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How Do I Get Cheese From My Chalk??

By Shobhit Agarwal on 38 Comments / 5506 views

Good evening everyone.

Well, for starters, the title of my discussion might appear a bit vague. But there is a reason why I chose it. To briefly tell you about myself, I am Shobhit Agarwal, an aspiring engineer turned writer. My debut book – ‘Ordered Cheese Delivered Chalk – My Kota Safari’ released last month (and is available across all major online bookstores, for anyone who is interested)

While I finished writing the book in 2 months, it took me some 10 months to finally get it published and have a hardcopy in my hands. But my issue here isn’t with the publication bit of the book. My point of contention is the marketing bit of the book.

Just to brief you about the book – it is about a young teenager and his (mis)adventures in the city of Kota, Rajasthan, as he enrols himself in India’s most famous IIT-JEE coaching centre, Bansal Classes. So the domain of my book is well-defined – a fun, light-hearted fiction. My target audience is realised – 70000 teenagers between 16-22 residing in Kota as well as lakhs of students who have passed out or are in the process of embarking there own IIT-JEE preparation days.

My book released on September 10th. The response so far as been all positive. Yet, somehow, I feel that my book hasn’t reached its audience. I am no Chetan Bhagat or Durjoy Datta, whose books become best-sellers through pre-orders itself. I am very well aware that only if the content of the book is good, will it survive the readers litmus test.

The release of the book was a very low key affair, in fact it won’t even fit in that category as students in my college itself weren’t aware about the release date in spite of the fact that the whole college was decorated with posters about my book. My publisher is kind of a small timer, without any specific marketing strategy (I realised this only after my book released).

Thanks to one of my teachers in Kota, who has some 5000 people in his facebook friend list and another 8000 subscribers, who posted a personal message I had sent him (regarding sending him a complimentary copy of the book and for his blessings) on his facebook timeline, a small buzz about the book was generated. Since one created such an impact, I thought why not try the same thing with other teachers as well. I sent similar messages to another 4 of my teachers at Kota. Sadly, none of them even replied to that message, forget about posting it on their timelines.

Moreover, my book is a dedication to Bansal Classes (very clearly mentioned in the acknowledgement and dedication pages). Yet, there has been no response to my mails and messages from the institute to spread a small word about the book. Just a single post from them about the book will help in providing me the kind of marketing that no (cheap) money can buy.

I checked out a couple of book promoting sites, but none of them seemed worthy enough for consideration, and were charging exorbitant amounts for, to put it in simplest terms, posting about the book on their facebook page. Add to it, the availability of my book only at the online stores and not the real time stores like crossword or landmark have further compounded to the misery. People still think that in order to buy stuff online, you need to have a credit or debit card.

I am kind of in a crossroad here because I know the quality of the book is good (based solely on the feedback I have received), yet I am unable to make any significant incision in the targeted sector. I am doing my bit to publicise the book – I have become content creator for a page at facebook dedicated exclusively to Kota (has 13k likes), which has helped to market the book to some extent. Still, I am searching for a sure-shot formula in building a brand for my book. One of my friends, Shivang Chawla, recommended me rodinhoods.com, so here I am. Need suggestions?   

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Facebook link – https://www.facebook.com/OrderedCheeseDeliveredChalk

Link to my blog – https://shobhitagarwal.wordpress.com/

 

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38 Comments

  1. People still think that in order to buy stuff online, you need to have a credit or debit card. ……..True , most of the people think like that.

  2. It kind of sounds so naive, especially when we have hundreds of e-commerce start-ups everyday and have the 3rd largest users of internet around the world…

  3. brother!!! how are you, it happens in start, but surely will catch up gradually..

  4. Bravo!

    India needs more and more young writers like you who can think and act differently..

    Though I haven’t heard about your book, but from the description you presented, it sounds pretty good!

    Now, regarding the marketing part..

    Marketing is tough. And it becomes more tough when it comes to Books.

    So, what can you do now?

    Create a platform, based on your own personality. Make a tribe, a fan following which trusts you and believes you. 

    The so called first 100 true fans. And the rest just happens.

    You can use facebook as well as email marketing to achieve this. But the first priority should be your own blog or a website. 

    All the best!

  5. Pls share your fb link  so we can promote it for you

  6. Hi Mohul,

    First of all, thank you for your time and advice.

    I hope, after knowing about it, you will purchase my book (How is that for marketing 🙂 )

    I very well understand the importance of having a following when it comes to marketing a book. So I have been sharing my blog (https://shobhitagarwal.wordpress.com/) and its contents as much as I can across the social media. And in order to diversify the group of people who follow my writings, I have posted articles about everything and anything.

    I had hoped that once the book comes out in stores like crossword and landmak, better visibility would have helped the sales. But that doesn’t seem to be coming by and so online sale is all I am left with. I feel, the problem lies in bringing the concept of e-shopping to non-metros across the country. I can expect my readers across the metros to log onto their laptos and ipads and make a quick booking. But since my target audience comes from a tier-3 city like Kota, it becomes very difficult to convince them to go to an internet cafe, and order a book online. Moreover, students are still apprehensive about booking things online and are not well-versed with the cash-on-delivery mode of payment, which is now exercised by almost all major e-commerce players.

    But, I am still determined to take it to the student community. So, I contacted my same teacher from Kota (who helped generate the initial buzz) and asked him to post excerpts from the book twice a week, to which he readily agreed. And I am still pursuing the teachers who haven’t responded yet. Hopefully, it will help in the promotion of book.

  7. The facebook link is – https://www.facebook.com/OrderedCheeseDeliveredChalk

    The following is the link to my blog – https://shobhitagarwal.wordpress.com/

  8. Hi Sahil, 

    Hoping for things to pick up.

  9. Hey Shobhit,

    Heartiest congratulations on bringing out the book. It’s not easy to pen down something which holds readers attention from start to finish. The hard part is over. Coming to the easy part.

    Though it is a long shot, but no idea is a bad idea and if it clicks you may be an instant celebrity ;).

    Had I been in the same situation as yours:

    I would tap into the interesting medium of FM radio…believe me it delivers! But how could I have done it on a zero marketing budget. I’ll create the buzz about myself and my product. I would tune into radio, 24 hours for the next 7 days and SMS the radio jockey(s) on the number they announce for contests etc. I’ll SMS about the book, interesting one liners from my book and stuff like that. I’ll do it on all the shows with all the RJs on all the stations in Kota. Maybe one of them will mention something about the book.

    To cite an example:

    SMS 1 – Hey RJ, am not much into contests, but I love your voice and your show. You know the rhythm of KOTA. (URL of the book)
    SMS 2 – Hey RJ, how about autographed books for a contest prize. Am the author and am available for autographs. (URL of the book)
    SMS 3 – Hey RJ, I missed to tell, but this is a book about KOTA and its claim to fame in coaching classes. Wanna meet me? (URL of the book)

    Okay, they may be bad examples of an SMS to a RJ when you are seeking something, but you get the drift, right?

    I will also post on RJs FB page (not only in Kota, but all the cities) to generate buzz.

    I’ll also write to all the local newspapers about my book. Maybe one of them will pick the story and feature me on the city supplement.

    Regards,

    https://www.himanshuagarwal.com

  10. no issues, they will for sure!!!

  11. by time how many have been sold???

  12. Shobhit I can understand and empathise the plight of a new comer in this business of publishing and I am completely with you on this not only I shall share your story on my timeline but I shall buy one book myself to promote you and write a review on my blog. Have you tried to approach any digital publishing platform for this like Kindle because many people prefer to read Kindle books these days as its easier to carry digital books rather than the hard bound books. I am really not aware of the logistics and pricing model involved but no harm in checking with them. Most importantantly if you think you have written a good book just be happy in that creation and I am sure rest will fall in place. No author can reach fame by writing just one title ( Not even the likes you mentioned became famous overnight ) keep writing and one day you will reach the tipping point. Wish you all the best for the creative journey ahead !!!! 

  13. Hey Shobit will love to read your book. ,  I can help you distributing this book in kota, I run http://www.hostelfinder.in & have over 100 hostel tied up with us

    I am from kota it self & have clients like Motion IIT JEE , ALLEN & RAO IIT Academy. Please connect me over 8976777727 

  14. Try and get your publisher to get this book listed on Flipkart’s Debut Author section. https://www.flipkart.com/books/debut-authors

  15. awesome idea abhik!!!

  16. Hi Himanshu,

    That is one fascinating and out-of-the-box idea. Will surely give it a shot.

    Regards.

  17. Thank you and I am already working on my second book. 🙂

  18. Thank you for the reply. Will call you at the earliest. 

  19. The book is already listed under the ‘New Release’ category.

    Now that you have mentioned it, will also try to get it listed under the ‘debut authors’ category.

    Thanks for the suggestion. 🙂

  20. Shobhit, please do give it a shot and let me know. I would be eager to hear about it and how it went. You can also reach me on himanshu@himanshuagarwal.com

  21. Hi Shobhit just received the book eager to read may this weekend I will be able to do that will post my review soon 🙂

  22. Will be looking forward to your feedback. 🙂

  23. Hey Shobhit, congrats on what you have managed to do with your abilities ! Have you tried running an online contest of some kind to generate readers interest? If no, you should explore that. Create a landing page and leave a huge box followed by the question : what’s your most unforgettable college experience? Share it and get a free copy of my latest book (PDF?). When you get people to remember their memorable college days, you have a good chance to create readers interest in your book which they should believe only enhances their nostalgic ecstasy. If you have the budget for an iPad, that should work too. Or if it’s possible promise you’ll feature the best experience in your book or something. If you get this right, people will be happy to share their experience even if it’s not for gifts and you can let users to share their story to the world from your landing page. Then you have your users friends who will share their experience and so on. Make it about them, understand deeply from their experience and use that to find the right marketing message. That learning will guide you to better market the book, eventually. Once you know exactly what excites your TG, hit them hard. Make every marketing buck count. Good luck!

  24. Looking forward to reading the book Shobhit.  I think you have some great marketing avenues currently in place with flipkart, homeshop, indiaplaza, infibeam, ebay sapnabookstore, just need to bring them more to the forefront on the blog.  It took me 2 clicks and a complete scroll to the bottom of the second page to find a link to buy the book on there.  For marketing purposes, put the image of the Book cover on the blogs homepage (maybe even hard code it) with a little synopsis, and link that to purchase point like flipkart.  On the blog post for the book, link that image also to a different purchase point ie infibeam, ebay, whatever…. Point is that you have some great reviews and ratings on prominent sources like flipkart.  Directing the user to that page as soon as possible is to your benefit. Little things like this do make a difference. Images sell, and being a guy we like to click images ;P 

    In regards to your comment:
    =======
    My target audience is realised – 70000 teenagers between 16-22 residing in Kota as well as lakhs of students who have passed out or are in the process of embarking there own IIT-JEE preparation days.
    =======

    I think you are underestimating your target audience.  Im neither one of the above and still interested in reading it.  Tech geek question… Is there an e-book version?

    Your facebook page is excellent – has a nice chunk of fans and nice comments – use this to your advantage but don’t depend completely on fb for marketing it.  Might want to consider registering the domain name:  ORDEREDCHEESEDELIVEREDCHALK.COM ($8 with coupon code @ Godaddy). Use YOUR website as the primary tool,  you can gauge all types of analytics traffic – and do a/b testing all day… every day … twice on sunday 😛

    Final point…. Have you looked into amazon’s self publishing CreateSpace.com option?  This would help get your book on Amazon (couldn’t find your book on there thus the mention) – dont see any mention of Amazon – that would be the first place Id wanna be!

    For what its worth, here’s a free promo on the house (disclaimer – self promo link below):

    https://tinyurl.com/am4rvon

    Best of luck with your Venture!

    Indy

     

  25. Totally agree with Indy Singh’s ideas publish on Amazon – why assume only Indians in India will want to read the book ?  I’ve heard that the publishing process is relatively straight-forward – are you self-publishing?

    Have you considered distributing chapters of your book online for free?  

    I was wondering if your Facebook page could be less about the title and more about writing / publishing online ?  With your experience going through the process, there’s so much you could contribute (that is also share-worthy).

    If you’re going to get a domain for yourself, pick up ocdc.in than the whole title in the URL 

  26. Hi Abhik.

    Courtesy your suggestion, I approached Flipkart’s vendor department and now, my book is also listed in the ‘debut authors’ listing.

  27. Hello Krishna.

    Thank you for your suggestion. Apologies for the late response.
    I have been running a few competitions of similar nature which have evoked reactions from people, but not to the extent that one would expect. Anyways, I am still having them periodically, just to make sure the book still stays in people’s memory.

    Regards
    Shobhit

  28. yayyyyy!!!!

    kudos abhik!!! totally awesome!

    congrats shobhit – am sure you and the book will go places…!

  29. Hello Indy.

    Thank you for taking your time and putting forth such interesting suggestions. Working on them and hopefully will be able to implement most of it.

    (p.s. Will be looking forward to reading your feedback on flipkart or goodreads 🙂 )

    Regards

    Shobhit.

  30. Hi Shobhit, Good Reads is another great place to put an author profile and add your book! https://www.goodreads.com

    Good Luck!

    Padmanabhan

  31. Hi Padmanabhan,

    The book is already listed at Goodreads 🙂

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16041747-ordered-cheese-delivered-chalk

    Regards

  32. Hi Vishal,

    I’m quite amazed in the way this platform Rodin hooder works.

    Just to mentioned that we are supplier of all forms of school uniforms, corporate wears and carve out promotional T-shirts. Just in any case some of your hostel needs some warm, cozy, sporty, stylish wear we can connect.

    Pawan Naulakha

    +91-8567066061

  33. Wonderful to see how small meaningful ideas connect sometimes.

    Wonderful.

  34. Hi Shobhit!

    Congrats on your book. I started a discussion to get publishing help for my first novel – https://www.therodinhoods.com/forum/topics/publishing-help-for-newbie-author

    Found some great marketing tips in the comments here. I would love to connect with you, sending a message now. 

  35. I am a bit late to the discussion, but i saw lot of similar queries being forwarded to this particular post.

    I found this particular link https://www.bookdaily.com/lp/free5?utm_source=goodreads&utm_medi…

    to generate interest for a book.

  36. hey shobhit,

    wassup?! where art thou and what have you been up to?

    we’d all love to know!

  37. Hi Asha,

    Trust you are doing well. Nice to hear from you after so long.

    Been a while since I got sucked into the corporate world and have been serving Uncle Sam ever since from the ‘Indian Silicon Valley’.

    After a brief hiatus, the writing juices are back and working on finishing my much delayed second book.

    How have you guys been? What’s cooking?

  38. niiiice!

    good luck with the second book!

    lots cooking on trhs – we share it every week in the newsletter 🙂

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