Christmas is a wonderful time to gift someone with a book. It’s also a wonderful time to encourage others to give books to their friends and family. Below are 15 ideas for how to sell more books during the holiday season.
1. Mention that your book will make a great holiday gift idea on your blog, twitter, or ezine.
2. Offer to autograph books for Christmas giving.
3. Have a Christmas contest and give away a free book for Christmas.
4. Offer free Christmas gift-wrapping for your books that you sell from your website.
5. Sell your books at Christmas bazaars and events. Give a share of the proceeds to the cause.
6. Partner with two or more authors to promote each other’s books at Christmas with a special e-message. Each author sends the book promotion to his or her list for added exposure.
7. Offer special Christmas bonus with your book: free report, audio, a special Christmas story, etc.
8. Have a “12 Days of Christmas” promotion and share a special Christmas message from your book for each of the twelve days.
9. Include a book in a Christmas basket; partner with florists, local gift basket places.
10. Send out a Christmas postcard or greeting card with a quote or inspirational message from your book, if applicable.
11. If you send out a Christmas letter to family and friends, include news about your book.
12. Use the “dead news time” period, which is just before Christmas, to send out a news release about your book. Tie it into something local, the season, or tips for holiday shoppers. The few days before, after, and on Christmas Day, are slow news days, and those who are left running the press or the show will be more likely to give your book a plug if you can tie it into the season.
13. Link up with your favorite charity and give a portion of your proceeds for every book sold. If the charity is local and your donation percentage is big enough, ask if they will promote it to their list.
14. Offer to give a book as a door prize for a Christmas party. If the party is for a school, church, or organization, ask them to mention your book in the flyer or mailing that they send out.
15. Finally, give your book to someone you think will like your book for a Christmas present. Who knows, they may tell a friend or two how great it is and encourage their friends to support you by buying a copy for themselves. People who love your book may also think it’s a great idea to buy for their family or friends.
Many booksellers plan months in advance how they can sell and market their books during the holidays. It’s the best book gifting time of the year. Put on your Santa hat, load up your books in a big, red bag and hit the streets. Ho! Ho! Ho!
