I do not, as a habit, read other books while I am writing. This means that during the abbreviated periods during the year when I'm not working on something, I devour books.
Now, though, I am doing something uncustomary. I am reading books, and I am simultaneously deep into yet another novel of my own.
Last night, before I went to bed, I stopped by my son's room (as I always do) to tell him goodnight.
I've been reading a particular book and he's been waiting for me to finish it and pass it along.
I had to tell him that I've been reading the book very slowly on purpose. In fact, I'm on the last chapter, but I don't want to finish it because I think it is among my top three brilliant American novels of all time.
I can't wait to pass it on to him.
This is how you market books for boys.
I had an email conversation with a friend a week or so ago. My friend said, "It's difficult to market books to boys."
I wondered if anyone had yet tried to market books to boys.
I'm not convinced that has happened.
I think that books have been marketed, but the marketing strategies are geared toward a particular spending demographic. It's easier that way.
But, for me, it's not difficult at all to market books to boys. It's easy.
7 comments:
The idea of marketing to boys is grossly over-thought and treated as a philosophical theory rather than an easy reality. It begins with the recognition that boys do in fact read and that they are willing to spend money if the books they are interested are ever brought to the surface and not hidden behind vampires and Victorian teen romances.
There is one sure fire way to market a book to anyone: have someone they respect tell them how good it is. Sounds like you're on that.
I read everything my father ever told me to, even though I rarely followed any of his other directives.
And I'm going to get cryptic here, because I don't want SPOIL anything:
THANK YOU for missing when you tried to ice TB. I was about to get very angry at you. All of you.
Uh oh...
Tuberculosis?
Shit. I guess I had that coming.
I forgive you.
As a teen librarian (well, library clerk; same-dif), here's what I ask every teen: If you could have anything in a book, what would it be? Immediately, its about them, and they can easily answer the question. My brain starts firing off titles as they're talking. I've gotten boys to read everything from Cassandra Clare (with a half-naked guy on the cover) to D.J. MacHale. My opinion: you have to know your audience before you market. "Marketing" to boys is the same as "marketing" to girls. You just have to know what the reader prefers.
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