Marketing Adventures

As a debut 2012 author (of What She Left Behind, Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster), one of the questions I love to ask when I’m doing author interviews is what marketing tips other authors have. So today I thought I’d share some of my own marketing adventures!

GIVEAWAYS: This has turned out to be one of my favorites. You can do a giveaway on Goodreads for up to six months after your release.  During my Goodreads giveaways, I noticed a dramatic increase in the number of people who added my book to their to-read lists. I’m currently using a Goodreads giveaway to find a home for one of the German copies of my book. In Germany there is also a site similar to Goodreads called Lovelybooks. (Although the title sounds English, it’s all in German). I was able to do a “reading circle” with my German version on this site –  my German publisher agreed to provide 15 copies of the book for this. Once the reading circle members received the book, they would post comments about different sections of the book. They could also post questions for the author, which if they weren’t able to translate into English, the moderator would do for them. Speaking of giveaways, don't forget to enter the YAFUSION GIVEAWAY for the ARC of All the Truth That's in Me  - it ends JULY 5!

CAR MAGNETS: I slapped a couple of car magnets on the driver and passenger side doors of my car last summer before heading out on a cross-country trip. People all over surprised me by asking questions about my book because of them – from a toll booth operator to a woman at a national park. I had signed bookmarks in my glove compartment, which I handed out to people who asked about the book. On this same trip, I plotted out my route to hit a dozen bookstores across 400 miles in one day, quickly running in and signing stock at each one (I checked on line first to make sure that the stores had copies of my book in stock).

BOOKMARKS: This has been my favorite giveaway (I sign them with a grey Sharpie) though I had some T-shirts, tote bags, and notebooks with my book’s cover on them as well. I also had a small amount of bookmarks made with my German cover on them since I have some friends and contacts in Germany. (If anyone has a YA reading friend in Germany who would like one, you can send me his/her address through the contact form on my website).

POSTCARDS, LETTERS, and POSTERS: The month my book released I sent postcards to lots of public and school libraries in my state (Michigan). I also sent letters to high school English teachers in Michigan (first I found the school addresses on-line, then I used the school websites to address them to a specific English teacher). I enclosed discussion questions, signed bookmarks, and a letter summarizing my book and mentioning my launch party details. In the letter I mentioned how teachers could enter a poster giveaway by e-mailing me. It’s hard to know how effective this mailing was, but it did lead to some school visits which I really loved.

BOOK TRAILERS AND YOUTUBE ADVERTIZEMENTS: I had a book trailer made (which I absolutely love!) To me, this was definitely worth the cost as it’s a great little commercial for my book. It’s also fairly inexpensive to advertise your video on YouTube. I often use the book trailer to introduce my book when I’m giving a talk at a school, library, or conference.

I’m always interested in more marketing tips, so please use the comments section to add your own!

What Happens Next?

Recently I read an amazing book by Colleen Clayton called What Happens Next.

Let's flip to the back cover:

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader, a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid – including a lock of her perfect red curls – and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and alienated by her friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect… or so she thinks.

Humorous and thoughtful, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a moving exploration of one girl’s triumph over tragedy.

***

 

I already know WHAT HAPPENS NEXT in this book, but before you go grab a copy and find out for yourself, hang out a minute and see what Colleen had to say about her life and her writing:

 

 

Please tell us a little about your everyday life.

My typical 24 hour day looks like this:

5:50-5:51 AM Put my kids off to school (they're teens so mostly it consists of me banging on their doors and yelling "Wake up!" and then going back to bed...)

5:51-9:30 Sleep

9:30-10:00 Lay there and think about getting up.

10:00-10:30 Currently, as of Jan 7th, walk by my Christmas Tree that's still out and wish I had a Harry Potter wand. Check my various networks (email, Twitter, Facebook) while having a hot chocolate. Stalk myself online.

10:30-12:30 Shower then walk dogs in my town (I have a small dog-walking business. The Irish Sitter: "Keeping your furry family members healthy, happy, and home"), hit a drive-thru or gas station for a sandwich and iced coffee. Think about how I'm totally going to hit the gym after work.

12:30 - 3:30 Teach writing classes at Youngstown State.

3:30-3:45 Skip the gym thing and head home.

3:45-3:46 Walk by my Christmas tree again and wish I was Samantha from Bewitched.

3:46-4:00 Check my networks again. Stalk myself some more.

4:00-7:00 Family time, dinner, kids' extracurriculars, homework, and sometimes laundry

7:00-10:00 TV shows (Once Upon A Time, The Walking Dead, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Copper, Downton Abbey, Wilfred...I watch an embarrassing amount of television).

10:00-2:00 am Hook into one of my Pandora ambient-hipster-new-age-instrumental-folk channels and write my a** off.

2:00 Go to bed.

 

Besides your main character, who is your favorite character in What Happens Next and why?

Corey, definitely. He's everything a gal would want in a boyfriend. Kind, funny, hot, masculine, and somewhat damaged.

Do you have a favorite scene in What Happens Next?

Sid and Corey's first kiss

Did you always know how What Happens Next would end, or did it change as you wrote it?

The initial ending was very explosive. Like, Law & Order Special Victims Unit explosive. The current ending is much more realistic and touching, I think.

Is there anything you can tell us about how your cover was designed?

It was a total surprise and I absolutely LOVED the silhouette of Sid in winter against a night sky, standing on a road with her arms outstretched. At first, I was hesitant about the color of the title font. But then it grew on me and I understood why the cover designer chose it. It's hopeful and light-hearted which is a nice contrast with the darkness of the silhouette and is in line with the tone of the book...poignant but humorous.

Can you tell us a little about your path to publication?

40 agents rejected this manuscript so it was long, brutal, and frustrating. I generally just walked around feeling like a failure but tried to keep a good face on for my family's sake. I lit candles at various churches for two years, folded my hands, looked up at Jesus and said: "Please God...I want this so bad." Also, I'd cry in the car a lot. I landed an agent in summer while on vacation in Myrtle Beach. The following winter, we sold the manuscript to the first publisher who read it. I went to Lakewood Park, one of the settings in the book, sat on a swing that my main character sits on and looked out at Lake Erie. It was winter and snowy and beautiful. I thanked God and cried some more, only with joy this time.

What’s next for you?

Another book! HOORAY! (***lightens mood***) Same high school but with marginal characters from WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. Untitled. Teaser: "Take Kristen Stewart's ADVENTURELAND, add an episode of HOARDERS, mix in a Heath Ledger-looking biker boy and stir..."

Do you have any marketing advice for other writers?

Twitter, giveaways, Goodreads, blogger outreach, local book signings and then a signing in NYC if you can swing it. Meet in-person with your agent, editor, and PR rep while you're there. The rest is up to the word-of-mouth Gods.