
Hello! Thank you to 24 Carrot Writing for hosting me here as I share the cover of my debut picture book, Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night! I am absolutely over the moon about the cover art by Nneka Myers. I love the dreamy color palette, and the way Nneka captures the peaceful beauty of the winter world…yet with a hint of festive sparkle in the distance. I can’t wait for the rest of her brilliant work to be seen!
And now that the cover is out, I’ve been thinking…
It is ironic that a finished book cover is the result of months or years of work, because at the same time, it also represents a new beginning…the beginning of this last stretch until the book is out in the world. And the “Six-Month Stretch” (as I’ve begun calling it) brings new work to light.
There is a lot of talk about all the things an author can do to promote a book pre-launch, and to be honest, it can be pretty overwhelming. So I’m taking the advice of veteran writer friends who have shared some wisdom about how to use this time. The underlying theme is “do what feels right to you.” I’m going to couple that with one of my own favorite mantras: “keep it simple.” And in the spirit of 24 Carrot Writing’s goal-setting mission, I have formed a plan.
Here are the five main things I’m going to focus on in my “Six Month Stretch”:
- Seek out blog guest spots on blogs I enjoy reading myself (like this one!)
- Send out my first author newsletter – for me, this is going to be a seasonal thing, because I like to keep things simple and because I love organizing my life by the seasons! It will feature book news, book events, and “book magic” (fun tips for growing readers).
- Offer an educator giveaway – I love connecting with teachers and being in the classroom, and so offering a free virtual visit in combination with subscribing to my upcoming newsletter is the kind of giveaway that feels most natural to me.
- Mention to others that they can now put my book on their ‘want to read’ list…
AND THEN… - Celebrate with a BOOK PARTY!!! I’ll be launching Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night at An Unlikely Story under their very own twinkly lights!! And after that, hopefully I’ll be visiting all my other favorite bookstores for more events throughout the season. I hope to see you at one of them.
Thank you, 24 Carrot readers and writers, for sharing this exciting moment with me!
- Megan
Twinkle, twinkle, winter night.
Celebrate winter with this magical twist on a beloved nursery rhyme that brings
the shimmering season of lights to life.
To learn more about Megan or to subscribe to her newsletter, visit her online at www.meganlitwinbooks.com.
To learn more about Nneka Myers and her art, visit her online at www.nnekamyers.com.