As authors, we’re always trying to interest new readers in our stories. Unless you’re a household name like Stephen King or JK Rowling, promotion is part of the business ~ you have to market yourself, even if you’re with one of the big publishing houses … and sometimes more so in that case. Who knows your book better than you do? Who can promote it better than you?
Whenever you attend a literary event, you should have promotional items online to hand out. They get your name in front of readers and help promote your books. While you can easily go broke buying every single promo item under the sun, here are a few ideas I’ve found to be inexpensive ways to help spread the word about your writing.
Thirteen Possible (and Cheap!) Promo Items
1: Bookmarks. There are some great places online where you can buy high quality bookmarks at good prices, such as Print Runner and Print Place. If you’re more of a “hands on” type person, you can create the bookmarks yourself and save yourself on design costs. Not familiar with Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro? Create bookmarks in Word and print them yourself or have them printed at an office supply shop such as Staples. The last bookmarks I made, I printed on card stock at a local copy shop for only 19¢ a page. With five bookmarks on a page, a hundred copies (500 bookmarks) cost me only $19.
2: Postcards. These are a great way to get your book cover in front of readers. Instead of leaving the back blank, add a blurb and/or excerpt, as well as purchasing information for your book. Or make a “generic” postcard promoting your website or several different books at once. You can mail these out to readers and/or bookstores, give them away at local events, mail signed copies out as prizes to readers … the possibilities are endless. You can even create bookmarks from postcards ~ cut it in half and you have two bookmarks! Great for oversized postcards! And you can always find specials over at VistaPrint.
3: Book Thongs. These are all the rage, and if you’re crafty, they’re really easy to make, as well. They make really nice, personalized giveaways, and you can even buy shrinkable plastic (remember Shrinky Dinks?) to add your URL on the thong.
4: Notepads. Here’s an easy one. Buy printable sticker sheets at your office supply store and print out your URL or book cover. Then purchase mini notepads in bulk … my favorite are the heart-shaped pads, perfect for romance writers. Cut out your stickers, place them on the front of the notepad, and violà! A unique promo items readers will be able to keep in their purse or in their car.
5: Keychains. More wholesale goodness … look for sell acrylic keychains in bulk, either for crafters or which hold wallet-sized photos, which can be used to display any small image you like. Much cheaper than buying imprinted keychains, and these can be updated with new book covers whenever you want!
6: Mini-Books. These are easy to make and readers love them. I use a complete short story in Word, printed on both sides of the page, and stapled together with a cover made from card stock. They range in size from a quarter of a page to half a page, and are a perfect way to give readers a sample of your writing style. Just create them in Word, print them yourself (or at a local copy shop), then save a few bucks by assembling them yourself.
7: Business Cards. There are a TON of uses for business cards, and I don’t think anyone sells them cheaper than VistaPrint. In addition to handing them out, you can use them as small bookmarks, mini-calendars, color covers for your mini-books … the possibilities are endless. You can even buy magnetic backing for business cards and create your own cheap magnets!
8: Promo Pens. I love pens. I do. It’s like a weakness of mine ~ whenever I’m in a store, I have to check out their stationery aisle and see what kinds of pens they have. The cheapest place I’ve found online to buy promotional pens from is Pens National. My last batch of 300 pens cost only $80. Woo!
9: Promo CDs. A little more expensive than a mini-book, but a promotional CD allows you to put a world of information at your reader’s fingertips. The best ones I’ve found don’t simply mirror your website, but give readers something special for having picked up the CD ~ an exclusive story, perhaps, or a code for a free download. The mini-CDs are cute, easy to carry, and inexpensive … I found them at Meritline for a good price, and bought sleeves at e-Media Depot. I’ve heard mini-CDs don’t work in Macs, and sometimes you can find good deals at local office supply stores on spindles of regular sized CDs.
10: Themed Knick-Knacks. Have a cop story? Buy mini-handcuff keychains by the dozen to hand out. Into shapeshifters? Hand out small werewolf toys, which you can usually get at close-out prices if it’s not Halloween. Look at wholesale retailers such as Oriental Trading, or check out party supply stores, for discount prices on bulk items that may fit in with the theme of your story. Readers will be tempted to take something “different,” and they’ll definitely remember your name!
11: Candy. What better way to entice people to stop by your table than to offer them candy? Buy a bag of miniature candy bars, unwrap one, and measure the wrapper. Then create a template in Word using those measurements. Print out a sheet of the wrappers, cut them out, and tape them onto the candy. Yes, most may throw the wrappers away, but someone may be tempted to hang onto it long enough to check out your work!
12: Cover Flats. These can be a bit costly, but you want to know a little secret? You can upload the front cover of your book to any site that prints photos, such as your local pharmacy or discount department store, and print out high quality photos that you can give away at signings or as contest prizes.
13: Mousepads. Another great idea for romance writers … heart-shaped mousepads, particularly those with an area in the center large enough for a 3″ x 5″ photo. I printed out my website logo and stuck it in the mousepad, which promoted my site while allowing readers to reuse the mousepad for their own pictures. These went quick!
In conclusion … promo items don’t have to be expensive. With a little patience and a lot of love, inexpensive or even homemade items can catch readers’ attention. What’s worked for you?
