The real profit in selling books by mail is by having dealers
sell for you. Rather than mailing out thousands out thousands of
your own mailing packets at todays high postage cost, get
hundreds of thousands mailed out through your own dealers. This
can generates steady orders and profits and is one of the great
secrets to a successful Mail Order book business.
There are a number of Prime Source Mail Order firms offering good
Mail Order distributorships. They offer high quality books,
reports, and folios that appeal to the public; the kind of
publications that have generated consistently high profits in the
Mail Order business.
You should give wholesale book selling a try. Recognize the
profit potential and determine if this method fist with your
other programs.
Most of the better Prime Source firms offering distributorships
have a simplified program with includes instructions, profit
tested literature, sales letters, brochures, order forms and
return envelopes to do the selling job for you. the simple
instructions can be followed even by the inexperienced person.
The old timers in Mail Order can use the wholesale book selling
programs to supplement their other projects, in many instances
combining book selling with their other mailing activities with
very little added expense.
The Prime Source will ship your customers orders for literature,
brochures, etc…,under your shipping label. They will also
drop-ship the books and publications direct to your dears, using
your name or label.
Your wholesale cost for publications will vary depending on
whether you have the Prime Source drop-ship direct to your
dealers, or in quantity to your place of business. The amount you
charge your dealers will also vary depending on drop-ship
services or quantity purchases. You, as the wholesaler, should
make an effort to purchase the publications for a minimum of four
time below retail price.
You must ascertain that the Prime Source sufficient inventory
with a number of different titles and that titles may be assorted
in making up quantity when you purchase in volume. Determine if
shipments are made promptly.
The price you have to pay the Prime Source often is the
determining factor in the success of your program. If the book
retails at a price too low, considering the high postage and
mailing costs, no profit can be realized by your dealer,nor by
yourself, unless orders are limited to a minimum number of titles
for each total purchase. Be certain that the program offered by
the Prime Source allows sufficient margin to pay all your costs,
and your dealers, while generating fair profit for you both.
To find the right programs for your operation write to a number
of firms offering book selling wholesale programs.
These can be found in any of the hundreds of Mail Order ad
sheets, magazines and publications available today. (Some call it
« Junk Mail » but if they only new the money-making potential of
the right program,( « Gold Mail would be more appropriate).
Get their literature then order a minimum starting packet of the
programs that interest you and fit in with your Mail Order
business schedule. Make tests to prove the value of each program.
Drop those that do not prove out after a reasonable test.
THE BEST BOOKS TO SELL BY MAIL
First, forget about fiction! These can be purchased at most any
store, on the corner found at the library, or bought through the
large Mail Order book clubs. Scientific, technical and text books
are other categories to stay away from. All others have a good
Mail Order potential. There is a broad market on religious books
especially those dealing with the « End Times », however, most
books in this classification are controlled by the various church
outlets.
Self help and do-it-yourself books are best for newcomers. Sex
books are one of the most profitable fields of selling books by
mail. Repeat orders are high, but so is the penalty if state or
local laws are broken. The Publisher does not advocate selling
this kind of material as one can make a fortune without resorting
to what is or could be considered immoral.
Mystic and metaphysical books are more or less specialized field
ad generally the demand is not large. Health and recreation books
have a steady market, but they are mostly tied up by firms in the
catalog business.
Choose the type of books that interest you most. You can better
enjoy and promote things you like. Keep card records for each of
your customers. Above all guarantee satisfaction and back it up
with prompt and courteous refund policies
THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEM IN YOUR BOOK SELLING MAIL PACKET
Test indicate the most important component of your mail packet
when selling books is the order form. Many Mail Order dealers are
not aware that most people in opening « junk mail » will merely
skim over the contents of the package, put everything else aside
and study the order form to try to determine if the offer is
appealing.
This being the case, it is of utmost importance that the order
form be attractive, with the right wording to make it extra
appealing. You should make up the order form first ad build the
rest of your mailing packet around it.
The order form must clearly tell the prospect the action to take
such as: « complete and return for information »… »send $9.95 with
the order form », etc.
It should tell the prospect just what he will be getting: a book,
magazine subscription, catalog, membership, product, etc.
It should contain a sentence whereby they accept the benefit of
your offer, such as: « Yes, I will appreciate your information on
How to Make a Million Without even Trying »…or… »please send me
the latest edition of your book on « How to sell books by mail »,
etc.
The form should be large enough for the necessary information and
still fit in a reply envelope. The color should stand out from
the rest of the mailing so it will be easy for them to spot right
away when they first open the packet. Since the order form is the
first thing they will be looking for when they pen the mail, a
bright color will get attention immediately.
HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOK IN THE SALES LETTER
After the order form, the sales letter is generally the next most
important document included in your book selling packet. The
prospects will want to review the sales letter or see what the
offer involves. The first time over, they will usually just hit
the headings and any sentences which stand out enough to arouse
their interest. If it appears interesting they will then start
over and read the whole body of the letter.
To retain their interest as they first review the letter, make
several of the more important parts of your sales message stand
out by using capital letters, underlines, indentations, colored
ink, or a few handwritten notes along the edge of the letter.
These « messages » are only to arouse interest and make the
prospect want to read the entire letter. Therefore they should
not be pressure words or state the main benefits of your offer.
You should use the information pertaining to the benefits the
prospect will derive from reading your book to the act of
ordering the book rather than directly from reading the book. In
other words, let them know that they will benefit only when they
have acted and already ordered the book, it is in their lap and
they will learn how to do,or control something of value to them
by reading the information
There has been a great deal of controversy as whether the long or
short sales letter creates the most orders. Generally, keeping
the letter short and to the point is the best policy, at least
for your first few books or publications. This however depends on
just what your offer entails. The only really practical way to
find out which is the better way is to make both styles and
maintain comparable records of the results.
MORE TIPS FOR BOOKSELLERS!
As you progress in this business, you can save a great deal of
money by learning to prepare your own layout and « camera ready »
copy. Have it all ready for the printer’s camera then all they
have to do is shoot it, make a plate, throw it on the offset
press and run as many copies as you want.
Even though it takes more time than you might expect, when
getting started, it will pay you to do your own folding,
collating, stuffing, stamping and mailing. When the money
continues to pour in you can then purchase necessary mailing
equipment, or have a good, reasonable letter shop or printer do
the stuffing and mailing for you while you concentrate on
promoting more books and adding to your operation.
Continuously analyze your results so you will know whether your
promotion is doing the job or not for each of your products. When
you find the right combination and the results are positive, go
for it full blast! Duplicate and compound your profits as rapidly
as possible by investing all of your income from the particular
book or publication in ads with new and different media of the
same type as those bringing in the money.