The Marketing Process

Marketing and Publicity

With fifty years of publishing excellence and a backlist of more than 5,000 titles, SUNY Press is committed to aggressively promoting everything we publish. But reaching the ideal audience for each title is a highly collaborative process. We recognize that you are the expert on your work and its role in your field, and we depend on your input to guide our promotional efforts.

Please read through the sections below to learn more about how we will market your materials, the important role you play in supporting that process, and tips for what you can do to make the most of the network and resources already at your fingertips. If you have additional ideas or questions throughout the publication process, please feel free to contact your Marketing Manager.

Marketing Questionnaire

As you enter the final stages of preparing your manuscript, you will be asked to complete a marketing questionnaire. The information you provide there plays an important role in shaping the marketing and publicity surrounding your work. By selecting the most relevant subject areas, suggesting review outlets, targeting relevant conferences, and highlighting potential awards, you are positioning your materials for the best possible introduction to your field. Your work in this questionnaire helps guide our efforts through the rest of the publication process. 

Catalogs

We will announce your book in one of our two seasonal catalogs: in December for spring titles published from January-June or in May for fall titles published from July-December. The catalog appears on our website and features all of the new publications from that season. This information is disseminated to retailers, wholesalers, libraries, and our national and international sales representatives.

We also produce targeted catalogs from our list for conferences, events, and mailing lists.

Distribution and Format

SUNY Press produces both print and digital versions of all its journals and books. Everything we publish is distributed globally through partnerships with a wide variety of distribution partners. Our journals publish simultaneously in print and digital versions. Scholarly titles initially publish in hardcover and digital versions and appear in paperback editions approximately six months later. Format decisions for general interest publications and course materials are made on a case-by-case basis.

Review and Exam Copies

We supply complimentary review copies upon request. If you receive review requests, contact us at reviewcopies@sunypress.edu.

Upon the publication of each book, we also supply complimentary review copies to a curated list of reviewers from relevant magazines, journals, and other media. Assembling this list depends in part on your marketing questionnaire, so please be sure to include relevant outlets and any media connections you might have. Complimentary review copies of all titles are sent to H-Net, New Books Network, CHOICE magazine, Midwest Library Service, YBP Library Services, and Baker & Taylor.

Review coverage can be quite slow, easily taking six months to a year (or longer) to appear. When we receive reviews, we will post short excerpts on your book page on our website. We also maintain a review archive, which can be shared with you upon request. We encourage you to share any reviews or media coverage you see with us.

SUNY Press provides examination copies (of titles being considered for course use) and desk copies (for faculty who have adopted a book for a course). Because many of our books are printed on demand, we require a $10 processing fee per copy for softcover books and a $25 fee per copy for hardcover books for instructors teaching in the United States. If the book is available as an ebook, it can be provided free of charge via RedShelf to qualified instructors worldwide. For more information, click here.

Conferences and Events

Representatives from SUNY Press attend conferences throughout the year, displaying or advertising relevant titles at appropriate events. We consult your marketing questionnaire when selecting books for upcoming conferences, so please include the most relevant events.

If you are attending a conference – or are taking part in other events like book readings – and would like to discuss promotional opportunities, please contact Michelle Alamillo (michelle.alamillo@sunypress.edu) as soon as possible. If time allows, we make every effort to support our authors' local promotional activities. Providing at least two months of notice before conferences gives us the best possible chance to investigate display opportunities or send materials.

We also encourage you to add your own events to the SUNY Press event calendar, so that we can help promote them! For any questions, please contact Michelle Alamillo (michelle.alamillo@sunypress.edu).

Awards

We recognize the importance of book awards, and we submit appropriate titles for major awards and prizes at our discretion. Please be sure to include relevant awards in your marketing questionnaire. If you would like to nominate your book for an award yourself, please contact Michelle Alamillo (michelle.alamillo@sunypress.edu). Winners are highlighted on the SUNY Press website.

Advertisements and Email Marketing

Your work will be featured in email announcements targeted by subject areas of interest. This includes our monthly publication announcements to relevant subject lists at SUNY Press, as well as external communications to instructors or general readers as applicable. These announcements include the book’s cover image, short descriptive copy, and links to the SUNY Press website to place orders. We also distribute a quarterly newsletter and regular notices about upcoming conferences. SUNY Press also schedules seasonal advertisements in conference programs, journals, and magazines.

Flyers

If you need a flyer to promote your book, whether to distribute in person or via email, please contact your Marketing Manager. Remember that both the hard cover and paperback releases make excellent opportunities to reach out to your community.

Social Media

Social media provides a great opportunity to connect with niche communities and announce new work to interested readers. We encourage you to share news, reviews, events, videos, and photographs related to your book. Don’t forget to like and follow our pages on Twitter and Facebook! This helps us connect readers with our authors at conferences and other events.

Rights and Permissions

Shared revenue from classroom-use fees, reprint fees, serial rights, and income from selling book rights for translation not only ensures a wider reach for your book, but also supports the continuation of scholarly publishing. If opportunities arise for these kinds of collaborations, please contact Sharla Clute (sharla.clute@sunypress.edu) with any questions.

Tips for Promoting Your Book

As the author, you are the best possible advocate for your book. Here are a few simple things you can do to make the most of your network and professional resources.

  • Add a link to your SUNY Press book page to your email signature, website, blog, social media, and professional bio.
  • Reach out to your university communications and alumni associations.
  • Use social media to announce your book, celebrate the paperback release, highlight conference appearances, share news and events, or post videos talking about your book. Don’t forget to include the cover image and link to your book page on our website!
  • Write a short companion piece to be featured on the SUNY Press blog. Share this with your own personal networks as well.
  • Join and share on relevant listservs, newsgroups, or forums in your field.
  • Share your news with friends and colleagues, whether online or in person.
  • Where appropriate, consider working with your university on a press release.
  • Find out whether other professors in your field might be interested in a departmental book talk or adopting your title for their course.
  • Schedule readings at local bookstores.
  • Write op-ed pieces relating to the subject of your book for campus, local, academic, or online publications.
  • For general interest books, consider blogs and sites that deal with pop culture or publish reviews, interviews, or detailed essays on cultural studies.
  • Encourage your campus library to purchase a copy.
  • Add any events to the SUNY Press event calendar, so that we can help promote them!
  • Remember that the paperback release is another opportunity to reach out about your book.
  • Get in touch with SUNY Press about promotional materials for events or initiatives.
  • If you would like a promotional flyer, please reach out to your Marketing Manager.

Contact Us

Michelle Alamillo
Promotions Manager
michelle.alamillo@sunypress.edu

Michael Campochiaro
Senior Marketing Manager
michael.campochiaro@sunypress.edu

Kate Seburyamo
Senior Marketing Manager
kate.seburyamo@sunypress.edu