“The most interesting marketing opportunities are those that are unconventional.” That is how author-illustrator Lori Richmond sums up the case study we are about to present here. In to…

This is the beginning of an interview Dan Blank had with author and illustrator Lori Richmond about an innovative marketing opportunity she saw and followed through on. I wholly agree with Dan – this marketing effort Richmond made has paid off in many small and cumulative ways for her.

I think that is how most of the best marketing works for most authors. It’s not that one post or that one event you go to or that one person you meet, but over time, it’s all those posts, all those events, all those people you meet who add up to opportunities to share yourself and your stories with others.

Everyone is looking for a quick fix related to marketing their book(s). Think about it – if it existed, don’t you think someone would have found it by now. It takes time and effort, lots of efforts, actually, and missteps (lets not call it failure – it’s a learning process, right?), but there will be targets hit along the way and lots of fun experiences, too!

Here’s my example: I recently was invited by a librarian that I met at a art and craft sale to present at an evening talk event her library has a few times a year. Now this library is probably smaller than 1000 square feet and this town has a population so small that they can’t get a grocery store to move in where the old one stood for years. But this innovative librarian has partnered with a small pizza/ice creams shop (Central 52) in town (a big deal for this town) to host evening speakers a few times a year on all kinds of topics.

I showed up early, met the owner (a woman), and had an ice cream while I set up my books for display. Six people came out on a cold, wet spring evening to hear me talk about writing and publishing. It was a interactive, intimate group and I made some new acquaintances, had my picture taken with the librarian and her friend, which was posted on the shop website (which I then reposted, of course), and I was connected to the daughter of one of the participants who does editing (I’m always looking for proofing help for my clients), and I sold 5 books!

I’m also going to go back for pizza with my husband. It smelled really good and we’re always looking for new pizza places to try. Who would have thought about all these connections and possibilities from a library that is no bigger than 1000 square feet in a town that isn’t large enough to have a grocery store.

Maybe that will be the end of it, but maybe it won’t. One never knows.

So keep, keepin’ on!  Get out there! Meet people! Keep your eyes and ears open. Over time you can’t predict how it will pay off, but it will.

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Source: An Incredible Marketing Case Study, with Author-Illustrator Lori Richmond – WeGrowMedia – Dan Blank