BOOST CHRISTMAS BOOK SALES

 

Christmas is a great time to promote your book, but you are competing with a lot of savvy advertisers so you need to put on your A-Game. Here are a few ideas to spark your creativity.   1. Wrap it in a pretty bow and take a photo. Add it to your Facebook posts, to Pinterest, and on your website. Your book "makes a nice gift."   2. Offer to autograph it and personalize it from the "author" to their friend or loved one.   3. Are they giving a Kindle this Christmas? Offer to give them a "coupon" they can include with the new e-reader for a "free download." Who wants to give a Kindle without a book to read?   4. Bundle it. If you have more than one book, offer a Christmas Special. Again, take a picture of the books stacked and wrapped in a ribbon. Who can resist a package deal?   5. Add a trinket. Is there a small item you can add to the book to make it a sweet gift? For my Bible studies, I tie a package of Bible markers to the book. A friend tied a measuring spoon to her fictional book about a chef. My first book about discernment had an apple on the cover so I found an apple charm and made a ribbon bookmark. Scour the dollar stores and Oriental Trading magazine for ideas.   6. Work with a charity and offer to make a donation in their friend's name with the purchase of every book (create a nice certificate to make the donation part of the gift). This is especially good if your book has a logical connection to a cause.   7. Run a give-away contest. It can be silly and fun such as "post a picture of my book in a Christmas store display" and be entered into the drawing for my next book. Or it can be challenging such as "do a random act of kindness and then tell us about it here to be entered into the drawing."   8. Finally, don't wait till December. Start your marketing now because most people purchase their gifts before the end of November. Offer a deeper discount for those who make their purchase   From Cheri Cowell