Local Media and Cookie Marketing

Yesterday at the Edmonds Bookshop lots of folks stopped by my book signing event to buy a copy of The Northwest Vegetarian Cookbook, listen to stories about local farmers and just say hi. I was surprised when many people said they read about this event in the Edmonds Beacon, the weekly newspaper in Edmonds. A few people mentioned they'd heard my radio interview with Jaques Pugh on Soul of Seattle last Sunday. Don't overlook the power of local media to help create buzz about your book. People I hadn't seen for over a decade showed up to reconnect and find out about my book.

Mary Kay (the owner of Edmonds Bookshop) and I shared some recipes from The Northwest Vegetarian Cookbook--my favorite Hazelnut Biscotti, Cherry -Apple Oatmeal cookies and carrot hummus, which was a hit with everyone who sampled it. Who doesn't like a free sample? And many people were surprised by the idea of adding carrots to this great dip.

I often bring cookies to events. I call it cookie marketing. It's actually a tip I learned a long time ago from Barbara Winters who taught a fabulous class at Discover U and wrote a book. called Making A Living Without a Job.

Going to different events all the time makes book marketing more fun; so mix it up when you plan your book tour. You never can tell who will show up. Today I'll be at EastWest Bookshop from 1 to 2:30pm, and I'll talk about Northwest grown foods, farmers in Oregon and Washington, and food trends. I'll also give tips for market shopping you won't hear anywhere else and of course we'll sample recipes. I'll also be serving Wade Bennett's famous Rockridge Orchards apple cider, which is always a big hit at the market. Stop by and enjoy some cookies made with Northwest grown ingredients and sip some cider. This is also the last weekend to enter my free cookbook drawing.