Leveraging Social Media to Promote A New Thriller

It’s been standard-operating-procedure for years for authors and publishers to give away books as a promotional gimmick.  But as publishers have felt mounting competition from other entertainment sources for consumers’ discretionary dollars, and due to recessionary pressures, book marketing budgets and support staff have been slashed, and authors are being forced to rely upon increasingly unorthodox means to publicize their work.  Giving away books simply isn’t enough anymore.

In response, to help publicize my new thriller, THE GOD MACHINE, I’m drawing upon my background in Internet advertising and focusing on a communications medium which, ironically, I played some small part in pioneering a couple of decades ago:  the Net.

How?

By leveraging all kinds of social media, and by enlisting my fans to assist me.

The entire conceit of THE GOD MACHINE Readers’ Contest is that the more readers blog about my new book, the more they Tweet, the more they write reviews on book sites, the more they post book trailers on YouTube and GOD MACHINE e-Postcards on their blogs, the more frequently they’ll be entered into THE GOD MACHINE drawing.  Someone is going to win up to $500 in cash, and someone else a new Kindle 2 . . . just for helping me get the word out about the book.  Significant prizes in these challenging times.

What I find most satisfying about THE GOD MACHINE promotion is that I’m rewarding my most loyal fans.  By participating, they become part of the book launch, part of the book experience, and authors--in a very real sense--of the book’s success.  It’s a bottom-up, guerrilla marketing campaign.

As part of the Grand Prize, I’ll perform a personalized video reading from the book using a Webcam and VOIP online phone service provider Skype.  If he or she doesn’t have one already, the winner can create a free Skype account, and then see and hear me read from THE GOD MACHINE through their PC.  It’s like having a book conference or book club meeting with the author in your own living room!

In fact, I performed a similar Skype Book Reading and Conference with kids from the Fort Plain High School in upstate New York just last month.

Almost as an afterthought, the Grand Prize winner will also receive a complimentary autographed copy of THE GOD MACHINE.

To nurture the viral nature of the promotion, I’m creating a series of e-Postcards (which can double as desktop Wallpaper) featuring famous personages from the past . . . who happen to be in the public domain.  In the same way I’m enlisting the support of my fans, I’m recruiting many of my personal heroes--from Franklin to Lincoln to Gandhi--to help me promote the book.  I’m hoping the humorous, irreverent tone of the e-Postcards will encourage recipients to forward them on to their friends.  Fans who post one of the GOD MACHINE e-Postcards on their blog are entered into the drawing twice.  If they create a new e-Postcard based on the book, they’re entered 5 times.

 

 

To download a .pdf of Ben Franklin, right-mouse-click here, and then "Save Target As" the file (under whatever name you choose) to anywhere on your PC (e.g. your Desktop).  Once it's on your PC, you can attach it to emails and send it on to your friends.

 

Or you can right-mouse click on the image, "Copy" it, and then right-mouse click "Paste" it directly into an email message.

 

To download a .pdf of Liberty, right-mouse-click here, and then "Save Target As" the file (under whatever name you choose) to anywhere on your PC (e.g. your Desktop).  Once it's on your PC, you can attach it to emails and send it on to your friends.

 

Or you can right-mouse click on the image, "Copy" it, and then right-mouse click "Paste" it directly into an email message.

 

To download a .pdf of Mona Lisa, right-mouse-click here, and then "Save Target As" the file (under whatever name you choose) to anywhere on your PC (e.g. your Desktop).  Once it's on your PC, you can attach it to emails and send it on to your friends.

 

Or you can right-mouse click on the image, "Copy" it, and then right-mouse click "Paste" it directly into an email message.

To download a .pdf of Gandhi, right-mouse-click here, and then "Save Target As" the file (under whatever name you choose) to anywhere on your PC (e.g. your Desktop).  Once it's on your PC, you can attach it to emails and send it on to your friends.

 

Or you can right-mouse click on the image, "Copy" it, and then right-mouse click "Paste" it directly into an email message.

To download a .pdf of Jesus, right-mouse-click here, and then "Save Target As" the file (under whatever name you choose) to anywhere on your PC (e.g. your Desktop).  Once it's on your PC, you can attach it to emails and send it on to friends.

 

Or you can right-mouse click on the image, "Copy" it, and then right-mouse click "Paste" it directly into an email message.

 

 

To download a .bmp of the book cover, right-mouse-click here, and then "Save Target As" the file (under whatever name you choose) to anywhere on your PC (e.g. your Desktop).  Once it's on your PC, you can attach it to emails and send it on to your friends.

 

Or you can right-mouse click on the image, "Copy" it, and then right-mouse click "Paste" it directly into an email message.

 

How are people responding?  It’s a mixed bag.

In some cases, since the story was picked up, bloggers are posting references to the book and Readers’ Contest on their sites.  Several are even leveraging the e-Postcards.  A number of reviews have already appeared on the major bookselling sites, such as Amazon.  Friends and fans whom I emailed directly are passing the e-Postcards along virally, and many have gone out to purchase the book.  Traffic to my author website -- www.jgsandom.com -- is way up, more than doubling over previous months, with thousands of new visitors.  Sales are so brisk that the book has already gone into a Second Printing.

On the other hand, after posting news of the new book and THE GOD MACHINE Readers’ Contest in discussion groups at Amazon and other locations (e.g. the Amazon Historical Fiction discussion group, since much of the story takes place in 18^th century Colonial America, with a young Benjamin Franklin as a character), some -- specifically Misfit, Nate Trachta and Nick Brett -- were offended by the commercial nature of the promotion, complaining that the discussion groups should not be tainted by huckstering authors.  The fact that I didn't repeatedly insert notice of my new thriller and promotion into an existing discussion thread -- like a nervous tap on the shoulder of someone already engaged in an interesting discussion -- was a subtlety unappreciated by the curmudgeonly netizens of the Historical Fiction group.  Notice of the Contest was listed as a separate discussion topic, and individuals had to proactively click on the topic to visit the thread, but it was still damned offensive to them.  In all fairness, Amazon’s guidelines prohibit notice of Sweepstakes or giveaways within their discussion groups, and so the shock troops of the Historical Fiction group -- who likened me to a fly at a picnic -- were well within their rights to complain.  I wonder what kind of reviews they'll write!

That said, I believe it’s incumbent upon authors like me, in this changing marketplace, to test the boundaries of these new online relationships, to stretch and to shape the new protocols and evolving netiquette of our brave new world.  One without newspapers, let alone newspaper book reviewers.  One with increasing numbers and nuances of entertainment media to contend with . . . and compete against.  One with shrinking book marketing budgets, recessionary pressures on consumer spending habits, and deflating book sales advances.

It’s in our nature to create worlds through our work, and our obligation to stretch the new boundaries which social media present to us as we evolve our marketing techniques in these volatile times.

Comments

[George Smith]

Dear George:

Thanks for posting your comments here vs. on my author site. After all, the vast majority of the comments that have been appearing at Amazon.com under Nate Trachta's review were authored by folks who, apparently, haven't even read THE GOD MACHINE, and deal, for the most part, with the way the book has been promoted vs. the work itself.

I did see your "counter" to Mr. Trachta's review, and found it frank, polite and incisive. His concerns about historical accuracy seemed, well, more like quibbles than criticisms. That said, I cannot stress enough that I believe he's entitled to say what he wants about the book. Just as you have the right to disagree with him, and to say what you want about the book. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, as it were.

What I can't abide is for people to make ad hominem attacks that have nothing to do with the work. For example, when they accuse you of being a "sock puppet", it not only derides you, making you seem like a slave to my opinion, but it also denigrates the entire reviewing process. A legitimate reader who might wish to voice his or her opinion might very well be dissuaded to do so as a result of this kind of nastiness. Why bother to review if you're just going to be subject to name-calling and insult? By the same token, and you may not like hearing this, I think it was not appropriate when you said, "Makes me wonder who Some Guy (I mean SumGai) really is." To me, this implies that you think SumGai is a "sock puppet". Whether or not he is speaking from the heart or is just a mouthpiece for Mr. Trachta or Misfit or one of the less than half a dozen zealots at Amazon's Historical Fiction community (and let's not forget that this is the size of the group we're talking about) is really irrelevent. We can't speculate, nor should we. In the end, it's not that important.

Regarding your suspicion that some in this group may be employees of Amazon, I really don't know where you came up with this. I realize that Misfit lives in Seattle (where Amazon is based), and that she's the one who first invoked Amazon's name when she claimed "I know that Amazon is cracking down on this sort of thing" (referring to my original posting about my sweepstakes within Amazon's Historical Fiction group), but this seems like mere speculation on your part. Given how so many folks use Telecom networks to connect to the Web these days, it's virtually impossible to know who someone is anymore by simply looking at their IP address. Misfit made the same mistake when she claimed I was someone named Amy on her misfit mom and a cat blog. Mounting accusations upon ignorance is like building a house upon sand; it soon falls, washed away by the sea.

I do remember you, George, from my reading at Head House Books. And, once again, let me thank you for turning out for the event.

Please let me know what you think of GOSPEL TRUTHS when you're finished.

In the meantime, I think you've wasted enough of your life responding to the handful of commentators under Mr. Trachta's review. Frankly, the more they comment and gripe, the longer this story remains, which only means more publicity and chatter about my book. And you know what they say: The only bad publicity is NO publicity! LOL But, in the end, why bother? I try not to read reviews (unless my family or a close friend points them out to me). If they're positive, they make me lazy and full of myself. And if they're negative, they only serve to confirm my own fears about my talent, or lack thereof! I don't write for reviewers, truth be told. I write because I have to.

Peace!

J.

[George Smith]

You probably don't remember me but I attended your reading at Head House Books in Philly a few weeks ago. I'm the guy who asked you about Tesla.

Anyway, I recently wrote a review of your book, The God Machine, at Amazon.com. You may have seen it. I also took the time to counter N. Trachta's comments, which I thought were really picky and kind of silly. Then I saw the blog entry at this site where you call him out for not being objective.

I enjoy your writing and can't stand when folks take potshots for personal reasons.

Got your back!

George

P.S. Almost done with Gospel Truths. Much moodier than The God Machine, but I'm enjoying it.

[J.G. Sandom]

Oh, and to my friends at the Amazon Historical Novels club, you may not believe THE GOD MACHINE is a historical novel, but it appears that The Historical Novel Society disagrees. They just published this review in the August 2009 edition of their Historical Novels Review magazine.

Have a good one,

J.

HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW, AUGUST 2009
"Several hidden pieces of a map focus the quest to find the Gospel of Judas, a puzzle spanning A. D. 33 in Egypt to the present day in Europe and New York City.

"Joseph Koster, a brilliant architect whose Asperger syndrome helps and hurts his work, and Savita Sajan, a wealthy computer engineer, are manipulated into becoming the last pieces of a puzzle that could change governments, religions, and the very existence of human beings. Their search involves Judas Iscariot, infamously known as the traitor who betrayed Jesus Christ but whose gospel might reveal that he was the most beloved disciple who actually was chosen to be the keystone of a far larger divine plan. Representatives of the Masons, the Knights of Malta, the Templars, the Roman Catholic Church, and the United States Government are on a similar quest, but what starts out as a journey to enhance each group’s status becomes a frenzied attempt to squash the revelation of a disastrous, enigmatic puzzle’s outcome.

"History galore, violence, and intrigue fill the pages of this tightly plotted, twisting and turning adventure story, reminding one of a multilayered Russian matryoshka doll. The reader will also learn a great deal about da Vinci, Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and many more historical geniuses . . . Those who love numbers, physics, and a truly unpredictable, suspenseful mystery will relish the facts and ponderings replete in this well-written, mysterious spin-off of The Da Vinci Code. The God Machine is a very impressive historical thriller!"

Review by Viviane Crystal

[J.G. Sandom]

Nick:

You crack me up. Thanks for your comments. I think gruff and ill-humored (even though I'm an Old Wykehamist, I won't spell it with an additional "u") are perfectly apt adjectives in describing my being characterized as a verminous fly for daring to enter the sanctity of the Historical Fiction community with my sweepstakes offer. LOL

You may not characterize yourself (or Nate) as official members of the Historical Fiction community, but that's where I met you. And both of your names (as does Misfit's) appear frequently throughout. If you are not "official" members, given your presence, please forgive me for assuming that you were.

Regarding the legitimacy of placing a reference to THE GOD MACHINE within the Historical Fiction community, I think reasonable people can disagree on this one (and clearly have!) since many of the book's scenes take place in the 18th century, and Ben Franklin plays such a central role in the novel. I suppose that my YA novels THE UNRESOLVED and RESURRECTION MEN would be much purer examples of this genre since they don't go back and forward in time but remain steadfast in their periods. But, in the end, this debate is rather nonsensical -- angels on the head of a pin.

Frankly, I am appalled at how this honest debate has spiraled out of control. I just took a look at Nate's review again and saw 30 comments posted underneath! Wow. I had no idea that posting something about my novel at Amazon's Historical Fiction community would produce such passionate reactions.

While I appreciate (and am, frankly, surprised) that some of my readers would come to my defense with such zeal, I must admit that I don't really understand some of their comments either.

At least Nate bought and read the book, even if he only gave it three stars (although, based on some of his comments, it now appears he rues the fact that he gave it that many!). Again, at least he bought and read the book. What more can I ask for? Leave the poor guy alone! And while I obviously don't agree completely with his assessment of THE GOD MACHINE, I think his reviews are generally well-considered and instructive.

For that matter, leave George Smith and all my reviewers alone. It's unseemly to call them "sock-puppets" or any other negative term. To set the record straight, I personally know only two of the reviewers -- one is a good friend from New Orleans, and the other used to work with me at one of my ("car salesman") ad agencies. So what? Just because they're my friends doesn't mean they don't have their own opinions, or that they're robots under my control. Really! If they were such automatons, they would not be my friends. Even my own sister has never cared for my work ... until she read THE GOD MACHINE.

We are all entitled to our opinions (except, perhaps, in North Korea or Iran). And Misfit is entitled to her privacy. (By the way, my cat was just diagnosed with diabetes; any tips?)

I think everyone should take a big step back. Let's show a little respect, especially to those with whom we don't agree. If I learned anything whilst researching THE GOD MACHINE, one of Franklin's greatest gifts, and what made him such a formidable diplomat, was his ability to respectfully disagree. As President Obama has said, we would all be well-served if we could learn to "disagree without being disagreeable."

Have a good one,

J.

P.S. Sorry, Nick, while entered in THE GOD MACHINE Readers' Contest, you did not win. See the August "What's New" post at http://www.jgsandom.com.

[Nick Brett]

Adj. 1. curmudgeonly - brusque and surly and forbidding; "crusty remarks"; "a crusty old man"; "his curmudgeonly temper"; "gruff manner"; "a gruff reply"
gruff, ill-humored, ill-humoured, crusty
ill-natured - having an irritable and unpleasant disposition

I would also suggest that this was an inappropriate adjective to use, as there was a fair amount of humour in the debate, not quite fair for you to portray yourself as an author pushing against the boundaries of marketing against a bunch of crusty Romantics. I am not a member of that forum, nor is Nate I believe, and I recall some of the debate being about not only the style of marketing but also if the book did fit into a historical genre.

I think you have put a spin with a fair bit of bias on this one…..

[Nick Brett]

I'm more concerned about where my winning kindle is?
And to be fair, Nate put his money where his mouth was and bought and reviewed the book......
Nick