Long before I founded Top Reads Publishing, when it was still just a dream in my head, I knew that I wanted to help authors develop marketing strategies that would lead to more book sales. Acquiring traditional distribution was at the top of my list of ways to facilitate that. So I set my sights on making that a part of my publishing package as soon as possible. When we made it a reality three years in, I was over the moon.
I heard from other independent publishers, who I met as a member of Publishers and Writers of San Diego, Independent Book Publishers Association and PubWest, that traditional distribution was a major game changer. And it was true. Having traditional distribution and knowing how to utilize that partnership made a huge difference for Top Reads and continues to provide the best set of tools and strategies to sell more books. I was fortunate to get on board with Inscribe Digital—a subsidiary of IPG with all the same advantages as its parent company. It’s like I have a whole sales force and marketing team behind me every step of the way. And I continue to learn more ways to work with them to improve things like metadata and how to take part in numerous marketing promotion opportunities.
Submitting to trade reviews is another aspect of getting our books and authors more visibility. Kirkus, PW, Foreword and Booklist, to name a few, allow publishers to submit books to be reviewed by their experts. This is a great resource for obtaining blurbs and other marketing copy, as well as feedback on the book itself. If a book is selected to be reviewed, the review is then included in the publication where book buyers, reviewers, and librarians go to find books to add to their acquisition lists. These publications also offer competitive ad programs which can give publishers an additional advantage to their marketing plans.
To sell a fair number of books, we need to use multiple strategies for success. We at Top Reads love working with our authors and their own teams to do just that, and we’re always looking for new and creative ways to do it. If you are looking for a true publishing partner, set up a call with us and let’s talk about how we can take your cherished book project to the top, together.