New Promo Idea: Warning—Lying is Involved

by Kathleen Kaska 

(Your Fifth Saturday Blogger)

           

            How many of you remember that popular game show from the sixties, To Tell the Truth? Yes, I know I just admitted I’m no spring chicken, but that’s okay; some of those early game shows were a

hoot. On To Tell the Truth, three contestants tried to stump a panel of four by claiming to be the same person. The announcer made the introduction. For example:

            “Tonight we have author Kathleen Kaska. She has published seven books, and more than eighty travel and outdoor adventure articles. She writes the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series, where each book is set in a different historic hotel; and the Classic Triviography Mystery Series, which includes trivia and biographical information. So far her subjects have been Agatha Christie, Alfred Hitchcock, and Sherlock Holmes. Her latest book is a true story about the ornithologist who saved the whooping crane from extinction. Go figure.”

             After the introduction, all three contestants (me being one) walk out on stage and make the same claim.

            Contestant number one: “I’m Kathleen Kaska.”

            Contestant number two: “I’m Kathleen Kaska.”

            Contestant number three: “No, I’m Kathleen Kaska.  

            Now the panel begins quizzing each contestant to see who’s telling the truth and who’s lying. Sometimes the liars can be very convincing. The two imposters have to bluff and lie their way through, but the real person has to tell the truth. Whoever gets the most wrong votes wins the most money. See how it works?

            Think of what fun this could be in promoting our books.

            At a book signing, we could bring along two imposters and stage our own show. Of course, all contestants would have to dress in disguise or maybe wear a bag over their heads, since author photos are posted on every social network available. Or, the contestants could pretend to be our protagonists; costumes in order again. The nice thing about this game is that even if we don’t sell any books, at least we have a shot at winning some cash.

            If anyone is willing to give this idea a try, let me know how it works. Although I’ve become somewhat adept at promoting myself, I don’t think I have the nerve to pull this one off.

            But, I could do a Wheel of Fortune promo event, where all the puzzle answers are my book titles. The only thing I’d need to work out is how to get the cash coming to me rather than the players.

            By the way, Robert Porter Allen, the subject of my whooping crane book, was actually on To Tell the Truth in 1962. He was not able to stump the panel and he didn’t win too much money, but at least he was able to promote his cause.

            I’d love to hear about any off-the-wall promo ideas, if you’re game.

www.kathleenkaska.com 

Mystery Promo

As a mystery book author, I have received a heck of a lot of advice. My mysteries need to be available at every book store in the country, I need to sign at every one of those stores, I should give talks to every library and bookstore who will have me and all of this should be done in the first two weeks after the book is published. It's all pretty interesting if impossible to achieve.
And frankly, I'm at the point where I wonder just exactly how well all of this works anyway. I personally have never bought even one book because of advertising or even because of reviews. I buy books that others who read what I do tell me about but mostly I buy books that I think will be keepers--ones that I will want to read again and again. What that means to me is that the for the most part, I've read others of that author's books and loved them all. I am occasionally disappointed with this method, but not often. Usually, this results in a very small bag of books that I want to give away.

I have seen a lot of authors give readings, most of those didn't happen in the first few weeks after a book was published. I've been to a number of signings. They aren't all that interesting, really. I've bought books in both cases, and sometimes I won't buy a book, because the author did something to turn me off. One author, whose name I won't mention, did a reading with several other authors. During her reading, the silence was palpable. While the other authors read, she chatted with folks and made so much noise, I couldn't hear the other authors. I didn't buy her book.

So all of this is the long way round to saying I think promo is necessary, and I have and will do promo, but I am giving myself permission with this book to make mistakes and take it slower. I've already sent Safe House out to slews of reviewers even though it won't be in print until late spring. And I'm already trying to line up signings and interviews and blog tour hosts. But maybe it doesn't all have to be done in the first two weeks. Just maybe. What do you think?

Me? A Marketing Role Model? You Gotta Be Kidding!

Recently, on one of the many social blogs I’m a part of–can’t tell you how many because I can’t keep track of them all–someone commented on one of my tales that I was a role model for marketing.

That was surprising. I do a lot of marketing or promotion, but I certainly don’t feel like a role model of any kind. What I’d written about was some interesting things that had happened recently. While I was at the antique store doing an all day book appearance, a young woman reporter (a June graduate from high school) came to interview me for the newspaper. She was cute as she could be and asked me several questions, disappeared for awhile, then came back to ask me a few more. Monday morning her article was on the front page of the paper. It was about all the things that were going on in town that Saturday. The paragraphs about me were on the second page. She did a great job and I suspect she’d go far in the journalism business.

Monday, hubby and I played hooky and went to the movies. When we got home there was a message on the answering machine from another reporter (males this time) who wanted to know if I’d be interested in being interviewed for a feature on local writers. When I finally managed to reach him, we set a time when he’d call. He called on time, but said he’d have to call later as there’d been a huge pile-up on the main highway due to fog and he had to cover it.

That’s neither here nor there, my point was that I wondered if maybe I was finally getting some name-recognition even if it is localized.

One thing I’ve learned though, about events of any kind if you can be friendly, chat with folks like you know them (sometimes I do and just didn’t remember), answer all their questions, be sure to know where the bathroom is because that will be one of the questions, and after you’ve spent a little time talking to you, they most likely will purchase one of your books. Always ask the spelling of a name if they want it personalized–people do spell names all sorts of unusual ways–and if you think you know them but just don’t remember for sure, it’ll save some embarrassment.

When I’m having an event in a town, besides putting it on my email groups and anywhere else that lists events, I also mail or email invitations to people I know who live near the venue. That worked well for my event in the back room of the antique store. I also served cookies and hot cider, so that tended to make people sit down and visit for awhile.

I’ll be doing the same thing for two days at the Art Gallery in the next town, only this time I’ll be with a lot of artists selling their wares and crafts. And yes, I am bringing more cookies–as I think everyone else is doing. If nothing else, we’ll have a great time munching out.

Once I’m through with this, I’ll be able to relax and prepare for Christmas. (Oh yeah, that means finishing wrapping presents and preparing dinner for Christmas Eve and Day celebrations.)

And then there’s the New Year. My promotion for Kindred Spirits will be winding down, but folks, I’ll have a new Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel coming from Oak Tree Press, NoSanctuary–and I need to start gearing up for that one. Oh my!

We’ll see just how much of a marketing role model I’m going to be then.

Take time out to enjoy the holidays with your friends and family.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com