We shared a guest post from author Cheri Lasota about using ebook gift cards to enable sales of a digital product (ebooks) in brick-and-mortar stores last October. Many authors wanted to know how to go about getting the cards produced to sell their own ebooks. Now, Greenerside Digital, the company Cheri partnered with for her ebook gift cards, is opening its doors to all authors. Greenerside Digital shares the news with a guest post on Cheri’s blog:
It is really great that our first guest blog post is on CheriLasota.com, since Cheri was the very first author we partnered with. Not only was she thrilled by the idea of using e-book cards to promote her work, she has actually gone on to use them very effectively.
The first place they were used was at the launch party for her novel, Artemis Rising, in Portland, Oregon. Because the novel was a digital exclusive, it would have been difficult to sell the work without some tangible item to sell or give away. E-book cards just made sense. The direct result of having e-book cards at the launch was extra sales. And because the cost of each individual card was so cheap, the sale of each card was extremely profitable.
Artemis Rising e-book cards are also being sold in a few Portland area bookstores. The bookstores Cheri and her publisher partnered with were thrilled to give the cards a try, and to date, have proven to be a very eye-catching, visually appealing item. In most cases, the cards are being sold at the store from behind the register. That is to say, customers pick up a display copy out on the floor or ask for one at the register, then the clerk hands over the card there.
What else does Cheri plan to do with these cards? Whatever she wants! The applications continue to reveal themselves in new and interesting ways. For instance, Artemis Rising e-book cards contain an exclusive version of her novel, which features a bonus gallery of maps. Because of how our system is set up, Cheri can change the digital content linked to her e-book cards any time, allowing her to change or create new strategies for any marketing campaign her or her publisher may be planning.
Ordering e-book cards is easy. Simply pick your quantity and thickness, upload your e-book file and cover art, and let us do the rest. You will have the opportunity to approve the design of your card before it prints.
Our team also has the ability to build your e-book for you, and to do it beautifully and affordably. We can include custom chapter headers, hyperlinks to other websites, and images. Your e-book will be a lot more than something to read.
E-book cards are quickly becoming the natural “next step” in marketing digital content. Visit our website at GreenersideDigital.com or send an e-mail to info@greenersidedigital.com to learn more.
To see an example of what your book’s page would look like on Greenerside Digital, just click here. Also, you can check out Greenerside’s helpful FAQ page, to learn how this all works.