‘Tis the season ... That’s right, it might still be warm outside, but the holiday shopping season is approaching fast. Savvy self-published authors know this is the time to craft your strategy and begin to put your book in the spotlight. Retailers report the holiday season makes up anywhere from 20 to 40 percent of their annual sales, according to Daily Finance.
If you are a book marketer looking to promote, then you better be ready to jump aboard the holiday express. Consider some ways you can make this season count with a successful holiday marketing plan.
It’s called sales, but it is really about the promotion. The more exposure your book gets the better the promotion. One fast and dirty way to get readers to pay attention is to give a few copies away. You can offer a Facebook promotion, the first five friends that post their favorite book quote to your page gets a free, signed copy, for example.
If the word “free” makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck, try a discounted price for the holidays. The Independent Book Publishers Association points out, this is an effective strategy if you are distributing direct through the mainstream retailers like Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
You can also design a coupon or provide a discount code, so all readers have to do is pay for the shipping.
They will be popping up all over the place in a few months. Invest in a table or two at some of the trendy craft fairs and get your name out there. This is about building your brand, as much as selling your wares. Have promotional goodies on hand to help visitors remember your name.
Business cards
Bookmarks
Magnets
If you are promoting one book, focus on the title and your name. For instance, the magnet might be your book cover. If you have self-published multiple books, then promote them all to build your brand.
Local coffee shops love this type of a holiday promotion. All it costs them is a little bit of space and some advertising. Set up a festive table near the front of the cafe and give the customers something to look at when they are buying coffee.
This concept works in other venues, too. Local bookstores, an art gallery, bar or restaurant might partner with you to create a holiday event. You can offer to split some of the book sale proceeds with your host to defer the cost of book marketing.
If you write a blog or send out a newsletter, start reminding people early to buy your book as gifts. Put a holiday countdown on your website or tuck one into the top corner of an email promotion. The point is to get them thinking about you and your work well before the holiday shopping season starts.
It will be here before you know it. Don’t wait until that last minute to create your holiday book marketing strategy. What are your sales goals this holiday season?
Keep the Faith and May the Force be with You!