Question

Topic: Strategy

Marketing The Book Design But Not The Book

Posted by Anonymous on 8/23/2005 at 4:13 PM ET 125 Points
As a book/graphic designer, I have recently completed the extensive process of producing a 216-page, full-colour, coffee table book on stained glass for a Canadian Catholic seminary. The author, a priest at the seminary, has a rather grandiose marketing scheme to sell the books, but I am at a loss on how to reach the markets/audiences/religions that might want similar books.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by michael on 8/23/2005 at 7:13 PM Member
    Are there still Catholics in Canada?

    The easiest market to reach would be the religious book store. Depending on what he wanted to charge for the book, it can also be a fundraiser....the Catholic church (actually individual parishes) need funds. If it sells for $25 and the parish keeps $15 it's not bad..but can YOU make money on it?

    There are other options. Books are a great gift for corporate customers so this book from an architect to a prospective client would be appropriate.

    Michael
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 8/23/2005 at 8:28 PM Member
    The question is more than a little ambiguous.

    Is this a question about how to market the book that you've already produced?

    Or a question about how you can get more commissions to produce similar but different books for other groups?

    Is your specialist subject matter windows, stained glass, religion, history, or something else?

    Throw us a few clues here and we'll try to crack the code for you.

    ChrisB
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 8/23/2005 at 8:29 PM Member
    Ah! My response crossed with yours! Sorry about that!

  • Posted on 8/23/2005 at 9:51 PM Member
    I think you can use some gorilla marketing to help you in your endevour. Also you can use association directory to help you find clients. Reguest a testimonial from all your clients and use them in selling your services.
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 8/23/2005 at 10:51 PM Accepted
    Hi bgrebow

    (Why not complete some details in your bio so we can use your real name?)

    OK, first, define and segment your market so you can figure how to target it: e.g...

    1. Churches - go for the hierarchical structure and deal with them as groups by religion. Ecumenicalism is all very well but doesn't apply to marketers selling INTO the church organisations.

    2. aside from approaching the heads of each diocese, you can also target priests and vestry committees of the most historic churches in Canada (and for that matter, those in the most readily accessible USA cities too)

    3. What buildings are like a church? Government buildings, significant corporates, Museums and Galleries, University and Ivy League Schools?

    4. Who builds and wants to maintain a publishable record of their achievements - look for "significant" Architects, Construction firms, Philanthropic Institutions, National Trust-type groups.

    OK - them start to build a database of who's who in these organisations. Call into them to find out who would be the person responsible for PR, Marketing, Corporate Communication... Keep adding to that database....

    Work out what you can sell them. What's your value proposition? Why should people hire you to do this job for them? What testimonials can you produce (obviously the St Peter's Seminary work is, umm, seminal... Maybe you can do a deal to purchase copies at a reduced price as 'leave-behinds' for key prospects when you visit them to sell yourself...)

    Design yourself a brochure featuring some key buildings and some of the work included in the Seminary book. Write a great letter introducing yourself and showing how such a book could help your prospects in their marketing efforts. Show them it can be done at reasonable cost ($25 seems terribly inexpensive to me - many companies spend that much per copy on their annual report to shareholders!)

    It's a start - hope it helps!

    Maybe you need a marketing consultant to help step you through the process: You can advertise for one free using the Post Projects link at top right...

    Good luck.

    ChrisB
  • Posted by Carl Crawford on 8/24/2005 at 6:28 AM Member
    Click on his name and you will be taken to his bio, his email is in there.
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