With a newly published book out there and a marketing department of one – ME – the only way is bold and cheeky.
Well, that’s not strictly true. There’s the feeble and constrained marketing, beset by fear of failure. I do that too. I’ve written the handbook. I wear the T-shirt. I drink out of the mug.
Let me allow you to work out for yourselves how effective it is, as a marketing strategy.
Sometimes, I can wear my Big Girl’s Knickers and say:
I did that the other day.
It worked.
I had just uploaded the eBook version of Of Night and Light to the very excellent indie-only eBook store Libiro
That, in itself, was marketing of a rather half-hearted, safe kind. But I couldn’t help noticing that some books were specially featured on the website and PROMINENT. So how does that happen? Do you have to offer special favours to the web-master?
Instead (!!!) I sent an email. A cheeky email. A simple email. “Now, being of a cheeky disposition, how do I get my book featured or an author interview?”
Reply. Immediate. “We like cheeky, I will ask Ben or Teague to contact you to interview you next week and it just so happens Teague is also working on the Halloween banners. I’ll ask if he has any room to add your book to the banner or placed as a feature book.”
Immaculate timing, really. Of Night and Light has enough spooky elements, and certainly a chilling enough cover for it to be perfect for Halloween.
So here is the result of bold and cheeky marketing:
Result!
Thank you, Libiro people.
Remind me about this when I’m being small and pathetic…