Published Authors Forum

Subject: Recruiting Readers Fri May 16, 2008 6:06 pm

Last night I had a phone call from a long-time friend who knew I was writing and publishing a book. However, as some people who know you well, or they think they do, she didn't really realize how professional and business like (and real) this was. So I took her completely by surprise with my book. She has been reading a chapter a night and fell in love with it as many readers have written to tell me they have. She said to me that she just wished it could get read by many more people. Others have told me the same thing: that it is a book that has changed their lives and they feel that more people need to read it.

My question would be how to do this? I guess that is what marketing is all about. I was thinking of marketing on a big time level. I wasn't thinking of it on a small scale.

I had an idea about getting the people who read my books to send me a list of bookstores and libraries in their area. Or even of recruiting them to try to get them in those arenas. I have a friend (the one who makes chocolate chip cookies for my book signings) who carries a complimentary copy wherever she goes so that she can show it to others. She also carries a bunch of brochures and business cards.

I sold quite a few copies to a local library only because the librarian liked it so well that when asked she praised it and they bought the book on her word alone.

I am truly at a loss as to how to proceed. I am not looking for mainstream or big sales. In fact, I am not pushing my book at all, really. It seems that those who read my book, friends and strangers, all seem to think that others should read it. They are pushing it. I am ready to move onto something else. They want the something else for themselves but, they want this book out there for others. So any help here will be appreciated!

Has anyone ever done this? Do you think it would be a good promotional idea for getting the book read? What do you think of giving them something for their time and valuable opinions?
sunny

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Admin Joined : 11 Jan 2008 Posts : 1307 Location : UK

"Word of mouth: Albert Greco, professor of media management at Fordham University in New York says that despite the marketing efforts of publishers, nothing continues to sell a book like word-of-mouth recommendations, passed on from one reader to another or one reading group to another."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2004-03-10-bookslist-decade-main_x.htm
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Shelagh Watkins
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Four Star Member Joined : 20 Mar 2008 Posts : 482

Absolutely. There's no better way your friends and fans can help you than just going into a bookstore and wondering why they don't have your book there for them to buy.
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Subject: Re: Recruiting Readers Sat May 17, 2008 7:31 pm

I had this written and in an open window for a day or two. Just saw it so please forgive the length of time on posting it, Shelagh.

Quite an informative article, Shelagh. Thank you for posting the link. I do believe that word of mouth is quite successful. I also think once I go back to presenting that my book will be sold that way too. I seem to have more patients than my readers though. *grin* They want everyone to read it NOW. *giggle*
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Subject: Re: Recruiting Readers Sat May 17, 2008 7:32 pm

Yep, lin, you are soooo right!!!!
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Three Star Member Joined : 11 Jan 2008 Posts : 122

Also, get your friends that are into the internet to drop Amazon reviews, or bits on the social networks they visit about your book. Word-of-mouth can also work as word-of-internet.

Good luck.
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Subject: Re: Recruiting Readers Sat May 17, 2008 7:47 pm

Thanks, Peter. I have given out the link for a review on Amazon.com. People say they will leave a review. Only 3 have out of over 100 that have said they would actually did leave one. Some are friends. Some are acquaintances. I figure I can 'nudge' my friends. What about the acquaintances?

I was also thinking about sending out emails and postcards to those who have purchased the book (that I know of) and ask them for a review also. Just back to that time thing. Doing it all is rewarding yet frustrating sometimes. *smile*
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Subject: Re: Recruiting Readers Thu May 22, 2008 9:31 pm

My first two books are due to be released later this month ... or at least sometime before 2010 .....

Of course I want my novels to sell, why else bother with having them published right? But I pretty much expected most of it to be word of mouth. I've already had quite a few pre-orders for them.

Word of mouth can be pretty effective. My four book series is YA fantasy and the main target group is young adult girls. Fortunately I have six nieces in this age bracket and all of them are readers. Five of them have read three of the four novels and love it.

All of them have told their friends in school about it. The other great thing is that three of my nieces live in Calfornia, two in Minnesota, and one in Texas. Then I have a nephew who lives in Illinois with his girlfriend, and she is a librarian, and she is ordering several copies for her library.

I also have a sister in law, who LOVES fantasy. She loved my novels and just happens to be the principal of a middle school in Southern Calfornia.

And so on and so on .....

There is this three degrees of separation I would like to make work: I have another sister in law, who has a sister, who knows Chris Gardner (real life character Will Smith portrayed in Pursuit of Happyness), and Chris Gardner was on Oprah ... sooooo, maybe ........

scratch

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Admin Joined : 11 Jan 2008 Posts : 1307 Location : UK

Reminds me of the song about the girl "who danced with a man, who'd danced with a girl, who'd danced with the Prince of Wales."
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Subject: Re: Recruiting Readers Fri May 23, 2008 4:28 pm

Whatever works, work it!
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Zada Connaway
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Subject: Re: Recruiting Readers Sun May 25, 2008 4:18 pm

It's frightening to think that we all know somebody who knows somebody who once slept with somebody who works with the editor of a BIG PUBLSING COMPANY.

The frightening part of that is that there's no trail of breadcrumbs to follow.

Malcolm
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Subject: Re: Recruiting Readers Sun May 25, 2008 4:46 pm

Gee, I wish I knew somebody who slept with somebody! Sad

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Zada Connaway
Mother's Journals: parts 1, 2 and 3 ISBN # 1-4241-6969-0

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Subject: Re: Recruiting Readers Sun May 25, 2008 7:50 pm

Love your sense of humor, Zada!!!!!!
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Subject: Re: Recruiting Readers Tue May 27, 2008 10:28 pm

That was a wonderful song, Shelagh. If I'm not mistaken it was the theme for that great British series on Lillie Langtry. It reminds me a little of the story about the man who owned the hatchet George Washington used to cut down the cherry tree, but the blade had been replaced three times and the handle six.
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