Tell everyone that this book will be what the book club is reading.
j-whitt987 Send a noteboard - 12/06/2010 02:33:51 PM
Let's say you have a book coming out that contains work that you have done, say editing a reprint anthology. You know the print run will be small, probably less than 5,000 copies. You know that if there is less than a 70% sell-through rate (slightly above-average for books) that the budget could be lower for the next book. You have an online presence in various media.
What do you do to hand sell this book so you can get a few thousand people wanting to spend around $10-15 on a tradeback book that likely will have only a few physical copies in traditional bookstores?
Curious to see if ideas here reflect some of the ones I'm beginning to formulate. After all, I would love to be able to sell everyone reading this on just why they'll want to buy themselves a copy of Best American Fantasy 4 when it comes out early next year
Serious answers, please. It's already been established that squirrels might be a nice marketing touch, but it's doubtful a squirrel will appear on the cover
What do you do to hand sell this book so you can get a few thousand people wanting to spend around $10-15 on a tradeback book that likely will have only a few physical copies in traditional bookstores?
Curious to see if ideas here reflect some of the ones I'm beginning to formulate. After all, I would love to be able to sell everyone reading this on just why they'll want to buy themselves a copy of Best American Fantasy 4 when it comes out early next year
Serious answers, please. It's already been established that squirrels might be a nice marketing touch, but it's doubtful a squirrel will appear on the cover

Then provide a link to order it from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Kirk: Spock, you want to know something? Everybody’s human.
Spock: I find that remark…insulting.
Spock: I find that remark…insulting.
Fun, imaginative exercise on bookselling
- 11/06/2010 12:25:07 AM
744 Views
post it somewhere then get a lot of people to write really good reviews about it? *NM*
- 11/06/2010 12:30:54 AM
230 Views
Change the name to "Buy this Book or Die a Fiery Death in Forty Days" *NM*
- 11/06/2010 12:33:55 AM
243 Views
And then start a chain letter e-mail. But are the increased sales really worth selling your soul? *NM*
- 11/06/2010 01:06:13 AM
256 Views
Re: Depends. How much is your soul worth? One brother? One bestseller?
- 11/06/2010 11:39:58 AM
563 Views
Not likely
- 11/06/2010 01:07:28 AM
547 Views
- 11/06/2010 01:07:28 AM
547 Views
"Best American Fantasy" sounds like "Regular Detergent"
- 11/06/2010 02:03:57 AM
563 Views
It's based on Best American Short Stories
- 11/06/2010 03:18:47 AM
589 Views
BASS? You mean THE BASS? Never heard of it. Sounds like "Potato Chips".
- 11/06/2010 05:49:37 PM
534 Views
A few (probably bad) ideas.
- 11/06/2010 05:32:31 PM
785 Views
Tell everyone that this book will be what the book club is reading.
- 12/06/2010 02:33:51 PM
641 Views
Keep the authors in it a deathly secret, start an ARG for people to figure out who will be in it
- 12/06/2010 05:47:10 PM
552 Views
Put Ellen on the cover. Runs risk of suit, but probably gets you on her show either way. *NM*
- 15/06/2010 10:27:57 PM
257 Views

*NM*