The following is a list of things a traditional publishing house will do for the author once a book releases:
1.Great covers. It’s the publisher’s job to come up with the best possible cover. Most people buy books based on the cover and the back cover copy, which is also the responsibility of the publisher. For a glimpse at my fiction covers, check out this link: http://janiceathompson.com/blog/?page_id=9
2.Advertising. The publisher advertises your book in retailing magazines and catalogues in the hopes that individual bookstores (and chains) will pick it up. Here’s a link to an online catalogue from one of my publishers: http://bit.ly/pu5GrU
3.Distribution of the book. The publisher is responsible to ship the book out to online and traditional bookstores.
4.Reviews: The publisher usually sends the book out to major (influential) reviewers and bloggers. Feel free to check out the Library Journal’s review of my book, Swinging on a Star, here: http://bit.ly/qPYTAX
5.Shelf placement. If the publisher has the funds to do so, they pay for strategic placement of your book in retail stores.
6.Promotional materials. The publisher often provides the author with free promotional materials (bookmarks, postcards, etc.). The author can use them for his/her own efforts—mailings, signings, speaking engagements, etc.
7.Influencer copies. The publisher most often gives the author a set number of copies of the book when it is released. The author can choose to use these copies for promotional purposes.
Here’s a list of some additional things a publishing house might do, should funds permit:
Endorsements: Sometimes the publishing house will make sure the book gets endorsements from major players in the industry. Check out several online endorsements of my book, Hello Hollywood.
Blog Tours: Some publishers set up blog tours for the author, covering all costs. They send out review copies to bloggers and ask the bloggers to post their reviews during a certain week. This can be very effective if the author’s book is getting a lot of press in a concentrated effort such as this.
Video Trailers: These days, many publishing houses offer video promos of the book (known as book trailers). These are, in the publishing world, the equivalent of a movie preview. They can be placed on blogs, social networking sites, youtube, etc. Check out a video of my book Stars Collide.
Radio and/or television interviews. Several publishers have in-house PR folks who schedule interviews for the author. Follow this link to an online review of my book, Fools Rush In.
Book tours. If the publisher feels it’s worth the money to send the author on a book tour, they will often front the costs. This might include hotel fees, food and any other costs incurred.
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