Buzz, Balls & Hype

Damn Advertising

Yet another post about how useless advertising is from someone who doesn't get it led me to write this post and thought I'd share it here since the stats are strong.

 So. Just because you never click on ads or notice them doesn't mean others don't. Hundreds of millions of people do.  Millions of readers do.

If you know how to do ads they are amazingly powerful.

Targeted and reaching exactly the right people. 

As part of an Authorbuzz.com program I recently did $500 worth of ads for an author and over 1500 people went to her book page at Amazon. In five days.

That was more traffic than she'd gotten from four months of networking and blogging. And her sales for those five days showed it.

Did she sell $500 worth of books?

Yes. 

 Between Amazon and bookstore sale reports look like she sold more than that - but even if she had only sold $250  worth of books but every one of those readers if they like the book could turn around and via word of mouth influence others.

Yes word of mouth is the #1 way to sell books but to get word of mouth started advertising works.

No one can buy a book they have never heard of or noticed or have seen.

NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE

Once when I was in grad school, I was walking in a park near my apartment on a sunny afternoon in early fall when suddenly the sky turned dark purple. The leaves on the trees shook. The air, which had been clear, was now heavy. A bolt of lighting flashed down and struck a tree several yards away; a thunderclap followed only seconds later. I knew I should move to a more grounded area, but I was transfixed. I had to see what happened next.

As I watched, the sky brightened again, the air cleared, and the trees calmed down. The entire episode didn't take more than 15 minutes, and none of the neighbors I asked had even noticed anything amiss.

The next day I described the episode to a classmate who was also an aspiring writer. "You really are a writer," he comment. When I asked him to explain, he said, "Any sane person would have run for shelter. You had to go for the narrative--to see the story to its end."

I thought about that last Thursday, also a beautiful afternoon in early fall, when a friend and I were on the Circle Line boat tour around Manhattan, and the sky suddenly went black. The boat started pitching, and lightning shot down the sides of the tall buildings, accompanied by deafening thunder. Something hard hit me in the back of the head, and I saw a glittering object on the deck nearby. When I picked it up, it turned out to be a perfectly round ball of ice, which I thought at first must have been dropped or thrown from the drink of someone on the upper deck. But then more of them came shooting down from the sky, and we realized they were a form of hail.

"Bloody hell," said the woman next to me as she and her party, like most of the people on our deck, started to scurry inside. "Aren't you coming in?"

But my friend and I, and a few other lunatics, were glued to the deck. "When will you ever have another experience like this?" I asked the woman.

"Never, I hope!" she retorted and disappeared.

We were rewarded by the sight of the black clouds dispersing over the area surrounding the Statue of Liberty, so that she seemed surrounded by a fuchsia aura, staving off the storm with her glowing torch. I had my phone with me, but didn't even think to take a picture.

But I must, indeed, be a writer, because I did have the thought that I couldn't wait to tell you all about it.

Susan O'Doherty, Ph.D.,is a clinical psychologist with a New York City-based practice. A fiction writer herself,she specializes in issues affecting writers and other creative artists. She is the author of Getting Unstuck without Coming Unglued: A Woman's Guide to Unblocking Creativity(Seal, 2007). Her Career Coach column appears every Monday on Inside Higher Ed's Mama, Ph.D. blog, and she is a regular monthly panelist on Litopia After Dark. Send your questions to her at Dr.Sue at mindspring dot com.

The Ad Man Answers #90

Thursday + Gregory Huffstutter = The Ad Man Answers

This week we bring you Part Two of our Q&A with Stephen Parrish, long-time blogger and debut author of THE TAVERNIER STONES (Midnight Ink).

Part One of our conversation can be found here.

In THE TAVERNIER STONES, Stephen married his love of foreign travel –- he currently lives abroad in Germany -– with cryptology, cartography, and gemology.  And to promote his book launch, Stephen incorporated those elements into an online, armchair Treasure Hunt… with the Grand Prize of a real life 1-carat diamond. 

Back to our chat!

Stephen, if your publisher suddenly came up with $50K to support your next release, how would you want it spent?

Dramatically reduce the price of the book, or at least the first few thousand copies.  Price is the greatest obstacle to impulse buying.  I want my Kindle version, when it becomes available, to sell for $2.99.  Less, if possible.  I also want the Cubs to win the World Series.

 

 Do you feel like you have to be more creative with your book marketing because of your overseas residence?  Would you even embark on a US book-signing tour if you could? 

I don't think my overseas residence has hampered me at all, because I'm as close to potential readers as anyone else with an internet connection.  I keep hearing from friends who do book signings and spend three hours selling four copies.  Nevertheless yes, I would go on tour, all over the country, coast to coast, in a camper van, for the sheer joy of it.  I just wouldn't expect to finish the expedition in the black.

Social media websites like Facebook… valuable or time suck?  How about book club speaking engagements?

Valuable AND time suck, all of it.  I spend about two hours a day online, or preparing something to post online.  It gets in the way, no doubt about it.  But my online friends, none of whom I've met face-to-face, came through for me when my book launched.  And not just by purchasing copies.  One example is author Mark Terry, who I'm sure you know.  If not for him you wouldn't be interviewing me right now, if not for him I wouldn't have gotten my most recent review (at Bookgasm), if not for him I wouldn't even be published.  And that's just Mark Terry.  Social networking most certainly pays off.

Earlier I mentioned planting seeds.  A pop star once told me her story (all right, there were 9,999 others present in the audience when she told it, but I felt as though she were speaking to me).  She was a grade school teacher who wanted to be a singer.  She made demo tapes (on cassette back then) and sent them everywhere.  Naturally to record companies first, but eventually to anyone in the entertainment industry.  Even Clint Eastwood.

Turns out Eastwood was making a movie and needed some background music for a particular scene.  The movie was "Play Misty For Me" and the song on the cassette was "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."  Roberta Flack went on to become one of the most popular recording artists of the seventies. 

And no, I don't buy the argument that such events are extraordinary and rare.  I think they're commonplace.  We might not know what the mechanism was, but every success story in the entertainment industry, publishing included, contains at least one instance of a seed finding its way to fertile ground.

You have a blog and a microsite around your contest, but not a traditional author homepage.  Is that something you plan to create in the future?  Or for your next book release, do you plan to create another unique, themed microsite?

I don't know what the answer to the second question is.  As for the first, oh yes, once I can afford it I'd like a website people talk about.  Something that would qualify as a "single, bold stroke."  Remember Miranda July's site, in which she used the top of her refrigerator like a white board? Suddenly everyone knew who Miranda July was.

 

Do you feel like the Internet – and blogs like “Newbie’s Guide To Publishing” – gave you a leg up before you ever got published?  Any big surprises in the process after becoming a first time author?  Do you feel like you now have an honorary marketing degree?

Joe Konrath should be nominated for sainthood.  Miss Snark too.  Both lent me a virtual hand when I was floundering.  The big surprise after becoming a first-time author was the depression I had to overcome in the weeks following publication.  I wonder if others experience it and just don't talk about it.

Something I'd like to suggest, before we close, is that a good cover is more important than the industry seems to realize.  We don't like to admit that we judge books by their covers, but we do.  A striking cover will make a reader pluck the book off the shelf, read the jacket copy, maybe sample a page or two.  A striking cover will place a book at the head of the line.  If publishers are looking for ways to increase sales, I suggest they hire very talented graphic designers and give them a single mandate: "Make it breathtaking."

 As for the honorary marketing degree, no, I feel dumber than ever.  And ready to make even more mistakes than before.

----- 

Thanks again for the time, Stephen!  Now where did you say I could find that hidden diamond??

Gregory Huffstutter has been punching Ad Agency timecards for over a dozen years, working on accounts like McDonald's, KIA Motors, Suzuki Automotive, AAA, and the San Diego Padres. His first mystery, KATZ CRADLE is on submission while he's working on the sequel. The first 100 pages of his novel are linked here. For general advertising questions, leave a comment or send e-mail to katz @ gregoryhuffstutter dot com with 'Ask The Ad Man' in the subject line.

THE DOCTOR IS IN

THE NOIVE

 

Last week, I conducted exit interviews with two supervisees who are moving on. Their experiences at the clinic where we work have been varied, but each separately expressed appreciation for my "courage" in taking their parts in some issues with the clinic administration.

 

The word struck me as odd, because I think of myself as anything but courageous. I had to gird myself for the discussions they referred to by rehearsing and role  playing with family and friends, and I recovered through extensive postmortem discussions with the same and, on more than one occasion, a stiff drink after work. I thought either they must be fishing around for nice things to say, or their previous supervisors must have been real wimps.

 

Then I got emails from friends who had been to my Iguana show, and two of them mentioned my "guts" in pursuing and performing this gig. I fear the unarticulated message was, "It takes a lot of guts for someone with your abilities to actually get up onstage," but you know what? It's okay.

 

Because I remembered how hard it was to even register for that first voice class, back in March of 2009. I had to walk around the block several times, giving myself pep talks, before I could make myself go into the office. Then, the night of the first class, a friend had to escort me to the door. When the teacher asked what our goals were for the class, I blurted out that I wanted to be able to get through an entire song without passing out.

 

And I remembered writing about it here, in terms of a Jungian hero's journey. One defining quality of a hero is that she or he is afraid, and pushes on anyway to reach the desired goal. The grace and panache with which this is accomplished are not primary.

 

In that spirit, I offer you this. Feel free to laugh. As anyone knows who has sweated through a story, essay or novel and sent it out into the world, the real point is the doing, the stretching and growing and, yes, courage. Here's to all of us.

 

Susan O'Doherty, Ph.D.,is a clinical psychologist with a New York City-based practice. A fiction writer herself,she specializes in issues affecting writers and other creative artists. She is the author of Getting Unstuck without Coming Unglued: A Woman's Guide to Unblocking Creativity(Seal, 2007). Her Career Coach column appears every Monday on Inside Higher Ed's Mama, Ph.D. blog, and she is a regular monthly panelist on Litopia After Dark. Send your questions to her at Dr.Sue at mindspring dot com.

The NYT is Nothing Compared to Oprah

  

It's true... brilliant book and brilliant book club pick or not ...

Since Jan 2005, Oprah has picked 14 books for her club

All of them have been by men! 

All of them for the last 5 years. 

If you go back, since 2003 she's picked 20 titles.

18 of them are by men. 

I'm not suggesting affirmative action here. I never am.I don't believe in it. I just continue and continue and continue to find it curious. Is it possible that in 5 years there has not been one title written by one woman that deserved to be an Oprah bookclub selection?

FYI: She has 2 million readers in her book club over 80% of them are women and  7-9 million viewers watch the show every week and the majority are overwhelmingly female. More than  80% say some searches.

HAND YELL FOR THE BELLS

 I received this book a few months ago in galley from from an agent I adore. He asked me to blurb it. 

 I opened it as I do every ARC I'm asked to blurb... with trepidation... I dislike having to write back and say I tired but... or I'm ate on my own book...or the dog ate my homework and...

The trepidation disappeared on the first page as the awe took over. I knew I was in the hands of a natural born story teller with a unique and marvelous voice. And I never stopped thinking that until I finished the book, tears running down my cheeks.

Here's what I wrote about The Bells:

 I was mesmerized from first page to the last by this haunting and seductive novel. Long after I finished, the characters and their heartbreaking tale of love, loss, and obsession resonated with me still. Readers, here is a book you’ll find impossible to resist. Bravo and encore!

If I had enough money I'd buy a copy of this book for everyone I know. if you liked Perfume by Patrick Suskind  - Harvell has followed in that masterpiece's footsteps with a unique story of his own.

Please,  buy this book. 

Here's an interview with the author and Diane Rehm on her Tuesday show.

Come Chat

Book Movement: LIVE Author Chat with M.J. Rose

Thursday September 16, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. ET

 I'll be chatting with readers on Bookmovement.com about The Reincarnationist Series and topics on the writing and publishing process.

 You can participate live or send your questions in advance to info@bookmovement.com. 

Readers who send question in advance are eligible to win a complete set of The Reincarnationist Series (The Reincarnationist, The Memorist, and The Hypnotist).  Five winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries received by September 16th. 

You can take part in this live chat on Thursday, September 16 at 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. ET by going to http://www.bookmovement.com (no special log in required).

 

So very flattered

Randy Sue Myers said she got tired of the lists of young writers to watch and statements like "Let's Face It After 40 You're Past It" in the Guardian and Sam Tanenhaus in the NYT saying most writers create their lasting work when they are young... so she did a 40 over 40 list and I'm very flattered to have been included. 

THE DOCTOR IS IN

OUR NIGHT OF THE IGUANA

…was terrifying in prospect; exhilarating in the event. The other performers were gifted and accomplished in ways that would have been intimidating except that they were so warm and welcoming. Our numbers went well—we made some mistakes, but we were carried along by the fun of the experience, and the audience was enthusiastic and forgiving. 

Among audience members were many people who are important to me—my husband and son were there; my brother and sister-in-law came up from North Carolina for the performance; my sister-in-law’s sister & her husband came out, and a number of good friends from diverse parts of my life, from high school through our current voice class. 

I don’t have any important lessons or morals to draw today, or clever tie-ins with writing; only gratitude for this chance to continue growing at this late stage of life and for the wonderful people who have taken the journey with me, including the many here who have sent their encouragement. 

I’ll be back to my usual cynical self next week, I promise.

Susan O'Doherty, Ph.D.,is a clinical psychologist with a New York City-based practice. A fiction writer herself,she specializes in issues affecting writers and other creative artists. She is the author of Getting Unstuck without Coming Unglued: A Woman's Guide to Unblocking Creativity(Seal, 2007). Her Career Coach column appears every Monday on Inside Higher Ed's Mama, Ph.D. blog, and she is a regular monthly panelist on Litopia After Dark. Send your questions to her at Dr.Sue at mindspring dot com.

The Ad Man Answers #89

Thursday + Gregory Huffstutter = The Ad Man Answers

This week we continue our Advertising Q&A series with Stephen Parrish, long-time blogger and debut author of THE TAVERNIER STONES (Midnight Ink).

For his novel, Stephen married his love of foreign travel –- he currently lives abroad in Germany -– with cryptology, cartography, and gemology.  And to promote his book launch, Stephen incorporated those elements into an online, armchair Treasure Hunt… with the Grand Prize of a real life 1-carat diamond. 

Show us the bling, Stephen!

When asked about your marketing philosophy, you’ve previously quoted the Ries/Trout Theorem:  “History teaches that the only thing that works in advertising is the single, bold stroke.”  Clearly that played out in your decision to give away a diamond.  So, has that hidden stone been found yet? 

No, but it will be found within the next couple of months, because I'm  going to begin releasing additional information on my blog.  The diamond was to be awarded to the first person who deciphered and ordered a sequence of clues.  The clues reveal a web address where an image of a diamond is hidden.  Contest participants have been emailing me, telling me of their progress, and as of now all clues have been solved---just not by the same person.  I want to wrap this up and take advantage of any remaining publicity while my book is still in the stores.

 

How has the response been to your contest?  Do you feel like it also energized folks outside your core readers:  publisher, booksellers, librarians, etc?

The response was perhaps a little disappointing.  I'd always planned on increasing the size of the diamond incrementally, making it as large as I could.  However, doing so would have required corporate sponsorship, or a large advance on a second novel, or some other windfall that didn't happen.  I planned for all scenarios, though, so I'm not personally disappointed.  Most of the reason I designed the treasure hunt was for fun.  Did it energize industry folks?  Not that I could tell.  But again, no regrets.  If you're not failing, you're not trying.

 

 Do you have statistics of how many readers got involved in the armchair treasure hunt?  What kind of lift in book sales / website traffic did you observe after the contest launch? 

My best guess, interpreting site visit stats, is a few thousand people worked on it, mostly in the U.S., England, and France.  Unfortunately I'm not able to identify any correlation between their activity and book sales.  Whenever I see the Amazon rank bump up, or Borders or B&N restock one of their stores, I wonder who's buying the book, and why.  I haven't yet received a royalty statement so I'm still pretty much in the dark.

Who funded the diamond and contest microsite – you or your publisher?  Without getting into specific dollar amounts, did the entire contest cost more or less than a used Toyota Yaris?  Based on estimated ROI, would you repeat a similar strategy in the future?

I funded everything.  My total expenses, diamond included, far exceeded my advance.  But again no regrets.  I don't think a first novel is about making money, I think it's about establishing a presence.  Would I do this kind of thing again?  Yes, if someone else funded the prize.  Designing treasure hunts is a blast.

 

I notice that you did several blog interviews and sponsored a short-fiction contest (Clarity of Night) around The Tavernier Stones.  What other advertising efforts did you attempt during your book launch?

This interview represents my 40th online appearance promoting the novel (Tavernier was published May 1st).  In addition I participated in the Goodreads giveaway and recommend everyone do so.  It's pleasant to watch a thousand or more people sign up for a copy of your book.  My friends put together an online launch party, which was a lot of fun.  Guest posts, interviews, solicited reviews, discussions, I tried everything.  Anecdotal evidence suggests some things worked better than others, but in general I just wanted to plant seeds as widely as possible and hope at least one of them sprouted.  Hollywood called, so maybe one did.

----- 

Stay tuned next time for Tarp Wot (that’s an elaborate word scramble) of our conversation with Stephen, where we discuss Time Sucks and his love of Miss Snark.

Gregory Huffstutter has been punching Ad Agency timecards for over a dozen years, working on accounts like McDonald's, KIA Motors, Suzuki Automotive, AAA, and the San Diego Padres. His first mystery, KATZ CRADLE is on submission while he's working on the sequel. The first 100 pages of his novel are linked here. For general advertising questions, leave a comment or send e-mail to katz @ gregoryhuffstutter dot com with 'Ask The Ad Man' in the subject line.