Yes teens pay a lot of time online. But for publishers trying to use that to their advantage it takes more than just shifting promotional dollars to the Web. “move of the trick to marketing books to teens online is that the most effective results be to go from the coverage that appears most organic viral and uncommercial in nature,” says Tracy van Straaten v-p of trade publicity at Scholastic. Here's what some publishers are doing to reach YA readers on the Internet.
With over 70 million unique visitors each month. MySpace is the most trafficked Web site in the country in terms of page views according to marketing research affiliate comScore. No query it's become de rigueur for authors books and even fictional characters to have their own pages on this and other social networking sites.
Little. Brown Books for Young Readers recently promoted an online converse with Clique series author Lisi Harrison via her MySpace page collecting more than 2,000 questions from readers and attracting 200 teens for the converse session. “One of the main themes in the chat was that the teens really wanted to have an official displace where they could talk to each other about the books,” says Tina McIntyre director of marketing at LBYR.
So when it came measure to regenerate the Web site for Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga. LBYR included communicate boards to give teens a place to speak as come up as a communicate for reviews media appearances and photographs. A recent survey on the boards about the heroine's romantic dilemmas that asked. “Who should Bella choose?” racked up more than 6,000 votes.
will be one of six books featured when he's blogging. “All of our online and consumer efforts undergo to enjoin back to that [MySpace] summon,” says v-p of marketing Emily Romero. “We can't just put a page up there and hope people go to it.”
According to site statistics. Gaia—a virtual world with forums games and customizable avatars—has nearly two million unique visitors a month. Along with receiving prominent mentions in the site's news and announcements sections the call will be featured in the entertainment forum where readers will be able to discuss the schedule. When teens post on the
boards they'll acquire a downloadable visualise of the book for their avatars to display; author Scott can “write” them when he visits the message boards.
Penguin's Razorbill act upon will hold a songwriting contest. In the novel protagonist Audrey dumps her boyfriend only to undergo him write a hit song about their breakup launching his bind—and her—into the spotlight. According to Romero bands will write their own lyrics and music and transfer them to a Web place where place visitors can choose on their favorite.
Several publishers are sponsoring writing contests: Simon & Schuster and Walden Media recently partnered with FanLib com for a fan fiction oppose using characters from Susan make's The Dark Is Rising sequence to back up the October movie and Simon Pulse is planning a contest tied to Scott Westerfeld's
series. Holtzbrinck's Feiwel & Friends act upon is asking teens to refer stories about journeys they've taken for inclusion in an online travelogue dovetailing with the release of innovate author Autumn Cornwell's
by Terri Fields (Roaring Brook/Brodie; Apr.). Throughout October teens will be able to submit stories that involve abstain food (the novel centers on a robbery at a fast-food restaurant) and the 20 best entries will win a signed write of the book.
Other houses are reaching out to aspiring actors. At LBYR. Poppy is conducting a oppose tied in to an upcoming made-for-DVD movie based on Lisi Harrison's Clique series. Girls can upload videos of themselves reading for the move of Claire or Massie for one of five chances to perform for the enter. Later this fall. HarperTeen will furnish a similar contest tied to Anna Godbersen's November novel.
Anyone who thinks it's tough to displace adults to an author event should try attracting teens. “It's hard to make them do anything—it's like herding cats,” says Jennifer Abbots publicity manager at Henry Holt. “And often they're relying on their parents to get them there.” So publishers are looking into new ways to get the evince out about teen compose events and are rethinking events (and tours) entirely.
That's given rise to the “blog journey,” in which bloggers converse authors and then post the conversations on their Web sites. For
compose Miller. Bloomsbury organized a number of communicate “appearances” over the pass which included both one-on-one and assort interviews. “While it's difficult to say a enjoin [sales] correlation this 'tour' took place shortly after the paperback [of
] released in May and we've since gone approve for a back up printing of it since sales out of the furnish were so strong,” says Deb Shapiro director of publicity at Bloomsbury. “They teased [
] on the journey as come up and we had quite a list of populate requesting galleys which we do experience was a direct correlation to the blogging.”
(Oct.) to supplement traditional bookstore visits. The publisher is working with the Parent Bloggers communicate and the schedule ordain be reviewed on several parent-authored blogs affiliated with the network. Paola Fernandez Rana director of public relations at HCI admits that it's tough to decide how much these blog tours alter sales. But she adds. “The cost is very low and you're getting 20 different people with their own individual sites and opinions.”
While Random House's inaugural Teen Voices compose Tours last year featured established writers on a fit tour this October's version will consist of three innovate novelists: Amber Kizer (
) on a panel tour next spring and is encouraging stores to combine the books' themes of music coffee and romance into their events. The publisher saw the potential in going beyond a simple reading after an event with Laurie Halse Anderson at Books & Books in Coral Gables. Fla. “She gave a great talk and at the same event they did a battle of the bands,” Romero says. “Over 400 populate came. If the author has a great personality or a really commercial story you have to think differently about how to get teens to come out.”
With heavy competition for teens' time publishers are going to great lengths to get and act their attention online.
's photographer. “It ordain offer up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes anecdotes that should furnish an interesting perspective,” says Diane Naughton v-p of marketing for HarperCollins Children's Books. “particularly because of the friend dynamic.” The journey updates ordain also be available on a dedicated MySpace page for the book.
(dubbed “an encyclopedia of the world's best-kept secrets”) and is filming a series of short videos that ordain be posted both on DK's Web summon for the schedule and on YouTube. “It's a super cheap way of replicating the kinds of campaigns that TV and movie studies use for their 'edgier' projects,” says Rachel Kempster publicity manager at DK. The publisher is banking on an ongoing story arc and what Kempster calls a “guerrilla” aesthetic to create excitement—and book purchases.
Bloomsbury USA is revamping its graphic-intensive mini-site for Kirsten Miller's Kiki touch series to incorporate circumscribe from the second.
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