A survey of book promotion tactics was conducted by The Savvy Book Marketer in December, 2009, and is reported today. It asked a number of authors what their book promotion strategy would involve in 2010. You can check the method and the outcome there. I just want to look at the list of tactics they came up with and try to get a feel for how appropriate they might be for marketing an ebook. The list, most popular at the top, is this:
- Social networking and social media
- Blogging
- Seeking book reviews
- Seeking testimonials and endorsements
- Press releases
- E-zines or email marketing
- Radio and television talk shows
- Speaking or teleseminars
- Article marketing
- Book signings
There are some obvious things to say about this, so let’s say them first. The people surveyed clearly included a lot of non-fiction authors. So I can eliminate items 8 and 9 as not really relevant for a novel. I can also eliminate 10. With an ebook, there is nothing to sign, and, for that matter, no reason why a bookshop (the traditional venue for such things) would let you in the door. So that leaves:
- Social networking and social media
- Blogging
- Seeking book reviews
- Seeking testimonials and endorsements
- Press releases
- E-zines or email marketing
- Radio and television talk shows
1 and 2 are no-brainers. Anybody with a book to promote in any format and little or no money to spend, will be all over the social networks and blogsphere.
Seeking book reviews (3) might also seem obvious but it isn’t an avenue that is open to ebook writers in most genres. Where ebooks have been popular for years – in erotica and romance – there are dozens of popular and authoritative review sites on the Web. In all other genres, book reviewers will almost never review an ebook. Only rare exceptions exist among the popular review websites and online magazines. I am unaware of any exceptions among the major offline reviewers. So we can scratch that one. Over the next decade, as it becomes normal to release ebook-only novels (and as more reviewers buy ebook readers!) this will change. But in 2010, ebooks just don’t get reviewed.
4 is an interesting one. I have read a number of advice blogs saying you should do it and telling you how to go about it, but it is an amazingly difficult thing to bring oneself to do. You have to approach famous writers you admire and respect in your own genre – complete strangers, of course unless your damned lucky – and ask them to read your book and say something quotably nice about it. Given that many such writers have already come out and said, on their own blogs, that they hate being pestered this way, and some have said flat out that they won’t do it, I just can’t bring myself to ask it. I screwed up my courage in one single instance and asked a very well-known writer I’d had some slight dealings with, if he would look at my book. I then waited, cringing in embarrassment, for a reply that never did come.
5 is also interesting. I could put out press releases but who, really, would be interested? Not the national press, certainly not the international press. Which leaves the local press. Since I live out in the boondocks, my local press is full of reports on farming and country shows, and letters to the editor complaining about the global conspiracy to fool us into thinking there’s such a thing as climate change, or explaining, with Bible quotes, why God dislikes liberal politicians. I’m pretty sure I could get into a local paper but who in my area has even heard of ebooks? Who, in a town where they play country and western music in the supermarket, is interested in sci-fi?
Many e-marketers advise you to convert your social networking successes into cash by creating mailing lists. You get everyone to sign up for your regular magazine or newsletter and then, cunningly, blast them all with spam emails when the book is released. This is the strategy I assume is meant in 6. Well, I think such practices are evil. Sadly for me, I think most marketing practices are evil. Like a lot of writers, I just don’t have the personality type it takes to sell things.
And as for radio and television talk shows (7), the idea seems to suffer the same drawbacks as sending out press releases.
So, for an author with an ebook to promote, who is squeamish about marketing, and doesn’t live in a major metropolis, 1 and 2, and to a very limited extent 3, seem to be the only options available. Of course, ‘social networking’, ‘blogging’ and ‘reviews’ can mean a lot more than is obvious. Blog tours, viral promo videos, Twitter parties, online competitions, and so on, are all in the potential mix. The online activity around a new book can be quite vibrant and exciting. And, as for reviews, even if the big-name sci-fi magazines won’t review ebooks, ten kindly bloggers with readerships of a thousand or so, might easily reach more actual readers than a major print review magazine could ever hope for.
Another method you might be able to use, that I’ve seen in action through kiwiwriters.org is to offer a story first for free. We got an email from a publisher offering a free novella written by two authors, who had books coming out in the near future, to all the members of our site. I have no idea how many forums/groups/organizations this offer was made to, or how many sales of the new books it translated into, but if you had a good short story or something sitting around, perhaps it’s something else to consider?
Good luck tho! I’m definitely going to find a way to buy your novel when it comes out
Thanks Cassie. You’re wonderful!
In fact, I wrote a short story prequel to my novel called “Party Time” and it will be published on Merilee Faber’s blog on 12th March as part of my blog tour. It’s not exactly what you’re suggesting but it’s along those lines I suppose.
It is indeed, I’ll look forward to reading it – not too long to go now! I’m looking forward to following your blog tour
Great overview of the marketing options for writers.
I’ve heard of offering free work before, and I heartily endorse it as a way to expose potential readers to your writing style. Free shorts, a good novella in e-book form all help spread the word.
As for blogging, keep up a regular posting schedule on topics of interest to your potential readership and you can’t go wrong.
I think you’re doing pretty much all you can do at this stage.
Thanks, Merrilee.
“I think you’re doing pretty much all you can do at this stage.”
You know, I find that as worrying as it is comforting.
I wouldn’t write off speaking and seminars, particularly in the motivational genre. It takes a lot of determination and commitment to write a book, not to mention resilience in the face of rejection. That’s the kind of stuff people love hearing about!
Nya, couldn’t do it. Not that I mind public speaking. I’ve done dozens and dozens of talks, run hundreds of meetings, and performed on stage, and I do pretty well at it. But motivational talks? I should probably stay away from those. Remember the Toby Siegler character from “The West Wing”? There’s the same darkness at the heart of me that would depress, not inspire, any audience.
Some writers are rather poor at marketing themselves.
I’m not one of them but thanks for posting, I’d show this post to those who are
Thanks, Lee (or is it Ee Leen?).
Actually, I just popped over to your blog to see who you were and your latest post resonated with a series of posts written by a friend of mine on oral story telling. You might like to visit Terry Hornby’s blog to see what he said. (Choose the ‘oral storytelling’ category to find the set.)
Thanks for the referrel, Graham.
Regarding the publicity, I think you have covered it all – perhaps your local library? I chat to mine all the time and they seem pretty keen on promoting a real life local author, perhaps yours may do the same. I’d be interested in knowing how your conversation went with a librarian and an e-book author.
terry
Terry,
Synergebooks is my publisher and I have two coming out this month. I was thinking about talking with the local libraries in my area (Charleston, SC). What advice can you offer? Do I take a couple of CD-Roms?
LOL, you’re all over marketing already Graham, you just don’t know it!!!
Marketing isn’t what the experts and gurus tell you it is – it’s making connections with people who want what you have to sell. And you do that every time you blog, tweet, review for NYJB, comment, etc.
Marketing is only sleazy and evil if you are selling something that you don’t believe in. I’m assuming you believe in your book, or you wouldn’t have spent all that blood, sweat, tears and TIME writing the dang thing, right?
After all, that list is a popularity ranking for what people THINK they will do in 2010, which they THINK will be successful. You could go mad taking that stuff too seriously.
All you gotta do is what comes naturally.
There is one area that was left out. How about donating a copy of your e book to a local seniors home, care home, instution for the blind or deaf, Vet hospital as these places would love to receive the book and they would give you feed back as well.
I know this from personal experience. I had a relative that went into a care home and he was a huge scfi fan and wanted to see the Star Track movie, the first had just been released. I got a got a copy of the movie and brought to him and discover that over half the home was looking forward to the video movie as they were crowded into his room. I suggested that they all go the common room and I would arrange to set up the video machine in their. The director and owner agreed with me not only did he get a video player but he also got a large screen to show it on.
He was surprized at the number of people who wished to see the movie. He now has over 1000 movie including CD’s, 200 talking books, 400 large print and 100 e-books. The locals run a charity drive a couple times a year to help fund their library and as word spread varies authories have donated their work.
When the authories dodonates a piece of their work those in the home discuss the work for the next month as it is their way to give back for the love they received.
It’s not a bad idea in general, Jasmine but I can see a couple of problems for me, personally. I live a long way from the city, you see, I even live a long way from the nearest small town. And I live in Australia. Ebooks are a very new thing here – they only started selling the Kindle here about three months ago! I doubt that there are more than a dozen people within a hundred kilometres who have even heard of ebooks. If I travelled 300km to the nearest big hospital or aged care centre, I doubt that the staff there would know what to do with the donation of an ebook. The concept just isn’t in the public mind yet.
However, if you know of somewhere that would be glad of a copy of my book (your relative’s care cetre, for instance) I would be happy to offer it.
Have you considered podcasts, whether of shorts, a serialized book, or even just excerpts? Science Fiction and horror seem to be the most popular genres for this.
Hi Amber, Yes, I have. And, since I still own the audio rights to the book, even publishing it as an audio book is not out of the question. Technically, I’m not set up for it (I don’t even own a microphone!) but I suppose that, with a small investment, I could be. To do an audio book, I’d want to hire an actor to read it and a studio for the recording, and I haven’t done the business case yet to see whether that would be worthwhile.
Speaking of podcasts (and despite what I said about point 7 above!) I’m doing an interview tomorrow for Page Readers on BlogTalkRadio (follow this link for the details.) Wish me luck!
I have to disagree that article marketing is useless for novelists. It isn’t as direct, but at the very least, it can raise the profile of your blog with in turn sells your book.
It is hard work, however, and time consuming (and something of a specialty) so not something to do unless you really enjoy writing articles about things that your readers would be interested in. (For instance, if you were a hard-boiled mystery writer, and you also happened to like researching and writing about weapons or police procedure or something like that, you could raise your profile with the right readers.)
I suppose you’re right, Camille, I shouldn’t have been quite so dismissive. Another good thing about selling feature articles is that it earns a lot more money than selling fiction and is not a bad way to supplement your income. When I was a post-grad student, I wrote lots of technical articles and made a great deal of money at it – enough to pay off a lot of debts!
Hi Graham,
I am a fellow Aussie who writes Australian historical romance. Thanks for the promo suggestions. You are quite correct in saying e-books aren’t particularly popular in Australia, well not yet anyway. I think it is just starting to create some interest here now, but we have a long way to go.
Regards
Margaret
Hi Margaret. It’s odd, really. Australians are gadget mad normally yet no-one has even bothered to try to sell ebook readers here until recently. Maybe the sporty, croc-wrestling image we have overseas makes the marketing guys think we wouldn’t be interested in books.
I hope your new releases, ‘The Trouble With Playboys’ and ‘Wild Oats’ are doing well.
Hi Graham,
You could be right, anyway if the marketing people think we are all into wrestling crocs, they probably don’t realize that we can actually read.
Thank you. I hope my latest releases do o.k. too.