To celebrate the launch of Alison Baverstock’s new edition of How to Market Books, Clare Somerville (Deputy MD of the Hachette’s Children’s Group) and Richard Charkin (Executive Director of Bloomsbury and President of IPA) joined Alison to each share ‘5 Marketing tips that last’.  Alison has over 25 years’ publishing experience, has written 18 books and jointly launched and lectures on the Publishing MA at Kingston University. Now in its 5^th Edition, How to Market Books is testament to Baverstock’s knowledge of and accomplishments in Publishing.

Here’s a collection of tweets, tips and photos to sum up the night.

Almost time for #5Marketingtips with @alisonbav and @BookMachine!

— Books&Scissors (@Books_Scissors) April 1, 2015

Richard Charkin

1. Think buyer first, not reader first

Think buyers not readers #5marketingtips — Ruth Killick (@RKbookpublicist) April 1, 2015

2. Brainpower is worth more than cash

We’re at the @BookMachine event, #5marketingtips & enjoying hearing Richard Charkin tell us that brainpower is worth more than cash! — Inspired Selection (@Inspiredjobs) April 1, 2015

3. Back the winners, don’t rescue the flops

Back the winners, don’t rescue the flops. #bookmachine #5marketingtips — John Pettigrew (@John_Pettigrew) April 1, 2015

4. ‘Everyone’ doesn’t mean the 3 people you met in The Groucho last week

‘Everyone’ doesn’t mean the three people you meet in The Groucho last week. #bookmachine #5marketingtips — John Pettigrew (@John_Pettigrew) April 1, 2015

5. Don’t let sales people set the price nor editors the print run

Don’t let the sales people set the price, nor editors the print run #5marketingtips @BookMachine

— Polina Polyakova (@polina_pol1) April 1, 2015

Clare Somerville

1. Connect with audiences

Connect with audiences, create a community round a brand, make YA readers feel special – clare Somerville – #5marketingtips

— Ruth Killick (@RKbookpublicist) April 1, 2015

2. Using Research

Somerville: consumer insight allows marketers more opportunity to be creative & makes marketing more efficient #5marketingtips

— Inspired Selection (@Inspiredjobs) April 1, 2015

Use research for insight. #bookmachine #5marketingtips

— John Pettigrew (@John_Pettigrew) April 1, 2015

3. Create brands and keep them alive

Somerville: A marketer acts as a fan to extend the brand they love #5marketingtips

— Inspired Selection (@Inspiredjobs) April 1, 2015

As a marketer act like a fan. A fan will extend the world they love beyond the pages, learn from them #5marketingtips

— Emily Cook (@e_j_cook) April 1, 2015

(Aside: books are seen as essential to a branding strategy by the biggest brands, says Somerville.) #bookmachine #5marketingtips

— John Pettigrew (@John_Pettigrew) April 1, 2015

4. Create multi-platform campaigns

Use all platforms to cross promote and drive audiences between each one. #5marketingtips

— Emily Cook (@e_j_cook) April 1, 2015

Somerville: Creating multi platform campaigns, each strategy must have opportunities for cross promotion #5marketingtips

— Inspired Selection (@Inspiredjobs) April 1, 2015

5. Work with partners

Somerville: Partnerships can allow you to use other platforms to increase sales of products #5marketingtips

— Inspired Selection (@Inspiredjobs) April 1, 2015

Find partnerships – everything from Mattel toys to national trust for PR, content etc #5marketingtips

— Ruth Killick (@RKbookpublicist) April 1, 2015

Alison Baverstock

1. Be a regular buyer as well as a marketer

Baverstock: be a regular buyer as well as a marketer – understand why people buy your products #5marketingtips

— Inspired Selection (@Inspiredjobs) April 1, 2015

2. Think internationally

Baverstock: think internationally – there is a big wide world out there waiting for content #5marketingtips

— Inspired Selection (@Inspiredjobs) April 1, 2015

3. Think before doing, and keep reflecting

Think before doing, and keep reflecting. #bookmachine #5marketingtips

— John Pettigrew (@John_Pettigrew) April 1, 2015

4. Work with the team

Publishing is collaborative, marketing should always embrace that! #5marketingtips

— Emily Cook (@e_j_cook) April 1, 2015

Top take away from Baverstock’s #5marketingtips • Work with the team/collaboration • Think internationally #publishing #marketing

— Media & Culture (@Routledge_MandC) April 1, 2015

5. The importance of deadlines

Deadlines are important. #bookmachine #5marketingtips

— John Pettigrew (@John_Pettigrew) April 1, 2015

 

Alison’s deadline for the first edition of How to Market Books was the birth of her daughter. A lot can change over 5 editions: