Do you have a flair for guerrilla marketing? Do you also like free stuff? Well, I'm running a competition that might interest you.
Here's the deal. For a couple of years now I've been trying to get my novel noticed online. I've made a few isolated breakthroughs, but so far the domino effect has miserably failed to kick in. I'm still waiting on the big break, and I'm running out of time, money, energy and ideas. It's getting to the point where I might soon have to throw in the sponge and get an actual job. And we can't have that.
This is where you come in. I'm looking to harness the awesome creative people-power of the web. If you can think up, and execute, any measure or stunt or that will significantly boost the profile of my novel, I'll send you a free signed copy. What you do can be either online or offline - the only requirement is that you somehow bring the book to people's attention. The more out-there your method, the better. Maybe you can persuade Angelina Jolie to adopt a copy of it. Perhaps you can base-jump off Everest with my web address blazoned on your chute. Or maybe you can do something more conventional, like put a copy into the hands of somebody with a bit of influence. Maybe you've got influence yourself. If so, use it. You don't even have to have read the book to participate. It'd be nice, but it's not essential. Do professional marketers read the books they promote? I fucking doubt it.
At the moment I have ten copies to give away, but if there's enough interest I'll consider throwing in a few more.
There's also a Grand First Prize on offer. If your efforts happen to lead directly to the book's publication by a major house (i.e. the kind that actually pays money) I will sign and send you the very first author's copy I get - and I'll name a character in my next novel after you. Not necessarily a major character, but a character. How's that for exciting? You'll also get a signed copy of the present edition.
Here's some fine print:
•Don't do anything illegal or grossly inappropriate.
•Don't worry about where you live - if your effort's good enough I'll send you the free copy, no matter how insane the international postage charge.
•In the right circumstances I might consider sending out the free copy before the publicity is delivered. But generally I won't - I've done it before, and been burned.
•At some point, for reasons I can't presently foresee, I may have to call the competition off - but I'll give fair warning before I do.
•Don't just say: get it reviewed by the New York Times. I can have that sort of idea myself. If you can somehow arrange to get it reviewed by the New York Times, then we're in business.
•I'll have to be the final - indeed the only - arbiter of what constitutes a prizeworthy effort. For example, you might be able to get the book reviewed by a blogger. Not a bad idea: but it'd have to be a pretty high-profile blogger before I lobbed you a free copy. I've been reviewed by low-profile bloggers before, including some with exceptionally good taste. But low-profile bloggers - I speak with authority, because I'm one myself - simply can't deliver the kind of splash I'm calling for. In the end, I'll have to be the judge of whether your splash is big enough - but bear in mind that I'm pretty generous, and also pretty desperate.
•I'll be putting up an honour roll on this site documenting all responses. Everyone'll go on it, except people who for some reason want to remain anonymous.
•As for naming a character in my next novel after you, this assumes there will be, at some point, a second novel. If there isn't one, then obviously there won't be a character named after you.
•EMAIL ME with queries or suggestions.
Copyright © 2008 by David Free. All rights reserved.