Thursdays with Amanda: 5 Down and Dirty Ideas for Marketing Your Book

December 20, 2012 | Written by Amanda Luedeke

Amanda Luedeke Literary AgentAmanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as an agent.

I want to take it easy this week and next as I give a chance for all the Thursdays with Amanda readers to catch up on last week’s post which highlighted ALL of my 2012 platform-building blog posts. So I thought I’d spend this week sharing 5 Ideas to Market Your Book. They’re going to be a bit random! But it’s all about thinking outside the box.

5 DOWN AND DIRTY IDEAS FOR MARKETING YOUR BOOK

1. You know that rack of magazines at your gym? Leave copies of your book there. And you know the front desk at your gym? Ask about leaving a flyer with a download password for a free/discounted digital copy of your book. I mean have you seen how many people read while working out?! It’s crazy.

2. Ask your local library to feature local authors (if they don’t already).

3. Do a Google search for book clubs in your area. Ask if they’d be willing to read your book if you provided some sort of incentive (a party at the end where they can chat about it with you, free copies, etc).

4. Get your publisher to update your book’s Amazon and Barnes & Noble pages to reflect the holidays. An opening line that reads “The perfect gift for those who love mystery and intrigue!” speaks to your target reader and it also gives gift-givers something to go off of.

5. Host a Twitter party in the days after Christmas. That’s when new Kindle and Nook owners are going to be looking for great content to put on their devices! So make sure you’re creating buzz.

What are some of your down and dirty marketing ideas?

Posted in Marketing and Platforms

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=840645444 Adam Blumer

    A Twitter party? I’d love to see an article about how exactly to do an event like that. Thanks.

    • http://www.facebook.com/amanda.luedeke Amanda Luedeke

      Good idea, Adam. I’ll keep that in mind.

      • Daisy Rain Martin

        Hey there! I’d love to have the scoop on Twitter parties too! :)

  • Charity Hawkins

    Another idea is
    Blog Book Reviews with a Giveaway – Email another blogger who blogs in your subject area/readership if they want to review your book and/or host a giveaway (sometimes I’ll throw in a $20 Target/Starbucks gift card). It’s great for them because they are offering their readers a book review plus a chance to win and great for you because it helps get the word out about your book. The cost is two books + postage, so about $30, plus any extra if you throw in a gift card, but you could reach hundreds to thousands of potential readers. You could also throw in a Christmas ornament to make a Christmas giveaway (too late this year, but for next year), Mother’s Day giveaway, etc.

    • http://www.facebook.com/amanda.luedeke Amanda Luedeke

      Yep, lots of authors love doing blog tours! Thanks for sharing prize ideas, too!

  • http://twitter.com/ConnieAlmony Connie Almony

    After my husband told me about the additional vacation days he will accrue this coming year, I told him we would be using them summer after next to “tour” Christian music festivals where I’ll be handing out bookmarks, etc. about my book–Christian music ministry being a big theme. This kills two birds with one stone. One, it promotes my book to its target audience. Two, it gives us a reason to hang out at music festivals all summer :o ). Can’t beat that.

    • http://www.facebook.com/amanda.luedeke Amanda Luedeke

      I hope it works out for you, Connie!

  • http://www.facebook.com/robin.patchen.3 Robin Patchen

    Great ideas, as always. I popped right over to Twitter and tweeted about my book, suggesting it as a great Christmas idea. I’m looking forward to trying the rest of these.

    • http://www.facebook.com/amanda.luedeke Amanda Luedeke

      yay!

  • :Donna Marie

    Yeah, I was curious about the “Twitter Party” too, and wondered how you go about doing that. I’m guessing it would have to be with people already following you? I’m still pretty unfamilar with the nuances of much of the social media world, but am learning…slowly!

    Also, an aside: Amanda, how do you pronounce your last name? Can you type it here—phonetically? Thanks! I hate not knowing how to pronounce a name that can go more ways than one!

    • http://www.facebook.com/amanda.luedeke Amanda Luedeke

      Luedeke is pronounced LEE-duh-key :)