Wide Distribution of Promotional Bookmarks

[G.H. Monroe]

There are numerous companies that print custom promotional bookmarks. It occurs to me that a custom bookmark is the ideal promotional item for authors to distribute. An inexpensive little bookmark is an item that a buyer of books (the very items we are selling) would find very useful. Better yet, they can always use more than one bookmark.

Furthermore, I have read that advertising researchers have determined that a customer needs on average, seven exposures to your ad before they make a decision to buy. The people who receive promotional bookmarks are exposed to your message when they first receive your bookmark and then again every time they pick up and reopen a book in which your bookmark keeps a page marked. You can get your seven exposures for the cost of one little promotional bookmark.

Now further imagine you are a part of an alliance of independent authors (like you are here) where every author has 500 of their own promotional bookmarks and five of us get together and exchange stacks of 50, 75 or 100 promotional bookmarks with each other through a central point person.

The central point person creates stacks containing everyone's bookmarks. He returns one mixed stack of bookmarks to each author. Then each author takes their stack of these bookmarks to his or her local library and leaves them for library readers to pick up for free, Now instead of marketing in your own isolated area, you are distributing promotional materials in many different locations.

What are everyone's thoughts on this?

Click the Attachment named WABDMap.jpg below to see where your bookmarks will be distributed if you join, check the map often, we hope to see if change often. If you join ... YOU will change the map!

If you are interested and either want more info or want to be involved E-Mail me.

[Peter N. Jones]

I think it is a great idea, and would love to be involved. However, an even better one would be if there was a single distribution center/source so that each author is not mailing stacks of bookmarks to numerous other authors but rather getting a single package with everyone's bookmarks in it. Someone would have to take the lead to coordinate the entire process, but from an individual author perspective that seems like it would be easier. Either way, I'd be interested in it.

__________________________________________
Director: Bauu Institute and Press
Publisher: Great New Books Reviewed
Editor: Indigenous Peoples Issues Today
Editor: Indigenous Peoples Issues & Resources

[G.H. Monroe]

Peter, we have a few folks interested in this idea at the moment. I'm wondering how many authors we want as a minimum before we have a launch.

[Peter N. Jones]

Jerry,

I looked over your proposal, it looks solid. Is there a preferred bookmark maker that you have used or are familiar with? Vista Print will do it, and they always have free promos. I don't think there really needs to be a maximum number of participants, but perhaps five for a minimum would be reasonable. Let's see if others are interested.

_________________________________________
Director: Bauu Institute and Press
Publisher: Great New Books Reviewed
Editor: Indigenous Peoples Issues Today
Editor: Indigenous Peoples Issues & Resources

[G.H. Monroe]

I used 48hourprint.com I got a great price and fast turnaround

[Kenny Lee]

I think this is a remarkable idea. How does it work, besides what I have already read about? Like, what would be my first step?

[G.H. Monroe]

We are up to six locations in six states now ... WooHoo! the more people we get, the more places our bookmarks will land.

[SusieSunshine]

Exactly what does one do to get involved in this endeavor? Am I too late?

[C.B. Smith]

This idea definitely has merit. The one hitch: bookmarks whose purpose is promoting any book not library owned, will be collected and thrown in the trash, as told me by one particular library matriarch. So I've added a wrinkle to this model you present. Follow through using the same model you presented as far as exchanging stacks of promotional bookmarks. Except, once you have your collection of bookmarks, go to the library of choice and distribute one bookmark for every book you can find in the stacks pertaining to the specific topic or genre the particular bookmark's author represents. In this way, the bookmarks will distribute as each book is checked out, maybe even remaining within the book when it is returned, thus avoiding the "not our book" library police.

[C.B. Smith]

Yes, I want to be involved! C.B. Smith here, being involved from Southern CA.

[G.H. Monroe]

I would tend to disagree. The library is not in the business of selling books so there is no competition. If they don't want to give out my bookmarks I would not be inclined to insert them covertly. In my model, I go to the front desk and present the bookmarks and ask them if they would distribute them. They either say yes ... or no.

I try to do things above board.

[C.B. Smith]

Disagree if you will. Don't get me wrong. I'm okay with doing things above board: when it produces the desired result. The front desk of the Library I went to told me exactly as I stated, "we don't own it, we don't promote it." The particular library in quetion IS in the business of selling books as well as lending books, having a full time used book sale operation in process. This is the largest most visited library in my city thus THE one to use, and they say "no go." So, for my money, covert produces the desired result in this case. It's a case by case, person by person judgment call. If I'm setting out on a mission, failure is not an option. If the method I propose makes someone uncomfortable, then they should go with whatever way they feel okay with. That's all. Just another way to achieve the objective.

[G.H. Monroe]

Well I must say that I have never heard of such a library. I guess that goes to show that you learn something new if you listen long enough. As a tired old man, I'd be inclined to simply try another library, but I will not endeavor to tell you how to distribute the bookmarks. I will merely be pleased when you do. I'm sure that we all simply want to see sales from places that we might otherwise not have seen them.