How To Market Fiction Novels When Everybody Pays Attention to Non-Fiction

I read a lot on the internet about book marketing. And I'm game to try anything that makes sense. So I was reading something lately that said to pull out little bits from the fiction to sell it. Fiction is really hard to promote through non-traditional channels but dealing with the reality of how good a sale on your website is versus one that has gone through many hands, well...a person has to keep at it.

So as some of you know, I am promoting others novels. We are a publishing company. One of our novels Kate Rizor's 'The Governor's Wife' had a review done way back. It's a contemporary romance. For some reason, it showed up on a Bodyguard website. At first, I ignored this, thinking bodyguard was maybe just a fun name for the site. But when I returned time and time again, I noticed that it was indeed for people who actually work as bodyguards. There is a link. There are references to bodyguards and one of the main characters is a bodyguard but he doesn't make it through the first chapter because he betrays the protagonist. There is political intrigue through the later chapters and of course, the governor Tanner Thornburg has bodyguards.

So anyway, I decided ...that's it, I'm emailing some of these bodyguard associations. And I'm going to see what happens. I also offered a special if someone bought ten copies. To validate my claim that the fictional work contained bodyguards, I posted the link from the bodyguard website.

Well, I think I only emailed four. But you know what, one came back and asked me to send a copy of the book so she could do a review. Then, she additionally asked if I wanted a chapter put up on the website or in her two magazines with links and ISBN's and you name it. When she asked for the cover in 3000 DPI for publication quality, I was very enthusiastic. Well, I just finished doing all of this and she's such a great person to offer. Even if none of the other ones come back positively, I have a feeling when this appears in her magazines we'll get lots of hits.

Has anybody else tried this? Any pointers for those of you who have? I have two other authors as well that I will try to do this for too.

Anyway, just wanted to share. It's great when something you try works out.

Robyn