We're Going on a Hunt: A Semi-New Marketing Strategy

 

    Book hunts became briefly popular in 2020, during the Covid pandemic. Libraries and schools used them to keep kids engaged with reading while they experienced lockdowns and virtual learning. Pre-pandemic you could occasionally come across an author doing one to promote their new releases, but they were far and few between. Post-pandemic this concept all but disappeared. Instead, libraries replaced it with book walks and there was no need for book hunts hosted by schools because book fairs could once again be held. The truth is, the need for them has never gone away. We've only forgotten what the pandemic made us hyper-aware of, that there are people out there who can't afford books and that you need to get creative with your marketing strategies.

    During the pandemic, I did a lot of online events and giveaways, afterwards, I signed up for some in-person events (which Mother Nature then canceled). I've been experimenting with new ways of marketing, specifically ones that get my face out in the community and my name into unknown readers' hands. 

    In the late spring of 2022, I sat down at my desk and plotted my summer marketing strategies. My number one strategy was to host a book hunt. I started small. I only wanted to do one, in my local town, as a test run. The hunt drew in interest from the neighboring towns, however, so I expanded the hunt to include Cozad, Brady, and Gothenburg, Nebraska. 

    I did all three hunts in the span of three days while jumping from one field day event to the next for the paper I worked at. It was a crazy three days, but I've never had more fun. 

    During the Gothenburg book hunt, I was contacted by the owner of the Sod House Museum and invited for a visit. I'd like to eventually schedule a book signing at the museum for my book the Strange and Unusual History of Eden Estate. 

    During the Cozad book hunt, I had two parents, a 4th-grade teacher, and at least ten kids either message me or stop me on the street to tell me about the books they found. I only hid eight books in each town but the teacher who found the Inker, shared it with her class, and the kids, being as brilliant as they are, realized not only that I wrote the book for them but they recognized who a few of the characters were based off, which led to their parents reaching out to me for copies of the book. I ran out of my onhand inventory of the Inker quickly. It was fantastic.

    The Brady book hunt went better than I expected. Brady is a village with a saloon and a gas station. It's a simple place full of the nicest people you'll ever meet. A teacher from Brady messaged me after finding three of the eight books I hid in her town and asked for extra hints to find the rest so she could include them in her classroom library. Of course, I felt obligated to tell her the different age levels each book was written for. 

    After those three book hunts took off and people seemed to enjoy them, I was asked by someone if I'd be willing to do one in Kearney, Nebraska, which is a city about 45 minutes away from the town I live in (Gothenburg). That led to me planning a summer-long book hunt where I visited places within a two-hour drive of my home. 

    I had a stack of books I'd bought for a canceled vendor event. Initially, I'd intended to keep them for an event in the fall, but then I realized that I misprinted a cover. Not really misprinted, more like designed wrong. I forgot to put a title on the spine of the White Lies book. It's not a big flaw but it bugged me. Thus, I decided to use the inventory for book hunts instead. 

    During the first three book hunts, I put a couple bookmarks and a business card in each book I hid, but for the later ones (the ones I planned after the first three) I switched it up a bit. 

    Before each book hunt, I pick out between 5-8 books to hide. I sign them, and slip two bookmarks or a bookmark and a special swag item, into each one. Then I write "congrats on finding this book. It's yours to keep." on a sticky note, stick it to each book, and grab a premade swag pack (which I also made for an in-person event).

    In my last book hunt, I added a mystery book. I did a Blind Date With A Book for a valentine's promotion. and I had six of these left, so I grabbed one to include.

    A Blind Date With A Book is basically a mystery book. I used print editions of my books or b-grade copies for mine. What I did was take a book, slip some swag items inside, then wrapped it up in tissue paper and sealed it closed with a cute sticker. On the front of each Blind Date With A Book, I wrote 3-4 hints of what the book could be. Such as for Musings I wrote, "Nature", "Contemplation", and "New Adult Literature". 

    When I hid the Blind Date With A Book during the book hunt, I didn't tamper with it at all. All I did was add a sticky note and a swag pack. Otherwise, I honestly don't remember what swag I put inside the books. I can tell which book it is by the hints I wrote, and I try to pick a book and a place to hide it that matches the community it's hiding in. 

    The Blind Date With A Book pictured here was hidden in Lexington, Nebraska outside of their water park, at the playground. I picked Musings from my Blind Date With A Book pile because Lexington played a role in creating my family, so  I wanted to hide a book that was nonfiction. 
 

    Doing book hunts have let me fulfill some of my Summer plans that I didn't think I'd get to. Like traveling. I wanted to take random little trips to hidden gems in local areas. Book hunting has been a great way to do this. 

    I haven't had a book hunt yet that someone hasn't come along with me on. Last week I did one in Lexington, Nebraska, and these three kids accompanied me. They helped pick out places to hide the books and we were able to explore a lake and hang out at a park. We even did some shopping. It was a fun experience. 

    This weekend I had two book hunts planned, but 4 out of the 5 of us that went to the Lexington hunt now have COVID-19, so they have been postponed. Both will be rescheduled for a later date. Most likely in August. These book hunts have been a perfect way to get my name out and I'm more than thrilled with all the feedback I've gotten from them, but most of all they've been an experience. They've given me experiences, the people who come with me experiences, and my readers experiences. That's not something you can put a price tag on.