By BookBaby author Brian Jud

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

As an independent author, you are likely familiar with the process of selling books through bookstores, online and in physical stores. But there is another way to sell books, and it could be profitable for you. I’m talking about special-sales Marketing, also called non-bookstore marketing or non-traditional marketing. It is the process of selling books to buyers other than through bookstores.

Special-sales marketing is divided into two areas: retail and non-retail. Examples of special retail markets are discount stores, warehouse clubs, airport stores, gift shops, supermarkets, etc. Non-retail opportunities may be found among buyers in corporations, associations, schools, and the military.

A new way to sell books

Regardless of what you call it, selling books to non-bookstore buyers is not only a different way of doing business, it is a new way of doing business. It’s a new business model for most indie authors and publishers, and it requires a new perspective on the sales process. In many cases, the chain of events unfolds differently from that of selling books through bookstores.

For example, in trade marketing, the publisher produces a book, prices it, creates bookstore distribution, and then promotes it. That is a logical sequence of events. Sales are pulled through the distribution network and the quantity of books sold is a function of the quantity and quality of the author’s promotion.

But in non-retail marketing, the author/publisher must follow a different course. The process begins with promotion to establish awareness of, and need for, the content that is offered. Since there is no distributor, the author/publisher finds and makes sales calls on prospective buyers, discusses the content of the book, plans the form in which the content will be delivered (book, booklet, eBook), decides on the number of units to be purchased, and only then negotiates the price and delivery.

The quantity of books sold is a function of the ability of the author to act as a consultant, working with one buyer to find unique ways to use the content of the book to solve a company’s problem.

A parallel book-selling track

Special-sales marketing is not done instead of, but parallel to bookstore marketing. For example, let’s say you have a book on dog care. You could sell it through bookstores and pet shops. In addition, you could contact a pet-food producer and get them to place a coupon for a free copy of your book on (or in) every 20-pound bag of their dog food. That company would purchase a large, non-returnable quantity of your books in advance, and then do the fulfillment.

In the example above, the promotion you do to communicate your message to the corporate buyer also reaches consumers and may entice them to go to a bookstore. This is not an either/or proposition. It is not separate from, but coincidental to trade marketing. Special-sales marketing entails a joint marketing strategy that unfolds as part of an overall business strategy.

Room for everyone in the non-bookstore market

You might look at the non-bookstore market for your books and think, “Is there a place for me in that market, or is it too big?” When people see what needs to be done to sell more books, they often feel they cannot do it and they give up.

One way to avoid this deflation in commitment is to change the way you approach a large opportunity (such as selling books to non-bookstore buyers) by not trying to do too much too quickly. Most people looked at Goliath and thought he was too big to hit. David looked at him and thought he was too big to miss. To find success, divide your special-sales opportunity into manageable segments. This Wall Street Journal article suggests four steps to do that.

1. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals

Pick a behavior or activity you want to do rather than one you merely feel obligated to do. Do you really want to sell more books? Then set S.M.A.R.T. goals for yourself.

S: Stretch your goal to sell books. Go a little outside your comfort zone by picking up that 200-pound telephone to call a prospective buyer. Successful performance expands your zone little by little.

M: Set measurable goals. Your objective should not be to “sell more books than last year.” In that case, an increase of one book would meet your goal. Be specific in the number of books you want to sell. Also, set goals for specific increases in revenue and profits. You can easily sell more printed books if you sell them for 99¢, but that might not increase your profits.

A: Set actionable goals. Your goals should be in the realm of your abilities. If you don’t have the time, desire, or skills to sell to corporate buyers, hire someone to do it for you. Find a distribution partner to sell your books for you to non-bookstore retailers (airport stores, supermarkets, gift shops, etc.)

R: Be realistic. A rubber band will break if you stretch it too far. Don’t think in terms of millions of books initially, but perhaps a 10% increase over last year. Reach for the stars but keep your feet on the ground.

T: Set time-oriented deadlines. Set a date to reach your goals. Begin with an annual deadline, but also set interim goals (three, six, nine months) to monitor your progress and make necessary changes.

2. Make the steps simple and small at first

Do not look at special sales as a big project requiring you to change your business model overnight. Instead, what is the minimum you can do to get started? How about committing five minutes a day for the next week thinking about how a corporation or association could use your content to help them. Could a school use your material? The military?

The week after that, spend 10 minutes a day searching for potential buyers in each relevant segment. The following week, write a script to use when calling or emailing buyers. Then make a few calls or send emails. As you begin to experience success, your enthusiasm will overtake you and you will launch yourself into a new way of doing business — without giving up the old.

3. Trigger new behavior

The best way to prompt a new habit is to anchor it to an existing routine in your life. When you read and respond to your emails each morning, for instance, send one email to a corporate buyer. Then two, then three…

4. Celebrate your new habit

Find ways to reward yourself so that your brain associates your new behavior with positive feelings. When you finally connect with a new buyer after leaving several voicemail messages, feel good about yourself in that exact moment with an internal “Good Job!” or an outward fist pump. As BJ Fogg says in the article, “The more intense the positive emotion, the faster your new behavior will become automatic.”

You know the adage, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” The same concept applies to setting and reaching new goals without getting overwhelmed and giving up. Do not try to do too much so soon that you burn out. Approach the enormous opportunity in non-bookstore sales one bite at a time.

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This BookBaby blog article For Non-Bookstore Marketing, Set SMART Goals appeared first on and was stolen from BookBaby Blog .