It’s the age old dilemma. Should I read the book or wait for the DVD? In the land of business and entertainment, which rarely go hand in hand unless you’re actually in the entertainment business, this question is vital. Marketing entertainment is not an easy calling. With so many illustriously wonderful ideas floating around out there, knowing how to market entertainment is that sells and presents the public with unique and fresh quality is nearly a gift. Often the best ideas come from no-names who are trying to break into the business, but marketing entertainment without a name behind them is a serious risk. A name at least carries a reputation, which in itself will sell even when the material is marginal.

Yet the entertainment business is so huge, encompassing everything from books to DVDs to Hollywood movies, that marketing entertainment should be a breeze. All you need is a good idea and some flashy imagery, right? The answer is not that simple. While flashy imagery certainly brings attention to a good idea, it can not be the end all to the entertainment business. Entertainment means just that, something which engages the mind and hopefully the emotional spirit of human existence. The best entertainment makes us cry and want and fills us with a need to make a difference in the world. This seems like more than mere entertainment.

When marketing entertainment, your choice between books or DVDs is one of the most vital stages of your business decisions, as it will shape your entire marketing plan as well as your target audience. Since the entertainment business is a multi billion dollar a year industry without the inclusion of Hollywood stars, their salaries, and the average big name glitz and glamour, marketing entertainment can really pay off even for the movie rental store on the corner. Americans love entertainment, and those considering the entertainment industry as a personal business should consider all angles before making the final leap.

Reading the book is my ultimate personal choice. When you read the book, you get so much more detail and thought behind each expression. Writers who are able to create strong, compelling, visually stimulating story from their imagination are in possession of a fine gift that can give for generations. The book industry offers such a complete and varied platform for marketers that the possibilities are literally endless. Don’t be fooled, the book industry is just as competitive as the DVD industry. It is always an unfortunate failure when a budding entrepreneur chooses the book industry as opposed to the DVD industry based on the belief that the book industry is less competitive and presents an easier market. The process associated with keeping strong titles stocked and presenting a well rounded (even for genre specific businesses) hot list is mind boggling. Don’t get discouraged, it’s far from impossible, but the book industry is not a fluffy version of the entertainment industry.

The DVD industry is also highly competitive, even for those who choose to market for specific genres. Just because they made a movie out of it doesn’t mean that it should take up space on your website or be slapped up on your shelves along with the “real" films. Alternatively, just because you’ve never heard of anyone in the cast doesn’t mean it’s not a compelling, original, smart, and should see before you die film that didn’t get off the ground in the theatres simply because it was lacking a big name. The DVD industry requires a delicate tempering of honoring the art with meeting public demand.

Marketing entertainment is undoubtedly a difficult but worthwhile endeavor. Not to mention it is definitely a while mess of fun. For anyone who is well educated about what they are about to leap into, marketing entertainment can be an ultimately rewarding experience, both financially speaking and personally speaking. The entertainment industry offers an abundance of personal reward. If you’re hanging on the fence between books and DVDs, and you have a clear understanding of what each entails, the best advice is to go with your passion. Passion is what brings people through the dry moments. There will be dry moments. But as those dry moments turn to dust, there are lush moments waiting just beyond that. Few industries offer the same type of fun based business opportunities as marketing entertainment.