Marketing Fiction

The word "marketing" can carry with it several professional business connotations, as shown in this word cloud. While marketing certainly is crucial in a public library's operation, it can be counterproductive to throw these terms at patrons, as this can be antithetical to the warm, welcoming atmosphere that is sought in a public library.

Tom Fishburne, the founder and CEO of Marketoonist, once said, "The best marketing doesn't feel like marketing" (Swincoe, 2017). In light of this idea, below are three ways in which a public library could market their adult fiction collection without cramming the marketing aspect down the patrons' throats.

Book Displays

An example of a permanent library display.

Selecting a small group of books with a descriptive sign can be a very effective marketing tool for public libraries. Of course, librarians should frequently monitor these displays and replace items that have been removed by patrons for checkout. These displays should "capitalize on the elements of books that appeal to readers" (Saricks, 2005, p. 142), such as pacing, mood, or subject matter. Saricks (2005) also promotes the idea of a permanent display for "Good Books You May Have Missed"; this display provides patrons with "a small group of suggested titles from which to choose" (p. 140) from a variety of genres and vetted by a variety of readers' advisory staff. Having the display populated by various staff members will ensure that personal reading preference or bias does not heavily sway the titles that are chosen for display.

Annotated Book Lists

A locally-produced book list that lists titles (that the library owns!) and a brief comment or annotation can be printed as a trifold brochure. Book lists should be curated to address areas of patron interest, such as Romantic Suspense or Sports Fiction. The process of creating a bookmark can also promote professional development, as it "exposes a novice bibliographer to the process of choosing a theme and selecting books related to patrons' interests and to the rigors of proofreading" (Saricks, 2005, p. 145).

Saricks (2005) remarks on the effectiveness of staff-made book lists: "We all know that many patrons like to browse for their leisure reading on their own, and they are pleased to find a selection of book lists on a wide range to topics; they can choose one or more and simply take them into the stacks with them as a guide to reading suggestions" (p. 143). In addition to being displayed in checkout or service areas, these can also be featured on appropriate book displays.

Book Discussion Groups

Excluding times of pandemic, the public library should be a gathering place for the community to come together. Book discussion groups are a great way to promote this aspect of a library's purpose and simultaneously advertise the adult fiction collection. Saricks (2005) remarks on the ever increasing availability of resources for book discussion groups: "[S]ometimes discussion questions are even offered by publishers in the book themselves" (p. 157).

Regardless of whether or not a library offers staff-led book discussions, it should always "offer assistance to [book discussion group] leaders in finding information on organizing and running a group and locating materials, including suggesting titles that make good discussions, biographical information about the author, reviews and other printed material about the book, and published questions if available" (Saricks, 2005, p. 157). 

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These are just a few ways in which public libraries can help advertise their adult fiction collections. If patrons don't know what resources are available to them, they're much less likely to use the resources. They all rely on the expertise and skill of readers' advisory staff. However, as Saricks (2005) mentions, "it is important to remember that we are marketing and promoting a service as well as materials" (p. 157).  These ways to market the adult fiction collection also help the community view the library as a resource in meeting the leisure and informational needs of its patrons.

References

Saricks, J. (2005) Promoting and marketing readers’ advisory collections and services. Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library. ALA. 136-160.

Swincoe, A. (Host). (2017, October 23). PunkCX [Audio podcast]. RARE Business. https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/blogpodcasts/TomFishburneMarketoonist250917.mp3