In an attempt to beef up my poor PR skills, I have joined a group that helps you develop a blog tour to promote your book. Of course, I want to promote Unikirja, but I'm a little uncertain about ways to do that well.What's a blog tour? Instead of going out to various book stores or what not, you simply travel virtually from one blog to another. Like any kind of travel, it takes planning and coordination to go smoothly. Once it's set up, you try to get people to stop by -- offering them incentives of useful information and of course, free stuff. So, I'm adding a link on the side to all the folks who are doing the blog tour class together. Please drop by and check out their blogs.
One of the difficulties of this PR thing, is turning your work into a product. Given my book, it's a bit difficult because it's not a niche book. Finnish folklore? Myth? Legend? Magic? Spec Fic? A little bit of everything. In marketing, they talk a lot lately about "branding" (our new college website is all about the branding, hence the lack of flexibility).
So, what's my brand? Hell if I know. My first thought, "An acquired taste." Perhaps not as compelling as "It's The Real Thing" or "Finger-Lickin' Good." Guess I've got some work ahead of me. Suggestions welcome.
17 comments:
Good job with this post! You used plenty of appropriate text links and it was a good quick to the point read. Nice.
Marvin D Wilson
http://inspiritandtruths.blogspot.com/
http://tiedyedtirades.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Marvin!
Hey! Nice to meet you... And look forward to blogging with you! I wonder whether we have a similar blogging style, since the blog I'm writing now -- haven't posted yet -- is similar to yours.
Cheers!
I'm looking forward to participating in the blogging class with you. Branding is a tough one, but I know you've got a niche out there and readers waiting to find you.
This promises to be an intense and rewarding experience. BAD!
Your topic of Finnish folklore sounds fascinating! The best way to gain interest for your story is to tell us more about it, intrigue us with interesting myths, facts, etc.
I think you should brand the Finn angle. It's an exotic country to many people. I confess I only know about sauna and Finland!
Fantasy books by Enid
And be sure to let Juri Nummelin and the rest of the handy blogging Finns know about what you're doing!
Kate, do you have a link to an excerpt on your website? With an unusual title, sometimes a first-chapter teaser is a great way to hook your readers.
See you in class!
Dani
http://blogbooktours.blogspot.com
Dani -- you're brilliant! I do have a couple of the stories reprinted on line. I must make links.
Ooooh! Fantasy! Can't wait to read more!
NA Sharpe
http://nancysharpe.blogspot.com
Ah, that pesky 'personal brand' dilemma! How well I know it. A fantastic article by Hugh 'Gaping Void' MacLeod was eye-opening, you'll find it referenced (along with one by Tom Peters) on my blog at this post:
http://www.guydz.com/moneypowerwisdom/is-drmani-a-global-microbrand-why/
All success
Dr.Mani
Author: "Think, Write & RETIRE!"
http://ThinkWriteRetire.com
It often takes a little time to recognize your personal brand. You'll get it.
Nice post!
Helen
http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com
I'd love to have you stop by my blog when you're making your tour. Or heck, just come on over any time. I'll promote the heck out of UNIKIRJA.
My "brand" is "historical fiction with sprinkles." (We seem to have a similar food-related point of view. I expand a bit on mine in a blog post here.) You write so many different things that perhaps you are the lavish Sunday morning brunch buffet of fiction. Or the woman with a hundred masks, some dark, some bright, some sparkly, some scary.
Thanks for all the lovely comments, folks. Wow, this group has already paid off in wonderful suggestions.
Elizabeth, I'm taking you at your word and putting you on the list. I'm thinking of snagging some of my medieval bloggers as well (at least a couple of the stories are medieval).
July for the blog tour?
I like the woman of many masks ;-) Remind me to share the link to the snarky persona at a certain academic complaint blog...
And yes, food! A must -- she says, preparing to go out to lunch with her brother.
Jina and Enid, you're right about the usefulness of sharing more on what is for most people a fairly esoteric topic from a not very well known nation. Apart from saunas, Nokia and Lordi, I suppose people don't know much!
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