Marketing Your Book Using a Slogan?

"Have you ever felt like one of the least of these?"

"Enlightened?"

I have used each of these slogans to market my books "I Walked With Jesus" and "Enlightened" but, unfortunately, I haven't used them regularly when it comes to social media. 

I have put my slogans on postcards to hand out
when readers ask about my book.
Not only is the slogan here but contact information. 

Readers like the connection with a book, something they'll remember. If they can't remember the title, they can at least remember the question you posted or the slogan that made them think. Great book marketing extends beyond the typical description of your book. A memorable slogan is like returning to a taster's table for the treat that really hit your taste buds the first time.  

"Enlightened" not only has a slogan on the back
but an additional insight on the front -
sort of a bullet list of what to expect inside

While a great tagline or slogan may not sell thousands of copies of your book [many authors do not have taglines and sell plenty of copies] your readers and potential readers will get a sense of who you are as an author and what you write by the taglines you use to market your books.

Businesses use slogans all of the time.

"Just Do It" is one example.

You may have heard these bookstore slogans:

A Bookworm's Paradise

A Novel Idea

For Booklovers

What you may have heard less of is an author using their own book slogan.

I have used a slogan for book signings. It's posted on a chalkboard easel. 

"Written a book?"

I love questions for slogans because it causes the reader to ask themselves the question being posed. 

Are you interested in gaining more interest in your book?

A slogan doesn't tell a reader what your book is about, it communicates emotion. It gives the potential reader an opportunity to look inside themself for an answer. Great slogans do more than connect two parties. They help readers to see what they'll be getting if they read your book.

When I think of the movie Shrek and the slogan, "Ogres are like onions!" I am reminded of all the layers involved in people of the less than green sort. There are many layers to individuals and many ways to reach them. To connect. To help them understand who we are and what we do. But mostly, to see themselves. 

Market your book using a slogan? What do you think?

Getting it Done: Preparing for a Book Launch

I'm in the midst of it, a book launch like no launch I have ever done before! Book reviewers are on my list, interview opportunities, podcasts, postcards, T-shirts, prize giveaways - for the first time I will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to a lucky winner along with my book at Novels Alive, (come see me on August 23rd) guest posts galore, Kindle pre-orders, and more!

Fortunately, everything is written down and organized, though I still have layers of paper on my desk from people yet to contact or people I've contacted already.

And then there's my own blog and my monthly newsletter to keep going! 

What I haven't thought much about are book signings. With COVID still running more rampant than makes most of us feel comfortable, setting up a signing is a bit difficult, but I am planning on doing some holiday signings this year, and you need to plan on coming to the writer's conference at the American Fork Library in September. That will be the first place I will have my book - live - with an opportunity to autograph!

Book Trailer!

A big THANK YOU to those who have already joined me in this quest! 

Marketing on the Sly

I have been thinking this morning about all of the times I market without really planning for it and I guess you could say that because I'm open to sharing my work wherever I am, the subject of writing often comes up wherever I am.

Marketing can be daunting, and I'll be the first one to tell you that I often burn myself out before I've even gotten started. By marketing on the sly helps. It's a little like carrying pictures of your children to share with the friend you haven't seen in years. You have the pictures to show your friend, not because you planned it out, but because you always carry their pictures with you.

Marketing on the sly takes guts. It's not enough that you are ready to share your work, you must be eager to share your work.

No excuses.

That means if you're in line at the bank and get into a discussion with someone else in line; perhaps they ask what you do for a living because you've asked them, you pull out a postcard with all of the information they need to find out more about your book.

It also means that if you're at a conference and the person next to you appears excited about your new book, that you eagerly pull it from your purse and show it to them.

When you're at dinner (or any other place for that matter) and the subject of your writing career takes center stage, that you smile and share a little bit about your work. Do you consider your writing a career or merely a hobby? If your writing is your career, treat it as such when you speak to others.

Be open to ideas and opportunities that come your way. If you are talking to a fellow writer and they suggest you be a part of their writing conference (and you've never spoken at a writing conference before) say yes anyway. (You can figure out how to do the speaking part later).

Marketing on the sly is a bit like carrying those pictures of your children. You never know when the opportunity will come up to share your work with others, but you are always happy and ready to do so. 

Positive Attitude Attracts Like Readers or How to Have a Successful Book Signing

The other day I heard this quote:

"I want to match what I'm going to meet."

I like it. And I agree with it. Not only because I believe those I connect with in life are living lives with similar goals to my own, but that people in general, who connect with me, may just decide they love what I write even if they haven't read any of my work yet.

How do I know this?

I have experienced the change that happens when the potential reader and I connect. It's like, suddenly, we've been friends for years.

Granted my positive attitude helps. I know that what I have to share is worthwhile and it reflects in what I say; what I share. My positive attitude shows not only in my voice; my tone, but in my presentation itself. I NEVER sit behind a table, hoping someone will walk up to me and begin a conversation. I stand in front of the table. I pass out postcards. I smile. I talk to people.

Sure, it may be that the person is broke, strapped for time, or simply doesn't want to try out a new book no matter how good the book looks, or how wonderfully you've connected with them, but be assured they will remember you, and when the time is right for them, they will buy your book.

Readers are just like you, with the same hangups, the same challenges, the same joys. If your attitude on the day of your next book signing is less than positive, expect that you will also meet like individuals who may not be intent on getting your next "positive"  Christian novel.

Remember, if you're more intent on "selling books," and less intent on "connecting with new readers" you may sell very little anyway, because people can sniff out snake oil salesmen from miles away.

Sure, your book has to be good, but it also have to fill a niche for your potential readers. That's why it's so important to be positive about your work, and to take the initiative to connect, rather than expecting others to do it for you.

If that means you need to change your attitude, you simply must do it.

Why Postcards are So Important in Your Marketing Plan

I know I have hinted at this before, but I wanted to make sure that you knew the details about postcards, when to use them and why they work.

First, business cards have been all the rage for years. I'm not saying you shouldn't use them; I am saying that postcards will get the news out about you and what you do much faster than a name, address, phone number and perhaps, "author" printed on the business card will get you.

Most of my postcards have these features:

On the Back of the Card

A synopsis. You always want a short synopsis of your book no more than 3 paragraphs long.

A QR code. I don't always used a QR code, but I am using it more often than I used to. A QR code does wonders (it's actually a postcard add-on) for anyone that takes a picture of it with their SmartPhone. In an instant they will be taken to a site of your choosing. My QR code goes to this site.

Get your QR code at: http://www.the-qrcode-generator.com/#/. There are many free options on the Internet.



QR Code

My contact information. I include my full name, phone number, email, website and Twitter handle. You may also want to include your Facebook handle.

I sometimes include blank lines near the bottom back side of the postcard. This space is good to write a special note to the person you are giving the card too; something personal like, I hope you enjoy the book.

If you're going to be mailing your postcards, you will only have half the space in back, so keep in mind that the synopsis might be only one captivating line, and you probably will only have room for the date, time and place of your event, and probably not the QR code.

On the Front of the Card

 

I always include the book cover. This fills up the entire card.

 

Postcards are much harder to lose than a business card and provide your future reader with enough information to get online and learn more about your book. Postcards also make great bookmarks and are great for book signings and speaking events. I pass mine out during presentations, and always have them at the table when I'm doing a book signing.

 

If you have any questions about using postcards that I haven't mentioned here, don't hesitate to ask.

 

Happy Marketing!

 

Kathryn