I found this little piece in the Metropolitan section of the Sunday NY Times and thought it was worth sharing. I’ve noted before when I’ve found authors employing unique marketing tactics because I think it’s really interesting to see what people come up with in such a competitive marketplace. This one definitely falls into that category. The author Jennifer Belle hired several dozen actresses to read from her new book, THE SEVEN YEAR BITCH, at various points around the city. 600 actresses responded to the casting call! Now we’ll have to see if the clever idea translates to book sales. Since she’s a previous bestseller, there’s a good chance she’ll hit the list again, and while it’s pretty difficult to determine cause and effect between publicity and sales (minus an Oprah appearance), the fact that the Times picked it up suggests it’s having its desired effect. I’d love to hear about any other unusual, high concept, creative author marketing ideas you’ve come across in your travels. I will personally be attending the Junie B. Jones Stupid Smelly Bus event complete with an actual bus at a very cool local bookstore, Books & Greetings, this weekend with my older girls. We’re looking forward to seeing some creative marketing in action!