Harry Potter: Wizard Rock

I thought this website was pretty informative: http://www.belindapalmer.com/photo2.html

Interspersed with the writer's personal experiences, belindapalmer.com suggests fifteen different strategies for marketing an e-book: posting bookcovers on book-related sites, getting listed on search engines, advertising in e-zines, etc. Of course, these strategies are not limited to e-publishing alone; traditional novels can likewise benefit.

Theoretically, once you've put a good product into the hands of enough people, your reputation - and sales - will spread by word of mouth. If your readers enjoy your book, they just might recommend it to their friends, who might in turn recommend it to others.

Harry Potter has added a entirely new dimension to word of mouth advertising. Some readers were so enchanted by the bespectacled boy wizard that they've adopted Harry as their muse. According to MTV, a new genre of music, "wizard rock," has appeared on the indie scene. Basing their tunes on the Rowling novels, groups like Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, and the wizard-rappers Siriusly Black are growing in popularity.

That'll add a punch to any novel's marketing plan.

Harry Potter: Characters

Under some literary theories, characters, above all else, are the most important elements in a story.

They make for darn good marketing, too.

As I continue to read through Harry Potter critiques, I find increasingly more reviewers who praise the novels for their characters. With Ron, Hermoine, and of course Harry, J.K. Rowling's world of wizardry has captivated both the young and the young at heart - as a marketer, you can't ask for a better target audience.

"The Real Magic of Harry Potter", an article published in Time Magazine, gives the following critique of Rowling:

"She addresses children as though they know as much as or more than she does about the things that matter. Kids like the characters she has created, Harry above all, not because he is fantastic but because he is familiar. Rowling, they say, gets everything right, writes as though she knows what it is to be 13 years old and anxious or shocked at discovering what you can actually do if you try. Maybe she finds her way straight into the hearts of children because she never left in the first place."

On Scholastic's website, one young reviewer wrote of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, "I think this is the beginning of a beginning of a beautiful friendship." Another child said, "i thought it was aaaaaaasome."

If you can appeal to children through your characters, then you can also, in all likelihood, capture the attention of at least a few adults.

Harry Potter: Lexicon

I took a research sabbatical yesterday, but it's good to be back. Trying to delve more deeply into the Harry Potter phenomenon, I encountered this article:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20070531/harry-potter-park.htm

"Harry Potter Land" is coming to Florida.

That amazes me. How many theme parks are based on, of all things, a novel? As a writer, you rest assured of your financial success when you've got Universal Studios on the phone.

What has J.K. Rowling done to appeal to so many people?

One technique I've noticed is that Mrs. Rowling expands the English lexicon. In any fantasy world, even one as modern as Harry Potter's, readers expect to encounter new words that they don't find in ordinary life. Thus, simple, creative terms like "muggle," "mud-blood," and "quidditch" have particular marketing appeal, and with the novel's success, they've become as commonplace as "Big Mac," "McNuggets," and "quarter-pounder with cheese."

I mention McDonalds because, wherever they set up grills, they invent new language to attract customers.

Apparently novels can ride on the same strategy.

Harry Potter: Only four keys to success?

Over the past few days, I've been researching the marketing strategies behind Harry Potter. One article published on Business Week suggests that those strategies are fourfold:

1) Narrative. J.K. Rowling makes sales because she writes well.

2) Ambiguity. Harry Potter appeals to a wide audience, attracting children and adults alike. In addition, Rowling blends different literary genres; not only is Harry Potter a fantasy novel, but it's also a bildungsroman and a thriller.

3) Mystery. Rowling bases much of her plots on secrets, making sure her readers keep the pages turning. (Consider also The DaVinci Code, which likewise captivated readers with secrets, mysteries, and forbidden knowledge galore.)

4) Entertainment. People read Harry Potter because it's fun!

That's Business Week's take on the phenomenon. Personally, however, I think there's more behind Harry Potter's success than these four strategies alone - narrative, ambiguity, mystery, and entertainment. Stay tuned.

Harry Potter: Marketing

Harry Potter. Harry Potter. Harry Potter. With his fifth movie and seventh novel pending release, no one can escape his bespeckled, lightning-scarred grasp.

I have to admit that, although I love the Harry Potter movies, I've never actually read any of the books. When I started writing fantasy, I stopped reading fantasy; except for his movie adaptations, I had read all of Terry Brooks' novels and most of R.A. Salvatore's, and I was ready to expand my reading into other genres. Mr. Potter, however, fascinates me.

Harry's not just a book; he's an empire.

J.K. Rowling, who was on welfare when she first put pen to the series, has since become, in terms of U.S. currency, the first ever billionaire author. For most authors, writing isn't a terribly lucrative endeavor; especially in the fiction genre, the competition is intense and the market is saturated. Yet, I think all of us can learn something from the Harry Potter phenomenon: Mrs. Rowling's wild success has shown that, in order to be not only a good writer but a successful writer, you also have to be a good marketer.

How have Mrs. Rowling and her publishers marketed the Harry Potter novels?

By no means am I a marketing expert, but I'd like to do a little research and find out.