For a limited time, the ebook version of Deeper into the Word: Reflections on 100 New Testament Words is available from online sellers for the unbelievable price of “free”!
Deeper into the Word is 100 short chapters, each examining a biblical word like compassion, grace, or one of my favorites, Thirst. The book has a devotional feel but still includes info on the Greek words in the original text, comments from scholars, and so on. iI’s a reference book for laypeople, written by a layperson (that would be me).
A friend instant messaged me on Facebook yesterday to alert me to the fact amazon was giving my book away, and asked why I would allow such a thing.
Welcome to book marketing in the 21st Century. Publishers give away books, especially ebooks where the production costs are, well, really, really low. Surprisingly, when you give away even a large quantity of books, the paid sales for that book generally go up. This is not an old book that no one’s interested in. It’s been out less than a year, and has an average 4 1/2 star rating on amazon. But the publisher wants more people to know about it. There’s also the hope that if people read this book and like it, they’ll want to get a copy of one of my nine other books, particularly the second book in this series, Deeper into the Word: Reflections on 100 Old Testament Words.
A free book gets people talking about that book, about the author. It creates what marketers call “buzz” which is a nebulous term but a key part of what sells books–it’s essentially word of mouth. It was fun to see on my Twitter alerts that my old friend and mentor, Lee Strobel, had retweeted Helen Lee’s tweet about the book.
If you get the free ebook of Deeper into the Word, read a few chapters and post a review on amazon! I was thinking about incentives for people to do this–and actually tweeted that I’d send reviewers a free signed bookplate. Which I’m glad to do. But–hello–you can’t stick a bookplate in an ebook! So I’m looking for ideas on a way to reward folks who post reviews. What do you think?
How exciting, Keri! I just put it on my PC kindle app and my phone too, so I should be able to access it anywhere. I am really looking forward to getting your insights.
Plus, thanks for giving us an inside look at the publishing biz. Really interesting marketing strategies going on there.
Tim
I downloaded the e-book yesterday so I could have it on my Kindle when I travel. I already have the hard cover book, with your signature, and I posted a review awhile back, so the bookplate isn’t much incentive for me. Now, a copy of your new Old Testament book … :) is probably a bit much to ask for. So, I don’t have a suggestion. Just wanted to thank you for the free e-book!
What if you offered a 30 minute phone consultation/chat with you as incentive? I know lots of us who are fans of your work would be very motivated by something like that.
Rachel
Interesting idea. Your comment is timely because I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a mentoring/coaching service, mostly focused on aspiring writers. If you won a half hour on the phone with me what would you want to talk/consult about??
Hey, Keri — Just bought print copies of both your Word books. They sound great! Blessings to you and your family.
Thanks Lee! and so nice of you to stop by my blog!! Would love to know what you think of the books!!
Keri…Deeper into the Word is fabulous. I am using it as a devotional but also because I am doing a Precepts class on Genesis so many of these words and their meanings have helped to expand my understanding of God’s Word. Thanks for all your hard work Keri. Blessings, Julie
Thanks, Julia! Appreciate your kind words and I hope you enjoy the book!!
Hi Keri,
I just started “Deeper into the Word” last night and LOVE it!