Free Co-op Mailing Listing Service Helps Book Publishers & Self Publishers Sell Books

by Helen Hecker

Publishers know they can save a lot of money joining others in joint or cooperative mailings. Co-op mailing is not a new concept or idea, but finding other publishers who want to mail to the same lists isn't easy.

A free listing service is helping publishers sell more books through cooperative mailings with other publishers.  Publishers submit listing information, as to what kind of mailing they want to do, the nature of the books or items they want to promote, and contact information. DVDs, audiobooks, CDs, software and other items work easily here too. The information is published each month free in a newsletter for entrepreneurs and publishers - 'Helen Hecker's Biz Hotline.'

Fliers are sent out in co-op mailings to, for example, public  libraries, independent bookstores, new age bookstores, children's bookstores, hospitals, hospital gift shops, elementary schools, high schools, college libraries, college newspapers, colleges & universities, various departments in elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities, to medical libraries, military libraries, museums, and Christian and religion-related lists, etc.

Press releases are sent (or distributed) to daily newspapers, editors, travel columnists, health columnists, medical columnists, weekly newspapers, major magazine and trade publications in the genre field of the book - business, health, medical, disability, travel publications, etc.  I've mailed several of my own press releases, successfully, in one business-size envelope third class ( bulk mail) for many years, promoting several of our books, videos, DVDs, titles and services and reaping a ton of orders for us in return. We've had thousands of write-ups -articles, items and features in many publications over the years. I think that the envelopes are opened in the mail room and the editors never see the envelopes that press releases come in.  Also they'll never know if it arrived by priority mail, first class or third class (bulk) mail.

For many years I ran a sideline fee-shared cooperative mailing service to help our publishing company branch and other publishers, promote titles and sell more books through press releases to the print media (newspapers and magazines, for example) and news releases to the broadcast media (radio station talk shows, TV shows, Oprah, Today show, Good Morning America, etc.)  Also we sent fliers to libraries, schools, hospitals, hospital gift shops, newspapers, independent bookstores, new age bookstores, etc.

The costs to do a co-op mailing are established for the amount necessary to do the mailing, then divided up and paid for well in advance of the mailing.  This would include the cost of buying and printing #10 business-size envelopes, the cost of renting the labels, postage cost determined by the weight of the piece and other factors, and cost for the mailing house to do the mail out. All fliers are shipped directly to the mailing house with instructions on the box as to which mailing it's for.  The lead person gives them instructions so they know the boxes are coming.

We've always had good results from cooperative mailings and many others have reported they have too.  Publishers need to know what markets their genres fit into.  No two books or products are exactly alike. So one can't compare the outcome for titles of books in mailings others have done, to their own titles and potential outcome.

Doing co-op mailings is a good way for book publishers, self publishers, (entrepreneurs and other types of business owners too) to distribute their press releases and fliers, and to save a lot of time and money.  And this free cooperative mailing service is a good way to find other publishers with the same marketing goals.

copyright©2006 Helen Hecker all rights reserved