Book Marketing Plan

It is very important for any author who has written or plans to write a book, write a Marketing Plan.  

A Marketing Plan is your road map to the success of your book.  Either, you can spend hundreds of hours going to a business school, college, or a university, go to the library, and read, or buy all the marketing books and study them. I want to give my audience a short-cut.  By using this simple outline, you can adapt it into your specific book's Business Plan.  Any author who wants to be signed up with a major publishing company must have a clear understanding of their Marketing Plan.  Those that include this in their Business Plan have a greater chance of being picked up by literary agents or publishing companies.  Check it out below, study it, print it, play with it, and use it.  Follow the outline below and adapt it for your work.  When you are finished, please contact me and let me know how it goes!  Enjoy!  ~ Cindy ~

Marketing Plan

Components of the Marketing Plan:

I.  Situation Analysis:  Where are you now?

A.  Historical Background: nature of your book, sales, profit history, and current     situation.

B.   Consumer Analysis:

1. Who are the customers you are attempting to serve?
2. What segments exist?
3. How many consumers are in your target market?
4. How much do they buy, and why?

3. Competitive Analysis:  Given the nature of the markets: size, characteristics, competitive activities, and strategies – what marketing opportunities exist for your book?

II.  Marketing Objectives:  Where do you want to go with your book?

1. Sales Objectives:
1. What level of sales volume can you achieve during the next year? 
2. During the next five years?
2. Profit Objectives:
1. Given your sales level and cost structure, what level of profits should it achieve?
2. How are you going to reach those profit levels?
3. What is your structure plan?
3. Consumer Objectives:
1. How will you serve your target market customers?
2. What do you want to present about your book?
3. What do you want potential customers to think about your book?

III. Strategy:  How are you going to get there?

         A.  Product Strategy:         

   1.  What goods/services should you offer to meet the customers’needs?

                     2.  What is their exact nature?

               B.  Pricing Strategy: 

                     1.  What price to set the book?

                     2.  What specific prices & price concessions are appropriate?

                C.  Distribution Strategy

                     1.  What channel(s) will be used to distribute your book?

                     2.  What physical distribution facilities are needed?

                     3.  Where are the distribution facilities located?

                D.  Promotional Strategy

                      1.  What mix of personal selling/advertising/promotional activities are needed?

                      2.  How much time/energy should I spend using what themes with what media?

                      3.  How much money should I spend using what themes and what media?

               E.  Financial Strategy:   
                      1.  What will be the financial impact on my plan during the first year?

                2.  How much money do I have allocated to marketing and promoting my book?

                3.  How does my projected income compare with my expected revenues if I do not implement this plan? 

Well, that's it.  Use it to your benefit.