leave a product on a store shelf as a publicity stunt? I'm having a novel published in a few weeks. It's going to be produced at a very high standard but I don't think the marketing options provided by my publisher are going to be up to much, especially seeing as the book is going to be print-on-demand. I've just had the crazy idea of leaving a few copies on shelves at random book stores. Of course I wouldn't earn anything and IF anyone tried to buy it I could be traced but I guess it's not really doing any harm...is it? Thoughts please.
In German law we have a paragraph for this (which is not surprising, we have a paragraph for fucking everything here). Technically it is kinda illegal, but nothing major. I would advise to ask the store owners if you can leave a few copies there, better to be safe than sorry.
So wait, what are you expecting to happen here? Customer: "Hello, I would like to buy this appealing high-technical book I found on your shelves" Cashier: "Well, this book's not showing up in our system, someone must have left it here" Customer & Cashier:
If it gets just those two people talking about it for a few minutes that's more publicity than it had to begin with. Was just a fun idea.
I dont reccommend this strategy. What I do reccommend is to leave some copies at cafés and literary clubs, with flyers explaining how to contact you if they want a copy of the book. Another idea is to do some Web 2.0 marketing creating a twitter account and a facebook page for the book.
Or leave some copies at barbers or doctors, people read about everything while waiting, even better if they like it!
You could give some copies as promos to independent stores. I'm not sure if that will get you the foot traffic though. You could get in trouble by shop owners, but most likely they will toss them out or put them in the bargain bin.
If you're going to leave them in bookstores, you'd be better off leaving it with the clerk and telling them to give them out to staff or customers for free. People might not choose to buy your book (being an unknown and all) but will definitely pick it up for free. I used to do this with my 'zine back in the 90s at a few local places. It's a good way to promote, leave enough of them and it will get around. Make sure you plaster your website all over it. It'd also be a good idea to take a dozen of them and send them out to various blogs, websites, magazines, that review books.
Another great idea. I don't really care too much if the book sells or not but a bit of recognition no matter how small is always nice. It's a travel writing piece with a huge personal twist. Basically my journal with enough drama in it to challenge the x-factor. I started it back in november simply to catalogue what I'd done over the past 5 years before I started to forget it all. My style of writing started to make it read more like a story so I've adapted it into a non-fiction novel. It's very self centred and I really don't think anyone will give a shit about my life or what I have to say but I'm really enjoying doing it and putting a lot of time and effort into it so I guess that's all that matters. I recently proto-ed the cover design (title is missing for now as I'm still toying with it): I'm doing self publishing with lulu.com and it will be available on amazon and a few other online retailers. I know that marketing costs a fortune so that's why I've been trying to think of crazy low cost alternatives.
Why not just stand on a street corner dressed in a pixy costumes and singing songs to teach people conversational English?
If you are giving them away for free anyway, can I get a copy if I pay the shipping? After I read it, i'll leave it somewhere for somebody else.
Seems like it'd be an interesting book, how much would it be selling for on Amazon in us $ ? And would it be a digital copy or a physical copy? Maybe I could get one someday
I'd be more than happy to give them away as long as shipping costs were covered. I get copies at a massively reduced price and I'd like to get a bulk lot printed which reduces the cost further. I've been talking to my local supermarket which is an independent store and the manager seems more than happy to sell a few copies for me which is a nice start.
