Wholesale Accounts – Maintaining Them and Why!
In today’s economy, it is more important than ever to maintain and service your current wholesale accounts. (Wholesale accounts are defined by FRP as those retailers – bookstores, gift shops, gourmet stores that buy your books at a discount and sell the book to their consumers.) It takes more effort to open a new account than to increase business with a current account. With an existing account, your cookbook has a proven track record. However, you must continue to service and maintain the account. You will need to come up with creative ways to increase business – here are some ideas…

• Excitement – Set up an event to draw people into the store and to see you and your book. You may choose to conduct a cooking demonstration, hold a lecture on cooking tips, or feature “cooking with children.” Just be sure to do something other than a simple tasting or signing (boring)!
• Advertising – Remember, most stores do not have a huge advertising budget, so you will need to be prepared to pay for the advertising in full or split the cost. You may want to inquire to see if you can display a poster in the store or create a flyer to stuff in bags for a few weeks prior to the event. Also check to see if they have existing publications (catalogs, flyers, etc.) that are going out prior to the event. If so, ask to be included in those mailings.
• Local Mentions – Place an ad in the local newspaper and mention the book and where it is available (list some of the accounts). They will appreciate the free advertising, and most likely, you will get an order from them. Be sure to send them a copy of the advertisement for their files. Create a coupon redeemable at these locations only. You can also make mention of the “key” accounts in your press releases.
• Service – Ask your wholesale accounts –how would they like to be serviced. Can you contact them via phone monthly, quarterly, biannually, etc., to see if they need books? Would they prefer to receive a reorder card in the mail? Do they prefer e-mail contact or perhaps a fax with an order form attached? Utilize a communication planner to track these contacts. with your customer and be sure to keep detailed records. No matter how you follow up with your accounts, make it convenient for them to place an order AND sell your book.
• Specials – Offer a special discount from time to time. For example, purchase a case of 12 at the normal discount and receive a free copy (maybe to use as a store display copy). Offer free shipping on orders of 24 books or more. Give them a special discounted price and call it a “Customer Appreciation Special."
• Thanks – Send your accounts thank-you notes for doing business with you. Let them know how much you appreciate their partnership. Little things go a long way, and when your “wholesale partners” feel appreciated, they will remember those acts of kindness when it comes time to reorder inventory for their store.

COOKBOOK MARKETPLACE – EARLY BIRD RENEWALS ARE COMING SOON!
We're gearing up for the 2005 catalog renewal process, which will begin in November. We will again be offering a collection of six brand-new FRP titles in a drawing from the first 25 publishers that complete and return their annual renewals to us. The collection will have a retail value of over $150, so it's well worth the early effort for a 1 in 25 chance to win. Stay tuned for more details!

Cookbook University – April 2005. Make plans now to attend and send as many representatives from your organization as possible. This is a great opportunity to experience Cookbook University and network with other self-publishers that are in the business of cookbooks. The exact dates and location of Cookbook University are still to be determined, and we will keep you posted once these plans are confirmed.

Local Partnerships

As we roll into the fall months and gear up for fourth-quarter sales, think about possible “partnership” opportunities that you can explore and implement both this fall and next winter. Partnerships are special opportunities in which your organization might partner with another organization, retail outlet, or company that is trying to grow its business at the same time.

Pam Stoney, cookbook co-chair from the Assistance League of Santa Barbara, shared this good news with us. Savor Santa Barbara has been chosen to be the “Customer of the Month” for the month of September. They will have books on display at all the Mid State Bank branches in their area. They will be featured for the entire month and are planning some tasting events each Friday at the various locations.

The Assistance League of the Bay Area in Houston partnered with the local Lexus dealership last year. For every new Lexus that was test-driven, the driver received a free gift. During the month of October, this group moved over 1,200 copies of Settings on the Dock of the Bay through this promotion. The dealership needed an incentive to get the ladies, “decision-makers,” in the driver’s seat, and the Assistance League was trying to reach new customers.

Another FRP author, Joan Toole, promoted her title through a partnership with Sears. Her book, Food for the Heart and Soul, was offered with the purchase of every Frigidaire appliance during the month of October. Five hundred books were sold through this promotion.

Here is a list of some potential partners that you might want to research in your community.

• Banks
• Grocery Chains
• Chambers of Commerce
• Law Firms
• Brokerage Firms
• Appliance Stores
• Hotels
• Loan/Mortgage Companies
• Real Estate Firms
• Car Dealerships
• Manufacturing Companies
• Conventions
• Furniture Stores