Ooligan Press gives graduate students the unique opportunity to produce a book from acquisitions to publication. However, much of the work we do as students in the publishing program involves marketing our books. Students are either brainstorming ways to promote our releases by looking for target audiences, producing marketing documentation, or doing dozens of other marketing related assignments throughout our degrees. Some of those tasks may feel nebulous at first, and we know some of our incoming students aren’t completely aware of how to perform some of the assignments given by project managers. So as a way to inform those who are unfamiliar with what the marketing department does, we are dedicating this week’s blog to elucidate how the marketing department can help you.

Every student will produce a marketing document at some point. We don’t expect everyone to know how to produce these documents, but the ubiquity of this type of documentation in publishing makes them unavoidable. These documents include tip sheets, press releases, social media strategies, marketing plans, contact spreadsheets, and many other deliverables students will compose throughout their degree. While some of those assignments crossover in content, their purposes depend on the book project and intended audiences. If you aren’t aware of how to fulfill the requirements of any marketing related documentation, let us know.

We get a lot of questions concerning target audiences, so understanding how to find them is another component of marketing we cover at Ooligan Press. This typically finds students coming up with different ways to reach their target audiences, while also understanding how we can influence secondary and other markets as well. Once we discover a book’s primary audience, we work with teams on how they can reach specific audiences. This often involves us tailoring our marketing language to a specific demographic in order to communicate to them. One example is how the 50 Hikes in the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests team marketed to outdoor stores and coastal shops as a way to promote their book. They used specific language in their marketing copy to communicate why their book fits those markets, thus reaching those markets. That kind of marketing language typically surfaces through brainstorming sessions and pitch writing, but we are also here to help brainstorm those ideas too.

The marketing department is responsible for our publicity efforts as well. We often work with students in order to help them discover new ways to reach media outlets so that their books can receive public attention. Much of these tasks involve writing pitch letters, researching outlets, and compiling media spreadsheets so that a publicity strategy fits a specific book. We know planning the right media strategy can be difficult, and writing the best pitch letter is a headache, so feel free to ask us any PR related questions once a project manager assigns you one of these tasks.

Fear not, we want to make it clear that the marketing department is here to assist students needing help with any marketing related assignments! While this isn’t an exhaustive list of tasks covering everything we do at the marketing department, it should provide the broader strokes on how we can help with marketing related assignments. If there are any questions concerning how to make a marketing plan, compile a contact list, find publicity, or any other department related task, write us an email or come talk to us. We are here to help.