Creative Marketing

Authors normally have a ready market in book stores. My local independent book store, Snow Goose, in Stanwood, WA willingly carries my books, Rosemount and McClellan’s Bluff. A number of times I have been invited to be a guest author with a nicely arranged table set up for me in a convenient location in the store. What a blessing! I appreciate their recognition and support.

Another splendid opportunity has opened up locally, Brindles Marketplace. Brindles at the Camano Commons, has been a special-interest store and more recently a restaurant, and has now invited local artists, and others with crafts, quilts, baked goods, fresh produce, cheeses, etc., to sell their goods during the holiday season. Sounds like a good place for books to me! I’ve rented three shelves for my books. My husband Bruce created a poster for each book, giving my work a special look in this creative market. Shopping for a unique gift at Brindles not only saves a trip to a distant mall, but it supports local vendors. A win-win for the community.

In addition to writing fiction, I also write destination articles, mainly for RV and travel magazines, and also articles of interest to homeowners. We combine research with camping trips, using our truck and camper, making the trips a vacation, fodder for articles, photographic opportunities for Bruce, and book marketing possibilities for me.

Not every town has a book store, but in our travels to rural areas, we’ve found ready markets in drug stores. Many small-town drug stores actually have a book section and are eager for new material.

Gift stores is another potential market. Often, when a gift store buys my books, I also give them book holders, a way to show off my products to their best advantage.

Since my books have a western flavor, I’ve also found interest at feed stores, western apparel and tack shops.

Many of our trips take us to eastern Washington and Oregon. We like the atmosphere of wide open country, or remote mountain landscapes. Stopping at small towns along the way is a wonderful way to appreciate the area, to get a feel for how the locals live. Most often, we find their lives run at a much slower pace–a nice change for us.

These trips are our vacation, time off for Bruce from his job and time off for me from writing and from my volunteer job with the Red Cross. If I’m wearing sweats or shorts, I don’t let that stop me from calling on a potential customer. I refuse to make these calls a dressy event–I wouldn’t call that a vacation. I’ve never had a store owner look askance at my apparel. Sometimes I’ll mention that we’re camping in the area and they’re pleased to share their part of the country and suggest places of interest to visit. Often, they’ve given me tips on who else might be interested in my books.

It’s common for me to sell 100 or more books on a two-week vacation, all accomplished at a very casual pace. I’ve signed my books in advance and adorned them with appropriate stickers, such as "Signed by Author," "Local Author" and McClellan’s Bluff’s "EPIC Award Winner." Store owners love stickers.

One advantage of non-book store markets is that most often they pay up front, rather than on consignment. In distant towns, bookstores will often pay up front, too, knowing that we won’t be stopping by frequently.

Locally, I’ve participated in fairs or other events. Sometimes I’ve shared space with another writer. That way, we can split the booth cost and we have each other for company. For these events, we sell each others’ books with as much enthusiasm as we sell our own.
I know there’s a huge market on-line, but I haven’t had that much success with on-line sales. My books are registered on many sites, I have a website and this blog. E-books are catching on so that market might open up more on-line sales.

In the meantime, I keep watching for opportunities to reach customers in unique ways. I’d welcome comments about how creative marketing has worked for others, either as a seller or a buyer.

Getting Your Name Out There

I had the honor this past week to speak at a writers’ conference. My hosts, Skagit Valley Writers League, in collaboration with Pacific Northwest Writers Association, provided an excellent forum for attendees.

Among the speakers were Jane Alynn, award-winning poet; Liz Adair, novelist and family historian; Lindsey McGirk, bookstore online marketing specialist; Chuck Robinson, co-owner of Village Bookstore in Bellingham, WA; and myself, non-fiction and fiction writer.

My session, "Writing for Pleasure, Marketing for Profit" delved into the nitty-gritty of selling non-fiction. I covered such topics as where to find magazines and other publications to buy your articles. We discussed what to include in query and submission letters.

I stressed the importance of knowing the type of rights to sell, such as all rights, first-time rights, reprint rights. As an example of reprint rights, I mentioned that I have had more than 400 articles published in magazines and newspapers. Many of these articles previously appeared in publications, then were resubmitted as reprints to other magazines. This allows me to reach a broader audience and at the same time get more revenue for my work.

We discussed the importance of a "hook," both in a query letter and in the article itself, something to grab an editor’s attention in the first paragraph. Submitting images is essential to sell most articles, even if the publication chooses to use their own or stock photography for the published article.

Many times research for one article will branch out into other articles. For instance, we went to Molokai, Hawaii for our 25th wedding anniversary. While there, we risked our very lives, riding mule-back down one of the highest sea cliffs in the world, the steep, 26 switch-back Kalaupapa Trail to Father Damien’s leper colony. From that one Hawaiian trip, I wrote two different articles to submit to two different magazines.

I wrapped up my presentation discussing the importance of record keeping, keeping track of submissions and following the process to its conclusion: query, submission, acceptance, publication, getting paid.

It’s fun being a part of a writers’ conference, talking with people eager to learn from successful writers.

Being a presenter at a conference is also a way of getting your name out there. Name recognition is important for a writer. Also, we writers lead a solitary profession–it’s gratifying to mingle with other writers and like-minded people.

I thank my hosts for this great opportunity. For additional information on Skagit Valley Writers League, please visit www.skagitwriters.org.

Business Cards: Marketing That Works

Successful marketing requires presenting the right image. A business card not only provides contact information, it introduces you, your book, product or services. It reflects who you are.

At a minimum, a business card should have name, address, phone number, e-mail address and website URL. If your business has a logo, include that, too. Some writers have their book’s cover art on their cards; other writers have several writing interests and want to present a wider image.

You needn’t be flamboyant, but like all marketing tools, you want to make an impression to help the contact remember you. Look at other business cards and define your likes and dislikes. Your business card defines you–make sure yours is the quality you want to impart.

When you design your business card, make sure the printing is large enough to comfortably read. If you design and print your own business card, use an appropriate card stock weight. Business cards printed on skimpy stock give the wrong image.

Two-sided business cards allow space to show your wares–perhaps a book cover with ISBN, etc. Of course, the more extras you have adds to the cost.

Brian Jud, marketing specialist, emphases the importance of business cards. "Your business card can be a portable, affordable and versatile marketing tool." Jud, author of "How to Make Real Money Selling Books" offers these tips on the use of business cards.

1) Never leave home without them–keep extras in your car, purse, and briefcase. Store them in a card case to prevent damage.
2) Insert a business card with all correspondence.
3) Use proper business card etiquette. Take a moment to study a card when it’s handed to you.
4) Be generous–hand them out at trade shows, personal presentations and networking meetings.
5) Have a professional card with complete, updated contact information in a readable type size.
6) Consider a magnetized card to place on a refrigerator, a daily reminder of your book.
7) Give one to receptionists after your media events to reference when listeners call later to ask about you.
8) Make notes on others’ cards to remember what you discussed and when/how to follow-up.
9) Give people a reason to hold on to your card–write a personal note on the back or a code to receive a discount when ordering.
10) Place them on bulletin boards at local restaurants, supermarkets, libraries, your gym and other public places.

For more marketing ideas, visit Brian Jud’s website: www.bookmarketingworks.com