Recently, a publisher in Sweden sent me an intriguing story about a book signing that he staged aboard a commercial airliner on a flight to Stockholm. I have invited him to share some of his wonderful creative book marketing ideas here. I hope this story will inspire you to think outside the box when it comes to planning promotions for your own books.
The Sky is (Not) the Limit for Creative Book Marketing
by Sölve Dahlgren
I started my publishing company, Dahlgrens Förlag, in 2009 to self-publish my own books (so far two teen sports novels), and then I met Bodil Mårtensson, an author who had published 11 crime novels but also had a desire to write an historical novel set in Helsingborg and Scania, in Southern Sweden.
Since Bodil's regular publisher was not very interested in historical novels, I offered to publish her book. We released the book at the same time as a paper book, ebook and audio book—something that often only the major publishing houses in Sweden do—and now we are doing our best to market it in creative ways. The book is available only in Swedish at this point, but the author's agent is seeking foreign rights deals.
Barkhes Döttrar (Daughters of Barkhe) is a historical suspense novel set in 1656, a time when Helsingborg and other parts of Southern Sweden still belonged to Denmark.
For the book release party, we hired an actor that did a monologue with the main character, Frans Barkhe. You can see a video, but it is in Swedish with no subtitles. The release party was held in one of the few buildings remaining from the time period when the book takes place. Actually, one of the scenes in the book was set in that very house, in 1656.
Book Signing in the Air
Our book signing aboard a commercial airliner is the most unusual promotion we have done. Passengers on a Kullaflyg airline flight to Stockholm got a little surprise after take-off when Bodil grabbed the microphone to tell them about her new book. Then she signed a copy for each of the 75 passengers aboard. After landing, the crew got their own autographed copies of the book. We got some attention in Swedish media, as this has obviously not been done here before.
Kullaflyg is an airline that is known to be unconventional. I knew that they offered their passengers an occasional surprise, having previously done a crossword competition onboard and served fresh tomatoes from a local farmer.
As a local airline competing with Scandinavian Airlines (which is part owned by the Swedish state), Kullaflyg likes to support local initiatives—like a book set in the Helsingborg region. So, I contacted them to ask if they were willing to give Bodil and I airline tickets in exchange for us providing 75 books to sign onboard a flight. They thought it was a great idea. It helps that one of the managers of the airline was invited to the release party and had already purchased a copy of the book.
The Value of Local Connections
We have also gotten a good connection with the local tourist board in Helsingborg. They sell the book at the tourist office and we are doing a book signing there this week. We are discussing starting guided city tours connected to the places mentioned in the book, including what is left of the once mighty Castle of Helsingborg (it was destroyed by the Swedes after Sweden won the war against Denmark in the 17th century) and Kärnan, the residence of Frans Barkhe in the book.
As a small publisher, I think it is vital to find different ways to market yourself and your books. Finding venues to speak about the book (we have visited some Rotary club meetings) is great marketing. With this kind of historical novel, it is easier to find people who have something to gain from it getting popular. For example, the city of Helsingborg would love to spread the word about the history of the city, which is more 900 years old.
For my youth novels, I have visited dozens of tournaments and floorball games and signed hundreds of books for young boys and girls. It takes a lot of time, but also builds the brand of the books series. When writing a series of books, it is also great to meet the readers as they often come up and say things like "I loved your books, when will the next one be published?"
So, find a venue that fits your book. Is there some sort of connection? Is there a group of people that would love your kind of book? Where can you meet them and sell the book directly to them? Just use the imagination that helped you write the book when imagining new places to market and sell your books.
Links (sites in Swedish)
Great creativity, Sölve and Bodil, thanks for sharing! Too bad I wasn't on the flight to Stockholm, would have been a nice experience :)
Posted by: Kajsa Orvarson | July 12, 2011 at 04:00 PM
Tanks Kajsa - I'm glad you enjoyed the article from Sölve.
Posted by: Dana Lynn Smith | July 12, 2011 at 05:17 PM
I'd like to read one of these articles from a self-help writer. This newsletter is interesting but it seems to lean towards fictional books and authors. I wonder if you'd consider posting an article that I wrote about my promotional experiences with my book "Train Your Brain, Transform Your Life: Conquer ADHD In 60 Days, Without Ritalin." (Petrie Press, 2011) For instance, I've sold a lot of books as a result of doing radio interviews. My first radio interview was with the "judge" of a book contest that I entered. Turns out he is also a college prof and Huffington Post writer.
Posted by: Nicky VanValkenburgh | July 12, 2011 at 09:45 PM
Hello Nicky,
Because I am a nonfiction author and many of my articles tend to be from that perspective, I often invite guest posters who are expert in promoting fiction. And many marketing tactics work for either fiction or nonfiction. You can browse the articles on this blog by topic at http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/book_marketing_maven/learn-how-to-market-your-book-and-yourself.html
Thanks for your offer of a guest post - I will be in touch via email.
Dana
Posted by: Dana Lynn Smith | July 13, 2011 at 08:08 AM