Hello Dear Readers,

I’m popping out of my cave of insanities (otherwise known as 5 web site launches and 2 book trailer launches in the next two weeks) for a quick note about multidimensionality in marketing.

Recently I read a post on Publisher’s Weekly, about the interactive, multidimensional, two-year marketing plan Scholastic has created for their upcoming book series, The 39 Clues.

Scholastic hopes to position this 10 book series as a blockbuster successor to the Harry Potter series, and they’ve left no dimension neglected in their preparation for the first book’s release this September.

The corresponding web site will launch September 9th, and, according to a report in the New York Times:

“An online game will allow readers to search for the 39 clues themselves, while solving puzzles and playing mini-games that will be refreshed daily. Mr. Levithan said the site would include blogs written from the points of view of characters, and maps, treasure hunts and videos, many with historical and geographical content.

Each book will come with six collectors’ cards that can be used to find further clues in the online game. Players can also win cash and other prizes. “

The marketing efforts, and buzz generated pre-release, have paid off.

Dreamworks studio has acquired the film rights for all ten books, with Steven Spielberg signed on to direct.   The print run for the first book, The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan, has doubled from 250,000 to 500,000.

And publishing industry gurus are heralding the interactivity and multidimensionality of the plan as the next gen in book marketing.

Thoughts for the Overwhelmed:

I know many authors who already feel overwhelmed by the demands on their time and creativity.  Maybe you’re one of them.  Maybe you feel you’re already at your limit, multi-tasking like crazy…and now, you have to be multidimensional too?

For some of us, our only claim to multidimensionality is that our favorite jeans don’t button like they used to because we’re too busy to exercise:)

In a world full of unexpected illnesses, carpooling, computer glitches, financial struggles, and a pace of life generated by our culture that borders on insane, sometimes its a victory just finishing that book or proposal, or having any kind of web presence at all.  Much less a two-year web strategy complete with targeted demographic studies, and Spielberg producing movies to go with your books and web launch.

So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t lose heart.  Ultimately, we must let God pour us out when, and where, and how He chooses.   There are a million marketing possibilities, a million choices for our time and our energy.  But in the end, there are only 24 hours in a day, only so many days in a year, and only so much energy in our reserves.  He chooses our goals.  He decides when we’ve achieved greatness.  Our job is to not run ourselves dry (and believe me, I’m preaching to myself here) but to simply do and give our best.  That’s all He requires.

Thoughts on marketing in a digital age:

Our world is changing.  Or more to the point, our technology is changing us.  Changing the way we live, the way we think, what we expect.

It’s changing the way we work and play.  Everyone from children to baby boomers are using the Internet for news, entertainment, search, and social networking.  First we unhooked from our desktops, and enjoyed mobile computing from our laptops.  Now accessing the Web via cell phones and PDAs is the new norm.

It’s changing the way we read.  It started with skipping the local bookstore for the convenience of online sites.  Now people are skipping the online sites and buying books with digital readers through on-demand access.  The popularity of this system is not a fad.  It’s the future.  Which is why the Amazon Kindle sold out in 5.5 hours at its release.  And why many publishers are exploring e-book formats.

It’s changing the way we connect.  We started sending each other silly messages via e-mail.  Then instant messenger came around.  Then blogging.  Then we invited friends to keep up with us on Facebook or Shoutlife or MySpace.  Then that wasn’t immediate enough, so we switched to Twitter.

And through it all, marketers have been watching.  Customizing our internet experiences because they see the truth:  God wired humans with curiosity, multiple senses, and an escalating desire for more.

Authors can use this same understanding of human wiring, and use today’s technology – video, audio, crazy contests (Ted Dekker’s Books of History challenge comes to mind), web interactivity, etc – to engage readers before, and beyond, the book.

Looking Deeper:

The bottom line is this:

1.)  We live in a hectic, noisy world.  Readers, especially in the US, are over stimulated already.  With so many things competing for their attention, we’ll need to be savvy to draw them back to the simple pleasure of reading.  But with that said…

2.)  God is a master strategist, and a master at wooing the hearts of listeners.  He knows exactly how to draw your audience to the message He’s given you for them.   As far as He’s concerned, there’s nothing new under Heaven, even if some of this technology is new or even frightening to us!  So fear not.  Do your best.  He’s on your side.

Just For Fun:

If you’d like to be multidimensional while doing something fun, create an avatar, grab a couple friends, and go hunt for treasure at Puzzle Pirates, a virtual world filled with treasures and sea battles.

Then be sure to stop back soon for samples from my marketing and internet classes at the Mt. Hermon Writing Conference, and in the meantime remember:

Sell your work…not your soul

Posted on June 27th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Organic Marketing