tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post8522029099257170085..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: No more postcards any more - Nicola MorganUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-91267141696915186362013-11-22T23:06:09.534+00:002013-11-22T23:06:09.534+00:00Penny, that is a very good point and one I'd f...Penny, that is a very good point and one I'd forgotten, despite having experienced it myself :(<br />Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07847390687632715336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-57547017838929278952013-11-05T15:44:29.395+00:002013-11-05T15:44:29.395+00:00I missed this post the other day and it's so v...I missed this post the other day and it's so very pertinent to what I was just about to do - order postcards! I'm sure your research is spot on, Nicola, but I am still tempted to order a batch, probably mainly because even if kids don't buy my book, it sort of helps keep me alive in their minds, (does that make sense?!) for when my next book does come out...Savita Kalhanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07977368691995933130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-83750499266180147512013-10-28T09:31:25.420+00:002013-10-28T09:31:25.420+00:00Postcards are better than bookmarks as bookmarks -...Postcards are better than bookmarks as bookmarks - though not relevant if you are an e-book reader.<br /><br />But the greatest use I've had for them is - pitiful, I know - for when you're stuck next to some mega-selling author at a festival signing table. At least you can hand out occasional signed postcards (ie. DO something!) rather than sitting there with an empty space in front of you and/or not engaging because you've chosen to scribble stuff in your note book out of sheer awkwardness. A lot to pay, perhaps, but I was cheered up.Penny Dolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386668303428008498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-59402756299705805152013-10-26T15:32:32.716+01:002013-10-26T15:32:32.716+01:00Postcard printing companies are not going to like ...Postcard printing companies are not going to like me very much...Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07847390687632715336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-59140671765444341342013-10-24T11:50:00.764+01:002013-10-24T11:50:00.764+01:00I think I agree with Keren. Choice between a signe...I think I agree with Keren. Choice between a signed book for £5 and a signed postcard for nothing? Postcard every time! Because there's always an element of the book as 'souvenir' - even if you hope they'll read it and enjoy it, part of the reason they want it is just to mark the occasion of being at an author event!<br /><br />As for what makes people buy books - now that's the 24 million dollar question....C.J.Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12288574235370421625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-72596473368670052612013-10-23T22:32:26.407+01:002013-10-23T22:32:26.407+01:00I sometimes think that kids think it's a choic...I sometimes think that kids think it's a choice between a book or a bookmark...so they get the free thing.Keren Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-40410802996989655082013-10-22T18:19:38.878+01:002013-10-22T18:19:38.878+01:00Thinking about this - have I every bought a book o...Thinking about this - have I every bought a book on the basis of a postcard, or bookmark ... No! I buy a lot of books, but find out more about them than you can fit on a postcard first. Proves nothing, of course, though does seem to fit with your observations.JOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03127111575563904349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-21332266271190432852013-10-22T15:31:08.666+01:002013-10-22T15:31:08.666+01:00Sue, oh gosh, if I knew!
Cat - re the postcard yo...Sue, oh gosh, if I knew!<br /><br />Cat - re the postcard you are lovingly using as a bookmark, that's rather my point about bookmarks AND postcards!<br /><br />And Stroppy is right about the magnet things because she knows the exact purpose she wishes for them.<br /><br />Farah, yup. Interesting.<br /><br />Anne, two points in answer to that: first, the postcards have a QR code so in fact people can order them instantly and, second, if I had the physical books to hand, i wouldn't want to hand out a postcard as well (though I usually do) if I am measuring PC usefulness by sales.<br /><br />Dan, I find those situations really difficult! Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07847390687632715336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-54272369524345519522013-10-22T15:21:11.346+01:002013-10-22T15:21:11.346+01:00Very interesting! After my last book came out, I m...Very interesting! After my last book came out, I made a stack of postcards which I must say I thought were rather lovely. I sent them out to schools, with details of visits etc, and thought even if they didn't respond straight away, they might stick the pretty postcard on their noticeboard and do something about it later. It didn't happen. Nothing happened. So that's another thing that doesn't work. Now what DOES work? What makes people buy books etc? Simple answers, on a postcard, please...Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-17597071671182690432013-10-22T14:34:38.440+01:002013-10-22T14:34:38.440+01:00For the last 18 months, my publishers have been gi...For the last 18 months, my publishers have been giving me postcards to sign in schools, but there are never enough and I am constantly begging for more. They've just sent me the last batch so I am considering my options. I have long suspected that they don't, in general, lead to sales, but it's nice to give them something other than a signed scrap of paper torn off a jotter! Whether I'll feel the same when I am actually paying for the things is another matter... (I'll never forget my first primary-school experience when I was asked for signatures - I was leaving for my taxi and they all clustered round, shoving bits of paper in my face - I almost couldn't breathe!)Daniel Blythehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07487799866651688342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-45737961060500877882013-10-22T11:14:48.702+01:002013-10-22T11:14:48.702+01:00Hey guys i'm new to this blog.. Its seems very...Hey guys i'm new to this blog.. Its seems very nice.. I appreciate your effort blogger.. I would like to share this site to know about instagram...<br /><a href="http://instaphamous.com/" rel="nofollow">get instagram followers fast</a>johnsonroberthttp://instaphamous.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-8387324915712572132013-10-22T11:13:19.979+01:002013-10-22T11:13:19.979+01:00I wonder if part of the problem is you were sellin...I wonder if part of the problem is you were selling e books. I wonder if you'd had actual books at these talks people may have bought them then and there as part of the experience of being at the event? Going away and remembering to order an ebook might be a whole different ball game. I would forget, I'm sure.Anne Cassidynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-85456793429367757912013-10-22T09:01:08.482+01:002013-10-22T09:01:08.482+01:00An organisation I am working with is obsessed with...An organisation I am working with is obsessed with bookmarks. Against my advice they sent bookmarks to an event where I already know the booksellers have poor sales. Person after person *declined* the bookmark on the grounds that they read on an ebook, and we received not one membership that way.Farah Mendlesohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01951321462450109434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-22600226614795920422013-10-22T08:53:57.968+01:002013-10-22T08:53:57.968+01:00Ah right - you are obviously incredibly well organ...Ah right - you are obviously incredibly well organised! Have to agree though that I don't give anyone a phone number - they would be inclined to forget I live Downunder and they are somewhere in Peru or Afghanistan! catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-83227821434580695242013-10-22T08:49:46.925+01:002013-10-22T08:49:46.925+01:00Catdownunder, they are not *that* expensive. And e...Catdownunder, they are not *that* expensive. And editors lose business cards, whereas this is bright and cheerful and they can stick it to a filing cabinet. As for looking up numbers... all editors contact me by email and I don't even give out a phone number :-)Stroppy Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560035800075465845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-10918868456438488782013-10-22T08:47:15.592+01:002013-10-22T08:47:15.592+01:00Actually I use one of your post cards all the time...Actually I use one of your post cards all the time (and confess it is looking a little worn even) - it is a marker in a dictionary! (Not sure that is any comfort but at least you know one of them is being used to good purpose.) <br />I know they are slightly different but I have often wondered about the efficacy business "cards" - the sort that come as fridge magnets must be expensive and, mostly, we just look up the number we need in our personal list! catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-73633353265601273762013-10-22T08:34:54.320+01:002013-10-22T08:34:54.320+01:00Good point, Stroppy. It's all about measuring ...Good point, Stroppy. It's all about measuring value of potential gain. If one of my postcards had a half decent chance of attracting a contract, rather than the sale of one book, the equation would be different. Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07847390687632715336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-91789656284719634012013-10-22T07:58:52.014+01:002013-10-22T07:58:52.014+01:00I'm not going to disagree. My marketing budget...I'm not going to disagree. My marketing budget goes on research and on things to give to *publishers* - magnets in place of business cards, and flyers that have a load of book blurb, biog and contact details. I have no idea whether the latter make any difference BUT I only need to get one tiny contract as a result to more than pay for all the print runs I've ever done. But that's marketing me, not marketing a single book. In a way, I guess it's marketing a potential book I haven't yet written...<br />Stroppy Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560035800075465845noreply@blogger.com