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11.07

Publishing an Academic Book?
Don't Forget the "M"-Word...

By John R. Platt

Over the years, I have met a number of authors who have published books with academic, professional and scholarly presses. All were experts in their fields. Few were professional writers. As a result, many of these authors had unrealistic expectations of how their book would be published, and what their role would be in the process.

For example, one author I remember expected his press to set up and send him to book signings all over the country. Unfortunately for him, his publisher barely had the budget to buy even a single advertisement for his book.

Another author thought that once he turned his book in, all he needed to do was sit back and collect royalties. But in reality, he was the top expert in his field, and if he didn't tell people about his book, chances were low that anyone would find out it even existed.

The truth about academic publishing is that the author is an integral part of any book's success. And as much as it might seem odd, alien and even scary, the author plays a vital role in how his book will be marketed and sold.

How can you — the potential academic author — help to ensure your book's success? It pays to think about the marketing before you even write your first word...

The Author's Role in Academic Marketing

Why is the author so important to the marketing process? Well, as the experts in their fields, the authors are usually the ones best suited to know how to reach the people interested in the topics they are writing about.

"We rely on our authors a lot for information about the audience for their book," says Gita Manaktala, marketing director for The MIT Press. "The books aren't for a general audience, they're for particular readers. We need to know how to get this information to them. It's the author who knows best what's going on in the field and how people are communicating."

Selling Your Book Sometimes Means Selling Your Marketing Plan

Many academic presses will ask authors to submit a detailed marketing plan, or at least a picture of the possible market for their book, along with their book proposal.

"We don't want to intimidate anyone," says Kenneth Moore, director, IEEE Book and Information Services. "But it's very helpful if an author can identify who would want to read the book that they have in mind."

"We do ask authors for a marketing plan," says Manaktala. "Part of the reason we do that is to establish what their expectations are, what type of impact they expect the book to have and what type of audience they expect the book to reach."

While your actual book proposal may include an outline or sample chapters, a marketing plan is a whole different beast. Putting one together may require you to think about your book in a different manner from which you are accustomed. But if you know the industry you're writing about, it shouldn't be all that hard.

A good marketing plan will answer some basic questions about the audience and your book, such as:

• Who is the audience and how they will use the book? (For example, will it be useful to students or to practicing engineers?)

• What distinguishes your book from competing titles in the field?

• If there are no competing books, why? Is your book covering a cutting-edge field, and will it hit the market at a time to make an impact?

• What's the title? How will people find the book if they are searching online booksellers?

• Where can the book be advertised to reach your target market? Use your insider knowledge to come up with a list of magazines, conferences, mailing lists that can be purchased and places the book can be reviewed.

So what happens if your marketing plan isn't up to snuff? Well, publishers understand that not every author is going to be fully involved with the marketing of their books. But "willingness to help can help their ability sell the book in first place," says Manaktala.

Your Publicity Work Starts Well Ahead of Publication

Once a press picks up your book for publication, you need to do two things: finish writing it, and start putting your publicity wheels in motion.

First, as the book is nearing publication, contact people for jacket endorsements (known in the biz as "blurbs"). That will help your publisher's marketing department sell the book.

After that, make sure your publisher has an up-to-date list of the important media your marketing efforts should reach. "Most publishers have very tight budgets, so identifying the key magazines that do book reviews is very helpful, says Cathy Faduska, senior acquisitions editor for IEEE Press. "Pick the two-to-three most important magazines. Don't be too broad, or you might not reach your target buyers."

You might also want to start thinking about writing an article about your topic, or adapting a chapter of your book into an article, so you can submit it to one of these magazines. "This is usually fine with a publisher," says Faduska. Keep in mind that journals often take several months to get an article into print, and try to time the article so it comes out at the same time as your book.

What to Do When Your Book Is Released

With your marketing plan in hand, your publisher will get the ball rolling and start selling your book when it becomes available. They'll reach the bookstores, list your book in catalogs, and conduct other outreaches, such as mass mailings to potential customers.

But your job isn't quite done. Contact your friends and colleagues to tell them you have a book available. Conduct workshops. If you're attending a meeting or conference on your topic, see if you can arrange a book signing. Pass out flyers, or mention your book anytime your bio is published. Use the resources of any professional societies in which you are a member. Go online and post to blogs and message boards. "There's a lot of viral marketing going on out there," says Faduska. "We expect our authors to take advantage of that."

You can also leverage your normal business activities. "A lot of authors have businesses as consultants. A book that they do with us might help support their business when they go on speaking tours," says Moore.

Keeping Your Marketing Efforts Going

Academic and professional books often have long shelf lives. Unlike novels, which can be in and out of print in the same month, academic presses often keep their books in print for years. So even after your book has been published, keep your marketing efforts going. Keep talking about it, keep making presentations or publishing new articles on the topic, keep up your online presence, and keep selling.

It's Tough, But You're Not Alone

Yes, marketing is a lot of work, and it's usually tangential to the real work of your career. But even if it seems like a foreign concept, your publisher is there to help. "Our interests are aligned," says Manaktala. "We both want the book to succeed."

And if you're willing to put in the effort, it probably will.

John R. Platt is a freelance writer and marketing consultant. He can be found online at www.john-platt.com. Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org. Opinions expressed are the author's.