Wednesday, July 20, 2011

My plea to you...no headlock required

You know how I’ve made it a point never to put anyone in a headlock and scream “buy my book!”

It’s because I believe wholeheartedly that social media works best when sales pitches are kept to a bare minimum, and I try to be bare as much as possible.

But today I’m making the plea – BUY MY BOOK!

Or more specifically, pre-order it. Like, now.

See, books are judged heavily on the first week’s sales. Pre-orders count toward that week, which is why you see a lot of authors dancing topless in exchange for pre-orders in the weeks leading up to release day.

I’m not saying I think I have a snowball’s chance in hell of hitting the New York Times list my first week out, but I always believe in giving any long-shot my best effort. Even though I know odds are slim Daniel Craig will leave his new wife to make wild, passionate love to me, I still Fed-Ex him locks of my hair every week.

So here’s my plea:
  1. Pre-order the Making Waves by Sunday, July 31. You can order at Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Powells Books or IndieBound.
  2. Send an email to tawnafenske at yahoo dot com with the subject line “Hell yes I pre-ordered!” In the email, include either an electronic copy of your receipt, or if you already received the book due to Amazon's early shipment, a photo of yourself with the book.
  3. Include your snail-mail address.

Follow those steps by Sunday, July 31 and I’ll mail you a signed Making Waves bookmark. Those of you reading the e-book version will find it makes a lovely coaster for a really narrow drink.

Everyone who participates gets the bookmark. In addition, everyone will be entered in a drawing to win a signed copy of Making Waves (hey, you can give your unsigned one to a friend) as well as a signed Advance Reading Copy of my second contracted romantic comedy, Believe it Or Not when it’s available. Not a bad package, right?

I said “package.”

So there’s my plea. No headlock required, right?

If you have any questions, leave ‘em in the comments. Otherwise, I’ll be over here hitting “refresh” on my in-box over and over and over and…


ADDENDUM
Holy cow, you guys! Um, talk about speedy response! Amazon is already showing limited quantities in stock (it said six copies just ten minutes ago, and now it says two). My amazing agent scrambled to touch base with the publisher and make sure there are plenty of books available. They've assured us there are, and that if anyone does happen to run out, printing more is a speedy proposition. So keep ordering, and thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

26 comments :

Shain Brown said...

I am in!

Loralie Hall said...

Oh, good reminder. I want this book. *wanders to amazon*....ha! Ordered ^_^ Looking forward to it so much ^_^

Matthew MacNish said...

You also said "giving any long-shot my best effort."

LR said...

Just ordered mine! Yippee. :)

I wish you loads of success.

Cherie Reich said...

I got your book yesterday from Amazon! I can't wait to read it this weekend. *makes note of your lovely plea*

danielledspears said...

I am so in!!!! Book should be arriving any day now. Picture of me making out with the book will ensue.

Hanna said...

Well then, I have a question. :)

I preordered from amazon a long time ago, buuuut... I live in Sweden (and they say my copy will reach me in a month, on the 23rd. Like, holy crap I live along way away). Of course I'd LOVE a Making Waves bookmark, but do you really want to send me one? I'll totally get it if you don't, not sure what the postage would be. ;)

Blaire Kensley said...

Just pre-ordered a copy for my Kindle & am also planning to run to my local WALMART for my hardcopy when it hits shelves. WOOHOO!!! So good luck! I'm sure it'll be a fantastic week! :D

Lynda Elkin said...

I'm in! I'm taking my copy to the set today to snap a pic!

Bonnie said...

Count me in! I actually wandered over to Amazon to see if it was available (yes in print, no in digital) and pre-ordered my copy to be released to my iPad on August 1st - happy birthday to me!

Can't wait to read it... Finally!

Katie Richie said...

I'll get my copy in a couple of days! It does appear that Amazon is running low on copies. They only have 6 copies left (but assure us there are more on the way).

Luanna Stewart said...

I just pre-ordered my Kindle version. Woot! Can't wait to read this one. We'll be seeing you on NYT list, fer shure.

Rick said...

I just pre-ordered the Kindle edition. (No need for a bookmark, I did so out of my long-standing adoration of you.)

And hey, you may not have the chutzpah to hope for the NYT on your first week out... but as a friend, I am burdened by neither such humility nor realism. I AM ROOTING FOR YOU.

kah said...

I will def pre-order. :)
I already have one of those pretty bookmarks, and I can vouch that yes, they DO make nice coasters--especially for mango daiquiris.

TAWNA FENSKE said...

Aww, thanks for all the pre-order pledges, guys! I really appreciate it. I hate this hard-sell stuff (yes, Matthew, I said "hard") so thank you for making it not so uncomfortable.

Hanna, great question about the Sweden postage. I can't imagine it'd be more than a couple bucks, but let me check into it, K? Thanks for being so sweet about it!

And Katie, that swooping sound you just heard was my agent leaping into action upon reading your comment about the limited quantities. That's news to us, but I'm sure the publisher is already on top of it. They're smart like that.

Thanks again for everything, guys!

Tawna

Unknown said...

If you're in Sweden you can also pre-order it through CDON.com - I already have!

Roni Loren said...

You're method must be working. Amazon says it only has 5 copies left in stock. Go you! :)

I pre-ordered the kindle version--so no need for bookmarks. :) But can't wait to read it!

Carrie said...

I just pre-ordered as well....and now they're down to 3 in stock. Someone best be re-ordering!!! =)

Claire Dawn said...

Hi Tawna,

I'm in exactly Hanna's sitch. Except Japan instead of Sweden. Will email you anyhow, and if you can't do it, then you can't.

Good luck with sales.

Hanna said...

Tawna: Of course! Guess I'll email you anyway and like Claire Dawn says, if you can't you can't. :)

Malin: Ooh... See how americanized I *try* to be? :D Hadn't even thought to check some of our local options. Ah well, I'll just wait not-so-patiently now!

jill said...

I tried two or three times to pre-order too early from both Powell's and my local B&N. Finally got the preorder done on-line at Powells.

Can't wait to get my hands on it!

Wolfe said...

I just finished my ARC, so if anyone is reading this, I promise you will want to buy this book. It was a hoot!!!! Near the end, I just laughed. There was no way around it, from a hotel scene to the very end, i was pure humor bliss!

Mary said...

Of COURSE I pre-ordered and, lucky me, I should be getting it in the mail TODAY!! Woot-woot!

Can't wait to read it and I'm totally rooting for you to make it onto the NYT Bestseller list! Go Team Tawna!!

Linda G. said...

Woo-hoo! Not even officially "out" yet, and they're already running low on supplies! That rocks. :)

My pic of me & MAKING WAVES is on my blog today. I think you should fly out here and sign it for me. ;)

jill said...

woo hoo! Home from a trip over Mount Hood and back to find an email from Powells that my copy of Making Waves is here! As soon as I scarf down dinner, I'll go get it.

Kimberly Sabatini said...

Woo hoo!!!! They better get printing!!!!! You've seen my copy LOL! I make all my friends pet it!