Hello soulutioneer~
I don?t think there?s an author out there who hasn?t been in your
shoes; as an author myself, I know how disappointing it is to see your
book get little (or no!) marketing. But you have the right idea: Take
it into your own hands! And since your publisher?s marketing folks
simply don?t have the time to read every book they're asked to
market?-and since nobody knows your book better than *you,* you?re in
a perfect position to come up with a terrific marketing campaign.
Fortunately, looking at what other frustrated writers have done in the
past is a great source of inspiration. Here are some creative,
interesting, and uncommon ideas authors have utilized:
? Get a sponsor (or sponsors) for your book tour. Jane Applegate, the
author of ?201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business? did just this. She
organized a tour of 20 cities and convinced GTE to sponsor it (along
with Network Solutions and Wells Fargo). She made the idea attractive
to the businesses by establishing a theme that also helped market
them: ?Unlimited Ideas for Your Small Business.? They had local
businesses in each city promote the book shows and manage ticket
sales; each person attending the show got a free book. In your case,
you might choose companies well known for ?pampering? products.
? Give your book to celebrities. This works especially well if they're
mentioned in the book. Also, get blurbs from celebrities to put on
your book covers and/or promotional materials; this will work best if
the well-known person is interested in your topic, so watch celebrity
interviews often.
? Hold a tea party. That?s what Robin Fisher Roffer, the author of
?Make a Name for Yourself? did. (And I think the idea is much more
suitable for your topic.) Make it an ultra-relaxing event. Deck the
tables out. Tie in ideas from your book. (For example, if you mention
bubble baths, make sure every woman goes home with a bottle of
sudsy...with a sticker about your book on it.) Give each attendee a
gift-wrapped copy of your book and a custom bookmark (or two).
? If you have any contact information for previous book buyers (or, if
you have a website), do what author M.J. Rose did. She asked her fans
to help her promote her new book. To make it fun (and add incentive)
the person who managed to get the most people to buy Rose?s novel
received an autographed copy of the book, plus a gift certificate to a
book store. (Check out Rose?s website at: http://www.mjrose.com )
? Sell your books on eBay. It sounds obvious, but very few authors do
this. Personally, I've had great success selling my books on
eBay--and often receive more than retail price.
? Here?s an idea that might inspire you to think creatively: Alan Ira
Rosenberg made a public announcement (via press releases to major
newspapers) that he was going to hold an auction for his writing tools
and books, hoping that one day they?d be valuable. No less than The
New York Times covered his story. (And what was Rosenberg?s
inspiration? The auctioning off of Hemmingway?s memorabilia.) Perhaps
you could do something similar with artifacts that formally caused you
stress, or...?
? Consider what business can be tied to your book. For example,
perhaps a florist (who can help create a relaxing environment) or a
local bath and beauty shop. But don?t just ask them to carry your
book; ask them to include it in gift baskets. Think big! You might
even convince flowers.com or The Bath Shop to use your book.
? Find relevant businesses where you can set up a bowl or vase (or
something more creative) for people to drop cards with their name,
addresses, and email addresses. Then, have a drawing for a free book.
Be sure there are copies available to purchase at the site, and add
all contact information to a marketing list. It's a great idea to
include an option on each card to sign up for an email newsletter or
website updates, too.
? Leave copies of your book in doctor?s waiting rooms; be sure each
copy has a sticker on the cover that gives information about where to
buy the book. Include your website address, too. (Other places to
leave copies: beauty parlors, dentists, chiropractors...anyplace
people wait.)
? Contact QVC ( www.qvc.com ) and pitch to be on their station,
selling your book. In your case, this could be tied in with beauty
products or shows focusing on self-care.
? Put a ?Recommend It? button in a visible place on every page of your
website. This is a very simple idea that's rarely used.
I?m also including the following ideas, which are more standard, but
weren't mentioned in your question. If you haven?t tried these ideas
in the past, you should definitely put them into play for your next
book:
? Writing articles for magazines and e-zines. Sell or give away
excerpts from your book, or articles on the same topic as your book.
Make sure your writer?s bio includes a plug for your new book.
? Seek book reviewers on your own. For this, you need a media kit and
a cover letter. To learn the best way to make a media kit, see ?The
Writer?s Guide To Self-Promotion & Publicity? by Elane Feldman
(Writer?s Digest Books).
? Become a ?regular? on chat board on the same topic as your book(s).
You don?t want to be pushy about mentioning your book, but definately
bring it up if it's relevant. At the bottom of every post, include a
link to your website or a one-liner about your book.
? Get your book featured on Oprah; since your book is of a topic often
covered on this program, this may actually be viable. For more on
this, check out ?How To Get Booked on Oprah,? at Writer?s Weekly:
http://www.writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/000594_01022002.html
It can help if you tie in your book with a topic already set to be
filmed. Visit Oprah?s official website for a list of upcoming topics.
? In every email that leaves your computer, include a one line tag
mentioning your book and a link to a place to learn more about it.
? Become a speaker. Hold conferences on the topic(s) of your book(s).
? Get yourself listed on Authors & Experts: http://www.authorsandexperts.com
? Get in the news. Perhaps you can find a way to make yourself
newsworthy. Volunteer to help out an organization that aids women, for
example. (If there?s a group that helps women released from prison get
back up on their feet, maybe you could teach them how to cope with
stress.) Be sure to send out press releases!
? If the media covers (or promises to cover in the near future) a
topic that can tie in with your book, send a pitch letter, explaining
how you can help round off the story.
? Get radio stations not just to interview you, but to hold contests
where your autographed book (and perhaps a gift certificate to some
place that ties in with your book) are the prize. The gift certificate
needn?t be expensive.
Please also check out this article at Writer?s Weekly, ?How Not to
Promote Your Book:? http://www.writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/001037_12232003.html
It offers a friendly reminder about getting ?too creative? with
marketing.
I also recommend ?Interview with Anthony Hernandez? at Absolute Write:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/novels/anthony_hernandez.htm for a good
basic rundown about authors marketing their own books.
Good luck!
Kriswrite
RESEARCH STRATEGY:
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publicity stunts
a search at Writer?s Weekly.com
Re-reading ?The Writer?s Guide To Self-Promotion & Publicity? |
