Thinking Outside the Box Marketing

by lunarpersuasion (flickr.com)

Earlier this month, Jodi wrote a great post titled, "Promotion Is More Than Just Bookmarks." If you missed it and the wonderful comments after it, you can view it here. I've noticed authors doing a couple of what I like to call "thinking outside the box" marketing ideas lately, and so I thought I would share these with you. I don't know, maybe we should make March WOW! Women On Writing Share Your Marketing Ideas Month. With two books coming out sometime this year, I am always on the look out for what works. So, here's what I've noticed:

• Our very own WOW! blogger and columnist, Darcy Pattison, gave away a free e-copy of her new picture book, Wisdom: The Midway Albatross, for 48 hours in honor of the anniversary of the Japanese tsunami. Wisdom, one tough bird, survived that tsunami, and so Darcy tied a marketing promotion with the anniversary. Why give away e-copies of your book? Well, it's smart for picture book writers like Darcy because parents, teachers, and librarians can view the book on their e-readers and then purchase the hard copy for their kids, classes, students, etc. I blogged about Wisdom after reading it because I liked it so much. Sometimes, you have to give stuff away. . .And I found out about this free book because Darcy used the Events feature on Facebook to invite me (and all her contacts) to this book giveaway event. Another lesson learned here--use social networking!
• Currently, WOW! has a blog tour for  The Smiley Book of Colors by Ruth Kaiser. Besides doing a blog tour, Ruth is also collecting photos of smiles readers find in nature. She gives money to Operation Smile for each photo, and one photographer (from WOW!) will win a book. (For more details, go here.) How does this help her market her book? She has people EXCITED about finding smiles. She is helping children, which everyone wants to do. She has people going to her website. She has kids and adults talking about her book. "Hey, I see a smile in your tree. Can I take a photo to upload to this author's website?" And imagine the conversation that will follow after that question. So, learn from Ruth. Do you have some way that fans can interact with you or your book on a website or blog or even Facebook page?
• Shhh--don't tell anyone, but this next great idea is from a male author! (smiles) Mike Pemberton wrote a novel about basketball and mental illness titled, Transcendental Basketball Blues . So, what did he do that was a great marketing idea? He sent his book to different coaches around where he lives. The women's basketball coach from a nearby university liked his book so much that he is going to recommend that all his players read it AND he will use it as a textbook in his coaching basketball class! Time to put on your thinking cap: Who could you send your book to that can get behind it 100 percent? A few free copies sent out strategically while thinking outside the box may create tons of sales later. 

Okay, there are three ideas. Do you have any to share?

Post by Margo L. Dill; Check out Margo's Advanced Social Networking Class beginning on April 13 and see how she can help you use social networking to market yourself and your work! Sign up here.