If the standard way of marketing your book doesn’t seem to be making any connections perhaps it’s time to try something new.
Something not everyone is doing; something that makes your book stand out above the crowd of 15 million other books being dumped on the market in 2013.
Granted, it may not make enough difference to put you on a bestseller list but often even a small incremental push in sales can put you on a new level of recognition in the book world. Sometimes doing something different creates a buzz that builds in bigger ways than you can imagine.
So, ready to go into vistas where the author stampede is not as thick and heavy? Try one of these ideas. They might be what works for you or, at the very least, kick start your imagination into finding your very own offbeat marketing idea.
1. Sell your book in a shop or store that doesn’t cater to books. If your book is the only book on display, it will stand out. A few authors have found creative markets by putting their books in beauty parlors or barbershops, health stores, bowling alleys, or even on the checkout counter of small restaurants or mom-and-pop stores.
2. Make a magnetic sign about your book and attach it to your car, truck, or SUV. You can put a 12” x 18” sign on a car door for as little as $10.00 from VistaPrint. What’s nice about magnetic signs is that they are easy to put on and off, letting you pick and choose when to advertise.
3. Put your book cover on a T-shirt and wear at a walking, running, or bicycling event. It’s bold, it’s bizarre, and it’s fun. Go to your favorite T-shirt print shop online or off and give it a try. Cost between $12 to $20.
4. Put your book on candy! Put them in a bowl and display wherever friends or people gather. You can put your own design on 108 individually wrapped caramels from icandywrap for about $11.00. Use Google to find other candy wrapping places such as M&M’s, and Hersheys.
5. Team up with several authors and cross-promote each others’ books on your websites. Each author could create a small banner that would click to the others’ websites.
6. Have a little extra cash and want to go over the top? Put up a billboard. Expensive? It all depends. If you go the typical commercial sign route it could cost anywhere from a country billboard spot at around $200 to city spots up to $10,000! But, you could make up your own 8’ x 24’ vinyl sign and put it up on a friend’s yard (on a busy street) for as little as $100.00.
7. Offer to donate your book as a door prize for a charitable event. The occasion doesn’t have to be big. If you’re a member of a club or group of even 6-8 people, it’s still a way to get the conversation tuned onto your book for even a few minutes. Word of mouth can start very, very small, and end up going a long way.
Creative marketing can cost very little and even with a bit of imagination and work be completely free. Hold your book in your hand (literally or figuratively), put on your thinking cap and dream away. Share your ideas in the comments. Every new idea sparks another.
If you’re looking to make progress in publishing a book, we at Wheatmark can help!
