Christmas Book Promotions - Wendy H. Jones

 

In case anyone hadn't noticed we are heading up for Christmas. Whilst I believe in the real meaning of Christmas and my heart is filled with wonder around that, my author brain is thinking about promotional opportunities attached to the holidays. Therefore, I have set up a series of paid book promotions on a number of book promotion platforms for the 26th and 27th of December. As my podcast, which also comes out today, goes through the entire process of the why and how of this I thought I would give a slightly less detailed version here for those who are not into podcasts. I will, however, link to the podcast at the end for those who want the fuller details.

There were three reasons for my doing the promotions

1. I wanted to take advantage of the fact that millions of people around the globe will receive electronic devices for Christmas, on most of which they will be able to read ebooks.

2. I have a new first in series out so wanted to promote the first in series.

This last leads me to my third reason.

3. Having captured a new audience, my read through will take them through all seven books in the series. 

There are a number of book promotion sites which you can use but I am focussing on the ones which use email marketing to thousands of readers. The ones I considered and/or used are below as are the costs for each. In order to do the promotions I will be reducing the cost of my books to $0.99 from 26th-31st December.

1. Fussy Librarian - I promoted Killer's Countdown and Antiques and Alibis at a cost of $44. KIller's Countdown in the Mystery Women Sleuths Category and the Mystery Police Procedural Category. Antiques and Alibis was in the mystery female sleuths and also humour. So, four categories for $44. 

All the others were promotions for Killer's Countdown only.

2. Book Cave - $40

3. Readers News Today - They did not have any availability for December. This was a salutary lesson to make sure you get in early.

4. Bargain Booksy -  Promoted in the Mystery category for $65 (There is also a sister promotional site called Free Booksy if your book is free).

5. Robin Reads - Again they had no availability for December. The cost would have been $65.

6. Book Doggy - A new one to me but the cost was only $20 so worth trying.

7. Book Sends - This one was $50. They offered to expand my promotion to ereaderIQ and Book Runes for $30 and $25 respectively but I declined.

8. Pixel of Ink - their site says they re not currently accepting any promotional advertising. 

So, of the eight I considered I set up promotions with five of them to take advantage of the Christmas Book Buying frenzy when people get ereaders and gift vouchers for Christmas. This should also give my books a ratings boost. In total I have spent $215 (£162.08). However, I fully expect to make that back without only books sold, but the read through to my other books  

As these sites are still accepting submissions for the crucial week between Christmas and New Year I would encourage you to take a look at them.

If you would like more detail about these promotions and the process of doing them you can listen to The Writing and Marketing Show Podcast 

Have you tried any other sites. if so, please let me know below as I would love to try them. Also, if you do decided to give it a go, let me know in the comments and I will share them for you when they come out. 

Have a fabulous and blessed Christmas and I will see you in the new year. 

About the Author

Wendy H Jones is the Amazon #1 international best-selling author of the award winning DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries. Her Young Adult Mystery, The Dagger’s Curse was a finalist in the Woman Alive Readers' Choice Award. She is also The President of the Scottish Association of Writers, an international public speaker, and runs conferences and workshops on writing, motivation and marketing. Wendy is the founder of Crime at the Castle, Scotland’s newest Crime Festival. She is the editor of a Lent Book, published by the Association of Christian Writers and also the editor of the Christmas Anthology from the same publisher. Her first children's book, Bertie the Buffalo, was released in December 2018. Motivation Matters: Revolutionise Your Writing One Creative Step at a Time, was released in May 2019. The Power of Why: Why 23 Women Took the Leap to Start Their Own Business was released on 29th June, 2020. Marketing Matters: Sell More Books was released on 31st July 2020. Bertie Goes to the Worldwide Games will be released on 5th May, 202,  and the third book in the Fergus and Flora Mysteries will be published in 2021. Her new author membership Authorpreneur Accelerator Academy launched in January 2021. Creativity Matters: Find Your Passion for Writing the third book in her Writing Matters Series was published in September 2021. Wendy's latest release is Killer's Curse, the seventh book in the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries. 

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