Niche Marketing - Indie Bookshops

My best friend Janet Buell, is a wonderful, published author. She's written a number of books for children, the most recent being "Sail Away, Little Boat." This delightful book features Janet's beautiful, lyrical language gliding across page after page of gorgeous, full color illustrations by artist Jui Ishida. 

Sail Away, Little Boat is carried by select Barnes & Noble stores as well as other booksellers nationwide. While it may seem like a big deal to have your work in B&N, it's easy to get lost among the tens of thousands of books offered through this retail giant.

The real promise for the success of Janet's newest book lies in the capable hands of independent bookshop owners. "Indie" shops are owned, operated and staffed by people who love books. In addition to mainstream work, indie bookshops carry the work of accomplished, lesser known authors. While marketing to mega-retailers may get you noticed, placing your story in the hands of the owner of an indie bookstore will. Because of the nautical theme of her book, Janet plans to target independent bookshops that surround coastlines & lakes. The narrow focus on this niche market will put her information in front of buyers with a natural, regional interest in sailing.

The images on this card were created using PhotoShop CS4. The front features the cover of Janet's book, along with portions of illustrations pulled from interior pages. The interior of the card includes promotional text designed to introduce buyers to the concept, character and language of her book. A personal note from Janet is included on the right.

People love to see their name in writing. Personalizing the front of her card with the owner's first name creates an instant connection. Artfully designed, personalized cards are more likely to be displayed than discarded. By sending her cards to a narrow market segment in a specific geographic location, she'll put her work directly in the hands of the decision maker.

A few minutes spent on Google unearthed a promising resource for finding independent bookstore owners. Newpages.com offers a free list of independently owned bookstores, sorted by state. Some additional on-line research will ensure these sellers are current. In addition, they sell lists that include mailing addresses for independent bookstores, as well as both public & academic libraries. Unlike some list renters, Newpages.com allows unlimited use, guarantees the accuracy of their list and even offers postage reimbursement.

Promote yourself and your work through personalized, niche marketing - send out art cards. The SendOutCards program lets you send creative, targeted marketing that's easy, cost effective, and memorable - right from your computer. We'll let you know how Janet's journey unfolds. We expect it to be "a fun, daring trip, from beginning to end."

Smooth Sailing,