Scaling Your Success: Bulk Sales Strategies in Self-Publishing
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
-Robert Frost
BIG TO BIGGER
“I sold 1300 copies of my book this year and heard that’s pretty great results.”
That’s what a recent new client shared with me. Yes, selling 1300 copies of a book is noteworthy, especially in traditional book marketing venues like Retail brick and mortar booksellers and online at Amazon.
In today’s world, while 1300 copies is no small accomplishment, it can be a good foundation on which to build much greater results once you know it’s possible and know how to do it. How would you feel about adding a zero to that 1300 copies, selling 13,000? And doing that all in one transaction? Yes, that’s right, 13,000, or even many more, in a single transaction.
RELATED PRODUCT – Tips Booklet………………..RELATED PRODUCT – Coloring Booklet
BULK SALES IN PUBLISHING
Very little mention of bulk sales has been made in the publishing industry over the years. Traditional publishers refer to bulk sales as Special Sales. Major publishers have an entire department dedicated to Special Sales. While it’s an additional revenue stream for the publishers (and for you), once those sales slide downwards, those publishers enthusiasm typically slides, too.
That’s where you have a major advantage by self-publishing your book. Your book will not go out of print because it dropped below a certain number of sales in bookstores or on Amazon. Not only can you continue selling your book (as long as it’s still current information), you can create related products and sell them in bulk to the wholesale buyers of your book or your speaking or training or instead of your book.
BULK SALES = WHOLE SALE
Bulk sales, also known as wholesale (as opposed to retail), is a business model that exists all around you, in many other industries. The various warehouse stores like Costco or Sam’s Club sell in bulk, in large quantities. When you buy a commuter train or bus ticket, each ride costs less because you are buying a ticket that allows you many more trips. Businesses buy consumable products like copying paper, printer cartridges, legal pads, and cleaning products for much less per item by buying them in bulk, in large quantities, because they use so much of the product.
It’s taken a very long time for bulk sales/ selling in wholesale, to become a common business model in publishing, even when there is reference included in many books that customized bulk copies are available. As a solopreneur, you can approach businesses of any size – small, medium, or gigantic – to offer your book and other related information products in large quantity. he same is true with many professional associations. They, too, have uses for purchasing wholesale from you.
“SELLING BY THE TRUCKLOAD”
You may have seen references to “Selling Books by the Truckload” in the past.
For whatever their individual reasons, the producers of seminars by that title or variations of it focused on their experiences of making bulk sales as one portion of their business, or that one particular business owner’s company did not continue in the hands of the successor to his business.
Mine has been a different journey. Bulk sales and content licensing have been the primary business models of my business for over three decades. Having that as the sole business model is what has supported the sale of over two million copies of a single set of how-to tips in various languages and formats without a single penny spent on advertising or a single social media post to promote the product.
WHO BUYS IN BULK
Over the years, I’ve learned what role the typical decision-maker holds in a company or an association. It is usually someone involved with increasing sales, not someone responsible for increasing productivity or satisfaction of the organization’s employees. You most likely have access to those decision-makers and have yet to realize it. And it’s a hunch that you can easily expand what you offer beyond only a book once you look through a different set of filters.
YOUR NEXT STEPS
Whether you’ve already written a book, are writing one now, have not yet started, or don’t ever see yourself writing a book, you will find one opportunity after another available to scale your success in the coming days, weeks, and months. Subscribe NOW to Tips on Tips, visit this blog, and watch for a new page of events. You’ll find a mix of free and fee-based educational sessions and services helping you take the next step, no matter where you are on your journey.
It’s time for bulk sales and content licensing business models to support you in scaling your success. And it’s time to share your expertise with people who can hardly wait to reap the rewards and experience the joy from you helping others in meaningful ways.
Paulette Ensign, founder of Tips Products International, is always looking for ways to help subject matter experts like you differentiate yourselves in the market place and be ready to best serve those who want what you’ve got. Are you frustrated by selling only single copies at a time directly to end users? Whether it’s printed or downloadable versions of your product on your website, Amazon, or any other information seller, there are ways to help more people at a time and make more Money. Would you rather accept 4 and 5 digit (or more!) payments from your sales rather than 1, 2, or 3 digits, with recurring orders throughout the year being the business model you maintain?
We are offering trainings and other services to shine a bright light on these topics in the very near future. Watch this space or subscribe to our month newsletter, Tips on Tips at www.TipsProducts.com
© Paulette Ensign 2023
