Status: Getting there slooooowly
Nope, I'm not talking about Susan Boyle, the 47-year-old woman whose stunning performance on Britain's Got Talent has captivated hearts around the world. Though I have to confess that I'm one of the many who is fascinated with this unlikely sensation.
What I'm looking for are your opinions and ideas--and this fits with Elisabeth's topic of "Promotion" for our meeting tonight. I'm looking for a new contest to promote my rock band trilogy and want to know what would entice you to enter an online contest:
--The prizes? If so, do you like books? Chocolate or other candy? Gift certificates? Something off-beat?
--The author herself/himself? Do you enter contests only offered by a favorite author? Any contest you see? From an author whose books look intriguing?
--How entertaining the contest is? Do you enter contests because they are interesting? Different? Easy and don't take up much of your time?
--Nothing because you don't enter online contests?
Thanks for your opinions. I promise I won't put you on my mailing list because you responded to my questions. :)
11 comments:
Genene, Interesting questions, please share the results when your survey is over. ;)
The prizes? If so, do you like books? Chocolate or other candy? Gift certificates? Something off-beat?I don't enter contests- that said I have won books because I commented on blogs. But I didn't comment to be in the contest. I like books especially if it's an author I haven't read yet, but I also won a beautiful necklace on one blog and I liked that too!
The author herself/himself? Do you enter contests only offered by a favorite author? Any contest you see? From an author whose books look intriguing?I don't enter any contest I see and as I said above I've only won because I commented on blogs but didn't care one way or the other if I was in a contest.
How entertaining the contest is? Do you enter contests because they are interesting? Different? Easy and don't take up much of your time?See one and two above
For what it's worth when I have a guest blogger and they offer a free book if you comment, I don't see a rise in comments. Yet, the Ask an Author blog I'm on right now, people are leaving comments and questions I believe in order to win the books.
My monthly contest on my website is steadily gaining more and more participants. Some enter every month and some are hit and miss mixed in with new people.
I wasn't much help- good luck in the endeavor to find out what works. when you do let me know!
I'm not going to be much help, either, Genene.
The only contest I can think of that I entered was yours. I can't say why I did, either, I guess I it was easy as you listed a link and fun as you gave a passage and then asked a question. I wasn't super involved in what the prize was although when I did win, I loved the neat presents (and yes, that pesky grandchild took one look at the guitar watch and now wears it EVERYDAY of her life. So, again, the gift that keeps on giving -- thanks!)
The exception was the decorated Christmas tree you offered in December. It was when my mother was a mess and life was a mess and we weren't celebrating anything ... I thought winning the tree would be cool. But how can you know what would appeal to someone in that way? Other years, I would have already had a tree and it wouldn't have struck me as it did this year...
I hope some of the others can be more helpful. I donated a book to a cause earlier this year and included a five dollar gift certificate to Starbucks and that is the sole extent of my promotion this year. Pathetic. Oh, and a book signing!
I don't enter contests mainly because I'm afraid I'll get put on a mailing list to receive things I don't want. This has happened to me when I didn't even enter the contest, so I'm even more loathe to do so now.
Most contests appear to be geared toward other writers because it's rare for readers to frequent the same online haunts authors do. So consider the audience and what would be most valuable to them and to you as the contest sponsor.
Writers, especially fledgling ones, enjoy anything that furthers their own publishing goals. I gave a free workshop for a week last summer and was amazed at the traffic to my blog, which was over 400 hits a day. I gave a prize at the end of the workshop for those who commented, and it was not one of my books but one of 3 writing craft books languishing on my shelves. I think that was part of what drove interest in the workshop when attendees knew what the prize was. Though many did say they didn't want a prize, just the workshop.
Also, on the rare occasion I sponsor a contest, I'll offer a fellow writer's book as a prize rather than my own.
What's the purpose of your contest?
Thanks, Paty! This does help. One thing I didn't touch on, though, and perhaps someone else will--is how to reach a broader audience and keep expanding that audience.
Hi, Alice! I'm glad you entered my contest and won the watch. Also glad your granddaughter is enjoying it! LOL!
The decorated tree was a fun contest. Celebrations, huh? That gives me ideas for other contests. Thanks!
And I wouldn't worry about promotion if I was you. You're selling books and that's what promotion is for. If you can sell books without much promotion, that's awesome!
Hi, Karen! Very good points about who the audience is--the first rule of promotion, if I'd just remember the basics.
Thank you also for the reminder to think about the purpose of the contest. I really enjoy putting together goodie baskets and giving them away. However, I need to remember the purpose is both to sell books and to keep my name in front of potential readers for future releases as well as to brighten someone else's day.
Genene, those are excellent reasons to host a contest and that's all you need. :) You'll have people flocking to enter.
Hey Genene,
I don't enter many contests because as a published author, I often feel like I'm taking someone's prize if I win. Which is silly because I am a reader too, but there it is.
I think big prizes draw the most participants. I held a drawing for my last release for a $100 VISA gift card and some other prizes. I had a lot of people who entered. Beth Kery's doing something similar, but she's also doing like a 30-day book giveaway, where she's interviewing a different author each day, and they're all donating an autographed book to one commenter. I thought that was a good idea as well.
Hi, Eli!
Big prizes are good! And it's fun to interview other authors. Your contest was also fun because everyone got an adventure--instant fun with a hunky guy--in addition to the chance to win. :)
I'm late chiming in...
But, if I were to enter a contest, I'd do it to win the author's book. That's it. I wouldn't want anything else. Just one of their books. Especially if I'd never read one of their books before. And the contest needs to be simple. Brain-dead actually. LOL
Hi, Piper! Simple and books--got it!
(By the way, it was good to see you last night!)
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