When I first started this journey into self-publishing, I had no clue what I was doing. So, I read a lot of articles and books. One of them was Think Like a Publisher by Dean Wesley Smith.
As an example of thinking creatively when it comes to marketing, he mentioned using cards, like the kind used for gift cards and airtime, as a way of getting ebooks physically into stores.
I liked the idea, though I never had the capital to do it. However, I kept my eye out at local bookstores, just in case.
And eventually forgot about it.
Then the other day, I was at Walmart and saw they had them. I had completely missed that part of the Walmart/Kobo deal. You can now buy what Walmart calls a Digital Book Card, found in the book section of your local Walmart store, and get the code to download the book right then.
The covers on those cards look beautiful. Looking at them almost has the same feel as browsing a bookstore. Plus, I think they would look nice at the checkout, and they might even start up some conversations. Especially the cover for A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas, which works much better than I expected in card form.
Either way, I like them a lot more than I thought I would. I can see why Dean Smith thought it was a great idea. Now, I just have to get enough money to actually buy them…
(I get no compensation whatsoever from fangirling over this new development. Just so you know.)
Amy Keeley 