For this IWSG I’m thinking really big thoughts. Like many of you, I saw my good fortunes and opportunities dwindle when Borders Books went bankrupt and Barnes and Noble gave the boot to small-pubbed folks like me. I had books all over the US in those stores.
Fast forward to today and now I’m left to my own devices to promote four books with two new ones in the works. Fortunately, I live in a large metropolitan area loaded with tourists and there are many large events to promote my literary wares.
Example Within walking distance of my house is the Mission Viejo 4th of July Street Fair that attracts upwards of 20,000 people each year and I have a 10 X 10 spot. People wander the Street Fair then stake out a patch of grass and wait hours for the fireworks display.
And guess what? They’re either napping or reading.
I have some great ideas and will post pics and results in July’s IWSG. I’ll tell you what worked and what didn’t. But the key is to get people to enter my canopy as almost all other vendors set their tables at the very edge of their tents or canopies and they have all that wasted space behind them.
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Steve, were all sending you big thoughts for your Big Big Big Really Big You Won’t Believe Your Eyes Big Event
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I’ll use a smaller table at the front and allow people to enter on both sides. Inside three more tables will set up behind me with a flat screen parading images of my books, blurbs, past book signings and fifteen second video clips. I won’t bore you with details now, but definitely check back Wednesday July 6th for pics and results.
And feel free to send big thoughts of a smashing success my way!
Question Have any promotional plans for the summer? Doing any writing or editing? Or are you taking the summer off?
Sounds like you picked a great marketing tool to help with promoting your books. I think it is a win-win situation myself! I knew you lived in Southern California, but I didn't know where. We lived in Laguna Niguel for almost 2 years back in 2006 and 2008 :)
ReplyDeletebetty
I will be interested to see how that works but I bet it worked well. People like to wander and they still love books! How sad about Borders. chapters, here, seems to add more crap like towels, cups and other useless stuff and getting rid of books
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the towels and candles are the only things keeping them in busines. That and the bargain bin remainders. I'll take the "gift" section in order to keep a bookstore open for a little while longer...
DeleteHi Stephen - well you're obviously thinking hard on how to achieve some good outcomes - great ideas ... and living in a large metropolitan area that you need to make us of - makes sense. Great thoughts .. and looking forward to seeing how you do - good luck - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great idea and I am sending many positive thoughts your way that you have great success. Just one thought or suggestion, maybe offer a coffee or ice cream at your canopy so that people can browse and read as if they are in a bookstore.
ReplyDeleteAll the best, Stephen.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia
http://www.patgarciaandeverythingmustchange.com/2016/06/iwsg-june-2016-recovery-is-not-matter.html
Pat, great idea. We do this when I sell at the beach. Kids have a really cool cookie stand and they also sell bottled waters. But at this event the only ones who sell good beer and water are charitable non-profit organizations that donate all proceeds to the city and their charities such as the Rotary Club and Kiwanis Club and such.
DeleteMaybe I could have a bowl of candy but they would probably melt.
DeleteSounds like you've got some awesome and unique marketing plans. Hope they succeed and lead you to other creative marketing ideas.
ReplyDeleteWith fewer bookstores, it's hard to find places to hawk books. You have a good setup planned for the event.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of people. Hope it's a big success.
ReplyDeleteMay it be a huge success! Plus, you get to see the fireworks!
ReplyDeleteGood luck. I hope to get my short stories back up on Amazon, wade into the world of online promotion, and maybe finish a novel that need a different, shorter conclusion.
ReplyDeleteYour ambition knows no bounds! Very best wishes :-)
ReplyDeleteI'll be writing and reading this summer, hope to see you in the headlines!
I'll be taking another summer road trip. If I find an opportunity to promote something then I'll do it, but promotion is not my ulterior motive. I look forward to seeing what happens with your event. I've seen a few authors set up a booth at events in my locale, but I don't know what kind of success they had.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Now, that's what I call GUMPTION!! Fantastic approach, Stephen. I'll re-visit this post when I need a boost. Thanks for showing us how it's done :) Wishing you all the best!
ReplyDeleteA fabulous idea, i hope you sell out and have people telling friends all over about your work!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like some creative promotion! I hope it brings you great results.
ReplyDeleteI'm up to my neck in promotional ideas. Sadly, I don't live anywhere near a big city. Boohoo. Looking forward to hearing what you learned, Stephen. Good luck! Break a leg.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the event. Sounds like you will meet lots of people and hopefully they all want books.
ReplyDeleteWishing you the best of luck with your big sales ideas Stephen. Hope you sell lots of books.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a plan. Wishing you lots of customers. Tell us it all works out.
ReplyDeleteThat's sounds like an awesome plan. There's some street fairs around her with a similar setup, but nothing with that kind of foot traffic. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSending positively BIG BIG thoughts your way for success. Wishing much success with your BIG event, sounds awesome.
ReplyDeleteJuneta @ Writer's Gambit
Way to make lemonade! Big success!
ReplyDeleteI hope it's a success for you! And I'm curious to hear how it goes. I've never really seen authors at our festivals, so not sure how successful it would be here.
ReplyDeleteHey, that is a great idea, Steve! Out of 20K people, you should be able to make some sales. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking at renting some booth space at the farmer's market this summer. Hopefully it works out well like yours sounds like it will!
ReplyDeleteHey Stephen,
ReplyDeleteI've no doubt that you will be a smashing success, good sir. It could well be a marketing strategy that comes up with some promising dividends. All the best, Stephen.
Gary