Publishers and booksellers have been trying everything they can to make sales since the year dot. They’ve had author signings, book clubs, recommendations and so many more.

Back in 1983 Angus & Robertson published a mystery book without the solution, this was placed in a sealed envelope at the U.S. Safety Deposit Corporation in New York. It’s not a book I would normally have bought as I can rarely figure out who dunnit but I was part of a book club and received this as the book of the month. There was a prize of $2,500 for the person who came closest to the solution. After the competition had closed we all received a pamphlet with the solution and the name of the winner of the Book Club prize of $1,000. Yes, there’s a discrepancy here but don’t ask me why. I’ve still got both of these. After this was all over the book was republished with the solution printed at the end.

Joanne Harris is doing something slightly in line with this and her printed books come with an extra chapter. I don’t know if the extra chapter is available for those printed books bought online or just those bought in-store in the UK, you can read more about it here, the comments make interesting reading too.

I’m curious if you have any interesting ways to bring customers into a shop to buy rather than just having them buy online.