by
Kathryn Page Camp
I like to support
other authors, so I buy a lot of physical books at conferences and book fairs.
But sometimes I would rather read the reviews first or purchase the Kindle
version. That’s fine if I remember the author and the title of the book.
Unfortunately, I’ll probably forget both unless I have something in my hands to
remind me.
That’s why authors
need postcards or bookmarks that promote their books. Readers can pick up this
promotional material when they aren’t ready to purchase and then use it to
prompt their memories when they are. Writers can also send postcards through
the mail to interested persons when that new book has come out or the author is
doing a book signing in the area. That may seem unnecessary in this digital
age, but some people still appreciate and respond to “old-fashioned” methods.
And hard as it is to believe, there are even people who don’t use technology
and social media. My 53-year-old brother-in-law just got his first cell phone
and Facebook account.
So what should you
include in your promotional postcards? Your book cover is a must, as is
purchase information. You should also include the ISBN, which is the book’s
fingerprint and is the easiest way for a bookstore to locate it. There may be
other books with the same title and even the same author, but no other book
will have the same ISBN.
Then, of course,
you will want to grab a reader’s interest. This may be done with a short
summary, a quote from a review, an honor the book received, or all three.
As the first picture demonstrates, the front of my Writers in Wonderland postcard includes the book cover, the name of
the publisher (my own imprint), and a witty quote about the book. I printed the
quote in a font that matched the tone of the book, but I probably should have
looked for one that was easier to read.
The back of the
postcard (shown below), carries a short statement about why someone should buy
the book, a note on an honor it received, the ISBN, purchase information, and
my website. Unfortunately, I forgot to mention that a Kindle version is
available.
When I designed
the In God We Trust postcard, I
included the book cover, a short summary, the ISBN, purchase information, and
the publisher.
This time I left
the entire back of the card blank so that I could sticker the left side with information
on upcoming events. Even when the left side is filled in, as was the case with
my Writers in Wonderland postcard, the
right half of the back should remain empty to leave room for an address and
postage. Or you could add blank lines for the address if you prefer.
For the second
time, I forgot to mention that a Kindle version is available. Worse, I also
left off my website address. Oh well. I live and learn like everyone else.
Next time I’ll use
a checklist like this one:
_____
book cover
_____
ISBN
_____
purchase information
_____
e-book availability
_____
publisher
_____
website
_____
summary and/or endorsements and/or honors
Do you have
anything to add to the list? I’d also like to hear about creative ways you use promotional postcards or bookmarks.
_________
Kathryn Page Camp
is a licensed attorney and full-time writer. Writers in Wonderland: Keeping Your Words Legal was a Kirkus’ Indie Books of the Month
Selection for April 2014. The second edition of Kathryn’s first book, In God We Trust: How the Supreme Court’s
First Amendment Decisions Affect Organized Religion, was released on September 30, 2015. You can learn more about
Kathryn at www.kathrynpagecamp.com.
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