farm System: From Blog to Book
By Iris Blasi, Associate Editor, Union Square Press“When you’re an editorial assistant, you don’t get lot of great agents coming to you, so you have to scour the web,” Patrick Mulligan explained from his perch on a 2010 Digital Book World Conference panel entitled The New Farm System: Scouting Blogs and Self-Publishers for Commercial Books.
The list of blog-to-book successes is now so long that PostSecret and “Julie and Julia” now seem like quaint and distant memories. But from “Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions” to “F.U., Penguin: Telling Cute Animals What’s What“ to “Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong,” the phenomenon shows few signs of slowing. From research done on Publishers Marketplace, Mulligan estimates that more than 50 blogs nabbed book deals in 2009. (Because only announced deals are included in the database, it’s likely that the total number is far higher.)
Other sessions of interest (that we don’t have recaps for) included:
Teach Them to Fish: Empowering Authors to Market Themselves
Speakers: Peter Clifton, FiledBy; Christina Katz, Author; Matt Schwartz, Random House; Cecilia Tan, Circlet Press
Moderator: Michael Cairns, Information Media Partners
Fundamentals of an Email List Management Strategy: Capturing and Utilizing Today’s Most Cost-Effective Asset
Speakers: Rachel Chou, Open Road Integrated Media; Mitch Rubin, Applied Information Group; Chad Phelps, F+W Media, Inc.
Moderator: Don Linn, Linn & Company LLC
