The Six
Friday, June 19, 2009, 6:37 PM
As I've already mentioned, I have a small short story collection coming up. It will be available as a free e-book download from my website at some point next week, but there will also be a limited run of fifty signed and numbered paperback editions printed. Some of these have already been promised for little promos I've been running here and there, but a few will also be given away here and on my website. Question is, what do I do for competitions? Any ideas? Also, although I can't quite 100% confirm it yet, there will also hopefully be an extra special and exclusive prize up for grabs soon. It'll need a suitably extra special competition, so I'm going to give that some thought.
In the meantime, here's the cover design for THE SIX, as created by Julie Chalmers, an extraordinarily talented graphic designer I work with as part of my day job. Isn't it pretty?
In the meantime, here's the cover design for THE SIX, as created by Julie Chalmers, an extraordinarily talented graphic designer I work with as part of my day job. Isn't it pretty?
Labels: competitions, short stories, the six
posted by Stuart Neville at 6:37 PM
9 Comments:
No ideas, but I will keep thinking.
BTW- just ordered my two copies (one for me and one for dad) of Ghosts of Belfast. can't wait until October now.
Stellar design and great promotional tie-in.
Two main types of contests: one you have to do stuff to win, and one you just comment.
Use the second type first for an initial traffic boost: "leave a comment" and then use a randomizer to choose a winner. You can give extra entries when those people help publicize the contest, either on their blogs or Tweeting or whatever.
Then, use that first type for more in-depth subjects/entries, make people love you and want to come back:
A "quiz" with answers that can be found in your archives; a totally silly get-to-know-you subject (ie, ppl submit "Van Halen's top fan moments" and you choose your favorite, etc.)
A contest to enter the best reasons /they/ should win The Six; you choose your favs.
You're wanting to hook people not only with the book but with your winning personality, so let them get to know you a little.
A few logistical tips:
Make sure to specify geographic eligibility (world wide? Just Europe? etc).
There are a number of sites that will post the fact that you're running a contest - West of Mars Win a Book run by author Susan Helene Gottfried is one of my favorites but I'm sure you Mystery nerds have your own. :)
Make sure you mention the winners on your blog. We amateurs love it when authors shout out our names.
Julie may have a future in book cover design. That's very good!
Competition suggestion: first person to correctly identify the make and model of the electric guitar in the background of the book shot in your post of early June. (I think I know the answer...)
It is, indeed, pretty.
That's an awesome cover.
Trivia contests are always fun, and they invite interaction. I had a Canada trivia contest for Bad Ice, and it was fun reading the answers.
You could have an Irish trivia contest! Most accurate or funniest answers win.
You can always do it Declan Burke style and offer up three questions on a particular fact about one of the stories appearing in the collection, or you could do what Mckinty did and have people guess how many cups of coffee you sucked down during the writing of the Twelve?
Or better yet, you can have a dance off!
Dance off, via YouTube. Hmmmmm. I think Stuart should go first.
Dance off, Pants off! Yea!!
BTW, my hand is up (ooo ooo me, please, Mr. Neville!!)
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