Engaging Readers to Increase Sales

At Frankfurt International Book Fair this fall, LibreDigital presented data from an 18-month study they conducted on how readers sampled book content online.

LibreDigital is a provider of online content for publishers. Their study was based on the content that they power on the Internet for publishers, authors, retailers, and social-networking sites.

A few of the things LibreDigital found in their study were:

1. Women spend nearly 70 percent more time browsing books online then men do.
2. The most popular genre of books browsed online is romance novels followed by books for tweens / teens and business books.
3. The average reader spends more than 15 minutes browsing a book and previews an average of 46 pages of each book they browse.

The question is:  Does all this browsing result in more book sales?

LibreDigital thinks it does. Since they did not study those who did not browse and still made a purchase along with those who browsed and bought, their conclusion is not scientific. However, LibreDigital thinks that their study clearly indicates that allowing readers to browse a book’s content online leads to increased print and ebook sales. As many as one in three browsers purchased the book they browsed in the study.

I think it is good marketing sense to allow readers (aka potential buyers) to preview a book. Enticing consumers to engage with a product has long been known to produce positive results. Why else do vacuum sales people let you “try” the vacuum in their store and mattress manufacturers encourage you to “lie” on their mattresses when shopping? These companies know that engaging the customer with their product increases the chances for a sale.

The same is true with books. One good way to engage consumers with your book is to provide a free look into your book’s content. This can be done in a number of ways through a variety of websites.

Start with a PDF featuring an excerpt of your book on the book’s website. Next place your book in Amazon.com’s Search Inside™ program and Google’s Search the Book program. Then use the many free online content publishing websites to showcase the contents of your book. These sites include BookBuzzr’s fReado program, Scribd, Yudu or Bookrix.

Don’t be stingy with your book’s content. If God has given you a message to publish, allow it to penetrate the lives of even those who may choose not to buy your book. Allowing readers to preview your book will increase the number of readers who will choose to purchase it.



Are You Promoting Books as Gifts?

In my last post, I gave three solid reasons why anyone involved in the publishing industry should give books as gifts. I hope you were convinced.

If you are purchasing books as gifts this holiday, then I think you should also promote the idea so other people consider giving books as gifts.

Here’s why:

1. It’s good for business.

Yes, I know I said this before, but it’s true. If you purchase books for gifts and promote it so other people consider doing the same, then more books will be purchased. This is good for business.

2. It increases consumer awareness.

Many people may not have considered giving books as gifts. If you plant the idea in their minds, it can take root and grow.

I give books as gifts to all my friends for special occasions. I recently had a friend tell me that she so loved the book I gave her for her birthday this summer that she is going to give the book to all her friends for Christmas. Score one up for books!

A group of bloggers has made it easy for you to promote the fact that you are giving books as gifts this holiday season. Believing strongly in the written word, in the importance of a literate society, and recognizing it’s up to us to make our voices heard about books and reading, this group has put together a website with great graphics for you to use on your blog, website, social networking sites, and in your email signature to tell others that you are buying books for the holidays.

Just click here to get your graphic! Happy book shopping!

Do You Give Books as Gifts?

I think that anyone involved in the publishing industry, whether you are an author, publisher, distributor, bookseller, editor, publicist, or literary agent, should give books as gifts.

Why?

1. It’s good for business.

Giving books as gifts means more books are being purchased. This is good for business. We need books to sell to keep the business of publishing and selling books alive and active. The more people you expose to a good book, the more people you win as enthusiastic fans who will help you promote that book, resulting in more book sales.

2. It promotes reading.

According to statistics, reading is decreasing in the United States. Giving books as gifts encourages people to read. The more people read, the more books they purchase. It’s simple math.

3. Books have the power to change lives.

Ultimately, only Jesus has the power to transform lives, but books still have the power to change people’s lives. Books provide people with insight and information that can help them learn to think and act in new ways. Most importantly, good Christian books can lead people to a better understanding and relationship with God.

I encourage you to give books as gifts this Christmas season and throughout the year. Books make wonderful gifts and last a long time.

Need some ideas of good books to give as gifts this Christmas? Let me suggest you check out the great books offered by member publishers of Christian Small Publishers Association. Just click on the CSPA 2009 Product catalog below and flip through it to be inspired!