Book Marketing Success Stories

[John Kremer]

This is a forum to allow people to showcase the things they've done that have worked well for them in marketing their books. Please share your stories here. Then we can all read them and learn from them. If we work together, we will all be much stronger and more successful in marketing our books.

[Ariadne Green]

Online Magazines and Communitiess
Pitching a major online magazine to publish an article related to your book is a great way to get some needed publiciy. I recently sold a quiz titled: "Are You With Your True Soulmate?" to IVillage (MSNBC) for their love column and although it took several months to wrap up the contract, it is now published at: "">http://quiz.ivillage.com/love/tests/truesoulmate.htm

Some things to consider:
1. Pitch the idea first rather than writing an article and submitting it.
2. Magazines almost never pay for an author's article, but the publicity is usually worth the effort.
3. Read the contract carefully. My experience was that the original contract they presented me with would have violated the copyright of the content of my book. You may have to give away exclusive rights to the article, but maintain rights for the general content..
4. Make sure they give you a by-line with a link your Amazon book page.
Good luck!
Ariadne Green
author of Divine Complement

[Meghan Wier]

The best marketing I have found is my website and being well optimized. Using simple SEO concepts I rank well for my target keyphrases: introvert, book on introverts, careers for introverts - etc. The same with business networking phrases. This is generally how I am found - including by newspapers looking to interview me which then generates its own wonderful marketing.

The next best thing - and obviously the cheapest-- is the book signing. Generally the bookstores are happy to have you come and sit with a few copies of your book and will put up posters (some ask you to provide them...) I always send invites to ALL my friends asking them to drop by for a minute at the bookstore that day. That way someone is always talking to me (I hate being left alone while signing... it is awful!) and the store manager thinks I am really popular! The friends generate the interest with others (everyone checks out someone with a crowd around them...) and the posters and publicity of the signing get people, even if they aren't interested in a signed book, thinking about buying. Some buy there, some online, but sales always spike near a signing.

Good luck to everyone. I am hapy to talk about web/SEO or signings anytime.

Meghan Wier
www.meghanwier.com

[John Kremer]

I just returned from a California conference and wore a t-shirt with my 1001 Ways to Market Your Books cover. I got a comment on the shirt from someone in the elevator down to the shuttle van, from someone at the front desk, from two people in the shuttle van who need the book (I referred them to my BookMarket.com website), another person in the van, the person at the check-in counter, someone in line to board the plane, the pilot when getting off the plane, and someone in the grocery store on the way home.

Not bad for a $17.00 t-shirt from CafePress.com.

More than one person commented: I guess that's 1002 ways to market your books (the t-shirt being the extra way). Of course, the truth is that t-shirts are already included in the 1001, but I just agree. It's simpler that way.

[Lisa Copen]

...Hi, Hohn! And whenever you stay in a hotel always leave a few books behind at the front desk for people. I just went to ICRS (Christian retail show) and 1 gal had me email her the file at the front desk and print out 26 pages at 2 a.m and I came down to get it. I gave her a book and about 5 to the front desk and they were all thrilled. My sister is a front desk manager at a Residence Inn and she said it doesn't matter what the topic is people are always more excited about books as gifts and "getting to meet and help the author" than anything else people could leave behind. Well, I'm sure cash is okay too, but...

[Marvin Double]

Great tips and some cool ideas for self promotion.

[Marvin Double]

Sometime the simplest things work surprisingly well. T shirts are a great advertising medium especially true when a promotion is local.

[william sawyers]

I've done the same same thing. bought 5 T-Shirts of my book cover, I got a great deal. $5.00 each, including T-shirts.
Sorry to say lost his #.

P.S I sent an e-mail to donate free book for children, just seeing if you received? I see you were in Cali.? What part? I'm located in the Bay Area.

[Marvin Double]

A great tip and a good idea.

[Mark David Gerson]

This is low-tech tip but potentially high-impact:
I have a very compelling book cover for my fantasy novel, The MoonQuest. So I went to vistaprint.com and had a t-shirt created with an 8x12 cover reproduction. I wear it everywhere all the time (having ordered several so I could do that) and it definitely attracts attention.

Recently, for example, at the front desk of my hotel: "What's that about?" the assistant manager asked pointing to the shirt. "Wait, I'll show you," I said, pulling my ever-present copy of The MoonQuest from my backpack. "Wow," she said. "Where can I get one?" "Right here, from me," I replied. And a sale was consummated. I don't get a lot of comments on the shirt, but I get enough to make wearing it (and carrying a copy of the book, of course) worthwhile.

Mark David Gerson
The MoonQuest
http://themoonquest.com

[Revvell]

I like it!!! Thanks! Can get shirts, mugs, etc. from CafePress.com as well methinks.

Revvell

[Marvin Double]

Self promotion is a challenge, not matter what you are selling. I'm sure that it's very gratifying to get direct feedback and better yet sales from readers.

At one time I had a small importing and distribution company. I sold other peoples products to store buyer for major chains and also through a network of sales reps. After some time I began developing my own line of products. I found an interesting shift in the way in which I approached buyers when it was my own stuff on the line. To my surprise I was much more timid, reserved and conservative when selling my own lines. I had to learn the skills of self promotion which for a time made me a bit uncomfortable, but I did get past it.

[Nicole Davis]

For my mom's book "Women, It's OK to Marry an Ugly Man," we attended BEA to create some industry buzz behind the release date. We had a wedding theme and gave away wedding favors with a picture of the book to help others remember us. We also had press kits designed like wedding gifts. After BEA, we sent out news releases with titles like "Is it really OK to Marry an Ugly Man?" and "New Book Proposes Solution to Curtail the Divorce Rate in America." We'll be doing a few more press releases in the coming weeks to add buzz. We've also incessantly scoured the Internet to find press contacts and mail out review copies of the book. And we've created an online presence by responding to blogs and news stories. It is much easier to comment and add a signature on established blogs than it is to start and market a new blog. However, we do encourage our authors to start a blog. As a result, we've received several orders from Amazon.com, newspaper coverage/articles, radio and podcast interviews. We are now planning a 12-WeekEnd Book Tour to visit Borders, Barnes & Noble, and independent stores this fall. We are also pursuing special sales since it is a gift book. We hope to sell 50,000 copies by the end of the year!

About the book
Title: Mama Peavy says, "Women, It's OK to Marry an Ugly Man"
Subtitle: 5 Good Reasons Why It's OK
Author: Mary R. Butler
Category: Humor-Relationships; Gift Book
Release date: June 19, 2007
Publisher: Green Olive Tree Publishing