bouncyFor authors and publishers, the announcement and release of a new book is a big event, but for potential readers, it’s just one among an average of over 200 books a day.
(According to Bowker’s Book Industry Statistics, there were about 77,000 fiction and juvenile books published in 2008 in the USA alone – and that number doesn’t even include POD, short run and self-pubbed titles).
So how do we, as writers, get the word out in a way which makes our book stand out from all the others?
Sure, we can all rattle off a list of things that we think would work: book trailers; reviews; podcasts; advertisements; guest blog tours etc, but for the best answers, I think we need to look at promotion from the point of view of the potential reader.
The primary goal of all these promotional tools is not so much to make the sale, as it is to entice potential buyers to find out a little more about the product. Therefore, if you checked out the blurb as a result, even if you didn’t make a purchase, the promotion worked.
With that in mind, from the following list, please select which (if any) online promotional methods have led to you seeking out more information about a book:
Book trailer
0(0.0%)
First chapter posted online in print or as a podcast
1(2.3%)
Online announcement
0(0.0%)
Online competition
0(0.0%)
Online link
0(0.0%)
Online promotion
0(0.0%)
Online recommendation/review
4(9.1%)
Something else, which I’ll mention in the comments
0(0.0%)
I have no interest in finding out more about a book based on something I see online.
1(2.3%)
Has over-promotion ever put you off wanting to find out more about an author’s book?
Yes
24(55.8%)
No
19(44.2%)
Thanks in advance for your input.
If you answered ‘Yes’ to the over-promotion question, feel free to elaborate in the comments, but please don’t name names.
Which online book-promotion techniques appeal to you as a reader?
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