TEACH Services works with you to promote your book. However, it is important to remember that YOU are the best salesperson! While TEACH can get your title in the catalog of most bookstores, you as the author, have the unique ability to promote your message and sell your book better than any other person to the retail market.
It has been said that there are two different kinds of authors:
The following quote by a well-known American appears in the book Guerrilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson: "The book didn't sell because I didn't promote it." Former president Bill Clinton, author of Between Hope and History: Meeting America's Challenges for the 21st Century, made this statement. One would think that a former president could sell anything just by his name, but that isn't the case. As an author, active promotion and discussion of your book is key to selling copies and getting people excited about it.
As your publisher, our job is to produce a quality book that is available nationwide. We will also get the ball rolling in regards to wholesale marketing, but if you want your book to sell, it is your responsibility to take the ball and run with it. There are a multitude of free and paid marketing/advertising ideas that we will gladly discuss with you as you work to market your book. Some of these ideas include speaking engagements, book signings, giveaways, and bookmark distribution.
Just remember, you are your book's best salesperson!
While General Marketing sells small quantities to many people, Product Development looks to sell large quantities to a few select groups. Let's look at how that works:
Most people think of this when they look for marketing—the action or business of promoting and selling products. They are stuck or confined to selling a few units to many people. Think of an ad in a newspaper or social media like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Could your title be best served with a press release to hundreds of news agencies? What about asking hundreds of bloggers to review your book (some have tens of thousands of followers)? The possibilities are endless.
However, there is another type of marketing where customers are sought that need larger quantities. A hospital could be interested in using your book as a gift to its employees or as a community service giveaway. A manufacturer may be interested in offering an abridged or mass-market edition of your book with a purchase of their product. Maybe a church is interested in giving your title at a local fair or health conference. The possibilities are again endless.
Depending on your title, your Author Advisor can help you with the proper promotions you desire.
E-mail Newsletter
TEACH Services offers special discounts on select books each month. We also offer a discount on new releases to customers who subscribe to our e-mail newsletter. Our monthly newsletter goes out to individual buyers and wholesale retailers that sell to ministries, book stores, colporteurs, etc. To sign up, simply fill out the form at the bottom left-hand corner of this page under "Our Newsletter."
Topic Mailings
Each month we promote selected titles to various departments in Unions and Conferences in North America related to the subject of selected books. So children's books may be offered to Children's Ministry Directors or Cookbooks to Health and Temperance directors.
Video Trailers on Social Media sites
Each Level 3 (Better) title will receive a custom video trailer that will be posted on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter along with additional discounts, offers, and news on our Facebook page.
The following promotional tactics are available as part of the Pro (Level 4 Publishing) package. Authors who publish under the Aspect imprint may purchase the publicity items listed under the "Optional Publicity" heading below.
Pro (Level 4 Publishing) Promotion
Each month, our team creates an e-mail that is sent out to our wholesale bookstores and is then followed up with a personal phone call promoting new titles we have just released. We also communicate with our retail customers at least once a month promoting new releases.
In addition to e-mail marketing, we feature and promote new books on our Web site. Once released, books are featured on the homepage of our TEACH Services' website as the weekly feature. It will then be moved to the featured product and new releases category, which is prominently located on our homepage. Every TEACH Services' book is found on this website with a full color picture of the cover and a book description.
We also promote your book on Facebook and through a news releases to your local newspaper. We also print bookmarks for your personal promotional efforts to distribute to your local church and in your community. (Authors receive 750 complimentary copies. More copies may be purchased for an additional fee.)
RESOURCE MINISTRY MAGAZINE can be a great option to get the word out on your title. Click here for more information or select RMM Resources in the blue bar above.
ADVERTISING ON THE RADIO can bring quick results in a one-to-one marketing position. We have teamed with Loud Cry Radio to promote acceptable titles to thousands of listeners daily.
Putting your book on the top Adventist online radio stations five times a day for three months (a total of 450 one-minute ad spots) at the usual $5-10 per spot charge would be as much as $4,500. At TEACH Services, we have developed a program where we will write all your ad copy and produce all voiceovers for a single price of $350 — that's less than 78¢ per radio ad. With nine different radio stations currently streaming, your promotion can be aired to the best listeners to get the best results. Check out a sample HERE.
FEATURING YOUR BOOK AT A CONVENTION
Books that are featured (at an additional cost) are displayed prominently in our booth with advertising for "Buy 1 get 1 FREE" discounts (mix and match). These discounts—of up to 50% off Suggested Retail Prices (SRP)—are to encourage impulse purchasing. To see our mini catalog, click here PDF file; will open in a new window
Major Non-Annual Conventions
TEACH Services usually attends most major Adventist conventions that do not conflict with others by dates. Those being considered include:
“CORE” Annual Conventions
In addition, we register for and try to attend three or more of these Adventist conventions each year:
NON-FEATURED BOOKS for "CORE" CONVENTION DISPLAY SPACE
Should you wish to attend a "CORE" convention with TEACH Services and promote your previously featured TEACH title at our booth you can do so for a flat $50/convention in a single conference year. You must supply your own books by bringing them to the convention or have us bring your prepaid books for you. We will pay you for each copy sold during the event (payment will be made in about two weeks after the end of the convention at the price we sold the books to you less any royalties). Should you want us to bring books for you, call and purchase the amount you want us to bring (at least 4 weeks before the event). You can take all unsold books back with you or if you cannot pick them up at the end of the convention, we will ship them to you at our cost plus a small packing fee. Books will be part of our "Buy 2 get 1 FREE" convention promotion for this convention.
2020 Annual Postgraduate Convention |
2020 Adventist Agriculture Association |
2020 Generation—Youth—Christ |
2019 Pastoral Evangelism and Leadership Council |
2019 Southern Union Evangelism Conference |
2019 ASI National (Adventist Laymen's Services & Industries) |
Prequel
Prequels are generally used with fiction and Christian storybooks to promote the main title. From Wikipedia:
"A prequel is a literary, dramatic, or other work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. Therefore, a prequel is a work that forms part of a back-story to the preceding work. Like sequels, prequels may or may not concern the same plot as the work from which they are derived. Often, they explain the background which led to the events in the original, but sometimes the connections are not as explicit. Sometimes, prequels play on the fact that the audience knows what will happen next, using deliberate references to create dramatic irony."
At TEACH Services, we recommend a prequel of up to 10,000 words, including, at the end, the first one or two chapters of the main title, as a free, promotional e-book “teaser” to introduce the reader to the main story and encourage them to purchase it.
Independent Blog Reviews
For a small additional fee, we will offer free review copies to Christian bloggers for review. Those that accept will read the review copy, then post a review on their own blog and at least one other review site or bookstore such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble. For a sample review, click here.
Book Submissions and Samples
Do you need to send out additional sample books for submissions or reviews? TEACH Services has a powerful two-prong program that works well for any subject. First, we will send an introduction letter to whoever you wish from the publisher introducing your title. We will let them know of the benefits and reasons they should be interested in it. Then about a week later we will follow up by sending the promised copy with another letter telling them again of its benefits and where they can obtain copies or high-res images for promotional purposes. All of this for only $10 plus the suggested retail price of your book. Authors are required to provide contact information or mailing list for multiple submissions.
Publicity Kit
For an additional fee, we will provide you with more printed promotional materials to get the word out about your book and generate sales. The publicity kit includes these vital elements:
Following are a few suggestions on how to use the promotional items. Of course, we encourage you to get creative and come up with your own ideas to enhance your marketing plan.
Please note that these additional publicity tools are available only to TEACH Services' authors.
Item | Description | 1,000 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 10,000 |
Bookmarks | Full color two sided bookmarks are 2" x 8" in size and price includes all creative design and aqueous Coating on both sides. Printed on 14 point C2S stock. Exact reprints deduct $70.00. | $169* | $239* | $319* | $469* |
Postcards | Postcards are 4" x 6" in size and can help promote your title or event. Includes creative design and aqueous coating on front side. Full color both sides on 14 point C1S stock. Exact reprints deduct $70.00. | $199* | $279* | $379* | $579* |
Business/Publicity Cards | These cards are 2” x 3.5” and can be used as business cards too. Pricing includes creative design and aqueous gloss coating on front side. Full color both sides on 14 point C1S stock. Exact reprints deduct $50.00. | $99* | $139* | $159* | $199* |
PDF Poster Package | Need event or book signing posters? 8.5" x 11" and 11" x 17" PDF files you can print locally. Price includes creative design—all for $85*. | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Retractable Table Banner | These light weight units are easy to carry to any event. Just place on a table and receive maximum exposure. 15.75" x 32". Price includes creative design—all for $139*. $59* for additional duplicate units. Display stand design subject to change. | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
* Plus the cost of shipping.