In the age of internet when blogging is literally one of the easiest thing to carry out as a hobby, everyone has become an expert. Therefore, you will find numerous blogs on the internet giving you tips upon increasing the sales of your books. However, most of these blogs will tell you only about the online methods of increasing the sales of your books. So, is that all; does it always have to online?
What about physical distribution, who will talk about pushing the sales of the books from the physical bookstores? Well, in this write-up, you will find some effective methods of increasing the sales of your books through the physical distribution method. This is something, which I am telling you from my own experience, well you should always try to take your books to the physical bookstores by yourself if you have got your work Self Published.
The amount of exposure, which your book gets in a physical bookstore, is tremendous. Yes, the internet has much more users actively visiting sites like Amazon, Flipkart, Barnes & Noble and the other sites than a bookstore of your city but are those users looking at your book? You need to ask yourself some hard questions in order to understand the reality! Why would they look at your book on internet? In addition, how would they come across your book on a particular selling platform?
While if you are successful in getting your books placed in a physical bookstore then no matter how large or small that store is, it guarantees you at least all the customers entering into that store will get to know about your book. Therefore, you are required to cover as many physical bookstores as you can in order to maintain the physical distribution of your books too along with the online distribution channels.
So, some of you might be wondering that what this term ‘Physical Distribution’ even means! So, let me answer it for you – Physical Distribution is an important marketing function descri¬bing the marketing activities relating to the flow of raw materials from the suppliers to the factory and the movement of finished goods from the end of production line to the final consumer or user.
In other words, Physical Distribution is the science of Business Logistics where by the proper amount of the right kind of product is made available at the place where demand for its exists. Viewed in this light, physical distribution is key link between manufacturing and demand creation.
Well, till now you would have understood the concept of physical distribution as well as the importance of getting your books placed in the physical bookstores, so let us focus on the methods of generating sales through physical distribution.
Effective methods of increasing the sales of your books through physical distribution –
1) Utilize Social Media: For self published authors, getting their books placed in a physical bookstore and available for physical distribution is really a big thing so you need to tell the world about this. Therefore, it is a wise thing to use social media and let your audience know about your books being placed in the bookstores. Maybe some of your followers visit that store and clicks pictures of your books, which can lead to further promotions of your books.
2) Email Marketing: This may sound bit tricky and laborious thing to carry out but even this is something, which might give you a great result. As most of the professionals do not spend much time on social media but they make sure to go through their email and respond to the ones, which they find useful. Therefore, you need to create a professional and interesting email highlighting the placement of your books in the physical bookstores and send them.
3) Place Posters outside the Store: This is something vital for you to increase your sales drive. You need to convince the manager of the bookstore to allow you to keep the promotional posters of your books, which are available in that store. In addition, if there are some discount offers upon your books then you need to highlight that portion too in the promotional poster or banner. NOTE: Make sure to highlight the name, address & the contact information of that bookstore too in your promotional poster!
4) Share the Catalogue: Good business exists when two business units tends to help each other. If the bookstore is being kind to you by giving you space for your books then you too can do some promotion of that bookstore. Many of the bookstores have a catalogue of the books, which you need to take from them and make several copies of that and distribute them in your circle. If a bookstore is not having their own catalogue then you should take a step forward, design one for them, and then distribute those catalogues in your circle. This is something, which help you as well as the bookstore.
5) Use One Store to Reach Another: Well, as complex as it may sound, it is really an easy task to do. It is usually noticed that many people gives you chance only when they see that others have also shown faith in you. It is possibility that many bookstores will directly refuse you to place your books in their store and thus you would not able to carry out any of the above mentioned promotional activities. Therefore, while approaching a new, large sized or a reputed bookstore, you need to carry the proof that your books are placed in other bookstores too. Thus, your chance of getting some shelf space even in the most popular bookstore of the city increases!
As I have mentioned in the beginning of this write-up, that it is based upon my own personal experience therefore, you just need to apply these tried & tested methods in order to increase the sales of your books via physical distribution channels.
Written By NEEL PREET – Author of the Books, Voice From The East (2016); Journey With Time Place And Circumstances (2018) & Indian Defence Files (2021).
