Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Wonderful World of Promotion

Ha. I say that ironically, of course, because sometimes self-promotion can be downright cringe-worthy. I speak from experience, having had to approach bookstores first-hand to stock my London guide book. Luckily the results were generally positive... but still my face flamed and my hands shook (you can read about it here).

But it's great when you see author's promotional efforts -- with unique and innovative methods -- pay off. One recent example of this is the interactive widget developed by author Caroline Smailes for her book Like Bees to Honey. I've seen this everywhere on Facebook, Twitter, blogs... and I quickly became addicted myself!




This is a brilliant example of an author thinking out of the box to generate book buzz! I hope to do a similar thing with The Hating Game, something like this to do with ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends, perhaps? :)

What out-of-the-box methods of book promotion have you seen?

38 comments:

  1. I am so guilty of not paying attention. This is very clever and now I'll look for others.

    Mary
    Giggles and Guns

    ReplyDelete
  2. How cute. Love the widget. I guess I'm running behind (as usual), I haven't seen this before. Where and how do you create such a thing? I can see this would be a great promotional idea.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this, Talli! Beats walking round with a sandwich board doesn't it? Plus I'm so impressed you went into bookshops to promote your book - my cheeks would be flaming too x

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just emailed all of my local bookstores yesterday to see if they'll stock my first print book as well. Only one has responded and I mailed the book to them today to see if they like it.

    It's hard stuff. I'm still working up the courage to call Barnes and Noble.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have a big promotion hitting my blog tomorrow. It had an idea for a contest, and presented it to other indie authors. Readers will either love it or hate it and I'm worried because I got 13 others to join in the contest with me. lol. Not sure I'm gonna sleep tonight.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fun! These are for sure great ideas to generate buzz for a book! And as for going into a bookshop to do that, that is the way to go! I'd be more than willing to do that myself. If you want to be a successful author, you have to combat the nerves.

    ReplyDelete
  7. These is so much fun! How cute! You should do something fun like that for sure!! I have so many idesa that could be fun!!! Ha-ha! Look at me coming up with ideas on the hating game ;)

    I think that is so bold of you to step out in the world and offer the book you worked so hard on to others! My cheeks would be flaring (not my butt-cheeks!!) I would be so nervous, itchy and scratchy but if that's what it took I'd dive in and do the same!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Good for you for swanning into Waterstones and declaring "I'M LOCAL! BUY MY BOOKS NOW". :-) Oh alright maybe you didn't but you could have! :-)

    That bee thing is addictive. I don't like it - it's distracting me! LOL!

    Oh my goodness where did you get that punch up thingie?!?!?! Awww that's just too violent - I really must stop..!! :-)

    Out of box method promotions.. hmmm. Maybe it's not for books but I remember the promo for Team America: world police. These cheerleaders dressed in cheerleader outfits but combat gear skirts and bras stopping traffic near where I work gyrating to Living in America.

    Well it stopped traffic!

    Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ugh, self promotion is so hard--so I love watching it pay off for someone. I hadn't seen this yet, so thanks for pointing it out. I'll have to see if there's a way I can reinvent this to work for my book, whenever the time comes.

    Hope you're having a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  10. That would be brilliant...especially if you could upload a picture of your ex! hahahaha He needs to say things randomly like, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" or "I'm a complete ass" or "I'll never do it again" or "You were the best thing that ever happened to me" hahahahah.

    ReplyDelete
  11. With all apologies to Vicki... I know that The Hating Game is being defined as "Chick Lit," but the idea of uploading a pic of the ex doesn't quite work for guys. (At least, those of us who are civilized and abhor the thought of violence against women.)

    Is it wrong, though, that I don't mind the idea of women doing that with pics of their exes? Does that make me sexist somehow?

    I am feeling rather complicated.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love the Hive and think yours is a fun idea too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. So interesting! I had never thought of this! I just thought I'd pay people money to read my stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks, all, for the comments!

    JM - That's a great point - one I hadn't thought of (being a woman)! Perhaps something a bit less violent...

    ReplyDelete
  15. That's such a cool widget! :)

    I've found the widget for Maria V. Snyder's Sea Glass -- really great idea.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wonder how difficult it is to create a widget. Don't have a book out right now that would need one, but it's never to late to plan ahead. I have a son who's into stuff like that. Maybe.... hmm. Better look into this.

    ReplyDelete
  17. That IS a brilliant promotional idea. It's also a lot to live up to. Trying to figure out how to beat that, you know? ; )

    ReplyDelete
  18. I thought book trailers were the latest, but now this! Love the widget idea, very cool.

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a brilliant idea. If you are noticing it everywhere, then it works as well.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love that widget! That's a great, fun, low stress idea. I think it's perfect. Self promotion is SO hard!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ideas like that widget are great because in general the amount of time required to accomplish self-promotion is not justified by the number of people reached.

    Looks like this kind of thing would do the work for you! How cool.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks, I'll see if I can figure out a unique twist for my book!

    ReplyDelete
  23. The widget is adorable; I'd be terrible at self promotion!! You have so many readers and people excited for your book already; I know you'll be great at it!

    ReplyDelete
  24. That little bee is so cute! And it's nice that after clicking a few times you get to put in your own question. It would be cool if you could come up with an equally snazzy way to promote the Hating Game. I see where you're going with the celebrity punch out thing but I wonder if you could develop a funnier, less violent version? I wonder if anyone has done a survey on what kind of online games readers of chick-lit like?

    ReplyDelete
  25. That widget is very clever! I'm sure you'll come up w/ something just as clever. :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Marketing scares me just a little bit! Thankfully I have a creative daughter who doesn't know I'll be counting on her if (I've got to get better at saying when!!) the time comes. :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Nice Widget! How does one get a widget made, anyway?

    ReplyDelete
  28. What a fun widget! I guess I'm not to the promotional point yet, but I'll remember this post.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Promotion must be nerve-wracking. I heard the Tweet that went out, "What would you tell your teenage self?" and it helped to generate plenty of book buzz.

    Good luck creating your own buzz!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Love the widget! Simple and brilliant. My favorite kind of promotion. :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. I love it, it's so cute! I think you should do something similar - it's so nice and simple, but effective :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. I love that widget. I made myself a bee. I don't know, could you find my bee?

    CD

    ReplyDelete
  33. It's an addictive little gizmo isn't it!! I must get round to putting it onto my blog too...

    C x

    ReplyDelete
  34. I think that's a great idea. Before I read your post, I looked at the widget and thought how clever it was. So yeah, one about dating and romance (or anti-romance) would be a hit I think.

    ReplyDelete
  35. There is definitely something to be said for promotions having 'entertainment value' outside of their promotional message. The title didn't suck me in, but I answered a couple questions, then felt compelled to see 'about the book' and it sounds a lot better than title alone for my reading preferences... in other words, the widget worked...

    ReplyDelete
  36. Wow, if only I had the skills to do that! Absolutely loved it!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hah, I would very much enjoy something like that to do to an ex boyfriend ;)

    ReplyDelete

Coffee and wine for all!