By Kimberly Rae
We authors are always looking for ways to
get the word out about our books. Marketing opportunities abound for writers
willing to spend money, though from what I've heard, most of them do not end up
being worth the investment. Social media is free, but requires an investment of
time and, like so many other possibilities, the effort can end up costing more
than the end result.
So what is an author to do? Most of us are
learning through trial and error as the publishing, writing and marketing world
continues to change in vast ways. I've tried several that flopped, but I
recently tried one that not only provided free exposure and publicity, but
resulted in actual sales. Here's how it worked:
My newest novel, Shredded, recently released, but I could not decide on a
cover image. I had posted both covers on Facebook and gotten lots of opinions,
some of them very strong in one direction or the other. I've done so before and
the results were always strongly in favor of one, making the choice easy. For
this book, the results were nearly equal. Some people's opinions were so
strong, I was concerned if I chose the opposite cover, they wouldn't want to
buy the book.
Fortunately for me, my concerns resulted
in a profitable idea. I decided to run a cover contest. Over a
set course of
time, readers could pre-order Shredded,
choosing whichever of the two covers they liked best. When the time frame was
up, the cover with the most orders would be the one chosen as the final cover
for Shredded.
It was interesting, when it came down to
actual orders, readers were much more in favor of one cover rather than the
other. So the contest not only provided pre-orders and a reason for people to
share about the book, it also gave me valuable feedback on what my actual
readers liked better (rather than just random people commenting on Facebook).
To do the contest, I created images on
Photoshop that I used in my Mailchimp newsletter and on Facebook. One image
showed the two covers and explained the contest.
Other images shared endorsements by
pre-readers or reminded people how many days were left in the contest. I also
included a giveaway within the contest as extra motivation.
All in all, the contest proved a great way
to share about the new book and get readers excited about it. They got to order
the cover they wanted, felt they had a say in choosing the cover (which they
did!), and I think didn't feel as you're-trying-to-sell-me-a-book as they might
have with many other marketing methods.
You might want to give it a try. Perhaps a
contest will prove as useful and positive a tool for you as it did for me!
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Award-winning
author of 20 books, Kimberly Rae lived in Bangladesh, Kosovo, Uganda and
Indonesia before Addison's disease brought her permanently back to the US. She
now writes from her home at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where she
lives with her husband and two young children. With
her trilogy on human trafficking, Rae has become a sought-after speaker and
trainer on the topic. Recognizing the lack of books about slavery and
trafficking that focus on those who are making a difference rather than
glorifying the evil or being overly graphic or despairing, she has also since
created a series on modern day slavery for teens and pre-teens (Capturing
Jasmina, Buying Samir, and Seeking Mother), and is currently working on a
project for adults to help train children to recognize and avoid childhood
sexual abuse (I AM SAFE), a major risk factor in childhood and adult
exploitation. Since Addison's disease brought her permanently back to
the US, Kimberly's created a series on living joyfully despite chronic health
problems. Though Rae could find deep, heavy books on chronic illness, she
wanted a book that was funny and encouraging. When she could not find one, one
night when she couldn't sleep from her medication, she started writing one!
"I want my Sick & Tired series to give empathy, encouragement, and a
little practical help," says Rae.Find
out more at www.kimberlyrae.com
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