Blogger: Kathleen Y’Barbo, Publicist
Location: The Woodlands, Texas PR Office
Weather: Sunny and warm
Ask any publicist what the goal of a book campaign is, and he or she will tell you it is to sell books. And who buys books? Readers, of course. So getting the information out about your book in as many different ways as possible to reach as many readers as possible should be done in any way possible, right?
WRONG! Yes, Virginia, despite what you may have heard, there really is such a thing as bad publicity. Or, rather, bad ways to go about publicity. Here are a few that come to mind:
1. Don’t contact people who have not indicated they wish to be contacted. I covered this in a previous blog post, but be careful how you cultivate email addresses. Always include an opt-out option on any newsletter or e-blast.
2. Make sure you’re not overburdening inboxes. Don’t be one of those who sends “updates” more often than most people brush their teeth. If you want to have constant input into the lives of your readers, create a Facebook fan group or sign up for Twitter. Most authors who stick to monthly or quarterly newsletters report favorable reader responses. It’s fine to deviate from this for the occasional special announcement-emphasis on occasional-but use your “send” button wisely and judiciously.
3. When brainstorming promotional items to go along with your campaign, err on the side of caution. I won’t go into detail on some of the odd things I’ve seen used as tools to gain readers, but let’s just say a toilet plunger might be a handy item in the room where many folks do a bit of reading. But think hard about whether you want your book’s name splashed down the handle. There’s nothing wrong with joining the rest of the crowd and offering up postcards or pens. They’re handy, and let’s face it, no one’s going to giggle when you give one to them.
4. Courtesy always trumps salesmanship at public events. While we’re called to promote our books at events such as book signings, be courteous as to how you go about it. Some of us are natural-born sales people and will have no trouble doing the meet-and-greet that’s required at these occasions. Others will sit behind the book table and cringe when a stranger approaches. There’s nothing wrong with either of these approaches, though the former will obviously stand a better chance of attracting potential readers than the latter. However, don’t be the author who turns a book signing into a carnival sideshow. By that, I mean it’s fine to speak to people who haven’t indicated an interest in buying your book. It’s not fine to treat each pedestrian within sight of your table as a potential opportunity to put on your best hard sell and thrust a book into their hands. Courtesy, people. A smile wins over a sales pitch every time.
Amen, Amen, Amen, and Amen!
One thing almost as bad as being the hyper-pushy sales guy is being NEXT TO him (or her). Within 30 minutes the crowd will start to bypass him/her and whoever has the misfortune to be their neighbor!
I like how Debbie Macomber sends book marks in her mailings, printed with her upcoming releases. It’s simple, useful, and one can never have too many bookmarks!
Yes, Amy! Bookmarks are a wonderful way of getting the word out. They’re portable, relatively inexpensive, and as Amy said, are always welcome.
This is one area where it seems wise to “do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.” It’s annoying to find you’ve been added to a mailing list you didn’t sign up for–doubly so when you’re barraged by emails and have to delete the litter in your inbox.
Courtesy, on the other hand, is always welcome–and maybe a bookmark.
A writer I know was handing out business cards with the cover of her book on one side and the pertinent info on the other. I thought it was brilliant. They’re easily tucked into wallets where they can be easily retrieved next time that person’s in a bookstore. Or used for bookmarks. ;o) And I assume they’re cheaper than either postcards or bookmarks.