I like doing Goodreads Giveaways (which are free to me except for the cost of my books and the postage). I've found Goodreads ads to be useful, in moderation. Which reminds me, I need to go set one up for Mission to Mahjundar.
I didn't find boosting Facebook posts to be a worthy use of my funds (40,000 people have seen your post! Two of them Liked it! Some of them may not even be real people!) and after receiving a bill from FB that included someone in South Korea's $575.00 ad, I quit doing ads or boosts there. I will say FB acknowledged that my erroneous bill was a glitch on their part and fixed it immediately. Efficient and much appreciated, FB!
My business cards and bookmarks are essential; hand them out all the time. I bought magnets of my science fiction romance covers to put in a goody bag, not so convinced that was useful. Additionally, the first time I ordered them I was a bit careless on the details and they arrived in the size of the actual paperback! (Not a marketing professional here, folks, don't even play one on TV.) Now THAT is a magnet with impact LOL. Dominates the refrigerator. Good thing my cover models are so good looking.
Oh, I had little candy mummies to hand out at RT during the book signing and those were a hit but probably didn't do much for my books because there was no association with me or the books. Except, you know, Egypt. Because you see a blue candy mummy and will immediately think of VERONICA SCOTT. Right??? And buy All The Books. Of course you will.
What other promo adventures have I had? Let me think....oh, did a group ad in the DragonCon program one year and I definitely saw a sales spike on my science fiction romances after that. Someone else organized that ad buy and I was lucky to be included.
I did one paid blog tour, for my very first novel, and learned a great deal from that. Now I set up my own informal ones, with authors I know and/or who have hosted me in the past. A formal tour was also overwhelming to me, writing all those different posts in a short period of time.
NEXT year, I may try to be all organized and really plan promo things out...but probably not. I am kind of a whimsy of the moment person.
I did an ad in EReader News Today (ENT) in conjunction with a reduced price on one book and that was wonderful. I would do that again, or Book Bub.
Night Owl Reviews is one of my favorite places to put ads when I have a new release. I love the Big Splash Banner...
I also love seeing my book in an ad in RT Booklovers Magazine, but I really have to budget for that to happen. And think ahead due to the print deadlines. No spur of the moment there!
I've done giveaways in connection with blog hops - gift cards, books, Titanic mug replicas and real shards of coal from the wreck site...I don't do those much anymore. You do get many lovely people stopping by and leaving terrific comments but I've never seen much of a resulting sales boost.
OK, I think between last week's post and now this week, I have nothing more to ad. I'll leave you with the trailer for my 2014 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award Winner
PLEASE tell me next week's topic isn't marketing LOL.
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