By Mike Owens, guest columnist

In a world of fast-paced schedules and short attention spans, it’s challenging to run an effective book promotion. If you’re an author, you need to plan what marketing materials you’ll use to promote your book—far in advance of your book’s publication.

Marketing materials are any object or good used to promote a service or product. You’ll want to have the following marketing materials on hand:

• Business Cards
• Bookmarks
• Post Cards
• Mugs

Whether you’re out to dinner, in an elevator, or at a hotel, you always want to have something ready to give away.

When creating your marketing materials:

1. Make a good impression. Always have a professional design and print your materials. First impressions count, so don’t print cheap.
2. Get creative. Consult with a marketing solutions advisor for some outside-the-box ideas.
3. Be innovative. It’s your book and you want to achieve the most effective results possible.
4. Be aggressive. Never settle for less, but take every marketing opportunity by the horns.

Need promotional materials designed and/or printed? Notation Printing offers full-service graphic design, printing, and promotional imprinting. For a free quote, call 360.802.5750 from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (Pacific time)