How will readers buy your book if they’ve never heard of it?
Congratulations! You’ve finished your book. Now what?
There are 1,000 ways to sell a book, some more effective than others. They include digital advertising, social media, email marketing, catalog ads, and many, many more.
When you’re pulled in so many different directions, it can be hard to know where to start.
Get the help you need to get started, from an experienced publisher.
Get a Free, Personalized Marketing Plan
Every book, just like every author, is unique. You need a plan that plays to your strengths. Click below to get started absolutely free.
Services
I offer a wide range of publishing services, focused primarily around marketing but also including pretty much whatever you need to get your book out there and in the hands of readers.
Publishing
It’s a tricky business. You have to convince a publisher like Random House, who has to convince a distributor like iPG, who has to convince a wholesaler like Ingram, who has to convince a retailer like Barnes & Noble.
I’ve already made all of those connections, so you can save time and energy by letting me take care of all that for you.
Formatting, Lettering, & Cover Design
After publishing 20 books, I’ve seen it all, from perfect, layered Photoshop files to ten-year old uneditable JPEGs. Whatever it is, I can manage.
I can format your book for print or ePub formats (including table of contents), set up margins and bleeds, create a custom font for you, number all your pages, cross your i’s and dot your t’s.
I’ll make sure your book looks gorgeous no matter the format.
eBook & Audiobook Creation
The most important things to consider when formatting an ebook are selecting a standard, readable font, setting font size and line spacing, using styles for headings, including hyperlinks, and a valid table of contents.
All of these elements help improve the user experience, making your book easy to navigate.
When it comes to audiobooks, I’ve worked with some of the most prestigious museums in the U.S. to create their audio guide programs, including Grand Central Terminal and The Smithsonian. Need I say more?
Okay you got me. Couldn’t miss a chance to brag a little.
Marketing & PR
This is the part everyone is most interested in. It’s also the one that takes the most time and money.
The first thing you need to know is that marketing isn’t free. Whether you buy ads from platforms like Facebook ads or rely on media and influencers, at the very least, you’ll need to send lots of free copies of your book.
There’s the retail side of marketing and the consumer side. I’ll help you put together a plan within your budget to reach them both, resulting in great sell-in (orders from retailers) and, most importantly, sell-through (orders from end-customers).
I have some clever strategies up my sleeves to save money since, as you know. One of which involves using Facebook ads to drive email signups leading to a special offer.
Book blurb & trailer
One of the great, cost-effective ways to sell books is simply to put them in front of the industry pros, like booksellers and librarians.
But you need great materials. I have a network of graphic and motion designers ready to build you a beautiful animated trailer for your book, which can use for advertising or just send it out as part of your press kit.
Check out www.youtube.com/c/blackpanelpress for some examples of animated trailers we use to promote our books.
Author Website
A great place to send some traffic is to your author website.
Even though most people will prefer to buy from Amazon or another retailer, your margins will be better on your website, so you’ll earn more per book.
It’s also just a great place to build a community and get people excited about your book.
With my experience building sites in WordPress and Shopify, we’ll have your new site ready in no time.
Generating Reviews
All of your marketing and advertising are useless if people don’t enjoy your book.
I’d estimate that you pay about 10x more on advertising for a book with no reviews compared to a book with at least 10 and an average of 4-stars/5.
The trick is how are you going to generate those reviews?
I have a system I’ll share with you to get interested readers to read a copy and leave a review on Amazon, jumpstarting your marketing efforts.
For all book formats
Ebooks
Print books
Comics & graphic novels
Photo books
Get a Free, Personalized Marketing Plan
Every book, just like every author, is unique. You need a plan that plays to your strengths. Click below to get started absolutely free.
The Process
Tell me about you
Answer a short questionnaire and tell us about your project.
Speak with me
I don’t bite, promise! No hard sell here. I’ll take a close look at your book and listen to your goals and concerns.
Get your free marketing plan
After we speak, I’ll send you a free, personalized marketing plan along with a proposal for services.
Start selling
Whether you decide to work with me or on your own, you’ll have the perfect action plan to get started.
What our authors are saying
Andrew Benteau, Publisher
As the owner and operator of Black Panel Press, a graphic novel publisher, I’ve sold over 8,000 books through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Ingram, and Kickstarter. I’ll work with you one-on-one to publish and sell your book.
Copies sold
Books published
Advertising & marketing platforms
These are a handful of the platforms I’ve used to sell books directly to customers. Although they’re each a bit different from each other, the principles are basically the same. Get clicks, get emails, and get orders using these tools.
Publishing challenges
Publishing is a damn difficult business. The margins are low, and the competition is fierce. Some people will even tell you publishing is dead. It’s too saturated, they’ll say. You’ll need a one in a million idea.
Sure. They’ve been saying that since the printing press was invented in 1436.
The thing is, publishing will never die just as long as there are still new ideas. There always are.
That said, it’s always a good idea to know what you’re getting into.
Saturated market
The publishing industry is saturated with a multitude of authors, publishers, and diverse content, making it a fiercely competitive landscape where visibility and differentiation pose significant challenges. Navigating through this saturation requires strategic and innovative approaches to stand out amidst the abundance of literary offerings
Low margins
The publishing industry often grapples with low profit margins, as factors like production costs, distribution, and market competition squeeze profitability. Publishers must strategically manage expenses and explore innovative revenue streams to thrive in this margin-sensitive environment.
Low-intent shoppers
Readers are typically low-intent customers, exploring numerous options before committing to a purchase. Engaging content, compelling marketing strategies, and building trust are crucial to converting these browsing readers into committed customers in the competitive marketplace
Get a Free, Personalized Marketing Plan
Every book, just like every author, is unique. You need a plan that plays to your strengths. Click below to get started absolutely free.
I work for you, but you better get to work!
You’re a writer or illustrator who’s just finished creating your masterpiece but you have no idea how to sell it.
You want to focus on creation, not selling. Spending hundreds of hours on advertising, schmoozing the media, and mailing review copies? Not for you.
But you don’t want your work to go unnoticed.
I get it. I’ve worked with dozens of authors to get their books to market. It’s not easy, but I can help.
Keep in mind, though, that this is a collaboration. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out of the process.
Why should you work with me?
I own a publishing company and I’m the author of two upcoming books, a guide to publishing and a graphic novel.
I have a Bachelor of Commerce degree and ten years experience running digital ads for companies big and small.
I love reading and writing. Why else would I work in publishing instead of finance or selling workout supplements?!
I already have all the tools you’ll need for a successful book launch: Adobe Creative Suite, Publisher Rocket, and Microsoft Office.
Channels your book will be available on
When you publish with me, I’ll make sure your book is available for purchase at all the major retailers, including the ones below.
Get a Free, Personalized Marketing Plan
Every book, just like every author, is unique. You need a plan that plays to your strengths. Click below to get started absolutely free.
Contact Me
Not ready to book a meeting just yet?
No problem! Send me a message and I’ll do my best to answer your questions.