No, this isn’t a post about marriage. Although that’s probably an interesting topic for an author to explore in SFF, in spite of countless authors doing and overdoing it in the Golden Age. This post is about a whole different kind of relationship – connecting an author with a reader.

Yesterday I spent a considerable amount of time working on promotional materials for Raconteur Press, as we spool up into Con Season. I know I’ve written, along with the other members hereabouts, on the merits and drawbacks of con attendance. What I’m about to talk about is pertinent to having an author table at a con, yes, but also where else a physical bit of promotional material can come in very handy. It’s one thing to talk to a potential new reader. It’s another to give them a physical item to have and hold onto until that reader has the time and proximity to buy your book.

Bookmarks, postcards, business cards… what is right for you? That depends. I’d argue that with time, you should have at least a small stash of all three.

I’ll also say that it’s easy to mess this up. I have. I’ve put together postcards with all my book covers on them, and let me tell you now, a cluttered presentation is never a good look.

Rac Press has specific branding beats I use in all the promo materials, the worn parchment background, the name of the press, the logo, and the qr code. With the above postcard, which we will have printed in job lots through Office Depot, I included a blurb reminding the recipient what the books are about. The covers speak loudly for themselves, sure, but I had room to elaborate, so why not? Also, the three-book mini-series within the larger anthology series is about right for a postcard. I wouldn’t put more than this on a card any longer. In fact, for a singleton like Full Steam Ahead, I did a full card to highlight the cover.

Business cards are a whole different topic, so I will focus here on the postcards and bookmarks. Both have an inherent value. Bookmarks are useful, pertinent to the reader of paper books, and generally welcomed as swag. Postcards are seen as valuable due to their size, and you’ll want to get them in a heavy paper with a gloss finish on the printed size, for best effect. They can be, done right, a work of art in themselves. I’ve had people tell me they framed them! But also, if you leave the back blank, or mostly so, that gives you space to sign something for the reader of ebooks only. I do cute sketches on the backs at events. Rac Press plans to have postcards with a single cover on the front, and a series of lines on the back, so a con attendee can play Author Pokemon and try to get signatures of every author in the anthology.

For RacPress I’m doing 5×7″ postcards, and for my own work I have also done 4×6″ as they are a little easier to carry in my bag for daily life giveaways. Ordering them in a larger quantity can bring the cost down (screenshot is from Vistaprint) but sometimes you want a smaller amount to do market testing with, and you can have those run up at your local printshop on letter-sized cardstock and cut them yourself (don’t use scissors!).

Shop around – we are using Office Depot and their bulk pricing to bring down the cost per card. Also, Avery makes print-and-tear postcard sheets. Not sure of the quality of those, but when you are just starting out? Sometimes you try odd things to see what works, before investing in really nice promo materials.

If you are an artist, or you want to sell ebooks, you can always sell the postcards as art themselves, or with a direct download code for the ebook. I haven’t experimented with either, but I have seen authors and artists doing both.

Bookmarks are generally 2×8″ but can be other dimensions. I chose that because I wanted to be able to print off a sheet of them on cardstock and cut it (not with scissors, you want a sharp professional-looking edge) when I only needed a few, fast, or on a small budget. You want to be minimal with what’s on the bookmark. Don’t clutter it up!

Business cards are most likely to be tossed after an event. Something that is perceived as having value is more likely to be kept. And why carry a physical item everywhere you go? Well, a book is bulky. One of these is an impressive thing to whip out when you are talking to someone and they ask about your book. You can leave a stack of bookmarks with your local library, a known hotspot of readers, and that will get your name out there.

The qr code is important. They can find the book, and you, on Amazon just based on titles. The code, when scanned, puts them right there at a buy link. Catalyze your customers’ shopping experience by removing as many obstacles between them and that purchase as possible. Don’t make them search for something, or click through multiple buttons, because every hoop they have to jump through, you’ll lose a significant percentage of potential readers. And it leaves a sour taste with them, so they are less likely to recommend your book to others. Make it easy, make it fun, make it memorable.

And for heavens sakes, make your book covers visually appealing! Don’t waste money on a postcard or bookmark if your book isn’t attractive. This is the opposite of the appeal you want to convey to your potential readers. There’s no point in spending money on the promo until the book is a polished product not only inside, but out as well. People bloody well do judge a book by it’s cover and if they say otherwise they aren’t being honest with themselves.

Next week: Instagram squares, banners, and all other social media promotional files.