For a few drops of water

Who ever thunk that writing would end up causing me to worry so much about marketing? It's not like I'm thinking, "Are my books any good? Will people like them?" It's more, "How can I get the word out? How can I help market my books?"

It's one thing to write a good book. It's another to write one that sells well. And sometimes, unfortunately, far too often, a better book is outsold by one of lesser quality but better marketing.

I was a marketing major in college, and one of the things you learn is the importance of placement. Have you ever noticed one brand of commodity on the supermarket's shelf with two entirely different packagings? You probably figure that one is getting phased in while the other is being phased out. Usually not. What's more likely happening is that they are evaluating the different packing to see which sells better. And your supermarket is being used as a 'test' store.

Another marketing ploy in supermarkets is what is on sale on the ends of the aisles. One generally thinks that there are bargains at the end of the aisle, and these usually sell better than product in mid-aisle, which can be lost among competitor brands and other goods.

Book sales are similar. What books sell better? The ones at the front of the store, obviously. Those that get 'face' placement, rather than just the spine. Etc. etc. etc.

I have a little game that I like to play at my local library. If one of my books is buried on one of the shelves, I'll take it out and put it one of the little displays that they have all over the library that shows the cover of the book. Then I'll check the library's catalog later, and most often the book gets checked out within a day or two. Placement.

So I do a lot of thinking nowadays about marketing. How can I help market my books? I sent my books out to a bunch of reviewers. They all loved them and wrote wonderful things about them. Has this helped sales? I don't know. I go to book fairs and do a pretty good job of selling them one on one as people browse by my stall. Will this help in the long run? Sure, there are some immediate sales, but does it end there?

I know that my readers are satisfied... I've heard from them. But will they talk about my books? Help spread the word? Will someone who reads my books at the library decide to buy one for a relative for Christmas? Or do they read the books, laugh at all of the funny stuff, and put it on their bookshelves to gather dust?

You never know. Does blogging bring in readers? There are differing views on this.

Frankly, I look at whatever I do as sowing seeds. You never know where they will take root and what might happen. So I sow them everywhere I can, local media and national media (Oprah, USA Today, Publishers Weekly) and hope that a seed might find fertile soil ... and get enough water ... and sunlight ... a maybe a worm or two to help irrigate the soil.

All seeds ... just waiting for a few drops of water.

Norm

www.normcowie.com
The Adventures of Guy ... written by a guy (probably)
The Next Adventures of Guy ... more wackiness

Guyquest

I recently sent my books to a few of the Amazon Top 100 Reviewers. Amanda Richards composed a really funny review of The Adventures of Guy.

Guyquest

A funny book about a guy
And Guy's also his name
Your standard goof-off slacker-dude
Without a claim to fame

And then one day a phone call came
That sent him on a quest
He's forced to leave his dirty home
(More like his filthy nest)

There's something wrong with little Seth
At least he's not himself
In no time flat, Guy's pals become
A sor-cer-er and elf

It seems your quest is not complete
Without a certain mix
So they recruit a warrior
Stacked like a house of bricks

There's something evil chasing them
And monsters everywhere
Look out for buzzing little flies
And plumber's derriere

The truth of telemarketing
The huge attorney plot
All made as simple as the choice
To supersize, or not?

It's just as crazy as it sounds
With potty jokes and worse
A madcap world of fantasy
Reviewed by me in verse

A warning to you, friends of mine
And you, my dear consumer
Don't bother picking up this one
If you've no sense of humor



Amanda Richards, August 25, 2007
(reprinted with permission)

Norm Cowie
www.normcowie.com
The Adventures of Guy ... written by a guy (probably)
The Next Adventures of Guy ... more wackiness

Chiming in

I just have to add my two cents (about five dollars with inflation) to Larry's very interesting blog with a short story of my own.

A lot of my small humor bits have gone into a free e-magazine called Cynic Magazine. I've never tried to get my short stuff published for money, but simply wanted an outlet for my overflowing sense of humor. Being a classy mag, Cynic has published everything I've given them, including articles in their "Best of 2005" and "Best of 2006" issues.

Like Larry, I always sort of wondered if something might come of the exposure, but otherwise, there's no downside, because other than publishing them, archiving them and reprinting for the "Best Of" issues, copyright reverts back to me.

But something did come of this, just recently in fact.

When my second book came out last month, I emailed the news to everyone in my address book. To my surprise, a few days later I received an email from Cynic saying that they would like to do something that they normally don't do. Since I've been such a faithful contributor, they were going to put an ad on their next issue for my new book... for free! And not only that, but in a future issue they would do a review, even further increasing the exposure.

Free publicity!

So check it out at www.cynicmag.com

Norm
www.normcowie.com
The Adventures of Guy ... written by a guy (probably)
The Next Adventures of Guy ... more wackiness