| Schools cover an amazing range of | | | | charge of curriculum for the subject area of |
| possibilities: daycare centers, K-12, adult | | | | your book. In our case the curriculum |
| education and community colleges, four-year | | | | consultant was impressed with the examination |
| institutions, universities, special-education | | | | copy we provided and invited us to supply him |
| programs, even home schooling and vocational | | | | with a quantity of fliers to distribute to |
| programs. They all have potential as | | | | schools in the district. Needless to say, we |
| large-scale buyers.Orders will not pop into | | | | were happy to cooperate.A specialized mailing |
| your office, however. They will dawdle in. | | | | list is the perfect means of reaching your |
| Promotional material sent now may result in | | | | target market. Two main firms offer detailed |
| an order six months or a year downstream. But | | | | breakdowns of faculty. One is QED (Quality |
| that order could be for dozens, hundreds, | | | | Education Data). Its catalog contains a quick |
| even thousands of books. And it isn't | | | | reference guide to the entire education |
| necessarily a one-shot thing. Reorders are | | | | market and QED has both mailing lists and |
| likely to roll in each new semester. Another | | | | database services. For instance, with its new |
| reason this is an attractive market is that | | | | educator e-mail marketing service, you can |
| most sales are made on a "short discount," | | | | have your message delivered to the desktops |
| meaning that you allow only 20 percent off | | | | of such educators as pre-K teachers, guidance |
| the retail price.Perhaps you're thinking, "My | | | | counselors, athletics coaches, plus teachers |
| book wouldn't sell to schools; it's not a | | | | who cover English, fine arts and music, math, |
| textbook." You may be in for a nice surprise. | | | | science, social studies, you name it. Reach |
| The wide variety of titles that are | | | | QED at 800-525-5811 or visit them online at |
| appropriate in today's academic circles is | | | | The other company you want to check out is |
| amazing. For instance, the General Books | | | | Market Data Retrieval, which has four areas |
| Department of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich | | | | covering K-12, colleges, Libraries, and day |
| promoted the following for college use: | | | | care. Call 800-333-8802 or visit Consider |
| Hitler's Secret Service (history and | | | | renting a small subset to test your mailing's |
| civilization), Of Love and Lust (psychology), | | | | effectiveness before rolling out with the |
| All Our Children (sociology), Zen Catholicism | | | | larger list.The resourceful author or |
| (philosophy and religion), The Company She | | | | publisher, however, may be able to come up |
| Keeps (women's studies), and the novels The | | | | with a list using more creative tactics. Try |
| Voyage Out and Jacob's Room. And because | | | | calling the State Board of Education (usually |
| self-publishing is merely a microcosm of | | | | in the capital) and ask for its publication |
| trade publishing, our Complete Guide to | | | | department. Many times the BOE will sell you |
| Self-Publishing sometimes serves as a text | | | | a list of schools on labels or send you a |
| for university classes on publishing.To help | | | | book with a list that you can keyboard into a |
| educators appreciate why your book would be | | | | database yourself. Sometimes these lists are |
| appropriate, stress any benefits that make it | | | | free, other times $10, and in one case, a |
| more likely for adoption. These might include | | | | publisher got a wonderful CD with 15,000 |
| chapters arranged a certain way to make it | | | | school names for $100.The best time to mail |
| easier, inclusion of exercises and quizzes, | | | | to colleges is the beginning of summer for |
| or review questions at the end of each | | | | the fall semester and prior to October for |
| chapter.Even if your work is not suitable as | | | | the winter semester. Educators will expect to |
| a text, it may be used as related material | | | | receive an examination copy on which they can |
| for course planning. Such books are called | | | | base a decision. That doesn't mean you |
| supplemental texts. We were fortunate in | | | | automatically have to send books to everyone. |
| introducing Discover Your Roots to the San | | | | Prepare a mailing piece and, as part of the |
| Diego Unified School District. This contact | | | | qualification to receive a complimentary |
| netted us ongoing sales since various junior | | | | copy, require that the following information |
| and senior highs picked up the book as a | | | | be provided:Title and nature of |
| supplementary text in history classes. | | | | courseEstimated number of studentsCollege |
| Supplemental texts also find a fertile field | | | | upper or lower division course (Freshman and |
| in continuing education. Adult learning | | | | sophomore classes are larger and thus |
| programs cover a lot of unlikely subjects, | | | | more profitable.)Starting date of the |
| some of which may dovetail with your | | | | classApproximate date of "adoption" decision |
| book.Call the board of education at the | | | | (Kids, pets, and books are adopted. |
| nearest large city to determine who is in | | | | |