Lipika Bhushan: Thanks Deeba for the invite. Well, after my MBA I started working with a brand consulting firm and then moved to take care of marketing for one of the largest white goods companies in India but its publishing that’s probably where I was meant to be and that’s where I still am since last 12 years.I started my publishing career with heading marketing for HarperCollins India but after about 7 years of enriching and exciting journey, I quit to manage my responsibilities as a proud mother.MarketMyBook was an idea I was toying with during my maternity break and that’s when I thought of launching a service that will help authors and publishers get better results through focused marketing.I must thank Kishwar Desai for being the first one to instil that faith in an absolutely new set up and there’s been no looking back since.

Lipika Bhushan: Ideally a large publishing house draws up yearly budgets for its forthcoming titles, allocates budgets according to the brand potential and numbers planned for respective titles and then draws a marketing plan for each title working closely with the writer on how energies can be channelized to collaborate for maximum impact.

Lipika Bhushan: Focus on network and leg work. Networking is important to build visibility and connect with prospective publishers and opinion makers.Those with small budgets should focus their energies on publicity and digital marketing instead of spending on retail promotions and events.Hire professional help for a few months around the release to give it the right push and get you the required visibility. Believe me, the ROIs are better with a professional working towards building your profile and getting your book the right attention.

Lipika Bhushan: May 2013, right after getting back from my maternity break and quitting my job. And it’s been 5 fulfilling years of working with some fantastic writers and publishers; gaining a lot of insight on the industry with some great success stories. The idea is to work with a few writers/publishers but do a bloody good job of it.

Lipika Bhushan: For a boutique agency fund is always a challenge. Unlike other industries, our partners especially publishers work on small marketing budgets and that restricts us as well in some ways. When we are able to deliver better results for every project that we pick, it’s a WOW moment. Every writer going back happy with what we could deliver for his book is a great feeling and a WOW moment. Every time a writer or a publisher you have worked with introduces you as the best in the industry is a WOW moment for us.

Lipika Bhushan: Every book demands a different kind of marketing mix. But to start with a minimum of about $1000.

Lipika Bhushan: We have been helping create bestsellers.

In 5 years of our existence and having worked with over 6 dozen writers not even once have we had to advertise to get work as firstly, we pick and choose what we like as a reader, secondly we always provide tailor-made marketing services that supplement and not duplicate the publisher’s efforts.

With growing pressure of an increasing number of new titles and greater fight for space, while publishers do put in their marketing efforts but they have too many to focus on. Just by being more focused and continuously thinking of better ideas and pitches that help in media publicity and digital efforts, we are able to add tremendously to the visibility.

So in short, writers should come to us once they have a fair idea of what their publishers can deliver on the marketing front so we help them take it to the next level especially in the area of publicity and digital marketing.

Lipika Bhushan: No. We let the experts do that job.

Lipika Bhushan: Curling up with a book. Guess it’s the Pahari gene but the all-time favourite is ‘Chai’

Lipika Bhushan: You are making a pitch for something that you have really worked hard on, do get someone to read and edit professionally before making a pitch to publishers.
Get a good agent to help you as many publishers only take representations through agents.
Connect with publishers who are known for some success in the genre you write in.