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We’ve all seen it—a child’s recent art work held up by a refrigerator magnet reminding you of a particular company’s contact information.
Look on your desk or in your purse. How many pens do you have with a business name and phone number imprinted on them? Millions of people just like you may not know where these products came from or how they got them, but they use them all the time.
Promotional products can range from printed paper materials like scratch pads, bookmarks, to plush toy animals or tools. They’re a great way to influence people to remember you.
As an author, you can remind people of your book through bookmarks, business cards, or any number of creative creations. There are many ways to spread the message, service, or product you offer.
Authors are particularly very creative with promotional products to match their books. Though bookmarks or postcards provide great introductions, you can expand your reach with additional creative products that showcase your book.
As an example, we have an author who wrote a book on finances. She offers a calculator and piggy bank to help parents teach their children financial responsibility.
Another author has a children’s book and commissioned one of the characters to be made into a plush toy.
Three things you need to put promotional products into your readers’ hands:
1. Brainstorm
Make a list of ideas of things that might relate to your book. With over 750,000 products to put your name or book title on, there will be just the perfect item for you. Choose fun, interesting, or practical products that support your message.
2. Demographics
Narrow down the list of the people you want to reach. Are they home makers, church goers, college students, or business professionals? Consider where they will be when they need your product the most and might pick it up when that time comes.
3. Consultation
Use a great company with a good reputation that can offer you many different choices and help you find the right product for your book. There are many companies to choose from online and off, but a pen or a mug may not be the right product for you. Talking with an expert can help you come up with creative ideas that will draw attention to your book and keep you in the forefront of your audiences minds.
After years of helping authors creatively market their books, WinePress Publishing established Notation Printing & Marketing Group . Since 2007, Notation has helped authors, small businesses, and organizations build strong marketing campaigns and brands. Their marketing experts love to brainstrom ideas for promotional products and programs that generate results.
(By the way: did you know WinePress of Words has a free newsletter? Sign-up for more free articles, tools, and tips)
The editorial team for WinePress of Words includes Carla Williams (Executive Editor), Laura Christianson (Editor and Coordinator), Josiah Williams (Marketing Specialist), and Thomas McGee (Designer and Developer).
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In my book The Vision of a Mother’s Heart, “Mama” is teaching ten-year-old Isabel and her friend how to cook. Mama always has a comb and ribbons in her pocket to keep the girl’s hair out of the way. (And out of the food!)
I have been thinking of mother/daughter aprons to go with the book or at least as a “give away”.
“Mama” always has a clean embroidered handkerchief handy and makes them for her children. I have also considered handkerchiefs to go with the book.
“Mama” often serves tea or hot chocolate. I have thought it would be fun to have a “tea party” book signing.
A mother-daughter tea party would be great fun, Katherine! Tea for the moms and perhaps hot cocoa for the young ones.
Aprons is a good idea, but could get spendy. Maybe have a few made up to use as door prizes. Handkerchiefs would be more affordable is you want to make mass-produced giveaways available.
Lots of great promotional ideas tie in with your book… you should have fun with this.
Hello Laura!
My children’s picture book, TOP O’ THE MORNIN’ MINI MINNIE (with WinePress Publishing) is still in the illustration phase. In the book, Mini travels in a bottle to Ireland and learns to count to 10 in Irish, while learning to trust GOD’s plan for her life.
As a Christian preschool project, a sketch of Mini, (now getting a “make-over” by the illustrator), was mailed by my students to people all over the world in March.
I hope to have other Christian preschools use Mini as a project also. I’m looking forward to brainstorming about promotional ideas…
What fun, Connie! I want to learn to count to 10 in Irish. I am of Irish descent (Northern Ireland, that is), and your book sounds intriguing.
Great idea to get your students involved.
When I speak to Moms groups, I pass out copies from my Fold n’ Do books. They are reproducible pages with Bible story activities. More times than not, moms want to buy the book so they can have more.