Promo
The promo budget for 2010 is now the crappy car. I won't participate in any online ads or group Romantic Times and I'm no longer featured over at Noveltalk or Fresh Fiction. Hmm. That almost covers the car cost. Hey, if I was going for a single full-color ad in RT, I could have gotten TWO crappy cars. **
I wasn't planning to lay out the bucks for anything huge because so far I have three books scheduled for release in 2010 and two of them are m/m with Bonnie Dee. Nothing big, nothing NY so no advances.
The $30 here and there for those online banners are out. I have to use this purchase as my promotion. How can I connect the historical romance or the hot sexxx with the 1991 mazda 323?
I asked some writer pals for ideas. Here's what I got:
1. Paint your name and website url on the car. Looks like it needs a paint job anyway. (more than one person)
2. Sandy Blair's suggestion: “Win a fab car once owned by noted columnist Gene Weingarten and now by award-winning author Kate Rothwell! Comes with chip paint, a questionable transmission and no heat, but not to worry. Kate's including something sure to keep the new owner warm...an autographed copy of her hot new release.”
3. Send Weingarten samples of your most purple writing. He won't be able to resist mocking it and your books will be in the Washington Post! (oh, thanks a lot, Lisa. [And actually, I thought of that too])
4. Donate it to your favorite charity for a raffle item? Put it on eBay and play up the "owned by celebrity" angle? (Tori Scott over at Facebook)
5. Hire a tow-truck to haul it around the streets of New York with balloons and streamers and signs attached to it. (don't forget your name) Readers and people like editors will feel sorry for you and buy your books . . . because everyone knows that editors buy books from writers they pity. (me, before coffee)
You got any ideas? Let me know.'
____________
**And hey! If I skip RWA's conference, I'll have saved enough to buy this car and its gas for a year. I tell you, this car is FOUND MONEY.
I wasn't planning to lay out the bucks for anything huge because so far I have three books scheduled for release in 2010 and two of them are m/m with Bonnie Dee. Nothing big, nothing NY so no advances.
The $30 here and there for those online banners are out. I have to use this purchase as my promotion. How can I connect the historical romance or the hot sexxx with the 1991 mazda 323?
I asked some writer pals for ideas. Here's what I got:
1. Paint your name and website url on the car. Looks like it needs a paint job anyway. (more than one person)
2. Sandy Blair's suggestion: “Win a fab car once owned by noted columnist Gene Weingarten and now by award-winning author Kate Rothwell! Comes with chip paint, a questionable transmission and no heat, but not to worry. Kate's including something sure to keep the new owner warm...an autographed copy of her hot new release.”
3. Send Weingarten samples of your most purple writing. He won't be able to resist mocking it and your books will be in the Washington Post! (oh, thanks a lot, Lisa. [And actually, I thought of that too])
4. Donate it to your favorite charity for a raffle item? Put it on eBay and play up the "owned by celebrity" angle? (Tori Scott over at Facebook)
5. Hire a tow-truck to haul it around the streets of New York with balloons and streamers and signs attached to it. (don't forget your name) Readers and people like editors will feel sorry for you and buy your books . . . because everyone knows that editors buy books from writers they pity. (me, before coffee)
You got any ideas? Let me know.'
____________
**And hey! If I skip RWA's conference, I'll have saved enough to buy this car and its gas for a year. I tell you, this car is FOUND MONEY.
You bought a car at a charity auction? Wow. Good for you. Hope you can make it work for you--literally.
ReplyDeleteOkay, okay, I have to admit that I keep forgetting the stuff that matters. charity, charity, charity. right
ReplyDeleteAre you still hunting for an agent? Begin stalking your agent of choice. When the opportunity arises, use your car to rear-end said agent. When the agent wants your insurance information, hand it to him/her written on the back of your latest manuscript.
ReplyDeleteYes. That's IT! Thank you, Doug.
ReplyDeletePaint "Dave Barry Was Here" on the side.
ReplyDeleteExplain to any curious people that the famous Barry had ridden in the car. You can charge people a dollar to sit in the seat where he once was a passenger. You won't get publicity but you might make up enough money to buy some real promotion at one of those cheap online sites
Dave Barry might even kick in a few bucks to get you to rerepaint the car.
Definitely paint it. Put some Man-titty on that thing, like the Ellora's Cave tour bus.
ReplyDeleteLeave the car in high visibility spots all around town. That might be cool.