Please join the HowToDoItFrugally authors as a signing author at at the LA Times Festival of Books on the beautiful UCLA campus now and get a substantial discount!
The fair is the last weekend of April 2009. The book-signing portion of the fair requires that you attend but other value-added promotions do not. You'll hear more about those later.
This is the fifth year this booth has been available at the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books to cross promote. We focus on making a humdrum fair into a sizzling success; we make changes every year based on what we learned the year before and the year before that.
Register before September 16 and receive an early bird discount for the signing slots. One hour signing segments (50 minutes to allow set up) cost $100 for the first and $80 for a second hour. After August 15, the fee will return to its regular $150 for the first and $100 for the second day. The fee includes display of your book, your order forms and your bookmark or business card and a poster for the full two days.
Last year we had our booth televised on the Internet. Rey Ybarra from Best Selling Author Television was there to cover the event. He conducted short three-minute interviews with the participating authors. The program proved to be a great success. Rey will be there with his crew again this year. (To see the 2008 video made by Rey Ybarra, go to Best Selling Author Television site at : http://www.veoh.com/channels/BSATV
For benefits offered by this booth please visit www.howtodoitfrugally.com or e-mail Christine Alexanians at chalexwrite@yahoo.com.
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Blogging by Carolyn Howard-Johnson,
Learn more at Carolyn's website, www.howtodoitfrugally.com. Her blogs are also content-laden:
www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com
and a Writer's Digest Top 101 Website:
www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com
And the New Book Review is at your service: www.thenewbookreview.blogspot.com. (Follow the submission guidelines in the left column!)
Showing posts with label ucla book fair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ucla book fair. Show all posts
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
On Marketing and Essentials Like Parking!
I'll post these notes on marketing occasionally; they may make you think of things you can do to drive traffic to your segment. In so doing, of course, you benefit the entire booth. This is a cross promotion effort! (-: The note to me is in Roman, my answers are in bold.
Last November I was invited by the UCLA Native American Studies Program to speak at their 2-hour brown bag lunch series. The bookstore brought over 8 books but sold 14, the total number of people who attended the seminar lunch. I'm sending a special invitation to the department and letting them know that I'll be on campus Saturday and Sunday and offering them a special rate, even less than the Festival rate that I'll be offering. They will send out an announcement through their internal network and I hope to have a good showing on both days. UCLA has one of the largest Native American Studies programs in the U.S. so, for my book this is great.
ANSWER: This is great, targeted marketing, Danalee. The whole booth will benefit.
Will security care that I'm walking into the festival pulling a big black suitcase full of books, etc.? Will you have some sense of the best lot to park in to be close to your booth?
ANSWER: Remind me just before to give you all very specific parking instructions but for right now, parking is $8. and lot three is closest to our booth. It is near the corner of Hilgard and Sunset (northeast corner of campus). And, trust me, security will be EXPECTING people rolling big lots of books around campus!! (-:
By the way, before I forget. Make yourself a name tag that indicates you are a signing author. If you include a satin ribbon rosette (available at Stapes or Michaels I believe) you will be a standout! If anyone would like to volunteer to do this for the entire group, I will supply names. Otherwise, you're on your own. Methinks I have me hands full. (I think that's Irish for "I'm trying really hard to keep up my steam. (-: )
Thanks,
Danalee Buhler
You're welcome. Let's all think of the organizations that might be interested in our books right now! And be getting a list ready to send out invitations to the members!
Best,
Carolyn
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Blogging by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). Learn more at both the AC site and Carolyn's website, www.howtodoitfrugally.com and her blogs:
www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com
www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com
Last November I was invited by the UCLA Native American Studies Program to speak at their 2-hour brown bag lunch series. The bookstore brought over 8 books but sold 14, the total number of people who attended the seminar lunch. I'm sending a special invitation to the department and letting them know that I'll be on campus Saturday and Sunday and offering them a special rate, even less than the Festival rate that I'll be offering. They will send out an announcement through their internal network and I hope to have a good showing on both days. UCLA has one of the largest Native American Studies programs in the U.S. so, for my book this is great.
ANSWER: This is great, targeted marketing, Danalee. The whole booth will benefit.
Will security care that I'm walking into the festival pulling a big black suitcase full of books, etc.? Will you have some sense of the best lot to park in to be close to your booth?
ANSWER: Remind me just before to give you all very specific parking instructions but for right now, parking is $8. and lot three is closest to our booth. It is near the corner of Hilgard and Sunset (northeast corner of campus). And, trust me, security will be EXPECTING people rolling big lots of books around campus!! (-:
By the way, before I forget. Make yourself a name tag that indicates you are a signing author. If you include a satin ribbon rosette (available at Stapes or Michaels I believe) you will be a standout! If anyone would like to volunteer to do this for the entire group, I will supply names. Otherwise, you're on your own. Methinks I have me hands full. (I think that's Irish for "I'm trying really hard to keep up my steam. (-: )
Thanks,
Danalee Buhler
You're welcome. Let's all think of the organizations that might be interested in our books right now! And be getting a list ready to send out invitations to the members!
Best,
Carolyn
------
Blogging by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). Learn more at both the AC site and Carolyn's website, www.howtodoitfrugally.com and her blogs:
www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com
www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Q&A: What If Your Book Won't Be Ready?
Question:
Carolyn:
I thought I'd seek your guidance on this. My next book, Months and Seasons, will be published on June 14, 2008 in a special presentation at the Beverly Hills library. Hence, I won't have books to sell in April. Still, I'll be promoting it at that point. I'll have sent galleys out to reviewers before that date. How might I use what you offer?
Best,
Chris Meeks, author of The Middle-Aged Man and Sea and other books
Answer:
Very good question, Chris.
I would do the catalog that goes out to booksellers and press. You have access to it to print up your own and repeat that later. You benefit from doing it this way because:
1. It is less expensive than sending out a mailing on your own.
2. Your book is associated with an organization rather than looking like only one of the hundreds of thousands of subsidy-published books.
3. The cross promotional aspect of many authors using the catalog afterward (in media kits, to follow-up with the same or other booksellers, to give out at events, etc.) can also be useful if we have an active group participating.
4. Because participants give us the names and addresses of bookstores in their area and bookstores they work with (including contact names and e-mail addresses), this becomes a targeted list. If they follow up with a phone call to the 25 or more bookstores they submit, that gives them a chance to do that frequency thing I always suggest. (-:
I also like both the CD and the slide show for both of the above reasons. If you do the CD, you get the slide show for only $30 more dollars. I don't believe you are a member of AC, but with that fee comes some other perks and associations that can't hurt either. Check out the membership page at www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.
Having said that, here's another idea. You could also do a "meet and greet." Send invitations to press and contacts. Promise them excerpts (of course, if you do the CD that would have an excerpt on it, too!) and sign them. We give away books with any sale and we could do the same with people who came by for your white paper/booklet/handout--whatever format you wanted. You would be a test on this. We have nevery done anything like it. But with your contacts at UCLA, etc., I should think it could be very successful.
Carolyn:
I thought I'd seek your guidance on this. My next book, Months and Seasons, will be published on June 14, 2008 in a special presentation at the Beverly Hills library. Hence, I won't have books to sell in April. Still, I'll be promoting it at that point. I'll have sent galleys out to reviewers before that date. How might I use what you offer?
Best,
Chris Meeks, author of The Middle-Aged Man and Sea and other books
Answer:
Very good question, Chris.
I would do the catalog that goes out to booksellers and press. You have access to it to print up your own and repeat that later. You benefit from doing it this way because:
1. It is less expensive than sending out a mailing on your own.
2. Your book is associated with an organization rather than looking like only one of the hundreds of thousands of subsidy-published books.
3. The cross promotional aspect of many authors using the catalog afterward (in media kits, to follow-up with the same or other booksellers, to give out at events, etc.) can also be useful if we have an active group participating.
4. Because participants give us the names and addresses of bookstores in their area and bookstores they work with (including contact names and e-mail addresses), this becomes a targeted list. If they follow up with a phone call to the 25 or more bookstores they submit, that gives them a chance to do that frequency thing I always suggest. (-:
I also like both the CD and the slide show for both of the above reasons. If you do the CD, you get the slide show for only $30 more dollars. I don't believe you are a member of AC, but with that fee comes some other perks and associations that can't hurt either. Check out the membership page at www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.
Having said that, here's another idea. You could also do a "meet and greet." Send invitations to press and contacts. Promise them excerpts (of course, if you do the CD that would have an excerpt on it, too!) and sign them. We give away books with any sale and we could do the same with people who came by for your white paper/booklet/handout--whatever format you wanted. You would be a test on this. We have nevery done anything like it. But with your contacts at UCLA, etc., I should think it could be very successful.
Monday, July 30, 2007
West Hollywood Book Fair or What You Can Do to Promote Your Appearnce EARLY!
All Authors' Coalition's efforts are cross-proportional. That means we all benefit from the promotion each of the others does. So here is what anyone participating in a book fair can do six to eight weeks out.
1. Ready your media release. Check my HowToDoItFrugally website for a list of media release disseminators. Click on the tab at the top of the page that says "Resources for Writers" and scroll down. You'll even find my super-mini reviews of each site. Also be organizing your local list of contacts. Invite everyone, even those who have already purchased your book. They may need another for a gift, and they'll want to meet your fellow authors.
2. Some sample media releases will soon be coming your way. Jiggle them a bit to accommodate your own needs but do include the names of other participating authors. That helps search engines pick up your releases more frequently and gives your appearance credibility.
3. Janet Goliger, one of our booth signers, has volunteered to let us use her flyer as a template. That, too, will be coming to you.
4. Go to the Authors' Coalition site to pick up your logo. Use it on your website, in your newsletter, on your flyer, on your book's order forms, on your posters, etc. The possibilities are limitless. Please link any logo used on the web to: http://www.atuhorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.
5. Begin thinking about your order forms. All those with signing times will have their books shown in the booth on special bookshelves. A bood business card or order form should be available for visitors to pick up.
6. If you have a poster from the last AC Fair we did in Los Angeles, I saved it. If not, you may want to consider making one to specifications. More on that later.
7. Please share your promotion ideas with others. Click on the "Comment" link below. It's also a good place to ask questions.
Anyone who is interested in those last couple spaces available for this Sept. 30th fair can reach me for details at HoJoNews@aol.com.
Very best,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
http://www.hotodoitfrugally.com
http://www.authorscoalition.blogspot.com
http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com
And my Sharing with Writers and Readers blog
1. Ready your media release. Check my HowToDoItFrugally website for a list of media release disseminators. Click on the tab at the top of the page that says "Resources for Writers" and scroll down. You'll even find my super-mini reviews of each site. Also be organizing your local list of contacts. Invite everyone, even those who have already purchased your book. They may need another for a gift, and they'll want to meet your fellow authors.
2. Some sample media releases will soon be coming your way. Jiggle them a bit to accommodate your own needs but do include the names of other participating authors. That helps search engines pick up your releases more frequently and gives your appearance credibility.
3. Janet Goliger, one of our booth signers, has volunteered to let us use her flyer as a template. That, too, will be coming to you.
4. Go to the Authors' Coalition site to pick up your logo. Use it on your website, in your newsletter, on your flyer, on your book's order forms, on your posters, etc. The possibilities are limitless. Please link any logo used on the web to: http://www.atuhorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.
5. Begin thinking about your order forms. All those with signing times will have their books shown in the booth on special bookshelves. A bood business card or order form should be available for visitors to pick up.
6. If you have a poster from the last AC Fair we did in Los Angeles, I saved it. If not, you may want to consider making one to specifications. More on that later.
7. Please share your promotion ideas with others. Click on the "Comment" link below. It's also a good place to ask questions.
Anyone who is interested in those last couple spaces available for this Sept. 30th fair can reach me for details at HoJoNews@aol.com.
Very best,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
http://www.hotodoitfrugally.com
http://www.authorscoalition.blogspot.com
http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com
And my Sharing with Writers and Readers blog
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
How do Book Fairs Stack Up? Q&A A La Ann Landers
Question: I have so many expenses and so little money. Do you think [a book fair] would be a good investment or should I save my money for mailing, like to libraries or indie bookstores?
Carolyn's Answer: Try, as THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER suggests, not to use your money for promotion that can be done as well or even almost as well online. Use Google to the max. Glean the e-mail addresses from indie bookstores and libraries and send out your releases (both the release about your book's release and about your author-appearance at this--or any other--fair) by e-mail.
Question: Also, I get a better discount on my first order of books than thereafter and I was thinking I should buy as many as possible [with the money I have available].
Carolyn Answers: Buying books at a greater discount works pretty well but not if it leaves you without the funds you need for other important promotion. Promotion first. You won't sell the books you buy if you don't promote.
Question: There are also so may places to spend money in marketing -- like buying adwords and keywords.
Carolyn Answers: You can do something similar to Adwords without spending money. It's only similar but will work until you have some cash flow going for your book. Use the features on Amazon. The keywords feature. The help search feature. Listmania. So You'd Like Tos... Amazon is where readers hang out anyway. So read the chapters on that in your THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER and spend some time exploring the Amazon possibilities.
Question: Where do you think the book fair stands among all these things?
Carolyn Answers: That's a tough question. I do know that book fairs only work as well as you work them. That is true of any kind of promotion, professional organization, etc. Unless you're going to get that media release written and disseminated using the list on the Resources for Writers page my site, unless you're going to use your list serve groups (like our private savvygang@yahoogroups.com (a group of those who have taken my classes at UCLA) to let people know you'll be at the fair, unless you send your friends and contacts invitations to tell them you'll be there, etc. etc., it won't work at all. I've seen authors who do all these things, do really, really well (maybe sell 20 or 30 books and make important contacts to boot!). People who don't are lucky to sell 2 books. it's all about promoton, truly.
So, the choice is yours but I wouldn't be spending money to do by mail what you can do free by e-mail! (-: That's for sure!
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
www.howtodoitfrugally.com
www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.comwww.authorscoalition.blogspot.com
www.thenewbookrreview.blogspot.com
Questions Submitted by Alexa Wolf, author
Carolyn's Answer: Try, as THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER suggests, not to use your money for promotion that can be done as well or even almost as well online. Use Google to the max. Glean the e-mail addresses from indie bookstores and libraries and send out your releases (both the release about your book's release and about your author-appearance at this--or any other--fair) by e-mail.
Question: Also, I get a better discount on my first order of books than thereafter and I was thinking I should buy as many as possible [with the money I have available].
Carolyn Answers: Buying books at a greater discount works pretty well but not if it leaves you without the funds you need for other important promotion. Promotion first. You won't sell the books you buy if you don't promote.
Question: There are also so may places to spend money in marketing -- like buying adwords and keywords.
Carolyn Answers: You can do something similar to Adwords without spending money. It's only similar but will work until you have some cash flow going for your book. Use the features on Amazon. The keywords feature. The help search feature. Listmania. So You'd Like Tos... Amazon is where readers hang out anyway. So read the chapters on that in your THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER and spend some time exploring the Amazon possibilities.
Question: Where do you think the book fair stands among all these things?
Carolyn Answers: That's a tough question. I do know that book fairs only work as well as you work them. That is true of any kind of promotion, professional organization, etc. Unless you're going to get that media release written and disseminated using the list on the Resources for Writers page my site, unless you're going to use your list serve groups (like our private savvygang@yahoogroups.com (a group of those who have taken my classes at UCLA) to let people know you'll be at the fair, unless you send your friends and contacts invitations to tell them you'll be there, etc. etc., it won't work at all. I've seen authors who do all these things, do really, really well (maybe sell 20 or 30 books and make important contacts to boot!). People who don't are lucky to sell 2 books. it's all about promoton, truly.
So, the choice is yours but I wouldn't be spending money to do by mail what you can do free by e-mail! (-: That's for sure!
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
www.howtodoitfrugally.com
www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.comwww.authorscoalition.blogspot.com
www.thenewbookrreview.blogspot.com
Questions Submitted by Alexa Wolf, author
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