Publishers of inspirational fiction are blending new and old tricks to tempt readers to buy, whether at Christian bookstores, megastores, or via the Internet. Past successes—print ads, shelf-talkers, word of mouth—are augmented with the newest technology to reach savvy fans.

Zondervan is adding to its strategy playbook with video trailers for top-selling authors. These high-end book promos are posted on video-sharing sites such as YouTube as well as author and publisher Web sites, but the company takes marketing one step further by buying national cable time via Google TV for pennies on the dollar.

"Is it risky? Absolutely," says Tom Dean, senior marketing director. "But we want to try something new. If we want to get a new audience, we have to reach them in new ways."

Dean oversees marketing strategy for Terri Blackstock, Zondervan’s top-selling suspense author. The house is buying ads in magazines such as Ellery Queen, hoping to tap new fans.

For Bethany House, reaching its solid fan base doesn’t mean constantly plowing new ground. "A lot of it for us is reputation," says Steve Oates, v-p of marketing. "We know what we’re doing and people respond to that."

While the publisher sends review copies via Kindle and buys advertising on Web sites, "We’ve got to be the most boring marketers in the world," Oates says. "We’re not reinventing; we’re doing the basics really well."

The basics—print ads featuring several books, bookstore end caps, really good covers—are working, as the historical fiction genre, Bethany’s hallmark, continues to draw readers. "I want to spend my first dollars on store placement, then on helping the store talk to customers, and finally on radio, Internet, and magazine ads," says Oates.

David C. Cook’s Ginia Hairston, senior director of marketing for books and multimedia, points to the company’s emphasis on book trailers for every fiction title as "the most successful tactic in marketing for fiction." The trailers are posted on video sharing sites, used by Christian retailers on their Web sites, and sent to book club Web sites such as Authorbuzz.com and dearreader.com. All print media now include a QR (quick response) code, a two-dimensional bar code that links consumers directly to videos, provided they have appropriate scanning technology on phones or Apple devices.

Zondervan is using QR codes to link readers to video featuring Joshua Jordan, the main character in Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall’s the End Series. With book two, Thunder in Heaven, due out soon, senior marketing director Alicia Mey plans a strong push for the video via Facebook, Twitter, and other sites.

"People attach themselves to a character, so we are using character-driven ads," says Mey. "Social media is a good place to be because the point of social networking is to share with friends."

Mey plans a year-long social media campaign for Thunder in Heaven that includes a Joshua Jordan Facebook page with constant updates, as well as several chapters free via the Internet.

Author Efforts Are Key

Michele Misiak, marketing manager for Revell, credits her fiction authors with creating their own Facebook and Twitter pages and keeping them current. "Most authors embrace social media because they get immediate feedback, most of which is positive," says Misiak. "We find fiction authors easy to work with and eager to connect with readers."

Facebook parties have been very successful, she says, as has cross-author promotion among Revell writers. "We’re definitely trying to change the mix, to try new things," Misiak says.

Eric Mullett, marketing director for fiction at Thomas Nelson, calls author involvement crucial. "We’re presenting the author as a brand, and part of the appeal for fans following authors online is the feeling of being behind the scenes." He adds, "Readers need to feel that their favorite authors are listening and responding to their questions and preferences in books, and that they’re getting to know the interesting personalities behind the novels they love to read."

Trust is key, says Mullett. Along with great content and the ability to stand out in the crowded inspirational fiction market, trust is what keeps readers coming back to an author’s work, and then they tell their friends. No longer can publishers just use ads designed to persuade readers to buy the book. Those readers will check consumer reviews, talk with Facebook friends, go to author Web sites, and use all of the other interactive opportunities there are to make decisions about what they buy. "The value of word of mouth looks very different [today], and tapping into it does as well," says Mullett.

Tyndale credits pre-pub campaigns and book tours in the authors’ top markets for its successes, along with author speaking events and Skyping with book groups. According to Babette Rea and Cheryl Kerwin, senior marketing managers for Tyndale, marketing their bestselling authors is almost easy thanks to their name recognition and established fan base. The challenge comes with marketing authors with small fan bases where the goal is to acquire new readers.

The house began shifting away from marketing to retailers and reviewers several years ago. The new focus is direct-to-customer: social media, bloggers, book groups, libraries, radio promotions, and book trailers on YouTube.com and Tangle.com.

"We provide our authors with upfront knowledge of marketing and all that is available to them via our ‘self promotion’ packet," say Rea and Kerwin. "We then partner with our authors in individual marketing plans. Authors who take control of their own social media platforms—Web site, fan page, blogging, Twitter—actually do more to help themselves than marketing dollars could."

Street-Level Campaigns Still Work

While Web-based marketing is vital, publishers and PR professionals still take to the streets. Rebeca Seitz, president of Glass Road Public Relations, had The Topkapi Secret author Terry Kelhawk (Prometheus, Sept. 2010) in Times Square this Valentine’s Day handing out postcards about her book.

Zondervan will promote Lee Strobel’s first novel, The Ambition, on the streets of Chicago in May. People wearing "Ambition" T-shirts will hand out the Redeye, the Chicago Tribune’s free newspaper, at 15 high-traffic el stations; the paper will feature a Post-it note on the cover promoting the book, as well as a full-page ad inside.

The winning combination for inspirational fiction publishers is a multifaceted package of marketing methods. Bookstore staples such as shelf-talkers and end caps now feature QR codes; authors still talk to readers, but now through Facebook and Twitter. Authors hawk their books on street corners, but also on Skype and through blogging. Christian radio, bookstore promotions and catalogues, and advance reader copies are still healthy techniques; magazine ads and e-blasts not so much.

Says Mullett of Thomas Nelson: "The models to support new consumer habits are still evolving, but adapting quickly and creatively will be the hallmarks of those that thrive in the new environment."