Author Topic: What places should I suggest for marketing?  (Read 1517 times)

Peter Ahlstrom

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What places should I suggest for marketing?
« on: May 12, 2006, 04:22:36 PM »
This is for Stacer and other people who know--I want to suggest some good marketing outlets to one of our marketing managers, for spreading the word on our new Pop Fiction line of YA sff books, as well as our SF novel series Crest of the Stars. What are some good websites and magazine publications that are good to reach?

There are obvious answers, like Locus, Sci-Fi Wire, the big magazines like F&SF, Analog, Asimov's, others like Realms of Fantasy...umm...New York Review of SF...but really I don't know what else.

We get our stuff covered by Publishers Weekly and ICv2 with no trouble, but the only mention TOKYOPOP ever had in a genre publication that I can recall was back in 2004 in Locus in the article about Del Rey starting to do manga. Our marketing people don't really know how to market beyond the manga/anime scene. They're contracting with an outside marketer for the Pop Fiction books, and it seems like they might have a handle on how to market YA fiction, but not genre fiction. (Though good places to suggest marketing to the YA crowd would be good as well.)
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stacer

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Re: What places should I suggest for marketing?
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2006, 07:47:45 PM »
Those answers are actually not obvious, when it comes to YA and younger. (I saw the listing in Pub Weekly, by the way.)

We hired an external publicist specifically for our children's line because of the specific challenges of the children's book world, and I highly suggest your company do the same--consult an expert who has contacts in the community. I could tell you all sorts of places, but it won't be the same as an expert in children's publicity/marketing.

Reading your last paragraph closer, sounds like you've got someone for that. That's a good start.

Genre-wise, I don't know as much as about children's, because I work specifically in the children's market. Children's fantasy really doesn't get covered in the genre markets unless it's famous enough to get cross-genre support. However, Locus just did a YA issue--that mention of my own anthology was in that issue--and they actually did a good job of explaining to a more general audience what YA is.

But as far as YA outlets, you should start looking into the review outlets for YA--School Library Journal, Horn Book Magazine and Guide (they require them to be hardcover for reviews), Kirkus. There's also a number of online outlets you should look into. However, I don't have an exhaustive list here at home (we get off early on Fridays nowadays).

So, yes, pump your outside marketer for more info, but also consider hiring--even for a short-term consultation basis--a PR person who specifically knows children's books. That'd be more likely to help you get a full spectrum of specific information for your needs.
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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: What places should I suggest for marketing?
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2006, 11:36:44 PM »
Thanks for the suggestions.

The YA stuff is probably well taken care of. It's more the adult SFF markets that might also cover some YA stuff that I'm interested in.
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stacer

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Re: What places should I suggest for marketing?
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2006, 01:09:18 AM »
Well, I suppose you could always look into game/hobby channels, though you wouldn't get much business that way, I imagine, since it wouldn't be your core audience for YA novels. You'd probably just want to concentrate on the core, in this market.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2006, 01:10:39 AM by norroway »
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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: What places should I suggest for marketing?
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2006, 08:19:45 PM »
One of the books I want to offer suggestions for is not a YA book--it's pretty straight up non-YA space  opera.
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darkjetti81

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Re: What places should I suggest for marketing?
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2006, 08:06:14 PM »
Myspace!  ha ha...  

Just make a page with the profile being the name of the book,etc.  Then jazz it up, and you might make it as a "featured profile"

It's so stupid it just might work...  


Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: What places should I suggest for marketing?
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2006, 12:31:42 AM »
I don't want to do any work myself...
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darkjetti81

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Re: What places should I suggest for marketing?
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2006, 08:18:07 PM »
I guess Ebay is out then.   ;)