Other Promotion Ideas on a Budget

Looking over promotion ideas for published books, I've blogged on the importance of book blog tours and investing in book trailers. Today as I'm stamping postcards to mail out, advertising my newest release - Love Finds You in Bethlehem, NH, I'd like to take the opportunity to talk about other avenues of promotion available and that I'm using right now with my Christmas releases this year.

Postcards and bookmarks are great tools in getting the word out about your books. All readers love to have a bookmark in their favorite novel. So have some on your person to give out. I had the opportunity even on the plane heading for a Christian Writers' conference to hand out a few bookmarks to nearby passengers (in fact, one even became a Facebook pal after we were introduced not once but twice on the plane!). Bookmarks can be placed in many places such as in libraries, bookstores, offices like doctors and dentists, anywhere people might be reading or looking at books. Check with your publisher to see if they can print up bookmarks and postcards for you. Postcards can be mailed out to contacts in your address book. I am also using the tear-off sheets sent to me from my previous Heartsong novels to send a postcard announcing my latest release to those who have supplied mailing addresses, letting them know what's available.

Another great promotional tool I've used is found at Vista Print. Here I was able to order some huge posters to put up for my booksignings happening this November, and for little money. As a bonus, they also printed up my own T-shirt that advertises me as an author along with my website. Oriental Trading Company offers little notepads where you can put address labels printed with your website address that can be handed out as freebies. People love the idea of little notepads. And I was able to get some personalized wooden pens also, a cheap but nice way to advertise your books without spending a lot of money.

These are a few promotional ideas I've used and am using now with my releases. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to comment.

When You've Got the Wrong Shoes On...

This is an actual picture of my shoe getting stuck in the mud when I was hiking the Appalachian Trail back in 2007. It reminded me of my hike last weekend - of which I had on the wrong shoes to do a fairly strenuous hike and ended up suffering for it (and having to leave the trail early). To this day - nearly a week later, I still have a toenail that remains red and painful. I wish I could go back and listen to that still, quiet voice that told me to check my shoes, insoles, and wear the right socks. I could have avoided lots of problems and finished my goal.

Sometimes we like to take shortcuts with our writing or other work we do. We don't take the time to make sure it's the best it can be but rush off, thinking it will do, that it's adequate enough. Like if deadlines loom or in trying to put together a proposal quick and get it sent off. But we can suffer for our haste. We can end up with the ugly red form of rejection because we didn't take the time to construct, polish and edit our work thoroughly so it's the best it can be. It's so easy to try and take shortcuts. Not to give it our all in our work. But it's liable to come back at us and make us suffer for it afterwards. But we can be wiser for it in the lessons learned. I know I will be the next time I hit the trail. I'll be wearing new shoes, good insoles and padded socks. And carry plenty of Bandaids and duct tape to work with my already injured feet. So, too, we can bring new life to our work and resubmit elsewhere. But take the time to do it the right way, and you may find a contract waiting for you instead.

The Road of Blog Touring

Our road tour as we traveled the White Mountains to search out the sites for my newest book.

Ever go touring? Like taking a nice, long Sunday drive to see the sights?
My new book, Love Finds You in Bethlehem, New Hampshire is taking a drive for the next few months to different sites on an official blog tour. I've been busy answering interview questions and sending out cover art and my bio to multiple authors to post on their blogs and web sites. And why is this important? Because the Internet is the biggest tool for marketing out there. Right at their fingertips, readers can find out more about you, why you wrote your book, and other interesting facts that will encourage them to pick up your book. It's all a part of building a readership for your books. It takes valuable time and effort, to be sure. I never used to do much in the marketing angle, and I was really missing out on the valuable tools available so authors can connect on a more personal level with readers on this journey.

So keep in touch on my Love Finds You in Bethlehem blog to see where the tour is stopping next. And along the way there will be plenty of opportunities to get a free book and other goodies, too. It will be a tour worth the journey.