2025 CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards: First Place in Fiction Physical Media

Next in a series of posts featuring the winners of the 2025 Christian Authors Network (CAN) Excellence in Marketing Awards. Sally Cressman won first place in the fiction Physical Media category and describes her activities here.

The 2026 marketing awards will open in November 2025. Be thinking of how you can enter the awards! See the guidelines at:  https://christianauthorsnetwork.com/marketing-award/

Rethink Your Approach to Print Marketing by Sally Cressman

You might think print media is dead and online is king, but that’s not entirely true. Rethinking your approach to print medium marketing can secure loyal followers.

Have you ever visited someone’s house and noticed all the pictures and announcements hanging on their refrigerator? You’ll find artwork, wedding announcements, and baby shower invitations. People appreciate being included, and what better way to achieve that than by inviting them to hear about your book before it’s released? Of course, not everyone will want to attend your launch party or be the first to receive your book (party poopers), but most will feel special because you thought of them in your planning.

With those thoughts in mind, I had to rethink my marketing approach for the launch of my book, The Dance of Easter. My strategy included:

1. Invitations to the launch party so the person felt honored
2. Postcards to invite people to buy and participate in the launch of my first book
3. A bookmark that provided ways to connect and build relationships
4. A valuable lead magnet that provided value and displayed generosity

Invitations were placed outside the Sunday school rooms and nursery at my church well before the launch party. I kept several in my purse so when I ran into someone at the grocery store or in a parking lot (yes, this happened), I could hand them all the event details on one card. I made sure to let them know how special the event would be with their presence. Over forty people attended the launch party and purchased seventy books.

Postcards were mailed to those on my Christmas card list, which included friends and family with whom I already had relationships and knew would not be able to attend the party. However, they could still support me by buying a book. I wanted them to know that I thought of them and tried to include them in this small way to be part of the bigger event in my writing journey: the launch of my first book.

I handed out bookmarks at the book launch party, author visits, and signing events. I don’t just want people to buy a book but to form a long-term relationship with them. The bookmark included a picture of the book cover, a picture of myself, and links to my social media and website. A QR code directed them to the book tab on my website, making it easy for them to order the book. A menu will pop up when they visit my site, prompting them to sign up for my email list—an essential tool for my author platform.

Lead magnets attract followers to join your email list. I wrote seven days of family devotions that moms could download after joining my email list. I also created a visually appealing cover page to accompany the devotions. A bonus is that I didn’t have to pay for printing, but the reader could print it at home.

All four of these print items were designed using Canva. However, I realized that my creations didn’t look professional. My daughter had made some splashy social media graphics, so I asked her to refine mine to make the products look even more appealing. Remember, you don’t have to do everything, and you shouldn’t when marketing your book. Gather people around you who have gifts in certain areas, like my daughter was for me.

There was a printing cost for three of the items, but it was worth it for me not to have to print on my printer and cut the items myself. It saved a lot of time and hassle for someone else to print them.

Here’s an example of one of the print items:

Consider using print media for your next book launch. Rethink of the buyer as someone special and make them feel honored to be part of your journey. You will establish relationships, build stronger connections, and secure loyal followers for your next book.

Bio:

Sally Cressman, Author

Sally Cressman won first place in the CAN Marketing Award for print media at the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference for her book, The Dance of Easter. She has written children’s Sunday school curricula, devotions, and articles. Her publishing credits include LifeWay Kids Ministry, Focus on the Family, Moms in Prayer, and Nashville Christian Family magazine. She would love to connect with you on her website www.sallycressman.com or Instagram.