There are two very striking things about How to Market Books.

One is the breadth of coverage.

There are only 336 pages (fewer than the third edition) but don’t let that fool you – this is a veritable encyclopaedia of book marketing. You’ll learn about everything from building a database to writing press releases.

The other is the fact that it is relevant to such a wide audience. A complete novice could pick this book up and get a tremendous amount out of it. It’s clearly designed to be accessible to those with little or no knowledge of marketing or of publishing. And yet it is far from basic. Making no assumptions about your existing level of knowledge, it takes you through almost every technique imaginable to get your book noticed. Even the most experienced marketer is bound to find something they have yet to include in their marketing plan.

The book is also very practical. With a conversational style that’s easy to read, it actually describes what you should do, bringing in plenty of real-world examples to support the points made. The style also goes some way towards explaining how so much is covered in a single volume. Short, sharp and effective sentences – the hallmark of good copywriting – mean that no words are wasted.

The section on Internet marketing has, unsurprisingly, undergone some major changes. There is now much more detail on marketing your web site, including a brief section on search engine optimisation. These changes represent a welcome and much needed update. The third edition was published in 2000 and much of what was there is inevitably outdated now (not least the section entitled What is the Internet?, which has been removed from the fourth edition!).

Virtually all media are covered to some degree and even those that are rarely – if ever – used by publishers get at least a paragraph or two. This is important, as it will leave the reader with a rounded knowledge of marketing in general, as well as a good understanding of why publishers don’t, for example, do much TV advertising.

How to Market Books does, however, cover the most relevant subjects in considerable depth. They include marketing to libraries, running events, how to access academic and educational markets, and how to manage a marketing budget. Indeed, you could get quite some way through planning and executing a marketing campaign using this book and nothing else. With it, no book marketer need ever feel lost or unsure about the options open to them.

This useful book would be a valuable addition to the marketing department of any publisher. However, it would also benefit anyone publishing their own book, as well as students or recent graduates who are planning to work in publishing.

How to Market Books is available from Book Publishing Books, priced £25.