Where Do Libraries Fit In “A Viable Consumer Marketplace”?
Another notable factor that publishers seem to have trouble acknowledging is that books—especially ebooks—don’t exist in a vacuum, competing only with other books published that month, but they fight for attention and discretionary income with every other immersive media format, too. Movies, TV, and gaming have all seen their own versions of digital disruption—not to mention other areas of publishing itself—so the idea that the one compelling villain to blame a decline in consumer ebook sales on is public libraries would be laughable if it wasn’t so short-sighted and suicidal.
The Limitations of Data—Updates from Libraryland
Things have been a little quiet for me on the library front recently—periodic Twitter rants aside—as I’ve been working behind the scenes on refining the Panorama Project’s focus for 2020 in light of recent events, identifying areas where we can have a measurable and actionable impact and figuring out how to implement the right initiatives. While I’m excited about what’s in development for 2020, it’s still too early to announce any of it, but two articles I wrote recently offer a glimpse of where things are heading.
Author, Audit Thyself!—Marketing Advice from Kilby Blades
“Most book marketing advice comes from authors who’ve had commercial success with books but no actual marketing experience. Many are taking advice that isn’t meant for them yet because they’re not where they need to be,” explained Kilby Blades, an award-winning indie author and professional marketer, sharing practical insights for effective paid marketing strategies with WDC19 attendees.
Marketing Memos: Quality Content, Diversity, and PowerPoint
I read (and listen to) a lot about what’s happening in marketing and media these days, and while the desire for clicks and the illusion of engagement generates a lot of useless noise, there are still some good, actionable insights being put out there that can be easily missed. I share the good stuff on Twitter and LinkedIn when I find it, but “Marketing Memos” is a weekly(ish) selection of 3-5 of the most interesting and insightful articles and podcast episodes—curated after I’ve had a chance to process them and identify the best.
Other Authors Are Not Your Competition—Marketing Advice from Amy Collins
“Market research is a very dry, dull topic, but finding and connecting with readers is how we make money.” Too often, market research is limited to the basics—high-level demographics (age, gender, income) and/or broad genre interests (science fiction, romance)—leading to target audiences that either don’t actually exist, or worse, reflect the researchers’ personal interests. To find the right readers for a specific book or author, Amy Collins encourages writers to set aside personal assumptions and dig deeper.
Marketing Memos: Content, Commerce, and… Libraries?
I read (and listen to) a lot about what’s happening in marketing and media these days, and while the desire for clicks and the illusion of engagement generates a lot of useless noise, there are still some good, actionable insights being put out there that can be easily missed. I share the good stuff on Twitter and LinkedIn when I find it, but “Marketing Memos” is a weekly(ish) selection of 3-5 of the most interesting and insightful articles and podcast episodes—curated after I’ve had a chance to process them and identify the best.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work—Random Musings on #WDC19
The weirdest Summer of my professional career came to a surreal close this past weekend as I attended the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference as a speaker and journalist rather than the publisher and marketing director who curated ~80% of the event before my departure in early July. I’m obviously still biased, but overall, it was an invigorating experience—from the amazing keynotes and insightful presenters, to the mini-reunion with some of my all-time favorite colleagues, all survivors of F+W Media’s disastrous bankruptcy process that seems to have ended relatively well… for Writer’s Digest, at least.
Marketing Memos: Metrics, Churn, Authenticity, and Platform Personalities
I read (and listen to) a lot about what’s happening in marketing and media these days, and while the desire for clicks and the illusion of engagement generates a lot of useless noise, there are still some good, actionable insights being put out there that can be easily missed. I share the good stuff on Twitter and LinkedIn when I find it, but “Marketing Memos” is a weekly selection of 3-5 of the most interesting and insightful articles and podcast episodes—curated after I’ve had a chance to process them and identify the best.
Marketing Memos: CMOs, Content Strategy, Private Equity, Team Warren, and Twitter
I read (and listen to) a lot about what’s happening in marketing and media these days, and while the desire for clicks and the illusion of engagement generates a lot of useless noise, there are still some good, actionable insights being put out there that can be easily missed. I share the good stuff on Twitter and LinkedIn when I find it, but “Marketing Memos” is a weekly selection of 3-5 of the most interesting and insightful articles and podcast episodes—curated after I’ve had a chance to process them and identify the best.
Macmillan’s Library Ebook Embargo is a Call to Action
In a letter sent to “Macmillan Authors, Macmillan Illustrators, and Agents“ on Thursday, July 25th, Macmillan CEO John Sargent announced new lending terms and pricing for library ebooks, claiming library lending was “cannibalizing sales“ and impacting royalties as revenue from library sales are “a small fraction of the revenue we share with you on a retail read.” While the embargo is disappointing news for libraries, authors, and, most importantly, readers—it reinforces the need for a cross-industry initiative to identify ways publishers and libraries can continue to support their intrinsically related missions while delivering mutually beneficial outcomes.