Nathan Bransford - The Forums

I'm sure everyone realises here that if you want your book to sell, you need to go out and sell it. Blagging some reviews, offering interviews, author tours, blog tours, advertising eg video trailers, etc, etc.

But what about madder ideas? What mad stuff have you done to promote your book. What mad stuff would you be prepared to do? I've heard stories that Christopher Paolini used to tour bookshops dressed up as a mediaeval knight - would you be willing to make yourself look silly if it resulted in a few book sales?

Here's my first mad stab at trying to promote my novel on Facebook: apps.facebook.com/vreskiwards/. I'll probably come up with even madder ideas in due course.

First, I'd steal a whole bunch of cats. Then I'd photograph those cats with my book, hopefully in funny poses. Then I'd upload all the pictures to lolcats. Someone's bound to make a funny caption for one of them and get on the front page.

Then I get arrested for stealing cats. Mass media coverage!

lmao!!!

Hmm.... since my book is a romance drama... maybe i could get a few guy-friends and set up dates with whoever buys my novel!! :P And they could travel together to the places my MC is... and do the things they do!

Ok, i got carried away. They're not gonna want to read my book with a hunk around them. Bad idea. I'll shut up :P

On the subject, I noticed this article today. An author paid actresses to stand in public places and laugh at her book:

http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/novel_p ... nLBl2cTB0M

Polenth, then the cats all get Stockholm Syndrome and sell their stories to the National Enquirer!

Wow, great find Polenth, that's a new one.

If I could do anything at all, I would have a rigid dirigible constructed and have it painted to detail scenes from and of course the title of said book. I would then proceed to fly around the world in eighty days and complete my journey by docking at the Empire State Building. The sheer number of problems with this plan are hopefully obvious, although the greatest being my massive fear of heights which has, on occasion, literally resulted in temporary paralysis.

A long time ago, when I sort of liked Eragon, I went to a book signing to meet Christopher Paolini. Like you mentioned, he'd dress up (I think as Eragon) and tour schools and libraries. I would totally do that (though, erm, not as Eragon), with perhaps a few twists. Costumes always get attention, and it'd be fun.

It'd also be fun (and relatively easy) to promote things over the social networking sites around. Twitter is always good, and it's amazing how fast stuff can spread on Tumblr. LiveJournal is a pretty good platform, too, especially if you're involved there already.

If all else fails, I can always get a wizard and have a couple o' spells cast. >_>

NOVELIST IN CAT-THEFT PROMOTION SHOCKER
IS BOFFIN'S BIZARRE NOVEL PROMOTION IDEA ENCOURAGING IMMIGRANTS?
REVEALED! LEADING AUTHOR'S FELINE KLEPTOMANIA
KIDNAPPED AND PUT TO WORK AS NUDE SIAMESE TWIN MODEL
ALIENS ABDUCTED MY CATS TO PROMOTE INTERGALACTIC BESTSELLER

Not that I'm calling you an alien, Polenth. ;)

I would dress up regardless of whether it sold me any books or not. I'm a recovering theater major with too much free time and a sewing machine -- I'll take any excuse to make/wear a costume!

itunes allows you to create your own mixes, and then they go on sale. I'm planning to create a soundtrack to advertise as well.

CV

Lysimache wrote:Not that I'm calling you an alien, Polenth. ;)

For a moment I thought my secret was out!

(Though there is a nice fluffy black and white cat, who's taken to sleeping in the garden. All I need now is a net and some cat treats...)