After authors Angela Breidenbach and Valerie Comer collaborated on a Christmas anthology, they decided to get the marketing ball rolling in a unique and fun way. I asked Angela to share their idea. -- Sandy
Angela: Snowflake Tiara is a Christmas anthology coming out Sep. 1,
2014. Two novellas set in the same town at Christmas 125 years apart. My
novella, The Debutante Queen, opens the day before Montana becomes a state in
1889 while Valerie Comer’s novella,
The Model Queen, opens during the current holidays. In our research, we found
out 1889 was Helena’s silver anniversary and 2014 would be the 150-year
anniversary for Helena MT! Delighted to celebrate these historic events!
We dreamed up this book concept at ACFW 2012 while attending
the same workshop. Talk about mischievous girls passing notes in class! Valerie
asked me if I’d write a 2-1 with her and the notes started flying. Then after
conference, the emails kept us brainstorming and researching and emailing.
Techie vs Necessity
Valerie knew about an app for smart phones called Viber. It
allows us to call and text for free between Canada and Montana. What a blessing
when we just need to talk an idea out. We’ve tried Google Hangouts, Skype, and
Viber to communicate for our collaborative efforts. If one happens to fail, and
they do sometimes, we switch to another. We’re getting techier by the minute
out of necessity! (Techier is a word,
right??)
One afternoon we’d switched between all of our communication
back up plans trying to choose an antique tiara for our story and book cover. It’s
an important element and had to be one that would work in both 1889 and 2014. I
have no idea who thought of it now, but we decided to buy identical tiaras. We
could wear them to signings, events, and have one for the book cover photo
shoot.
Big Ideas
When the story concept moved to contract, my co-writer and I
were so excited that we wanted to sign our contracts together. But being in
different countries, a few hundred miles apart, we needed to set an appointment
to see each other’s faces and Skype the contract signing. Valerie owns an app,
Call Recorder, which records Skype calls. It costs about $30 a year. She
suggested we wear our tiaras and sign together while recording the first
official event on the journey for Snowflake
Tiara’s release. I imagine we’ll have some more fun recorded Skype events
since this one was so well received.
Making a Splash!
Most of the time we laughed too hard for the recording to
work. I highly recommend this for the pure laughter, but it is good marketing
as well. Both Valerie and I are on Mac computers. She used the movie program to
edit out a few blips, though we thought about a blooper reel. Then we had our
final product. We had no idea the Skype recording would cause so much response!
We hope Snowflake Tiara continues to
create such a splash.
Would you like more info on how to record
a call on Skype? Valerie wrote a lesson.
As a writer, what marketing ideas have you had that could be considered out of the ordinary?
~~~
A little about Angie:
Angela
Breidenbach is a captivating speaker, coach, and author of A Healing Heart, from the Abingdon Press
Quilts of Love series, Gems of Wisdom: For a Treasure-filled Life (women’s Bible
study & small group book), and countless articles, devotions, and
compilations. New book, Snowflake Tiara,
coming September 2014. She is certified in mentor/peer counseling as a CTA life
coach, as a Stephen Minister, and a weight loss/nutrition/fitness coach. Angela
volunteers as the Christian Author Network's public relations director. Her
professional positions include editor with Choose Now Publishing and support
editor for the Thinking About Suicide blog. Angela is owned by #Muse, the
dog-like cat, whose antics and articles can be found on his new blog,
A-Muse-ings. #Muse also knows social media and visits facebook, twitter, and
Pinterest sharing his favorite books as the most well read cat in the world.
Twitter/Pinterest:
@AngBreidenbach
About Snowflake Tiara:
The Debutante Queen (1889)
by Angela Breidenbach
While other women are marching for women’s voting rights, Calista Blythe is
more interested in helping orphans. She enters the Miss Snowflake Pageant
designed to draw winter tourists to Helena, Montana, hoping the prize money
will buy one small street urchin’s freedom from cruel servitude. Pageant
organizer Albert Shanahan is delighted his beautiful friend will compete. If
only winning wouldn’t mean she must remain single for the full year of her
reign. But when Albert discovers what Calista is hiding in his inn’s stable,
will he help her or disqualify her from the pageant—and his heart?
The Model Queen (2014) by Valerie Comer
Supermodel Marissa Hiller left her glam days far behind to farm in Montana after agency photographer Jase Mackie challenged her motives for drawing attention to hungry children in Africa. When the Miss Snowflake Pageant is resurrected, Marissa’s organic cooperative persuades her to represent them for the sake of the single moms she’s helping…and because her triple-great grandmother competed in the first pageant. There’s more at stake than a tiara when she discovers Jase is out West as the official photographer, ready to mess with her heart once again. Can Jase make amends and convince her his love is pure?
Supermodel Marissa Hiller left her glam days far behind to farm in Montana after agency photographer Jase Mackie challenged her motives for drawing attention to hungry children in Africa. When the Miss Snowflake Pageant is resurrected, Marissa’s organic cooperative persuades her to represent them for the sake of the single moms she’s helping…and because her triple-great grandmother competed in the first pageant. There’s more at stake than a tiara when she discovers Jase is out West as the official photographer, ready to mess with her heart once again. Can Jase make amends and convince her his love is pure?
What book does Angie currently have out?
What if the one man who tried to destroy her business is the
only man that can now help? Will Joel help Mara as she recovers from a heart
attack or take everything she has left?
