Going Back to College to Sell Your Book

In today's guest post, C. Hope Clark shares some terrific tips for promoting books through colleges and universities.
 
Do your school day memories consist of pep rallies, bad dates, and Friday night keg parties? Head back to school and let your alumni and teachers know how you've grown up and become a writer. College venues for your book sales are as simple to find as ABC.
 
ALUMNI PUBLICATIONS

Alumni publications cry for information about graduate accomplishments.  Donna Boen, editor of Miamian of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, founded the column "First Editions" for published author alumni. Readers regularly ask how to purchase books listed in the magazine's latest edition. "I ran a two-page feature on alumnus Jon Warshawsky's book Why Business People Speak Like Idiots, and received requests from two professors and a business to use and share the article with colleagues and classes."

The Michigan Alumnus of the University of Michigan carries a section entitled "Author Series." Alumnus and author Richard Zack realized the impact of his alma mater's magazine when he walked by Border's in Ann Arbor and found his book, Pirate Coast, featured on a table in the front of the store. "The magazine was one of a few that covered my other book, An Underground Education, and we went on to sell 150,000 copies. Just goes to show they were smarter than a lot of other outlets."

Sibylla Nash graduated from the University of Southern California. "My school boasts a wide variety of alumni such as famed directors Ron Howard and George Lucas, so you can bet every time I have a project out I'm sending something to the alumni association. Can we say film rights?" Her alumni publication, USC Trojan Family Magazine, once listed a blurb about her self-published book, Dreamcity. A fellow alumnus e-mailed her with interest and today serves as her literary agent.

PROFESSORS

University sages hold book sale potential. Contact the head of any department whose subject matter parallels your book's topic or locale. Even consider your character's sex, career, or ancestry as common ground.

In Manchester, Indiana, Manchester College alumnus Christa Kolster-Frye asked an English professor to write her foreword to Conversations with Leonardo, then asked another to write a blurb. Now her book is in her alma mater's literature curriculum. "My luck was propelled because the professor teaching the class was also one of my former English professors."

By putting her book in the hands of a professor, Patricia Harrington sold 40 copies of Death Stalks the Khmer. She met him at a business meeting, and realizing he taught graduate classes for students in social work at the University of Washington, she introduced him to her character who used social work to solve crime. "I have since approached other colleges about speaking on similar topics."

Susan Fee listed professors interviewed for her book, My Roommate is Driving Me Crazy!, in the acknowledgements then sent customized press releases to each professor's college public information officer. Most posted the press release on their college news web sites. "I received massive publicity just from these mentions alone. It sure didn't hurt my sales!"
 
JUST VISIT THE CAMPUS
   
Jacquie McTaggert's book, From the Teacher's Desk, is about educational issues, but Jacquie vows her tactics can work for many types of books. Donate a signed book to the college and make a presentation with school press, alumni association, and librarian present. Hold a booksigning in the campus bookstore on a high-visitation day. Send all press releases to the alumni association, and send complete articles with pictures to publications for easy selection. "I estimate on the conservative side that 40% of my sales are tied to marketing through colleges and universities."
   
In seeking new sales, we forget the old schools. Almost any topic is game on a university campus, from fantasy to history, sports to celebrities, mystery to literary fiction. Contact the bookstore. Ask to speak to classes. Don't forget about announcing your new book release to the college newspaper. Ask your old fraternity, sorority or academic club to spread the word or invite you to an event. Ask to set up a kiosk in the Student Union where thousands of students walk through each day.

Pitch to your college, because everyone loves to support the hometown favorite.
 
About the Author

C. Hope Clark is editor of FundsforWriters.com, selected for Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers, 2001 through 2011. Her newsletters reach 41,000 readers each week and cover contest, grant, market, publisher, agent and employer calls for submissions. The first in her Carolina Slade suspense series will be released by Bell Bridge Books in February 2012.
 

Comments

[Judith Briles]

I think the Alumni Publication produces a greater weight among the three since most students are intrigued on what their school alumni has accomplished after graduating from the school they now expect would help them mold their future.That would be a great opportunity also to encourage newbie writers to further pursue their dreams, now that an alumnus is a successful writer.

[Dana Lynn Smith]

Thanks Judith. I confess that I have never submitted anything to my alumni publication - I have added it to my to do list!