Natasha Bauman Literary fiction, historical fiction writer

Call out to authors

July 12, 2008, 12:03 pm

I would like to compile ideas for marketing and make them available to other writers. Anyone out there who came upon a good marketing idea who would like to share it? If you write it in a comment here, or send it to me at nat@natashabauman.com, I will put them all together in an essay (crediting you, of course, for your wonderful idea) and post it on Red Room. Thanks for any and all responses!

juneandkittycloser.jpg

June Casagrande says:

Two Words: Bumper Stickers

I offered to print up bumper stickers bearing the title of my first book, "Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies," on account of the title is also a statement. Penguin liked the idea so much they did it for me.

 I've also placed op-eds and columns in various newspapers with my tagline, "June C. is author of ..." Got that idea from my friend, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the "Frugal Book Promoter" and the "Frugal Book Editor (http://www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/) and quite the book-marketing guru.

I also pitched and organized a how-to-get-published seminar at Vroman's books in Pasadena, featuring a self-publishing expert, a tradtionally published children's fiction author and me. Good turnout, successful event. 

My friend Deanna Cameron has been running Q&A's with authors about book marketing at her blog, http://deannacameron.blogspot.com/, in part to promote her upcoming novel.

Oh, and I created graphics files I called "image quips" in hopes people would use them as sassy commentary in message-board posts:

and

Suffice it to say they did not spread across the Internet like wildfire.

That's all I can remember at the moment.

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June Casagrande says:

Three More Words: Targeted Press Release

Forgot to add: My alumni mag, which hadn't responded to a press release from my publisher, did respond to a targeted press release from me.

I pitched 'em a story about how their school was instrumental in helping a former ninth-grade dropout become a twice-published author. They loved it and did a big profile spread on me.