Regardless of how well a book is written, critical praise doesn’t always translate into sales, and often even well-reviewed books disappear, out-of-print within a couple of years. No matter how much publicity and support your publisher offers, you are the best advocate for your book, and there are actions you can take to prolong its life in print. Perhaps you’re about to publish a first book and have no idea what to expect. Maybe you’re a seasoned pro looking for new ideas on promoting your books. Either way, here are some strategies to put your book over the top.
- Begin laying the groundwork for promotion six months before your book is published. Write a press release and e-mail it to newspapers and TV stations closer to the publication date along with a review or two if you have them. If newspapers have a lifestyle editor or a Sunday team reach out to them as well. Keep contacts lists of reporters and remember to invite them to signings and other events.
- Find a public relations ally. If you can’t hire one then barter. Find a friend or a student and offer to edit their writing for free in exchange for helping you with publicity. This may sound extreme, but book publicity can be grueling work and it helps so much to have a friend with a sense of humor who “gets it.”
- Use the internet; search engines are your friend. Research as much as you can and look at comments and reviews to find tips about sites you should be reading up on. Check out writing groups and ask for assistance or information on who can help you with your publishing journey.
- Make flyers and/or bookmarks. Start with 100 copies. You can leave stacks in bookstores, restaurants and libraries, or hand them out on school visits. Always be prepared with something to hand out.
- Set up a website where caregivers and children can write to you and learn more about the world of the book and what you do as an author. Peruse other author sites to get ideas.
- Update your website regularly. Offer creative writing ideas, story prompts and giveaways.
- Send out e-mail blasts as often as you feel comfortable, but don’t overdo it; three or four times a year is a good rule of thumb, and only if there are real updates. Be wary of e-mailing in bulk too often.
- Create your Facebook page long before the book is due. Post funny sayings, as well as other books, so that when your book is finally out, you will have a following that you can interact with. Don’t wait.
- Use the giveaway feature on the Goodreads and Booklikes websites. Readers all over the world will add your book to their shelf in hopes of winning a copy.
- Join a fiction writers or picturebook listserv or online group. There is Goodreads Lovers of Diversity and Folklore Group. Caribbean Writers, SCBWI Caribbean Chapters and SocaMom Book Club are all Facebook Groups you can request to join. Follow Anansesem Caribbean children’s literature ezine, Caribbean Books Foundation and Caribbean blogs. Look for blogs about the world of children’s literature. There are many great children’s and young adult (YA) book blogs. Reading one will lead you to many more. Children’s and YA book bloggers are the ones who keep your books alive so ask them to feature you. Send them your books to review and thank them. Only devote a little time each day to these blogs; you want to be protective of your writing time.
- Create your own book tour by visiting literary festivals. Tight budget? Lodge with friends and family or contact the SCBWI regional advisor in your area to see if a nearby member might have a guest room available. Make yourself available to promote your book with copies on hand. Rent the cheapest rental car and purchase airline tickets through inexpensive online travel sites.
- Visit bookstores before your book comes out—six months is a good rule of thumb. Set up e-mail correspondence with the store manager, or the person in charge of scheduling author visits or promotions. Set up dates for the book signings/writing workshops. If you just have a handful of review copies, make photocopies or send a .pdf to select book reviewers. This works especially well for regional newspapers or magazines. Smaller papers do a great job with author profiles and reviews if you let them know in time.
- E-mail bookstores with your information (book, website, jacket quotes) and offer them short writing workshops for kids instead of just traditional readings. Follow up those e-mails with store visits or phone calls. Be upbeat and professional even when clerks are –and some will be- indifferent. You will find the ones who “get you”, and as for the ones who don’t, move on with grace. Try to focus on the independent bookstores because they are the ones who will hand-sell your book and may have a small sitting for you to interact with children.
- Set up writing workshops for children in schools, libraries, bookstores and other settings where you will have a guaranteed audience of children. Lead children in writing their own stories and poems. Make sure art supplies are on hand so the kids can illustrate their creations, and offer to publish any stories that they e-mail you in a special section of your blog or website. Have the bookstore require the purchase of one of your books in lieu of a workshop attendance fee. Talk to the parents and teachers who attend. Networking can lead to artist residencies at schools and more school visits. Keep writing workshops high-energy to encourage more participation. Get kids excited through sincere praise and encouragement, and then up on their feet to read their poems or stories. With older kids and teen groups, smaller circles work best.
- Consider having a reading/book signing at a place other than a bookstore. Go to a pizza parlour, a fast food restaurant with a children’s area, a tea house or some other nontraditional place. A friend’s backyard or your own can work. Independent booksellers love to sell local books, and you’ll be able to woo more friends into coming and bringing their friends. If you have children, your children can run around and celebrate too. Hire or sponsor an up-and-coming musician for the gig and let them give out their cards or CD’s.
- Do as many free writing workshops as you feel you can at first. Do them for foster children, children in juvenile hall, children who are differently-abled and children who don’t often have a chance to meet with writers. Publish their stories on your blog if they want you to do so.
- Pitch workshops or classes to your library, universities or a school near you. It’s free advertising for you, your book and your class. You also get to meet wonderful students in your workshop.
- Set up a six- or ten-week writing workshop at a local library for teens or adults who want to write children’s stories. You will be able to charge a fee, of course, and the bookstore will advertise the class and your book on its website and in its newsletter.
- Support other authors. Show up at their signings and readings and buy their books. Host them in interviews on your website or blog, or simply mention their books in a short review. We’re all in this together, and the more we can reach out and support each other, the more we’ll get back.
- Send your press release to your alma mater. Offer to meet with students from your old high school or college to talk to them about writing.
- Write an essay for your alumni magazine about writing for kids, or about how you became a writer. You’ll get readers; universities like to hear about their graduates and their adventures. If a rural library asks you to donate books, say yes. Say yes as much as you can. Just do it. If you can’t do it all the time, that’s okay, but say yes whenever possible.
- Write an essay/op. ed. piece for a newspaper with a large readership. This will get your name out to more readers.
- Record your book at your local Braille Institute and offer to do a workshop for its summer reading program. You’ll meet amazing kids who are budding storytellers.
- Go to events. Go to SCBWI events or book festivals on your own dime at least once if you have a book coming out. If they cannot offer you a signing during the festival, still go to meet people. You will make connections you cannot make online.
- Find a local chapter of the SCBWI and offer to do a workshop on setting, plot, voice or anything else.
- Write thank-you notes to everyone: librarians, teachers, booksellers. Be appreciative. Don’t whine. Say “thank you.”
- Get a GPS navigation device. It really helps out there on the road. Remember, the more you give of yourself as an author, the more you will connect with your readers at every level.
- Keep writing. The more books you market the easier it becomes. Press on. Give yourself a break and time to be alone to write and just be, so you can gather the stamina needed to get out there again.
Adapted from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators' (SCBWI) tips.
The SCBWI Caribbean South Chapter The SCBWI, a non-profit organization, is one of the largest existing organizations for writers and illustrators. It is the only professional organization specifically for individuals writing and illustrating for children and young adults in the fields of children’s literature, magazines, film, television, and multimedia. Its mission is “to support the creation and availability of quality children’s books around the world.” We accomplish this by fostering a vibrant community of individuals who bring books for young readers to the public including writers, illustrators, translators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers, bloggers, enthusiasts and others. We provide education and support for these individuals and the community through our awards, grants, programs and events. We strive to increase the quality and quantity of children’s books in the marketplace, and act as a consolidated voice for writers and illustrators of children's books worldwide. Membership in the SCBWI is open to anyone with an active interest in literature for young people. We welcome aspiring and published writers and illustrators, librarians, educators, artists, students, dramatists, musicians, filmmakers, and others. A passion for children’s literature is our number one criterion. There are two SCBWI regional chapters: Caribbean North and Caribbean South. Visit the website at www.scbwi.org for more information.About the Author
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