One of the companies we enjoyed connecting with at Book Expo America was Dropcards. When it comes to unique author collateral, there’s not much an author can do inexpensively to separate themselves from the pack. Bookmarks, okay, but do a lot of readers buy a book from a bookmark? Postcards may also be useful, depending on where you drop them. And book plates are useful to mail to folks who can’t make a signing.
But beyond that, there’s not many promotional products or “takeaway” items that are financially practical for an emerging author, except giving away excerpts of work, samples of upcoming books, etc. And those can be advertised on your website and bookmarks, but what if there was a classier way to offer up that free read or ARC?
Dropcards produces download cards for authors and publishers that are plastic/laminated (more like a credit card or VIP type badge. It’s a more tangible takeaway, making your call-to-action on the custom printed cards more impactful to potential readers. Dropcards started in the music biz and has expanded into the book market, which of course we love!
The cards can make book promotion, signings, events, tours, and more a whole lot easier. And, you can use them to provide anything from chapter samples to full eBooks and more. Here’s how some of their clients are using them:
- Audio and eBook downloads
- Exclusive author interviews and book trailers
- Bonus prologues, epilogues, and alternate endings
- Chapter excerpts or unreleased chapters for upcoming books
- Social media campaigns, contests, and sweepstakes
- Easy-to-distribute copies and galleys for reviewers, book clubs, even media
- Added exclusive content such as artwork, music, and wallpapers
In one example we loved, Penguin Random House included them in the goody bags of marathon runners, offering a free audiobook download to listen to while they ran. Cool, right? We see them being a useful tool at book signings and launch parties as well as a way to better grow your email list, offering special content for those who check in…
Special Offer
We’ve arranged for any of our tribe for a special offer from them. You can view general pricing HERE. If you use code WWW10, any time before December 31, 2015, you’ll get 10% off your order. AND, they’ll do a special offer in the next 30 days, 100 mega plastic cards, color front, black and white backs, for $75.
How would you use Dropcards as unique author collateral to market your books?