Promotion: Be Unique

As you were growing up a youth, you were always made to be like the other. You even hear it in Pink Floyd’s Welcome To The Machine - go in students, come out robots to fulfill needs with a lack of talk-back. But, as you grow up, get to college, get into the working world, you are always encouraged to be an individual. Those who are typically are the ones who find the most success. This thought process certainly holds water in the publishing world, especially when you are trying to make a name for yourself. While there are those core ways of promoting yourself (Facebook/Twitter/blogs/websites), your key to breaking out of the pack is the unique way you promote your book.

Video - For a long time, book trailers were the way to go, and while they still are a very useful tool, your trailer needs to be good. Effective pictures, short video snippets, breath-taking audio, cool text and video effects, and even some voice-over makes it something people want to view, pass around, and play up.

Beyond this, creating thought-provoking or memorable viral videos that promote your book at the end (as Jeremy Robinson did with his Antarktos Rising 10-video campaign for very cheap money!) can more often than not create a bigger buzz than your trailer.

PODcasting - Many great authors have started their careers with PODcasting. Whether they read their book themselves or hire on a reader for a signature voice, audiobooks can be a very effective way to gain a large base of readers. It can be very expensive if you hire on someone, so be aware, but getting yourself on podiobooks.com and iTunes can open some great doors (amongst other places). You can make it free for a time, then start charging more little by little as you produce titles and increase your readership and quality. That, in conjunction with other promotion can be a great kickstart.

Giveaways - Finding ways to do giveaways that are unique are sure-fire ways to gain some buzz. For example, if you have a story about a special item, see if you can find a way to create a quality version of it online. Perhaps you can find an illustrator who is just getting their feet wet too and have an illustration made of a particular scene from the book. One-of-a-kind items that no one else could dream of getting any other way. Maybe you have a title that follows a particular creature, for this case being a real animal, go to NatGeo.com and purchase the rights to the print to have it made into a poster that you can sign and give away.

One thing that I see happening often is the giving away of one’s own book. I highly recommend fighting that urge. If people are doing their damnedest to win that copy, they won’t do their part in purchasing the title. If they weren’t intending to purchase the title in the first place, would they have really read and reviewed your book? Maybe, but less of a chance of it. They could have always sold that book, or given it away if their true intention was to actually read the book.

Reviews - Find ways to get people to review your titles on their personal blogs, the online retailers, and book sites (Goodreads/Library Thing). Maybe that could be done by giving them a role in your next publication or a $5 gift card to something useful like Amazon.com. This now brings the promotion from your hands into the hands of others… is this more risky? Yes, because there obviously needs to be a demand for what you are giving away and their ROI needs to be worth it to them, but those reviews drive more sales so make it worth it to them if you intend to do this.

Apps And The Like - In the age of smart phones, tablets, and other new and crazy devices, be at the head of the class with the technology. Apps that keep your fans up-to-date with new content and links to vids, blog posts, pertinent images, and the like brighten your fan’s day giving them something to do during their break (or sneaking it in when no one is looking!).

Games are another untapped area to explore. With all the rave in games like Angry Birds, Farm/Cityville, and Bejewled, making an action game may be pricey, but could get a great return if promoted right with your book.

Apps aren’t cheap, so unless you have some money to play with or really want to be at the head of the class, this may not be an option for everyone.

Lastly, you can always check out Vook's too.

There are lots of other options out there (like QR Codes that are now being found on many things for better details on items or special footage, as can be found on Jeremy Robinson's THRESHOLD), but find what is right for you. Keep your eyes open for tech mags spreading the word about new places to be and things to see that could benefit your style of promotion. All of the things above have been done before. For some they have created success, for others they didn’t work so well. As before, you must pave your own way to make yourself a success. Riding on the coattails of another may help you get things started but you will be forever seen as another follower. Leading the way, sticking your neck out, will always see more success - both in accomplishments and failure.

What was your greatest accomplishment with unique promotion? Greatest letdown? Looking forward to your comments!