Last month I had the pleasure of doing two tours with giveaways to launch the third book in my romantic suspense series, Bittersweet Alliance.
Mediocre, irrelevant prizes won’t create excitement or attract qualified leads. You need to think outside of the box on this one—be imaginative and original. Everyone wants an Amazon gift card, but all that will accomplish is an email list full of entrants who aren’t particularly interested in your book or genre. Therefore, your prize needs to be a highly desirable, related to your book, and aimed at attracting members of your target readership.
Here are my ideas that turned the cogs:
- A chance to name a character in my next book
- Themed gift-- a shell necklace from Hawaii where the book took place
- Book-related trinkets-- a glittery flower pen, ahh so romantic
- a dark chocolate bar-- romance readers like chocolate
- Amazon gift cards-- just because they're popular
I would do this again. Sure, it was expensive to give away and mail ten gift bags each with a necklace, flower pen, and chocolate bar. I also gave away six $10 Amazon gift cards. The benefit is connecting with readers. What are your experiences with tours and contests?
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