Harry Potter: Teasers

The first review of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has hit the press fans.

Awarding the film only 3 out of 5 stars, Leo Lewis wrote that "The fifth - and longest - book on which the film is based plays a crucial but faintly turgid role in the saga. Much is explained, much is left hanging and there is nothing like the pace of action that readers had grown accustomed to in earlier episodes (especially The Goblet of Fire). The book pulled this off because it was tantalising in what it didn’t tell us. The film, meanwhile, a necessary digest of the 800-page book, leaves us faintly annoyed that the true denouement of the cycle is now two movies distant."

In his review, Lewis highlights an essential element of serialized fiction: the teaser. In magazines and newspapers, for example, front pages are not uncommonly littered with lines like "Who's the hottest hunk in Hollywood? See page 12." The purpose of these teasers is to, well, "tease" readers so that they delve deeper into the publication. As a novelist, you have to give readers a reason to continue from Book One to Book Two. Readers want to be intrigued. They want to be teased.

Scholastic, Potter's American publisher, has been tease-crazy over the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Their marketing campaign has rallied behind questions like "Is Snape evil? See Book Seven." "Who will live? Who will die? See Book Seven." "Will Voldemort be defeated? See Book Seven."

In short, see Book Seven.

Millions of fans are waiting to do just that. A month ago, more than 1,000,000 copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows had already been pre-ordered on Amazon.com.

Of course, marketing hooks like those in Scholastic's playbook rely on good storytelling. With so many conflicts awaiting resolution in the Harry Potter story, readers are kept in suspense, and they wait eagerly for July 21, when all of J.K. Rowling's secrets will be revealed.

Save your secrets. Tease your readers. It makes for good fiction and even better marketing.

Harry Potter: Sweepstakes, Contests, and Competitions

Sweepstakes can be found anywhere from TV shows to cereal boxes. They add excitement to any product, captivating audiences with dreams of sports cars, luxury cruises, or even a "moonlight signing."

After reviewing more than 40,000 entries, Scholastic recently announced the winners of their Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows competition. Muggles Andrew Lee, Paige Raudenbush, Ayoluwa Hill, Sophie DeGroot, Joseph Walsh, Anne Harbaugh, and Yanira Rodriguez will be flown to London's celebrated Natural History Museum to attend "J.K. Rowling and the Midnight Signing."

"Just like millions of other fans in the U.S. and around the world," said Lisa Holton, President of Scholastic Trade and Book Fairs, "our sweepstakes winners have been inspired and touched by Rowling's genius work, and this is sure to be an unforgettable experience." (See Earthtimes.org)

According to Abe Books, 1,700 fans will receive a signed copy of Deathly Hallows at the event, and a randomly-chosen 500 will be invited to the midnight reading.

But wait, there's more.

For fans under 18, Amazon.com is hosting a contest of its own. To enter, children must submit a 300 word essay on their favorite Harry Potter character, and if chosen as one of the nine winners, they will receive a free copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The deadline is June 27, and the official rules can be found here.

Most novelists and publishers can't offer all-expense paid trips to London, but give-aways of any kind, if widely publicized, can work wonders for a book's marketing plan.

Harry Potter: Ambiguity

These past few days, I've been buried under pages of copy, redacting my novel for its printing run, so I've struggled finding time for the blog. But now I'm back.

July will be a big month for Harry Potter. The Order of the Phoenix, the fifth movie in the series, will hit the theatres on the 11th; and on the 21st, the much-anticipated seventh and final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will storm the shelves. Anxious for these next installments, Potter fans are asking, Will Harry die? Will he and Voldemort merge and bring balance to the Force? What happens to Harry and that one girl he kisses? What will become of Hermoine and Ron? Is their romance star-crossed? Will Emma Watson return for the sixth movie?

J.K. Rowling's American publisher, Scholastic, has additionally released a marketing campaign focusing on seven questions that, reportedly, will be answered in Deathly Hallows. Is Snape good or evil? Will Hogwartz reopen? Where are the Horcruxes? Etc.

Such is the ambiguity surrounding Harry Potter.

Fans are eager to know what happens next, even if they have to pay $7.00 per ticket or $17.99 per book.

If writers tell a good story and leave some questions unanswered, their series could definitely have some go-power. Once readers are sucked into a story, answers are a commodity they're willing to pay for.