No more bookmarks?
Posted by Gail Barrett on 19 Jan 2008 | Tagged as: Chit Chat
I recently saw a survey online (Live Journal, November 2007) about what influenced readers to buy a book. Of course, as an author, this interested me very much. I don’t have much money to spend on publicity, yet I worry that if I don’t advertise or climb on the latest gimmick bandwagon (book trailers, bookmarks, My Space page, etc.), no one will buy my books.
So here are the results of the Live Journal poll:
Question: Which of the following promotional tools has (even once) led you to purchase a book (Check as many as apply.):
1. Previous familiarity with author’s other work - 99.1%
2. Recommendation of friend - 91.1%
3. Reading about book on another person’s blog or website - 80%
4. Reading first chapter of book online or in store - 63.2%
5. Cover art - 63%
6. Cover or flap blurbs (promotional quotes) - 58.2%
7. Published (print or electronic) book review - 56.2%
8. Attending a reading or signing event with author (including a convention) - 51%
9. Bookseller or librarian recommendation - 41.8%
10. Other - 7.8%
11. Contest sponsored by author or publisher - 7.2%
12. Receiving promotional email from author - 6.3%
13. Receiving postcard in mail from author - 3.9%
14. Receiving toys or other promotional gimmicks from author - 3.5%
I have no idea how many people were polled in this survey, but I tend to agree with these results simply because they fit my own book buying profile. Number one is absolutely true. If I read a book and love it, I will definitely look for another book by that author. I also agree with the lower results. While receiving a pen or bookmark might increase my recognition of a writer’s name, I have never once bought a book because of one.
So as May approaches, and with it comes the launch of my new miniseries with Silhouette, I’m leaning towards forgetting the postcards and other promotional gimmicks, and trying to network with booksellers instead.
So what do you think? Do you agree with these poll results? What influences you to buy a book?
Gail, I’ve had similar concerns about producing promo/marketing materials, to the extent that learning how to produce things like bookmarks, trailers, etc. started eating into my writing time. Then I realised that if I didn’t write, I soon wouldn’t have anything else to market
I pretty much agree with the poll results - my purchases are driven by previously read authors, recommendations and blurbs - definitely not the gimmicky stuff.
Best of luck with your Silhouette miniseries!
January 19th, 2008 at 6:30 amTricia, I totally agree with you. I’m learning to ignore all the “must do” things we keep hearing about and concentrate on just writing my books. After seeing this poll, I am going to do a few inexpensive ads and send out lots of ARCs to reviewers. I might do one website contest in conjunction with the new release, and maybe some bookmarks because they are cheap and nice to hand out to relatives and friends, but that’s it. No post cards, no book trailers, and so on. I’d love to do some first chapter booklets because that rated high in the survey, but that’s probably not in my budget right now.
January 19th, 2008 at 10:45 amI’m still doing bookmarks for a few reasons: 1. readers can use them 2. They’re something I can keep in my purse and pass out to people 3. I don’t write under my own name, so it’s a reminder of my pen name to people I know 4. My husband can keep some on hand to pass out to interested potential readers.
But right now that’s the only promotional item I’m doing, other than the blog and website.
The poll was interesting. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Darlene
January 20th, 2008 at 8:04 amDarlene - I like bookmarks for the same reason. They are great to have on hand because they show the book cover and have a blurb. I will continue ordering them for that reason (and because they are cheap). However, I also have to admit that I have never bought a book based on a bookmark. I’m much more likely to buy a book if I read the first chapter in the back of another book or something. So as far as being a good promotional tool, I think that bookmarks have their limits.
January 20th, 2008 at 10:32 amI’d say my book buying habits are right in line with the poll. However still being unpubbed I can see the usefullness of the bookmark as almost a business card (Eve), and if they are cheap enough I would want to have some on hand to use as such. Next I would definitely want to be very well acquainted with my local booksellers.
Gail, what is your series about?
Ree
January 20th, 2008 at 11:24 amRee - Thank you for asking!!! It’s a miniseries for Silhouette Romantic Suspense. It’s called THE CRUSADERS: Chasing legends, capturing hearts. The first three books have to do with an ancient legend and some missing artifacts. After that, I’m not sure:)))). But it has been very exciting to write so far.
January 20th, 2008 at 7:38 pmI like to get bookmarks. I hand out a lot of my own, and send them to review sites. I also do visit other people’s blogs which I enjoy and does expose you to new readers, but the best thing still is write the best book you can!!
January 20th, 2008 at 10:54 pmGail, it sounds like a fun series, I’ll look forward to reading your work.
Kate, I couldn’t agree more about the best thing is to write the best book possible.
Ree
January 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 pm