Market your book everwhere?

[Kate Thornton]

Okay, I've been laughing at the stories on some of the writers lists I read about where and how they market their books.

Yesterday while waiting for mu flu shot, I got the receptionist at the dr.'s to order my book as a gift for her nephew. I signed a bookmark for him then & there.

What's your story? Where have you marketed?

...

[Soccer Mom]

At Seaworld this summer, I got up from my beach chair in the waterpark and went to get icecream. When I got back, I discovered that my husband had sold a copy of my book to the woman sitting next to us. She ordered it on her Kindle right then and there.

[Vomaxx]

I sold one to my dentist.
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http://andiriel.blogspot.com

[WCP]

I always put my book in the bestseller stand

[litdirt]

Anywhere and everywhere, it sounds like.

[litdirt]

Good idea.

[zpeteman]

Every now and then I give a few copies to a pan-handler, telling him that he can surely sell them for a few bucks more than those old newspapers he's hocking. It's a signed copy after all.

I always get a kick out of driving by later in the day to see the guy standing on the corner waving my book in the air. Do they ever sell any of them? Heck if I know.

[WCP]

Every now and then I give a few copies to a pan-handler, telling him that he can surely sell them for a few bucks more than those old newspapers he's hocking. It's a signed copy after all.

I always get a kick out of driving by later in the day to see the guy standing on the corner waving my book in the air. Do they ever sell any of them? Heck if I know.

If I gave my book to a pan-handler, he would use it to start a fire to keep him warm

[SandraBeckwith]

My first book was a humor book that explained men to women, so the audience was fairly broad. When I paid my bills, I added book postcards to the envelopes. I don't know if it sold any books, but it made me smile as I spent the money!

Cheers,
Sandy

[triceretops]

This is hard to believe, but some famous Alabama ghost hunters came to our house to the "clean the bitch out", and they stayed for four hours. They brought all their gear, I mean everything. When it was over, and the sage odor began to drift off, I handed each one of the team members (six of them) a full-on press kit for Planet Janitor Custodian of the Stars.

You should have seen the looks on their faces. It read, "Gal dang it. This was a setup after all!" Now that's a captive audience.

HTG true story.

Precious. Absolutely precious.

Tri

[PinkAmy]

I always put my book in the bestseller stand

:D That's great! You can leave your book in the space where I've removed Palin's and put hers in humor or true crime :D.

[Jettica]

These are some great ideas. You lot are crafty.

[Tippecanoe1841]

I've sold 4 copies to residents of the assisted living facility where my mother in law lives.

[Smaddux]

Some of these ideas are ingenious! I would have never thought of. Some are just down right funny.

[BlackDove13]

I love this post. It was actually really inspiring. My first novella is coming out in August, and the concept of promo is dauting.

[KimJo]

Promo is always daunting... Every time I have a book release, I get a little anxious, because I know having a new book out means having to do more promo.

On the other hand, sometimes promo can be fun. It's also fun when you're talking to someone you've just met about your books, you give your pen name, and they say, wide-eyed, "I've read some of your stuff!" (Had that happen to me at a barbecue a few weeks back. Gave me a high for the rest of the night. LOL)

[scope]

The most unforgettable was a one hour, one-on-one radio interview I had with the host of the program which also involved call-in questions from listeners. It involved my first published book (nonfiction) and I had absolutely no experience "marketing" on radio. To make matters worse, the host wouldn't give me any idea of what she would ask me. I was nervous as hell and couldn't tell you one thing I said.

[triceretops]

I got drunk as hell and sick the night before my TV appearance. I went to the station in Los Angeles for the 6 O'clock News segment. My eyes were blooshot and my breath smelled like an iguana. I have NO idea how I stumbled through it, but they almost pulled it because of a marginal performance on my part. Jebus.

Tri

[jemacba]

I always put my book in the bestseller stand

awesome

[sameerjoad]

Sorry to ask, i haven't yet published a book - but how can you make a living or earn anything at all if you market a book a day?

[sheadakota]

Sorry to ask, i haven't yet published a book - but how can you make a living or earn anything at all if you market a book a day?
How are you going to earn anything if you don't?
Seriously- the majority of marketing is up to the author, particularly if you are with a small press.

To answer the OP's question- most recently I sold two copies on the plane to the woman I was sitting next to on the way there and to the other woman I was sitting to ont he way home.- I have also sold copies to my dentist and all his staff, my doctor and a hold scad of people where I work. One copy sold to the guy who put in our pool, another to the guy who did the concrete, another to the electrician, you name it I have probably pitched my book to them- :)

[AlishaS]

I love this thread! My book won't be out for awhile yet, but I definitely already thinking about how to help promote my book(s) and these ideas are genius!

[pbook]

I let other people sell for me.

And I pay them well.

[Annmarie09]

I accidentally sold a copy of my book to my English teacher, by mentioning it in my personal statement (basically a CV to sell yourself to universities) and having her look over it. I really didn't want her to read it. Especially since she's now forced the rest of the English department to buy it. If word gets round to the students, I will officially be the school weirdo (not that I'm not already).

[Cloud Eight]

I sold one to my doctor when she came in the door and saw me reading my Kindle. STarted talking about Kindles. Turned out she loved thrillers.

We talked books more than health. Very cool.

[Cathy_Stucker]

I was teaching a class one night. On my way out of the building, I had a conversation with someone in the elevator. Before we reached the ground floor, I had sold her a book!

[HapiSofi]

I always put my book in the bestseller stand
The bookstore employees who have to undo your work do not love you. They can't let your book sit in that slot.

Sorry to ask, i haven't yet published a book - but how can you make a living or earn anything at all if you market a book a day?
You can't. Most self-published books make little or no money for their authors. 99.7% of self-publishers aren't doing it because it's a superior way to get published; they're doing it because they can't get published via conventional means.

[DrugWarAnalyst]

I have large magnets on the sides of my car advertising the upcoming release of my book. When I recently went to Goodwill to drop off some donations, they caught the eye of the two guys unloading cars, who said they wanted to buy a copy! I gave them each one of the little business cards I had printed up with the book cover, a blurb, and info on where they could pre-order it.

[wiskey43]

Those are really great ideas, I would never have thought of some of them. I sold one to the Lynden Tribune in Washington because we used their town as a setting in the book. They also gave us a really good editorial review.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058VAMY0

[MariaZ]

It seems the best way to sell a book is to simply bring it up in conversation. I was shocked when my chiropractor asked me what I did for a living. I told her I wrote steamy paranormal books. And she bought it on the spot.

[Cyia]

The bookstore employees who have to undo your work do not love you. They can't let your book sit in that slot.



Not only that, but it's likely wasted effort. If the book is self-pubbed, then what are the chances it's even in their system to sell if someone wants to buy a copy?

[BenPanced]

Many times, "reverse shoplifting", as I've seen it referred to, usually just results in a loss to the author. If it's not in a bookstore's inventory system, they can't sell the book.