Marketing Materials - A Marketing Website, Button Four

30 September 2011, Marketing Materials - A Marketing Website, Button Four

Introduction: I realized that I need to introduce this blog a little.  I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.  The working title was Daemon, and this was my 21st novel.  Over the last year, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing.  In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes.  You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published.  I'll keep you informed along the way.  At this moment, I'm showing you the marketing material I put together for a novel.

Today's Blog:  When your novel is published, you will want to add two other buttons to your marketing page--three and four.  I wrote about button three, the cover button, yesterday.  Today, I'll write about button four.  Button four is for your official press release.  If you are a savey marketer, you might have many press releases related to your book, but usually, you only have one official press release from your publisher.  That's what goes here.  The reasons for putting the official press release in a button on your novel's website are:  first, you have a professional and public place where you can send the press (and anyone else) to get the official press release.  You can also just email it to them, if they ask, but after they lose your email, the first place they will look is your website.  Second, for reviewers, or other interested professionals, you have the official press release in a spot that they can find it.  Third, you have the official words from your publisher welcoming your novel into the world.  These are the words your publisher sent out to numerous news sites and news organizations.  If it was good enough for that, it should certainly be good enough for your marketing site.

Usually, the press release is a pdf in full color.  It is a single page that shows the cover, your picture, publisher information, teasers, a synopsis of the novel, your bio, and the necessary book reference information.  The file usually larger than a webpage can handle, so you definitely don't want to put it on your webpage directly.  The same information I shared on cover images applies here and to any other images you wish to put on your webpage.  You might borrow information from the press release for your website. 

I'll repeat my published novel websites so you can see more examples:   http://www.ldalford.com/, and the individual novel websites:  http://www.aegyptnovel.com/, http://www.centurionnovel.com/, http://www.thesecondmission.com/, http://www.theendofhonor.com/, http://www.thefoxshonor.com/, and http://www.aseasonofhonor.com/. 

I've covered just about everything on building a website.  There are many more things you can do, and much more you can do to enhance your Internet presence--I've just laid out the basics.  I'll write about publishers tomorrow.