The Whatever Holiday Shopping Guide Returns Next Monday
Posted on November 28, 2012 Posted by John Scalzi 47 Comments
Last year in the first full week of December I ran a shopping guide for the holidays, and I think it was quite successful: Lots of people found out about excellent books and crafts and charities and what have you, making for excellent gift-giving opportunities during the holiday season. It was successful enough that I’ve decided to do it again this year.
So: Starting Monday, December 3rd, the Whatever Holiday Shopping Guide Returns! If you’re a writer or other creator, this will be an excellent time to promote your work on a site which gets up to 50,000 visitors daily, almost all of whom will be interested in stuff for the holidays. If you’re someone looking to give gifts, you’ll see lots of excellent ideas. And you’ll also have a day to suggest stuff to other folks too. Everybody wins!
To give you all time to prepare, here’s the schedule of what will be promoted on which days:
Monday December 3: Traditionally Published Authors — If your work is being published by a publisher a) who is not you and b) gets your books into actual, physical bookstores on a returnable basis, this is your day to tell people about your books. Includes comics/graphic novels.
Tuesday December 4: Non-Traditionally Published Authors — Self published? Electronically published? Or other? This is your day.
Wednesday December 5: Other Creators — Artists, knitters, jewelers, musicians, and anyone who has cool stuff to sell this holiday season, this will be the day to show off your creations.
Thursday December 6: Fan Favorite Day — Not an author/artist/musician/other creator but know about some really cool stuff you think people will want to know about for the holidays? Share! Share with the crowd!
Friday December 7: Charities — If you are involved in a charity, or have a favorite charity you’d like to let people know about, this is the day to do it.
If you have questions about how all of this will work, go ahead and ask them in the comment thread (Don’t start promoting your stuff yet — it’s not time yet). Thanks and feel free to share this post with creative folks who will have things to sell this holiday season.
Reminder: Please don’t promote your stuff in this particular thread. The shopping guide goes up next week. This thread is for the asking of procedural questions about the shopping guide. If you start promoting something in this thread I am likely to just snip it out. Thanks.
Wonderful. I got some really good ideas from this last year.
No question, but I just publicly want to thank you, John, for your efforts in promoting other writers and artists. It’s very nice of you.
What a great deed, John. Looking forward to December 5th.
Chris Gerrib:
Thanks. It’s your basic “pay it forward” philosophy, put into practice, is all.
Where does an audio book published by a major publisher of a book published by a small press fall? Monday or Tuesday?
I’d love to participate, John. Are there “how-tos” posted anywhere?
Can I start a sweep on whether M.R.Mathias will self promote on the 3rd anyway?
Delia Sherman:
I’d say Monday. I’ll make sure to update details for that.
Jean Reidy:
There will be how-tos on the days.
Hillsy:
Anything promoted that’s not appropriate for the day will be deleted.
On what day should I put up a link to my webcomic, which is free online? Tuesday?
Is there a preferred word count range for Non-Traditionally Published Authors posts?
Benjb:
Unless you are selling something, you shouldn’t put up a link. The point of the shopping guide is that people are going to use it to shop.
Amethyst:
All the posts should be kept relatively short; no one’s going to read super-long posts. Save long description for a page you link into .
Nifty and keen. So is this essentially a “post in this thread about your stuff?” kind of thing? (Err… not this thread, of course, but the appropriate thread on the appropriate day…)
OK, so I did what I should have done before I asked my question: I went through your December 2011 archives and figured it out myself. ;-)
What a lovely idea. I look forward to participating and seeing what other goodies you have for us!
I’d like to promote a charitable organization (Heifer International) that provide sustainable agricultural gifts to poor families around the world. Would that be appropriate for your list or are you wanting to keep it more towards products from people who post here?
Is it cool for audiobook narrators to promote audiobooks too? Or is it strictly for authors?
Doh, I’m terrible at this self-promotion thing. I’m going to relisten to some Mur Lafferty “I Should Be Writing” to get some more pointers.
sorry – reading comprehension fail! I missed that last day some how – please delete my stupid post (thereby hiding my stupidity) and this one too.
Dave Thompson:
I would wait until Wednesday for that. Also, I’m still figuring out where best to put in audiobooks.
If I’m employed by an online retailer that happens to sell some stuff I think people would like, would it be appropriate to post it on the Fan Favorite Day?
Tudor:
Fan Favorite is more for the output of people who you’re a fan of than, say, a cool blender or some such.
I’ve published a couple of science fiction and fantasy ebooks, free for download, available in my blog, but they are written in spanish. Can I participate too? Thanks!
Ronald Delgado:
Probably Tuesday.
You are such a nice person.
yeah, I really have had enough of the “today is shop…..” day.
Ah, that makes perfect sense. Thanks for the clarification.
Which day would a publisher push one or two of its most worthy titles?
Thank you! I will be back on Tuesday for your instructions as to how to promote my self-published novel.
Speaking as a non-traditional author, may I say “Thank you!”
Hi John! Thanks for this! How many links typically run afoul of your comment moderation? I’m on 3 stores, but may just post a link to my own site which links to those stores if three is too many.
My sister makes a geek-related craft item. Should I post a link on Wednesday or Thursday? On the one hand, I don’t make the item myself so shouldn’t post on Wednesday, but on the other hand I have an obvious bias so I probably shouldn’t describe myself as just a “fan” of her item… :-D
John, this is tremendously cool of you. :) I take back all those mean things I’ve said. ;)
(j/k–I’ve been a big fan for a long time)
Hrm. I’ve got stuff I want to promote, but it’s not *quite* in sell-able form just yet. One is something on the order of a month away from being up for sale, and the other is going to film festivals for the next year or so and will then lead to a commercially-optimized outcome sometime following that, but in the meantime needs promotion. Hmmmm.
I don’t *think* either of them quite qualifies for what you’re doing here, so I’ll refrain, but I do want to say that it’s a great thing you’re doing here. Can’t wait to see some of the stuff that I wouldn’t know about otherwise, and then buy it!
My company just published a new magazine on various electronic platforms. I’m thinking Monday, since I didn’t write it, but I am the editor. What say you? Tuesday? Monday?
Whay if you are an artist with no on line “store” but have your work at many up coming holiday art events. ..Whould it be Ok to post something even if only local folks are potential customers?I do have a fa ebook site and take commissions? I make knitted felt alien pets.
William Schafer:
Monday will work for you.
CarolC:
Your sister could post Wednesday; you would post Thursday.
Cassie:
If you’re the editor, Monday.
Mary:
You may post and you would probably want to link to your Facebook site.
I would love to participate in your Wednesday promo. Is there a list of rules, guidelines, or how-tos? Thank you for helping to promote the small crafters!
John, would a Kickstarter project qualify? It’s for a project that would have certain things that would be delivered in time for the holidays, but the main finished project would not be. It’s potential commerce, not a direct purchase, and I don’t know how that fits in with the gift gude thing, even thought the end product is for a totally awesome and unique finished tangible good that readers here would dig.
Shannon:
No, this is for things that people can buy and have ready to give for the holidays. There’s a Kickstarter thread on the site, however. Type “Kickstarter” into the search function.
Awesome, thanks, John.
Thanks, John, but my question had a part 2 – it’s only electronically published, but one various platforms (Android, iPad, and coming soon to a Nook near you!) so should I go for Tuesday?
hi,
i have a book out that is not “whole volume” yet – meaning it is in the process of being available in bookstores, but for now it can only be ordered via online retailers.
it wasn’t published by myself though – so it’s kinda a hybrid. i don’t know if i should showcase it on monday or tuesday.
oh… and if you could give me a link – that would be helpful and very much appreciated. i searched your entire site and couldn’t find a link that leads me to a page where i can introduce myself and my work.
Leaping lizards, John, you get 50,000 visitors a DAY?!
In that case, I’d like to congratulate you a few days early on your Goodreads Choice Award. And I can now appreciate your reluctance to participate in a proper dance-off. I don’t have a legion of fans I risk frightening away as you do.
Keep up the excellent work, sir. On Thursday, I believe I’ll be recommending REDSHIRTS to the three people who haven’t yet read it.
Hugh Howey:
Terry Pratchett has a few more fans than I do (and arguably Orson Scott Card does as well), so I won’t be taking those congratulations quite yet. But thanks for the thought.
Hi John, thanks for the opportunity.
Where would I promote electronically published material for roleplaying games? I could imagine either Tuesday or Wednesday working. It comes under ‘non-traditionall published author’ which points to Tuesday, but it isn’t a book as such which points to Wednesday. But I feel more like an author than an ‘other creator’. But maybe you mean authors of novels rather than authors in general.
It’s possible I’m over thinking this. Any advice appreciated!