Book Promotion 101

You’ve written the book. You’ve edited until you can’t edit anymore. Your beta readers gave you the big thumbs-up. You’ve either found a publisher or decided to self-publish, and everything is ready to go.

Now, it’s time to promote.

Promote. The mere word is enough to strike immense fear and delightful giddiness into the heart of every writer. While it’s exciting to have your book out in the world, the thing won’t sell itself. And of course, for a first-time published author, cost is a factor. So, what can you do to promote your fabulous work on a budget? I have a few suggestions that are low-cost and will help you reach readers and entice them to read your book.

To start, business cards are a must. Create a logo and a slogan to help market your name. Remember that while your first book is no-doubt fabulous, you most likely will continue to write in the future, so you want to avoid having your book cover serve as your logo. Choose something that captures your personality and genre of choice - something that’s eye-pleasing and easy to remember. Hand these out liberally.

Embrace social media. For authors, I’ve found Twitter to be most effective. It’s tough to connect with strangers on Facebook, and there isn’t much more to do on Instagram than share your book cover over and over again. Having a website is a must, of course, and with WordPress and Google sites at your fingertips, there is no excuse not to have one.

Giveaways are a wonderful tool to draw readers in and keep them coming back for more.  To up the ante, try making book gift-baskets with items that promote the different themes and main ideas in your book. For example, a story which takes place in a coastal town could include an ocean-scented candle, some “bling” from the town where it takes place, and, of course, an autographed copy of your novel.

Make bookmarks and give them away to libraries, schools, and bookstores. These are low-cost and easy to make, and it’s a great opportunity to make your book cover shine. Make sure to include the title of your book and your name on the front and consider paying a little extra to include your website and social media handles on the back.

Last, but not least, brag. Brag about your book to anyone and everyone who will listen. Memorize your book pitch and recite it as often as possible. There is something magical about word-of-mouth promotion.

Sure, you can promote your book in expensive advertisements, but by using some of these budget-friendly ideas, you raise awareness of your amazing creation and increase sales!

I’d love to hear some of your low-cost options for promoting your books! Please share them in the comments!


Bethany Masone Harar is an author, teacher, and blogger, who does her best to turn reluctant readers into voracious, book-reading nerds. Check out her blog here and her website here.

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2 comments Bethany Masone Harar, book giveaway, book promotion, bookmarks, business cards, promoting, promoting your book, word of mouth

Business Card Love

I just ran out of business cards and I’m beside myself!

In a good way, I mean. I love getting new business cards!

I love that for twenty bucks or so, I can design exactly what I want for my business. I love that I can correct the past mistakes. And I love that each time I go through the process, I learn a little bit more about branding—and about myself as a writer.

So I gathered up all the business cards I’d collected from writers through the last year to find what I really liked, and what worked well. And I thought about how I wanted the world to see Cathy C. Hall, the writer. Then I designed my new card. (Wheee!)

But first, here’s the essence of what I kept in mind when designing:


PICTURE, PICTURE, PICTURE

I am horrible with names (especially if I’m meeting lots of new people!), but I’m very good with faces. So when I see a card with a face, I remember that writer (or agent or editor or publisher). Don’t you?

That’s why I always put my face on a business card. Front or back, I don’t think it matters as long as the picture is recognizable. (Haven’t you seen those cards with a twenty-years-younger face and found yourself wondering if it’s the same person? Don’t be that writer, please.)


WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Oh. My. Word. It’s hard to believe that writers will sometimes put their names in the fine print of their business card. You need a magnifying glass to read it!

I always make my name just a bit bigger, and sometimes in a different color. Now, I know authors work hard to get their books noticed, but your name is important, too, so make it stand out! After all, for most writers, our name is our brand.


CONTACT!

If agents or editors give you their card, they want you to send material. If writer friends give you their card, they’re hoping you’ll get in touch. So it’s pretty darn important that contact information be on the card.

I put my email address on the front of the card. (And please make sure that your name is in your email address.) And I also include my website on the front of my card. I don’t list all my social media addresses on my card because that’s easily found on my website. That’s a style issue, I think, but I’d rather leave off all the Facebook, Twitter and other media so I can squeeze a little bit more out of my name!

EXTRA, EXTRA!

Once I have the necessaries, I’m ready to add the extras, all the fun stuff where I can get creative.

I like to include the tag line from my website, and artwork that ties everything together, so that my brand is reinforced. But I’ve seen writers who use a simple title like “Author” and include book cover art. Or writers who tie in their genre with the background of their cards. Say a science fiction writer whose name floats on a starry night sky.


When all is said and designed, I think the best business cards for writers work because they’re packed with clean, professional information as well as personality, and I’m always working toward that goal. If you have any ideas about what works—or doesn’t work—in a business card, I’d love it hear it!

And now, the unveiling of my newest card. I think I like it.

For now.

~Cathy C. Hall

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14 comments business cards, Cathy C. Hall, marketing with business cards

Reeling in Readers (Or Is Your Bookmark Working For You?)

I often end up published in anthologies, getting an armload of great books in the bargain. And then I wonder how I can get those books out there to readers.

I’ll do a couple giveaways on my blog, promoting the book when it first comes out. And I’ll send a few as gifts, depending on the occasion (Happy Birthday/Father’s Day/Anniversary!) But as for book signings, it’s difficult to talk my way into a major chain, which is the only bookstore option we have left in my area.

One must get creative in finding book-selling venues, so I was pretty excited when (divine) inspiration struck. After I came across a flyer for our church’s fall festival, it was just a matter of convincing the festival coordinator into giving me a booth.

Next, I turned to my friends in the anthology-writing business, asking for book-selling suggestions. And goodness, they had so many wonderful suggestions! When I read, “get bookmarks” over and over and over again, I got the message.

I needed a bookmark. But first, I had to decide what I wanted my bookmark to do. I was paying that little rectangular piece of cardstock to work for me, and I wanted to make sure it got the job done.

I also knew in another month, I’d be getting another box of anthology books (from a different publisher). And to be honest, I have quite a few boxes of books in my office storage unit (also known as “under the bed.”)

So I needed something that would promote me, as well as work for any book. Something like a business card, but also a functioning bookmark.

I could make my own bookmarks, I thought, designing a specific card for each specific book. That seemed like a lot of work—and dang, writing’s hard enough without throwing in arts and crafts. But still, I was on to something. I could design a “fill in the blank” bookmark! I needed more space for that information, so I switched to a postcard. When I finished the design, I’d included the following information:

Front Side:

· My professional byline and a writing tag line (I use a fishing theme on my blog and I incorporated this theme into the card and its graphics)
· “A Latest Release” fill-in-the-blank line

Back Side:

· My photo and website address/contact info

Obviously, I want to sell books at this event. But I also want to hook readers, readers who’ll drop in to my blog and follow me on my publishing adventures. Because I know there’s a swell chance that those readers will buy whatever book I’m lucky enough to reel in next!

(And P.S. If you have any suggestions for book-signings or bookmarks, I'd love to hear 'em!)

~Cathy C. Hall

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10 comments blog followers, book-selling, book-signing, bookmarks, business cards, Cathy C. Hall, marketing, postcards, readers

Friday Speak Out!: Reflections - On Deciding to Become a Full-Time Writer, Guest Post by Danyelle C. Overbo

A business card is a funny little thing. People throw them in fishbowls for free sandwiches, they exchange them at events, they buy special, shiny cases to hold them, and they find them in side pockets and overlooked nooks and crannies after being tucked away and long forgotten. Business cards are disposable by nature. You give them out and hope for the best. You order them in large batches and use them to consolidate your information in a convenient little package. Just a slip of rectangular paper with your personal data to be collected, consolidated, and consumed.

I have been thinking a lot about business cards lately. They may seem insignificant in our daily dealings, but I believe every one of them holds so much more than a phone number and an email address. For each one, someone had to go through the trouble of painstakingly designing that tiny rectangle of data, of purchasing a box of them, of picking up a little pile of them and putting them in their pocket or purse or specially bought container. Every card holds someone’s unique identity, a piece of their personal story.

The plain white, unglazed surface and gray lettering under a simple company logo might, on closer inspection, convey the excitement of a person’s first, grown-up job. A hyper-designed, riotously colored card can carry the hopes and fears of a new business owner. The years of hard work and drive to win a high-level position can be portrayed in a simple bladed graphic and bold black lettering.

All business cards had their start in someone’s new beginning. I realized my own new beginning the day I received my little box of new business cards in the mail. They have my name in pretty looped letters, my favorite colors in the butterfly logo, and, of course, my consolidated data. I’ll send them out into the world, one at a time, hoping for the best.

But whether people keep them or throw them away, the important part is that they represent my declaration to the world that I am, as Julie Luek says, taking the leap. Because under my name on these funny little cards they say Freelance Writer, Novelist, Blogger – I marvel that so few words can mean so much to me.

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Danyelle C. Overbo is a multifaceted writer and story teller. She holds a Bachelor's degree in creative writing from the University of Nevada Reno where she was published in the University's prestigious literary arts journal, the Brushfire. She is currently working as a freelance writer specializing in business and marketing communications. You can view samples of her work on her website where she blogs about her travels and writing adventures at: http://danyellecoverbo.com/

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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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6 comments business cards, Danyelle C. Overbo, Friday Speak Out, pursuing your writing dream

What Does Your Business Card Say About You?

by LuAnn Schindler

As a writer, you spend large chunks of time sitting in front of a computer screen, maintaining your blog(s), updating your website, and promoting your work via social networking outlets.

But in your rush to effectively market yourself , you may be forgetting one of the most basic marketing tools available: the business card.

A business card is one of the quickest introductions a writer can make. It's also one of the least expensive forms of self-promotion.

Take a look at your business card. What does it say about you as a writer? Does it make a statement about the type of work you produce? Does it let potential clients know you are serious about your craft? Does it provide multiple ways to contact you?

Business cards come in several sizes: the skinny, or 1 x 3 inches; the standard, 3.5 x 2 inches; or the oversized (offered by several printing companies), is 2.5 x 3.5 inches. The traditional or standard size is recommended by industry professionals, but it's clearly a choice you can make that best fits your needs.

Another consideration is font, size, and color. A serif font is easy to read. Make sure the size is large enough for "older" eyes to view it clearly. The color of the type can make a difference, too. Determine if the color will stand out against the background or if it will blend in and be unreadable.

Select the information you want others to know. At the minimum, include your name, title, and contact information, including a phone number, e-mail address, and web site URL. Some authors advise not to place a mailing address on the card because that information should be available on your online site. It's worth thinking about!

Use the back of the card, too! Special services or skills can be listed on the flip side. Use the room and promote what you are able to offer potential customers.

Design your own cards or use templates provided by online vendors. Sites like VistaPrint.com or 123Print.com offer multiple templates. These sites are cost effective, too. Depending on the style you choose, up to 200 cards can be purchased for around $10.

Another site worth checking out is Zazzle.com. You may pay more for the cards, but the site has thousands of designs to choose from and cards ship within 24 hours.

I just returned home from a PR trip in St. Augustine, Florida. As I was going through the stack of business cards I received from businesses, historical sites and fellow writers. The cards that stood out used vivid photography and a heavy paper stock. These examples also used the entire space of the card to promo themselves or their business.

Take a look again at your business card. Does it say all it can about you as a writer?

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3 comments business cards, LuAnn Schindler, self-promotion