On average, Americans spend around $1000 on holiday shopping. Between Black Friday and the big day, they are hungry for deals! This makes it one of the best times of the year for many authors to introduce new readers to their work, and to sell more books.
So what are a few things you can do to help get your books to holiday shoppers? PenPower Book Marketing is happy to assist you in the following ways:
1. Think Local
People like to support the communities they live in, and that includes local authors. One of the best ways to tap into this sentiment is by supporting your local bookstores. Find out if your local store is carrying your book, and if not, ask if they can order some for the local author section or if they will carry a few on consignment with prominent display during the holiday rush.
While you’re there, ask if they have room in their schedule for you to do a reading, book talk, or book signing. This is a great way to work with them by bringing in extra traffic for the event, and for interested readers to hear from you directly.
Finally, don’t forget to add links on your website that point to Indiebound or directly to stores that carry your book.
2. Think Global
Amazon is worldwide, so your marketing efforts can be as well — through social media that is. Facebook has more than a billion users, Twitter has 126 million, and undoubtedly millions of eager readers on each platform. So how can you reach them?
First, think about the type of readers you want. What are they looking for in a story? Action? Romance? Brilliant deductions? Then think about what sets your book apart from others in its genre. Does your bodice-ripper feature an interracial couple, or are the alien invaders here to save humans from themselves rather than conquer? Give potential buyers something to make them stop, pique their interest so they will want to buy your book. Use appropriate hashtags, along with a few holiday specific ones, and even authors with a small social media following can reach a much larger audience.
Once your social messaging is in place, take it to the next level with ads. Social media advertising can be an inexpensive way to gain new readers.
3. Think Deals
There’s no denying that shoppers are looking for deals near the holidays, and a limited-time price reduction can tip the scales in your favor.
The easiest way to offer buyers a discount is to mark down the prices on ebooks. Self-publishing platforms make this an easy task through their seller dashboards, and depending on which websites you’re selling through, there may be additional discount options.
Authors published through traditional presses can also highlight deals if their publisher is running any specials. Now’s the time to contact your author representative and ask if there are any pricing deals planned for the holidays, and when those dates are so that the information can be included in your own promotional efforts.
4. Think Unique
What better gift than one that’s considered for the recipient, and is something unique to them? As an author you can offer this, with signed copies.
A signed book has that personal touch. It shows that the gift giver knows the person well enough to trust that they will enjoy the book, and that they made the extra effort to get something unique to them.
While signings are a great place for people to get these, you can also temporarily offer them on your website. Even authors who don’t offer sales through their website year round can add a temporary page that allows readers to purchase a signed copy. Then, when the holidays are over, just take the page down again. It’s a fantastic way for buyers to get that special touch, and for authors to give something unique for the season.