Distribution

Global distribution is now possible thanks to the Internet. Amazon’s planetary reach gives new authors the chance to dream bigger than ever. Thanks to e-books, POD, short-run traditional printing and audiobooks, today’s authors can become their own publishing companies. In addition to Amazon, Arbor Ghostwriters offers its clients Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, major independent book stores, 100,000 libraries and more.  

Publicity

Whether you self-publish or try to get picked up by a mainstream publishing house, you alone will ultimately be responsible for garnering publicity and effective marketing. Arbor Services can help you reach hundreds of millions of readers worldwide through TV, cable, radio and all the Internet options, including online media, reviewers, blogs, zines, forums, YouTube, Facebook and more. What’s more, we can steer you to library shows, book fairs, festivals, conventions and other places to promote your book. Arbor Services offers some very effective publicity and marketing options for authors. 

Arbor Services has worked with such advertising and public relations giants as:

• Ogilvy & Mather
• Stern Advertising
• Weber Shandwick
• PainePR
• and many others

On a broader note: you may already be aware that one of the keys to successful marketing is not necessarily to try pushing the book directly but rather to tie your book in to current events, including utilizing blogs and online media.  

Below is a sampling of just some of the marketing services Arbor Services offers. We will tailor a package that works best for you.

• STANDARD MARKETING: $2,500: send general press release out to 300 interested and relevant media; create public speaker letter; post book to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders.

• ADVANCED MARKETING: $5,000: everything in the Standard Marketing Plan PLUS:
  • An ADDITIONAL 200 contacts (a total of 500 contacts).
  • Promote book to select literary agents and publishers.
  • Promote book to select movie, TV and subsidiary-rights agents.
  • Seek out endorsers for your book.

• PREMIUM MARKETING: $10,000: everything in the Standard Marketing PlanPLUS:
  • An ADDITIONAL 400 contacts (a total of 700 contacts).
  • Perform ALL follow-up phone calls.
  • Pitch article ideas to trade publications and the media.
  • Create and send out 30 BOUND GALLEYS (these are exact replicas of the finished book in paperback format for promotion, peer review, prepublication reviews and design proofs).

• INTERNET BLAST: $5,000-$10,000: send out 40 Internet press releases reaching over 4,000 World Wide Web outlets, including search engines such as Google and Yahoo.

• TV, RADIO, PRINT MEDIA: $10,500: Arbor Services will make 500 personalized phone calls direct to the media—a very intensive campaign to promote your book directly to TV, radio, newspaper and magazine contacts.

• PUBLISHERS, HOLLYWOOD: $4,500: Create sell/query letter; contact 150 agents; create book proposal; create 10 bound galleys (additional bound galleys are $20 each).

• BLOGS: $3,500-5,500: contact and link to blogs. Contact 500 relevant e-zines, blogs and Web sites.  

• WAL-MART, ETC.: $3,500: promote book to airport outlets and box stores including Costco and Wal-Mart.

• BOOK CLUBS: $3,500: contact Internet book clubs and reader groups.

•  LIBRARIES: $4,500: library mailings/flyer program to reach 115,000 branches.

• ARTICLES: $15,000: create 10 articles for newspapers, e-zines, etc. ($1,500 for each additional article).

•  REVIEWERS: $3,500: contact national, regional and local reviewers; send out copies of the book and supporting media documents.

• SOCIAL NETWORKING: $5,500: contact potential readers through social media outlets including Facebook.

Registrations

If you decide to self-publish, you have the option to create your own imprint. In other words, you can become your own publishing company and retain 100% of the profits. We can get you your copyright, ISBN and LCCN.

Finding Agents

As you are well aware, the most frustrating thing in publishing is trying to get an agent—the right agent—to sell your book to a publisher. It is one way to try to turn your book into a best seller. Unfortunately, 99% of all authors are turned down by literary agents because they don’t know what agents are looking for.

Arbor Services has held seminars with some of the best-known literary agencies in the country, who have divulged their insider secrets. They revealed:

• The 5 mistakes first-time authors typically make.
• How to stay out of the “slush pile” and stand out from other writers.
• What 7 key elements agents look for in a query letter.
• Where to find—and MEET—agents.
• Why the first 3 pages of your manuscript are so important.
• How to land a contract with a major publisher.

We have taken that information and crafted 4 different services for you:  

1. Pitch/Query Letter ($1,500): we can create a top-quality query letter and then send it on to agents and publishers under your name.

2. Book Proposal ($3,500): if you already have a manuscript or a book, we can create a formal book proposal for you. It will include:

• A title page and table of contents.
• A general overview/summary including subject, blurb, topics to be dealt with, projected word count, projected completion date and how it will be written or compiled.
• Your background and promotional skills.
• Market potential, including target audience (demographics and statistics of potential readers) and secondary markets.
• The need for the book and how it is different from others.
• Publicity and promotional opportunities.
• Your platform.
• Advance praise for the book (from endorsers, reviews, etc.).
• The competition assessment.
• An outline.
• A chapter-by-chapter summary.
• Sample chapters.
• A sample press kit.

3. Bound Galley ($1,500): if you have a manuscript, we can create what is known in the publishing trade as a bound galley, which is a mock-up of a production book used to 1) entice agents, publishers and Hollywood producers with a beautiful book rather than a manuscript, and 2) get endorsements and pre-publication reviews. This service includes 10 bound galleys.