Does your favourite novel (or the novel you have written) have extras?
This what I mean by extras. I was involved in a conversation on Goodreads the other day, when someone was asking if any of the authors present had created a Twitter account for our characters. He was wondering if it helped generate sales. Most of us thought it wouldn’t be much help, except perhaps for a novel that was already doing well.
There are a lot of things authors do, which I call ‘extras’, to try and reach a wider audience. For example, all three of my books have book trailers. You can find them on this website. However, it seems that book trailers don’t do a lot to generate sales. Most readers aren’t interested in them. And what use are they if no one knows they’re there because the author’s marketing reach isn’t extensive?
Another thing I’ve tried to do is use merchandise. The bookmarks my publisher produced for me have been extremely helpful. If someone only buys the first book in the Verindon trilogy, I always slip a bookmark in, as it contains websites where they can find the other two books. I also give them to anyone who buys the full set, so that they can always give it to someone else if they want to ‘share the love’.
My t-shirts were a great extra, until I lost the website printed on them. However, I’m hoping it may be free again next year, so I’m keep all the t-shirts, just in case. I’ve also put together a charm bracelet for those who buy the full set of my trilogy. However, this is more useful in providing an extra incentive for them to buy the full set, as the bracelet doesn’t have any branding on it, so it can’t point onlookers in my direction like a t-shirt or bookmark.
I think all of these things have their uses, and some are definitely more effective than others.
Are you a writer? What ‘extras’ do you use? Do they work? Are you a reader? Do you look at book trailers, character Twitter/Facebook accounts, and things like that? Let me know in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
I can’t say I’ve come across a lot of ‘extras’ in my reading/purchasing of books, Lynne. Mostly just the occasional bookmark. I remember seeing your t-shirts at the Brisbane Omega Conference and thinking they were a great idea.
They’re an excellent idea. Now if I can just get that website back …
My daughter loves these ‘extras’. She goes off to conventions and returns with knock knacks, costume items and jewellery. Her bedroom shelves are full of bobble head figurines from her favourite stories.
Yet it is as you say, only stories which are already doing hugely well seem to have success selling this merchandise. It’s more of a by-product of former success than a means of helping anyone take off. I think the cost is a barrier for many too, when it comes to helping with marketing.
Yes, I don’t mind a knick knack or two myself. 🙂
As I write for kids, my publisher has created activities that teachers an use in the classroom. This is a value add, but hasn’t directly resulted in extra sales. I also have bookmarks I put in with books as well as leave in cafes and hand out to people who will be interested in my books.
teacher aids for use in the classroom can generate flow-on sales. They’re hard to track though.
Hi Lynne
Some great ideas. Your reflections on book trailers are interesting – especially as they can be expensive to produce. I’ve always thought bookmarks are a good idea. And in fact I had that confirmed today. A teenage son of a good friend was keen to tell how much he enjoyed your trilogy. His mother had been at the last talk you gave for our book club Between the Lines (thanks for that) – and while she didn’t buy your books (she has three teenage boys 15, 16 & 18) shed did take home one of your bookmarks and gave it the oldest (who is an avid reader). He’s been using it, but finally had a good look at it & then bought all three of the Verindon trilogy on Kindle, powered through them and loved them. So – three sales you may not have got without the bookmark 🙂
Hooray! It’s good to know they’re working. 🙂