Writing Themed Gift Books

It’s that time of year again when people struggle to find just the right gift. This is especially so in tough economic times when people can't afford big lavish presents. Beautiful holiday themed gift books are always welcome gifts, especially when you match the gift to the recipient. So as authors, this is a ready market and one that you can fill with your own personal talents.

You could, for example, write a children’s book, a novel, or a nonfiction book of essays built around a holiday theme. Or, as Carolyn Howard-Johnson and I have done, you could create an attractive poetry book. What Carolyn and I have done is to keep our books to greeting card size and greeting card price, so that people are encouraged to purchase the book to tuck into a stocking or give with a box of Godiva chocolates or a bouquet of flowers. This way the books fit all budgets and provide a beautiful gift that can be customised for any recipient. We even offer Blooming Red (our Christmas themed book) in quantities of 25 or more, just like cards, at a 40% discount. The cover by Vicki Thomas is certainly pretty enough for a card--or a basket.  

You can find more information on the many holiday themed booklets that we've created on Amazon or on at Carolyn’s Web site at http://howtodoitfrugally.com/poetry_books.htm. Many of the books have won or been shortlisted for awards and have not only been fun to create, but have proved to be very popular promotional tools for us, some even hitting #1 on Amazon.  Although writing a book is never easy, building a book around a holiday theme is a great way to create work that is easy to promote and will meet a market niche. Why not drop by Carolyn's site, which is full of samples, videos, ideas and freebies. Have a look at the many themed gift books we created, and of course, steal the idea and customise it to suit your own particular area of expertise.  You have my permission.  Of course if you’ve got hard-to-buy people on your list, you might even like to grab a copy or even a set to giveaway as cards.  Happy holidays! 

6 comments:

Karen Cioffi said...

Maggie, this is such a good idea. I like how you make the books pocket size and give suggestions to enhance the gift with extras, if you want.

I think many of us authors don't take advantage of all the marketing avenues available to us. Thanks for sharing!

Anne Duguid Knol said...

I love the idea of themed gift books being sold like cards. Thank you for sharing this idea and the motivating links, Maggie. Your Christmas poetry book looks lovely.

Kathleen Moulton said...

Thanks, Maggie. Heading over to check out Carolyn's site now!

Carolyn Howard-Johnson said...

Oh, Maggie. So glad you thought of sharing our...ahem...brilliance..with readers of this blog. (-: And it must be brilliant because--as you recall--it wasn't too long before a press had taken our idea for their own. Of course, these things can't be patented and maybe there's nothing new in the world--so maybe they didn't "take" it. Maybe they just "adapted" it. And, actually, I hope they were successful with it because you may also recall that the reason we did it was to make poetry--real poetry, not greeting card verse--more accessible to larger numbers of people. Love and sharing makes the world go round.

Melinda Brasher said...

This is a great idea. You got my wheels turning.

Linda Wilson said...

Thank you for sharing this terrific idea, Maggie. I love the idea and will buy it as a gift!

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