You have a wonderful story; you know it, and everyone who
reads it tells you so. You have a cover to die for and you belong to the most
energetic publishing house in the business. And yet, in spite of the
promotional exposure in the social media, guest appearances with gift copy
incentives, in spite of leaving postcards on public transport and accosting
neighbours and strangers with bookmarks and fascinating commentary,
your book remains invisible to the reading public.
What would I do, in an ideal world?

or think outside the box!
Stand on the Town Hall steps ringing a great bell.
When the crowd gathers, I’d unravel a poster sized scroll of my cover and tell them. “I dare you to read this book! Just as in an alchemist’s hands, lead changes into gold, so too, this book will change the reader forever.”
Or, I could write a script for a theatrical group to enact my story
in costumes hired or sewn by me
and sell gift certificates of the book, at interval, to be retrieved from MuseItUp in the following days.
If all this fails to attract sales, I’d create controversy surrounding the
book and/or the author and have the book banned.
That's what I’d do in an ideal world.
Although I believe my book is one in a million, it
really is one in millions, swamped in a sea of other books, doomed to remain
invisible from readers, unless I can find Reader’s Groups who want my book
on their ‘to read’ lists.
Wendy Laharnar can be found at MuseItUp Publishing
Her Website and Blog
Also by this author
16 comments:
Excellent post, funny and true.
Yeah, talk too much about your books and people get turned off fast. It's a puzzler, marketing.
Great post, Wendy. I can just see a mass collision as cars are supposed to drive into the mouth of the sibyl. A giant bat might be chasing a plane in the sky. :-)
lol Edith. I was wondering what suitable image I could use on that tunnel. What image would you use? The back of a truck load of tomatoes?
Splendiferous post, Wendy. Funny, bittersweet and true. All best wishes for ever-expanding sales--you deserve them.
Ah, marketing. So much of it is chance, who sees a blog when, who likes the genre you've written. Thanks for putting a humorous slant on such a trying topic, Wendy!
Hi Wendy, this is my 3rd attempt to leave a comment, but Error 503 keeps throwing me out!
Bittersweet, as mentioned above, is a good description. I have a lot of experience selling theatre tickets and knew it wouldn't be any easier selling books. Still, there's really no choice for us. We didn't at this stage write the books to keep them under the bed in a box. Good luck to us all. Anne
Marian, thanks! we gotta laugh. :)
Cheryl, so true. The one who eventually solves the puzzle gets the mega sales, if they don't stumble into the answer first.:)
Edith, then we'd have a 'captured' audience.:)
Annie, woman of the perfect word...and sentiment. Hugs :)
Pat, I agree, It's like finding a four leaf clover. We need the help of a leprechaun
Anne, thank you for persevering. You just gave me another idea. Advertize on the cinema screen before the movie begins.
Or make the type of video Book Trailer to goes viral on You Tube.
Great post Wendy,
Oh for that perfect world.
You have some great ideas. A billboard across a tunnel could be the light at the end of the tunnel. hehe.
Thanks for taking a humorous look at a pet peeve.
Great post Wendy!
The only things you left out were walking around naked with your title displayed "prominently" or wearing a walking billboard.
Thanks for letting us know we're not alone out there!
Patti
Awesome and sooo true! I especially liked the advertisement surrounding the highway tunnel entrance, now that's brilliant:)
Cheers, Sara
Rosalie, 'light at the end of the tunnel' good one! Come to think of it, it's also 'light at the beginning of the tunnel' too.
Hey Patti, great ideas. The walking billboard really is quite practical. I like that. The naked one though, a bit cold in winter and I have to wonder, looking at the width of your cover title just where that might be displayed...prominently :)
Sara, I love the highway tunnel, too. People are so innovative and obviously have plenty of cash on hand. :)
So far I have not tried begging or crying to sell my book, but some days....!!! Loved your post. Made me smile..
Janet, even that doesn't work. I know hehehe
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