Candy Promo

When I first became published I was overwhelmed by the costs associated with promoting my own work. Face it; if you’re published by a small press, your first royalty checks might cover a Happy Meal, if you’re lucky. But, I did realize that people can’t buy something they don’t know about.

Not having the computer literacy to set up my own website, I turned to a professional to create and establish a place on the internet where I could showcase my books, and at a pretty hefty price. Once I had a site, I faced my biggest hurdle, finding a way to get people to actually type in my url and visit my page. Besides, purchasing bookmarks and pens to give away, I searched for the perfect freebie that people wouldn't pass by--free candy. Let's face it, pens and bookmarks have been done to death, and at book signings everyone has them.

I came across a sweet shop at the mall and found a large sack of individually-packaged jelly beans. Next, I purchased the smallest mailing labels I could find for my printer, and I created Ginger’s Jelly’s, personalized with my information. It didn't take up much room to print, "Spice up your life with Ginger at http://www.gingersimpson.com, and while I couldn't be sure that people didn't just eat the contents and toss the bag, I felt pretty inventive and pleased to have saved money over similar ideas advertised for a whole lot more.

The next time I needed something for promotion, I did the same thing with individual tea bags, covering the name of the company with a miniature of my bookcover on one side and my web address on the other. People snapped them up. Hopefully, while they enjoyed a cup of tea, they relaxed with one of my books. There are lot’s of promo ideas out there that can save you money and these are just two that worked for me.