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OK the next step is to plan out the prizes, because that might take you some time to gather up.

IMPORTANT NOTE: IT IS AGAINST FACEBOOK TERMS TO USE FACEBOOK TO SELECT OR AWARD PRIZES. You absolutely cannot ask questions in Facebook and choose a winner. You can't say "first person to guess" or so on. That would directly violate Facebook's terms of service and could get your entire account shut down. Don't risk it!!

You MUST use an external app to do any prize selection. I did testing of several of them. The one I liked was RaffleCopter which is FREE. It plugs into your Facebook accounts and handles all the legal stuff for you properly. You can see a RaffleCopter entry here -

SuttonMass page with RaffleCopter Contest

It's the icon that looks like a helicopter.

I'm going to set up an entry form on my LisaShea.com website, because I know how to code and that way I can make it just the way I want it to be. I am familiar with contest legal issues by now and know to include the start and end date, the value of the prize, a description of the prize, a statement that only US and UK people can enter, that only those 18 or older can enter, and the other legal language necessary. To see what a contest page should entail, click on our Trivia Contests page here at BellaOnline and look at our rules. You want your rules page to look like that.

If you'd rather not code a page on your own website, definitely go with RaffleCopter or another choice. But make sure you DO NOT USE Facebook itself to draw names. After all the work you've put into setting up and promoting your Facebook page, you don't want to be shut down.


Lisa Shea, Low Carb and Video Games Editor
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So whatever way you choose to draw prizes, make sure you're familiar with that and practice with it before the event. You want to make sure that process goes smoothly. This is also the time to make sure you HAVE all the prizes in hand. Legally, before you offer a prize you have to have it. So any prizes you need to order, order them now.

For my launch party I'm going to be giving away a few copies of my Aspen Allegations book, both in print and ebook form. I'm going to be giving away copies of my medieval romance novels, ditto. I also have a Weddings and Courtships series so I'll give away a few of those. I have some no-cook recipe books and some sangria recipe and champagne cocktail books.

I make origami, so I'll be giving away an origami mobile as well as origami flowers and cranes.

My friend Jeanne runs EclecticLady.com so I just bought a few soaps to give away. Now I can link to her page to talk about these soaps, and it means she gets promoted and publicized as part of this. We all help each other out!


Lisa Shea, Low Carb and Video Games Editor
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Next, you can make up some promo products for FREE with CafePress. I made up my images with JUST the cover feature design, without the title and the author name. By that I mean here is my cover -



When I put it onto CafePress I isolated it down just to the leaf image. The aim here is to have as many people as possible to want them. If it's "a leaf" lots of people could want it. If it's "a promo for a specific book" fewer people will want it. I err on the side of having lots of interest which will then lure people into learning more about my book. So here's the image -



I can then give away a few of those items.

Last edited by Lisa LowCarb / VideoGames; 03/15/13 07:52 AM.

Lisa Shea, Low Carb and Video Games Editor
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I want to offer another thought in here while I post. Aim to space out your promotions gently over the week between when you set up and when the event happens. Don't send out 80 thousand messages on the first day! You'll wear your audience out. So even if you have 20 prizes, don't post about all of them right away. Space them out so each day you talk about a different prize. That way you build interest and remind people about the event.

Your postings should always have value. Don't just say "the event is in two days!" - that feels nagging. Don't just say "The author is amazing!" - that feels boasting smile. You want to post things that draw them in. Post about a fun prize. Post about a fun game. The reminders should be about what THEY will get out of this - Marketing 101.


Lisa Shea, Low Carb and Video Games Editor
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OK once the prizes are set, it's time to think about what else your visitors will be doing. They want to have fun! It's your role as host of the party to arrange that fun.

First up - food and drink. Yes, it's a virtual party, but it can still be fun! Think up the food you'd serve to go with the theme of your book or project.

In my case, I'm a low carb editor. So I'm going to serve tasty low carb snacks. I'll do them up early and take photos. Then, as the event progresses, I'll occasionally post a photo of an item along with a link to its recipe. Everyone can chime in about whether they like it or if they'd like to try it. It will give people something to talk about.

Also, I'll do a virtual wine tasting where we all share what we're drinking and what we think of it.

These sorts of things give people something to talk about that they can chime in on without stress. It adds to the sense that they are "there".


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Next up - Trivia Contests. People love guessing at things. You want to make it something people might actually know so they feel like they have a chance. So with my book being a murder mystery, I could ask questions about famous murder mysteries. Who wrote Murder on the Orient Express. Where was the Spenser for Hire series set. Who shot J.R. smile. The aim is not to stump them. The aim is to have them racing to see who can answer first. My book involves yoga and nature as well, so I can ask questions about those things.

Make up a list beforehand in Notepad so you can just cut-and-paste your questions over into the event occasionally, to keep people talking.


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Think up activities. Things people can "do".

My book involves yoga, so I can have them do simple yoga activities. Rotate the crown of their head as if they're making a halo for themselves. Roll their shoulders five times. Have them chime in when they've done it. It keeps them healthy too smile

Again, make the list beforehand in Notepad. Paste them in occasionally to the stream.


Lisa Shea, Low Carb and Video Games Editor
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Next, games! Games get people thinking and challenge their competitive spirit. Games are good because they "run by themselves" once you start them. That way people can be playing a game while you are then catching up on questions or making other posts.

So for examples take the title of your book. In my case it's Aspen Allegations. Then ask everyone to think up as many words as they can, four letters or more, that use the letters in that title. So for example "pens". That then keeps them challenged trying to figure out other combinations.

Another game - the "name an animal beginning with ..." - so in this case I'd start with A. People could all chime in with animals. It's something anybody can play.

What other games would work well in this situation, that would self-run once started?


Lisa Shea, Low Carb and Video Games Editor
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Another idea for things to post. Post images related to your book's theme so people can comment on them. In my case I can post images of Sutton - its natural beauty. So I can intersperse those in so people see what Sutton is all about. Again that's something where you have all the images ready to go beforehand in a folder, make a list of them, and then just cut-and-paste the URLs in one by one slowly during the course of the event.

People love photos!


Lisa Shea, Low Carb and Video Games Editor
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Another game idea - post the name of a lead character and then ask what movie or tv characters come to mind when they hear that name.


Lisa Shea, Low Carb and Video Games Editor
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