Book Ads
I imagine I'm not alone in thinking that most ads for books are less than stellar.
A month or so ago I was flipping through the NYT Book Review and lamenting the state of what passes for advertising in the lit world. So I sat down and banged out an ad for my latest book Phantom. It ran in the NYTBR yesterday. Already seeing results.
Plain old black and white, all type, no fancy photoshop images, just an idea.
Which is exactly what's missing in almost
all of the ads running. Good ideas.
I love print advertising and spent many years trying to create ads that actually worked (see VW, Porsche, Chivas Regal, etc). I'd like to explore creating ads for authors who share my frustration with what passes
for effective advertising in publishing.
No idea how this would work, just an interesting notion...love any feedback
from those who share my frustration with the status quo...
Now back to writing my next book.
A month or so ago I was flipping through the NYT Book Review and lamenting the state of what passes for advertising in the lit world. So I sat down and banged out an ad for my latest book Phantom. It ran in the NYTBR yesterday. Already seeing results.
Plain old black and white, all type, no fancy photoshop images, just an idea.
Which is exactly what's missing in almost
all of the ads running. Good ideas.
I love print advertising and spent many years trying to create ads that actually worked (see VW, Porsche, Chivas Regal, etc). I'd like to explore creating ads for authors who share my frustration with what passes
for effective advertising in publishing.
No idea how this would work, just an interesting notion...love any feedback
from those who share my frustration with the status quo...
Now back to writing my next book.
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message 1:
by
G.W.
(new)
Aug 25, 2012 01:42AM
It's even more difficult to find satisfactory ways of publicising an e-book, especially since one has to pick up any marketing costs onself. I've just published my first: THE OLIGARCH: A THRILLER, and I'd certainly be interested in hearing any thoughts you have about advertising.
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Ted, this is interesting. I think most advertising (not just for literature) suffers from the same lack of focus. I'm a graphic designer and I'd like to see what your ad looked like. dwllsn@gmail.com
Perhaps it not just an idea, but the combination of class, good taste and a je ne sais quois "gift" that creators have that makes print ads appeal and sell. People visually "buy in" to effective ads, book covers, and the like. You have that "gift". The rest of us mere mortals suffer without. :)
I've looked a countless portfolios of young people trying to break intoThe ad biz. You can tell within 2 to 3 samples if they "get it" or if they
don't .... There is no on the job training...you're as good or better than the
20 year veterans on your first day. Sorry but that's the truth.
Ted wrote: "I've looked a countless portfolios of young people trying to break intoThe ad biz. You can tell within 2 to 3 samples if they "get it" or if they
don't .... There is no on the job training...you'..."
Agree - there's an ability to do this that's innate, a "gift", so to speak. You either have it or you don't.
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