Welcome back, Elizabeth Spann Craig with Part 2.
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You’re fortunate enough to get some good reviews from top industry reviewers, or book review blogs. You’ve got the long snip (“Jane Doe has once again proven she’s a master of English literature. This is an extraordinary book that will be loved and pondered for generations.”) You’ve got a tiny snip (“An extraordinary book,” or “This…book will be loved…for generations.”) You’ve got the perfect, glowing snippets—now what?
Tweet and Facebook it. Wow! Kirkus calls An Introduction to Boll Weevils "An extraordinary book"!
Put it on bookmarks. Bookmarks are especially handy to put in your promo mailings to libraries. Bookstores may sell bookmarks of their own.
Put it on postcards. A pithy review snip may help influence a bookstore or library when they’re considering purchasing your novel.
Put it on your tag line. Might want to make it a short snip, otherwise it could seem over the top.
Put them in your on-line press kit. Review snips are a great addition to your website’s press kit.
Mention them when you call up a bookstore. While the bookstore manager is looking up your ISBN, you can quickly slip in. “Yes, I’ve been so excited. Publisher’s Weekly said Boll Weevils ‘will be pondered for generations!’”
Put them on your business cards where the company’s slogan usually goes. Italicized and centered under your book’s name looks great.
Post it on your website. It’s always a good idea to update your website, and adding a great review snip is the perfect time to do it.
Blog about it. Nothing wrong with a short, self-congratulatory post about your wonderful review.
Used well, review snips are a great promotional tool to encourage both readers and booksellers to investigate your book. Now how about it, readers - can you make it ten with another tip?
~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You’re fortunate enough to get some good reviews from top industry reviewers, or book review blogs. You’ve got the long snip (“Jane Doe has once again proven she’s a master of English literature. This is an extraordinary book that will be loved and pondered for generations.”) You’ve got a tiny snip (“An extraordinary book,” or “This…book will be loved…for generations.”) You’ve got the perfect, glowing snippets—now what?
Tweet and Facebook it. Wow! Kirkus calls An Introduction to Boll Weevils "An extraordinary book"!
Put it on bookmarks. Bookmarks are especially handy to put in your promo mailings to libraries. Bookstores may sell bookmarks of their own.
Put it on postcards. A pithy review snip may help influence a bookstore or library when they’re considering purchasing your novel.
Put it on your tag line. Might want to make it a short snip, otherwise it could seem over the top.
Put them in your on-line press kit. Review snips are a great addition to your website’s press kit.
Mention them when you call up a bookstore. While the bookstore manager is looking up your ISBN, you can quickly slip in. “Yes, I’ve been so excited. Publisher’s Weekly said Boll Weevils ‘will be pondered for generations!’”
Put them on your business cards where the company’s slogan usually goes. Italicized and centered under your book’s name looks great.
Post it on your website. It’s always a good idea to update your website, and adding a great review snip is the perfect time to do it.
Blog about it. Nothing wrong with a short, self-congratulatory post about your wonderful review.
Used well, review snips are a great promotional tool to encourage both readers and booksellers to investigate your book. Now how about it, readers - can you make it ten with another tip?
Pretty is as Pretty Dies
Publishers Weekly: "Myrtle's wacky personality is a delight.”
Like her characters, Elizabeth Spann Craig’s roots are in a small, Southern town. She grew up in Anderson, South Carolina, where she spent most of her childhood in the county library, staggering out with books by the armful. Her magazine articles have appeared in both England and the United States. She’s the mother of two and currently lives in Matthews, North Carolina. Between juggling room mom duties, refereeing play dates, and being dragged along as chaperone/hostage on field trips, she dreams of dark and stormy nights beside stacks of intriguing mysteries with excellent opening lines. Visit Elizabeth at Mystery Writing is Murder.
#10 Get the snip tattooed on your forearm. Use a short one--less painful!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, these are some great tips. Now, bring on the good reviews!
Great ideas, which reminds me I need to update my press kit at www.morganmandel.com to include my reviews for Killer Career so far.
ReplyDeleteMorgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
Totally agree with ALL the good ideas on your shout it out list. Keep it tasty, but get it out there in as many ways as possible, and in today's world there are myriad possibilities.
ReplyDeleteMarvin D Wilson
Don't forget CafePress items if you have a good, wise, universally appealing quotation. You'd be amazed at the brilliant things your characters say! And then you just add your website url underneath it in fine print. Very classy.
ReplyDeleteAlan--Tattoos! I forgot about those. Or maybe a tee-shirt with your snip on it!
ReplyDeleteMorgan--Absolutely. I think we all have a hard time remembering to update our sites.
Marvin--Thanks!
Dani--I've heard great things about Cafe Press. I'll have to give them a go!
Tell my mother! - and all my other wonderful betareaders :D
ReplyDeleteAdd it to your Wiki page. Put it on the cover of your next book. Put it on all handouts you give at speaking engagements. If you do a sign/poster to put up at signings, but it on there. (Fabulous advice, Elizabeth!)
ReplyDeleteHelen
Straight From Hel
Impossible to come up with a reasonable # 10 after the brilliant nine you have come up with.
ReplyDeleteHow about something slightly crazy like making customized mugs, or mousepads, or keyrings (or whatever it is that would work in the US), with the book cover and the review snippet, and hand them out to one in every 100th person who comments on your interview.
Seriously though, Elizabeth. Do you have a background in PR? You are awfully good.
Is it okay to use great reviews from industry outsiders? I mean, like READERS. One of the locals who read my book sent me the following email: "Watch out Travis McGee and Kinsey Millhone, Peri Minneopa of Placentia is about to knock your socks off with her gumshoe skills."
ReplyDeleteIt's a great quote, but does anyone care what Warren of Placentia thinks? Besides me?
Gayle
http://gaylecarline.blogspot.com
Dorte---Moms are the best! Mine has sold who KNOWS how many copies in Anderson, SC. :)
ReplyDeleteKaren--Cafe Press is a great online store that inexpensively puts images, text, etc. on promotional items for you. I can't spend much time there or I would spend all my money!
Helen--You go, girl! More great ideas.
Rayna--Thanks! Great ideas. No, but I took some advertising classes in college. And had to do some ad work for the magazines I worked for, too.
Gayle--I think reader reviews are great! And congrats on your good one.
Useful and advice I've never seen anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteI love this site and the great info you provide. I would love to receive your posts in my inbox. However, when I click on subscribe, it is not to sign up for your site but for a signup for Feedburner. Help!
ReplyDelete