Marketing

It’s less than two weeks since Google eBooks™ went live, but many booksellers are fully engaged in the first stage of their e-book marketing campaigns. The Book Bin is offering loaner Sony Readers; Tattered Cover has highlighted four agency titles, while Kepler’s promoted non-agency books; and Gallery Bookshop & Bookwinkle’s Children’s Books hosted a digital petting zoo.

A new package of editable e-book marketing materials for the holidays is now available on IndieCommerce.com and in the Bookseller DIY on BookWeb.org.

Skylight Books, which has created various innovative marketing campaigns, recently developed a new raffle series called “Fine Prints.” During October, every customer who spent $40 or more was eligible to enter the raffle.

American Express OPEN has joined with advocacy groups and public and private organizations to declare the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday. The first 10,000 business owners who sign up for Small Business Saturday will receive $100 in free Facebook advertising.

WORD bookstore in Brooklyn was recently recognized by the Village Voice for “Best Off-Line Personal Ads - 2010” for its matchmaking board – a success that has spawned bookish love connections and press coverage since its debut last July.

Dozens of new IndieBound holiday designs and updated favorites have just been added to BookWeb’s Bookseller DIY.

To help booksellers capitalize on the October 29 movie release of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Music Box Films is offering free passes, a free documentary, and a chance for consumers to win a trip to Sweden.

On the second Tuesday morning of every month, Warwick’s hosts “Coffee With a Bookseller.” The store serves free coffee and scones, and staff member Seth Marko leads customers on a “casual, informal journey” through new releases and Warwick’s staff picks.

With the help of technology, publisher William Morrow has begun building excitement for the January release of Conor Grennan’s memoir, Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal.

When the San Diego Union Tribune cut its coverage of arts and books, several area booksellers stepped in to provide the newspaper with book-related content.

The Annapolis Bookstore's new "Rent-a-Book" program is a "win-win situation" that has drawn "phenomenal interest," said co-owner Mary Adams.

As a growing number of independent booksellers look to make their online presence a key part of their store identity, it is important to ensure that the bookstore website is as productive as possible.

The GetGlue iPhone app offers readers a new way to connect with the Indie Next List.

To help booksellers capitalize on film-release buzz for The Girl Who Played With Fire, Music Box Films is offering a multifaceted promotion, including free passes, a free documentary, and, appropriately, free temporary tattoos.

Facebook offers an inexpensive, targeted ad platform that may help booksellers reach new customers.