Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Herley
As I believe I mentioned to you in private, if you talk to any publisher, he will tell you that word of mouth is what sells books. Advertising is a waste of money; professional reviews are treated with scepticism; bookshop signings and chatshow appearances by non-celebrity authors don't achieve much. No, it's your workmate or cousin saying "Hey, you've just gotta read this!" and handing you a copy: that, replicated a zillion times, is what makes a book a success.
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Applause.
I've spent time trying to get this across to people. The publisher's advertising, more often than not, is for an established author with a following, and isn't intended to
sell the book. That's already happened. The audience is already motivated to buy because they are fans of the author. The advertising simply lets them know there
is a new book available for purchase.
Reviews help a bit, as do signing tours, but ultimately, word of mouth is what sells
everything.
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Dennis