Promotional Covers - What do you do with them?

[Sandra Ruttan]

There it was - a big box filled with cover flats for WHAT BURNS WITHIN - my first time seeing the cover in 3D form. A nice moment...

But for over a month, the covers have sat stacked in a pile, high on my bookshelf. I honestly have no idea what to do with them. I haven't even held an ARC of my book in my own hands yet, because all the ARCs were sent out by the publisher, so that eliminates sticking covers in with review copies I'm shipping out.

Part of me dreads asking what people do with these things. If there's a great way to use them that libraries and bookstores and readers appreciate, fine. But I won't do anything sleazy, like litter bus stops with my book covers. I'm not looking for any heavy-handed, in-your-face, stick-my-book-down-your-throat guerrilla tactics. I'm just wondering if there are things to use them for people actually appreciate.

[Naomi Hirahara]

Sandra--

It's amazing what you can do with shellac and glue. WHAT BURNS WITHIN car shade? Table top? Room divider? And with the addition of a laminator, you can create place mats!

Seriously, for a nonfiction book I edited, I ended up with the trunkful of covers. And I mean literally "trunkful" because they stayed in the trunk for some time.

I would hang on to a stack for after the book is published and you start getting fan mail. You can send an autographed cover for your fans to display in a frame. I only received a few flat covers from my mystery publisher, and I did manage to mail a signed cover to a reader who owns a sushi bar--I'm hoping that she has it up in the restaurant.

BTW--your's really a spectacular cover--and a blurb from Clive Cussler, no less!

[Sandra Ruttan]

Thanks Naomi. I've been fortunate, in that Dorchester was quick to ask my input on covers and they took my ideas and made them their own in a way that works well, I think. I was invited to send my input for cover #2, and again, we were all on the same page with the design, which is nice.

I think between Sue's points about collectors and your suggestion here, it gives me a reason to hang on to them. Hopefully I can put them to good use in the future!

[Mark Ellis]

Hi, Sandra...if you set up a newsletter on your site, you can send out autographed copies of the flats as giveways or prizes for contests.

www.MarkEllisInk.com

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

Sandra--

You might use the covers in any media kits you send out yourself--and if not in media kits, any promotional information you distribute.

Another idea is to buy large labels and if you do a signing, put the information on the reverse of the cover. Then the bookstore can drop them in a bag with purchases as an advertisement for your visit.

If you make your own posters for appearances, the covers could be mounted on a black and white poster so you don't have to pay for color printing.

Short of all that, you could wallpaper your bathroom. Tres chic, eh?

joanna

www.joannaslan.com

[Patrick Balester]

Sandra,

Believe it or not, the answer to the question "What do I do with this?" is...eBay! People will sell anything on that website...uhmmm, not to say that your cover isn't worth selling.

I think I'll shut up now, but first I have to take my foot out of my mouth.

But seriously, especially if you autograph them, then post them (2 or 3 at a time) on eBay. I know I'd buy one!
Pat

[Kenneth L. Hisel]

Yes, we readers love to get cover flats as promotional giveaways. I would think it could be expensive to mail them if you got alot of requests. Make your publisher pay for the postage to send them out, ha ha, or tell anyone that wants one to send a self addressed envelope. I second Pepper Smith's idea
That is all,
Kenny

[Joanna Campbell Slan]

Kenneth,

It's helpful to know that readers might enjoy our covers. And the SASE idea is super.

joanna
www.joannaslan.com