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My Debut Launch Experience: Lessons Learned

10/11/2018

4 Comments

 
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Guest Blog by Casey W. Robinson 

I had the pleasure of meeting Casey at the NE-SCBWI conference as she was preparing for the release of her debut picture book, Iver & Ellsworth (Ripple Grove Press, 2018). Since then I’ve been to her launch and watched the buzz of her picture book grow. We are thrilled to have Casey join us to share the lessons she learned as she introduced her debut book  to the world.

Welcome Casey!


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​My debut picture book, Iver & Ellsworth (Ripple Grove Press), came out in May and I held two debut events to celebrate: a morning reading at the Harvard Coop Bookstore in Cambridge, MA followed by an afternoon book launch party at the Silver Unicorn Bookstore in Acton, MA.
 
As exhilarating as it was to celebrate, I found the process of planning and anticipating these events to be a little daunting! For those of you who are looking forward to, or are in the midst of, planning your debut launch, I share some lessons learned.

I’M GLAD I … 

  • Leaned on my debut group. My group, Epic 18 (epiceighteen.weebly.com), was an invaluable source of crowd-sourced ideas and advice from others who were in the same boat. We shared swag vendor recs, menu choices, craft activities, and fretted over whether to splurge on custom cookies (I did). Most importantly, we cheered each other on.
  • Opted for a smaller scale party. At first I envisioned doing something at a local restaurant whose funky atrium would’ve made a memorable book signing area. But the logistics of this were quickly overwhelming and required a level of time, attention, and budget I did not have. So I approached a local indie bookstore that was planning to open shortly before my book launch. They enthusiastically agreed to host a launch event. The cross-promotion was wonderful, and because I wasn’t doing a food event, there were actually very few things to plan. Plus, what better décor than copious amounts of books?
  • Found a perfect pen. I signed an early copy of my book to a friend and realized with horror that the Sharpie I was using bled through the page. I swapped that copy for a fresh one (signed in trusted ballpoint pen) and used the Sharpied copy to test out a bunch of pens at my local stationery store. (Pen of choice was Le Pen.) Tip: buy multiple!
  • Hired a photographer. The photographer was actually a gift from a dear friend who couldn’t make it to the event. And truth be told, I don’t know that I would’ve spent the money on hiring one. But the pictures she took were incredible and I’ve been able to use many of them for book promotion, social media posts and headshot requests. She also came early to take some group family photos, which I’m so grateful to have. If you have any photographer connections, it’s worth considering.
  • Remembered to breathe. ​
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I WISH I HAD …

  • Written down my prepared thoughts. My nerves took over when it came time to greet my captive audience. I’m quite sure I forgot to thank someone important … (though I’m also sure no one but me cared).
  • Had extra copies of my book in my trunk. Unbelievably, the bookstore sold all its copies of Iver & Ellsworth. My friend and fellow picture book author Josh Funk wisely told me that I should always have a stash of extra copies in my car. You never know when you’ll need them and emergency book sales are good!
  • Booked more downtime afterward. All that adrenaline, excitement, anticipation, talking, smiling, signing, and celebrating was exhausting! The day after the launch I was useless. Do me a favor and set aside more than 20 minutes for a nap.
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When it was all over, I asked my daughters to tell me their favorite part of the weekend. I expected them to say “Cookies!” They said it was seeing me so happy. “You had your really big smile on all day long, mom.”
 
Don’t forget your book, your story, your day will also be special and significant to others who get to be a part of it. Whatever the format, whatever the size, mark this moment in time and celebrate together. HAVE FUN. You only get one debut!
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To learn more about Casey please visit her at www.caseywrobinson.com. To order a copy of Iver & Ellsworth go to www.indiebound.org/book/9780999024911.  

Thanks for joining us Casey! 
4 Comments

MARKETING BEYOND THE BOOK LAUNCH PARTY

7/30/2018

2 Comments

 
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Guest post by Anika Denise
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Launching a new book into the world is worthy of a grand celebration. Whether it's your first book or your fiftieth — it's important to mark the occasion with fanfare. Throw a bash! Invite your friends! Revel in the moment! You earned it.

But successfully launching a book involves more than just party planning. The work of finding and connecting with readers who will be motivated and excited to buy YOUR book ideally begins months and months before publication. From building your website, to networking with educators, to creating extension activities, to printing swag, to blogging, to tweeting, to baking cupcakes and ordering balloons — managing the myriad tasks associated with book launches can be overwhelming, especially for debut authors.

After my first two books entered the world without much fanfare or support, it hit me that I had a marketing degree and experience in promotion. So, um…why wasn’t I putting those skills to work launching my books?
When my picture book Monster Trucks was acquired, I made a point to keep track of all my promotional tasks and when I’d completed them; as well as what worked, what didn’t, and what I’d learned from the process. My documented “from-book-deal-to-publication” experiment eventually became the basis for a marketing workshop: BEYOND THE BOOK LAUNCH PARTY, to help authors create and execute their own book launch strategies.

The response I hear most frequently from workshop attendees is: OH-MY-GOSH-I-SO-NEEDED-THIS! And I tell them: so did I. To stay organized (and sane), l needed a promotional checklist I could follow for each new book. And hopefully, in being more methodical and digging deeper into my book’s unique content, I’d engage more readers, generate greater awareness of my “brand” as an author, and boost book sales.

So… did it work?
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YES! While there are many variables that affect how a book sells, and I don’t have scientific data tracking back each promotional activity’s effectiveness, I do have my royalty statements. And the titles I’ve launched with coordinated marketing attention have done better. Significantly. With all the hurdles to surmount on the path to publication, a published book is like a tiny miracle. That’s why I try to do my small part in giving my books their best chance at success. And why I’m happy to share what I’ve learned.

Here’s the plan I follow. It includes advice on how to reach readers and considerations to explore when allocating your precious promotional budget. Use it. Share it. And feel free to reach out with questions or suggestions.

ANIKA’S BOOK LAUNCH TIPS & TASKS TIMELINE
Before the book deal...
* Create an author website (include an e-mailing list sign up)
* Network with the children’s book community – in person and online
* Be active on social media, but give thought to AUDIENCE when choosing how and where to spend your time. Are you targeting parents? Librarians? Teens? Where does your audience spend the most time?
* Don’t just talk about YOU; use your channels to AMPLIFY OTHERS
Pro-tip: Focus this time on establishing a professional author presence and getting to know your tribe. Attend conferences. Introduce yourself to local librarians. Be visible and make friends. And YES, include a mailing list sign-up on your site, even if your book isn’t out yet. Your e-mail list will be the foundation upon which you build a direct relationship to readers who opted-in to learn more about YOU and your books!
Just after you've signed the contract...
* Make a list of 8-1o topics and/or themes that are in your book
* Research and identify blogs, websites, and organizations that ALSO care about the topics you listed
* Are there opportunities to get involved? Guest post? Volunteer?
* Take this time to introduce yourself and build relationships
* Always begin with what you can do for them – not what they can do for you
Pro-tip: Meaningful connections grow out of equitable partnerships. Begin any pitch with what you can bring to the table, rather than simply asking them to promote your book. Here's the list I made for Starring Carmen!

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The goal of this exercise is to find readers based on commonality and shared interests. One great example of this for me, was Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands, in South Carolina. The tagline for their after-school performing arts program is: Be inspired! Be talented! Be creative! This could easily be the tagline for Starring Carmen!. By offering to do presentations at their locations, I connected with both the gatekeepers (arts educators at BGC) and young readers — who, because of our common interests and values, are likely to be interested in reading the book.

12 months prior to publication...
* Set your promotional budget
* Identify book festivals and speaking opportunities that line up with your pub date; make note of deadlines for applications
* Consider partnering on promotion with other authors who have books in your genre or release year like the Electric Eighteens
* Look for HIVE MARKETING opportunities and book discovery platforms, such as Curious City's Bunk Reads & Trick or Reaters
Pro-tip: You can find yourself down a rabbit hole, spending large sums of money on book promotion. Deciding how much you are willing to spend and prioritizing which strategies are most worthwhile for your book is important. Ask yourself, am I going to enjoy doing this? And is this likely to move the needle on books sales?

9 months prior to publication...
* Outline your reading guide or activity kit
* Plan and draft blog posts related to the themes in your book (Check out Sarah Albee's and Betsy Devany's blog for examples of fun, engaging content-related blogging.)
* Check in with the in-house publicist to review the marketing plan for your book
Pro-tip: Publicists are BUSY. Each new season brings a fresh crop of books to promote, and the window for promoting an individual title can be limited. What you can expect varies from house to house, and book to book. So it's important to ask (kindly) what they have planned, in order to determine what you'll need to do yourself. In my experience, the more willingness I show to roll up my sleeves on publicity, the more support and attention they will jump in and give.

6 months prior to publication...
* Design and print book swag (if the cover is final)
* Schedule a cover reveal
* Reach out to bloggers to arrange a blog tour
* Contact stores to schedule signings
* Connect with schools and offer presentations
* If you are considering a book trailer, make notes on a treatment and hire your vendors
Pro-tip: Creating a high quality book trailer can easily blow your promotion budget, and won't (necessarily) sell more books. My strategy has been to find creative ways to produce them, at low cost. For Baking Day at Grandma's, we kept costs down by working partially in barter, and shooting it all in one day. For Monster Trucks, my local school librarian asked one of her students to create the book trailer as a part of a school library project. Consider getting local schools involved and/ or hosting a reader-produced trailer contest. Author (and book promotion wizard) Josh Funk creates his own book trailers. I love Josh’s trailers because they showcase his humor and brand personality, and really make you want to run out and read the book. If you have mad iMovie skills (or know someone who does) try putting together a trailer yourself.

3-4 months prior to publication...
* Send Advance Release Copies (ARCS) to colleagues, friends, and family, and ask them to consider reviewing and sharing your book online
* Create a “press kit” section on your website with your blurb bio, high-res book cover, author photo, and event poster template
* Send a draft of your reading guide/ activity kit to your publisher for review and approval
Pro-tip: As with trailers, a great deal goes into drafting and designing a quality classroom guide. Your publisher may create one for you, but if not, you can outsource to an expert. Not sure where to begin or what a discussion guide looks like? Scholastic.com has guides readily available for download. Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the format.
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1 month prior to publication...
* Finalize contests and giveaways (Goodreads requires 7 days in advance)
* Design a graphic for both your blog tour and store appearances, with dates and locations
* Share positive reviews on social media and add them to your website
* Finalize details and send reminders about your LAUNCH PARTY!
* Pop the Champagne (or sparkling cider) and enjoy!
Pro-tip: Consider going LIVE on Facebook during a portion of your book talk or reading, to amplify your launch party's reach.
And my final pro-tip? Don't get so caught up in promotional tasks that it keeps you from doing your first job, which is to write amazing books. Strike a balance. Set a few hours aside each week for book launch planning. Use this timeline as a guide, but do what works best for you.

Additional Resources:
Curious City facilitates children's literature discovery by creating marketing tools that engage readers with story. They create activity kits, write and produce book trailers, host book discovery platforms — they've even planned tours for fictional bands! — all for the noble purpose of helping kids and books "meet." Find out more at http://www.curiouscity.net and this post which includes a link to Curious City's "Creating Discovery" worksheet, which I highly recommend downloading and completing.
Author Gaia Cornwall also designs and creates super-cute (affordable!) author swag and book trailers.
Check out Marcie Colleen's awesome Teacher’s Guides.
And finally, here's a list of upcoming book festivals from Book Reporter. 
 
Anika Denise a former marketing and public relations executive. She’s also the celebrated author of many books for young readers including Lights, Camera Carmen!, Starring Carmen!, Monster Trucks, Baking Day at Grandma’s, Bella and Stella Come Home, and Pigs Love Potatoes. In 2019, to coincide with Women’s History Month, HarperCollins will publish her forthcoming picture book, Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré, illustrated by Paola Escobar. Other titles coming in 2019 include The Best Part of Middle, illustrated by Christopher Denise, and The Love Letter, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins. To learn more about Anika’s books and workshops, visit her website at anikadenise.com.
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AN INTERVIEW WITH DEB SHAPIRO, BOOK MARKETING CONSULTANT

7/23/2018

1 Comment

 
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We are pleased to welcome Deb Shapiro, the president and founder of Deb Shapiro & Company, a public relations, marketing and media services and consulting business focusing on authors and books. A former journalist and bookseller with an MA in children’s literature, Deb worked for nearly 15 years in book publishing, creating and executing publicity and marketing campaigns for publishing houses large and small before launching her own company. She is also an instructor at the Columbia School of Journalism’s graduate publishing course and an active volunteer with several literacy organizations. She lives in Washington, DC with her daughter. We are pleased to have her here at 24 Carrot Writing to share her marketing experience and knowledge with us.
 
What sparked your interest in working in publishing?  
​I’ve always believed that if you can read well and write well, you have the tools to succeed in life. I knew teaching wasn’t the right fit for me, so I thought that if I were involved in the process of creating good books to put into the hands of young readers, I could help level the playing field for all kids and help spark a life-long love of story and learning.

At 24 Carrot Writing, we focus on children’s literature. What is the biggest challenge children's debut authors face in marketing their books?
There is a lot of white noise out there, especially online, and trying to break through it is a challenge. But most of that white noise is created because people are doing what they “think” they should do, either because it’s what others are doing and they believe that’s what they should do too, or because they just don’t know what to do. Thinking about who your audience is, and what your strengths and interests are in relation to the book, will help you craft a plan that will be more relevant and effective, and that in and of itself can help break through. It’s also important to realistically think about who your audience is. Some books are going to gain more traction in the educational marketplace than the consumer marketplace and visa versa, and you need to be open and accepting of that because if you are, then you can better assess how best to position the book and yourself to reach that audience.

Many debut authors do not know where to begin in marketing their upcoming books. What are some essential first steps debut authors should take in preparing for their book’s release?
Patience. Patience. Patience. Rarely do books take off within the first few weeks of publication. It’s a slow build as reviews come in and are shared and the books are put into hands, read, and talked about. There is a wide and varied window of opportunity for a book to find its way. Authors need to look at the process (or the adventure) as a marathon not a sprint; they need to be strategic, thoughtful, creative and realistic in how they consider what will help readers—or the people who put the books into these readers’ hands—understand the book.

What can a pre-published author do to prepare themselves for book marketing?  
Much the same as what a debut should do: be mindful of your audience and what is in your comfort zone as you consider any promotions. Your audience can see through the efforts if they are not authentic, so be true to yourself, and hard as it may be, try not to compare what’s being done for other books to what is or isn’t being done for yours. In the age of social media it can be difficult and disheartening at times, but try and remember just because you may see a lot of activity it doesn’t mean that it’s effective, that readers are responding, or that any of it is translating to sales. Focus on yourself and your book.

When you approach marketing a children’s book, be it picture book, MG, or YA, are there certain aspects or features you look for (i.e., timely theme, target audience) that shape your marketing approach?
All of the above. One of the things I love about marketing and promoting books for kids and teens is that there is no one right way to do it. What’s key is looking at each book and author and understanding what they separately and together bring to the table, and then assess how those attributes fit into any trends, timely events, etc. and then position the book and author accordingly.

What are the differences in the strategies employed to market a PB vs. a MG or YA? 
In some ways not much. At the heart of the process, it’s about having a good book to work with. That being said, with YA you’re marketing more directly to the book’s core audience--the teens; with picture book and MG you’re marketing more to the people who will put the book into the readers’ hands—parents, booksellers, teachers, librarians, grandparents, aunts, uncles… Each of these adults looks at a book differently so you need to adjust how you position the book to them accordingly. For example, an educator may want to know how this book could be relevant in the classroom, and a bookseller would want to know what kind of reader it will appeal to.

In your experience with marketing books, what are some of the most effective publicity approaches you have seen?  
It all comes down to my mantra about being true to the book and author and understanding the audience. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart I think is a great example of checking all of these boxes—and it started with a fabulous read. The concept of the book became the campaign—every element wove in the intrigue of the mystery involved as to who was or wasn’t telling the truth. Another example would be Little Elliot and the Big City by Mike Curato; Little Elliot is such a delightful, endearing character and he was branded through a strategic bookseller, educator campaign so by the time the book hit shelves, he was loved and recognized by the people putting the book into readers hands and they couldn’t wait to introduce him to their customers. I often see other campaigns try to mimic those that are most successful but they always fall short. Books--like authors, like people--are their own unique entity and should be treated as such. It’s helpful to look at past campaigns to see what worked, but then look to see how that element might translate and be appropriate for you.

Social media plays a large part in many authors' publicity efforts. In your experience, have you found social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, helpful in promoting a new children’s book release? Are some social media platforms more successful than others in increasing a book’s visibility and, ultimately, sales?
For the most part, effectiveness comes down to the person, their approach and their authenticity more than the platform. Authors should not be made to feel that they have to be on social media; they should only do it if it’s in their comfort zone and they feel they have something to say and something to contribute to the conversation. I will say though that when thinking about platform, think about the audience of your book(s) and see where that audience may be spending more of its time.
 
What are some of the biggest pitfalls you see authors experience in marketing their work? Is there anything you consistently recommend they don’t do?  
Don’t Google yourself, don’t monitor your Amazon rankings, don’t compare yourself to others or compare your efforts to other’s efforts. Do communicate with your publisher, even if they don’t appear to be listening, keep them posted on what you have going on, and your ideas. Be patient with yourself and the process. Be true to yourself and your book.

Many authors team up for book events. What are the pros and cons of being part of a multi-author event? 
Pros: you can be introduced to new readers through the other author’s fan bases; it can be more fun and less daunting to be with others, too. Cons: disparate or clashing personalities. It’s important to make sure that the participating authors are all tapping into a similar age-range and that each of the participating authors plays nicely in the sand box with others.

Many authors spend much time and expense having “swag” printed for their book launches and events. Do you feel that swag, such as bookmarks, magnets, postcards, etc., is worth the effort and expense, or do you feel the book can stand on its own?
It all depends on the book, the author, the swag and the means of getting it out there. If you’re creating swag, make sure it’s something useful, it represents the concept of the book in some way, is a helpful reminder to the person who receives it of what the book is about, is age appropriate for the book/audience, and that you have a plan to distribute it. If you do a lot of school visits, for example, book marks or postcards can be useful because not every student is able to buy a book, and this way you have something to hand out so that each child can get something.

A recent trend in marketing books is the book trailer. Do you believe that book trailers have a positive impact on a book’s success? Are they more effective based on the target audience, such as picture book vs. middle grade vs. YA?
Trailers have become one of the contributors of the white noise out there.
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What can backlist authors do once the fervor of the launch has settled to continue to market and maintain interest in their books? 
There is no general, one right answer for this one. It’s all about looking at the book, the audience, and the author to assess what will keep momentum going.

Any other final thoughts you’d like to share with regards to the marketing and publicity of children’s books? 
I am asked time and again about doing cover reveals (sort of the new book trailer), and while it used to be an opportunity that could raise awareness in advance of publication, they have now been done so much that people really don’t take notice and it’s really not worth the effort to put one into place. Timing is key with so much of online efforts, and doing too much too far in advance of publication can be detrimental—by the time your book is out it seems old hat. With cover reveals and with book promotions in general, time and effort is better spent finding opportunities that will make sense for you and your book rather than looking to do something just because you’ve seen it done. 

Thank you, Deb, for sharing your book marketing expertise and insights with us! 

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GETTING YOUR BOOKS INTO AN INDIE BOOKSTORE WITH AN EVENT

7/16/2018

0 Comments

 
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Guest Blog by Trisha J. Wooldridge
 
It’s a busy day, the small staff is trying to help more customers and do more projects than is humanly possible, and New Author flags someone down.

“I just published my new book and I’d like a signing next Saturday. How many copies do you want to buy? I’ll give you ten per cent off the cover price.”

Insert screeching record-needle scrape.

Bookseller gingerly takes the book that’s been thrust in their face. The cover art is... “interesting”, the title font looks hand drawn, and at first glance the bookseller has already found three grammar errors on the jacket copy. There is no barcode nor a price, and the spine isn’t centered.

“So how many copies do you want to buy? I’m a local author!”

Some version of this happens frequently at the store where I work. We have a fairly large local author selection, because we try to support our community. A fair number of those books hurt the appearance of the section because of bad covers; many cause confusion with staff when hand-written price stickers fall off in humidity; and some customers walk away from the entire section when they find books riddled with errors.

This makes most bookstores wary about working with “local authors” or “indie authors.” Most traditional authors don’t contact us; we get their information from publishers. Some newer authors with traditional publishing houses do contact us—usually after first contacting us via email or on the phone, as our website suggests (ALWAYS check bookstore websites for preferred communication about selling books or doing events)—and that interaction is usually simple: 

“Hi, I’m a New Author, and I’ve got a book coming out in a few months with Publisher, would you be interested in hosting an event? Here’s the information on the book.”

New Author hands Bookseller a bookmark, sell sheet, card, or Advanced Reader Copy. Bookseller can easily order books from a distributor or publisher at their usual discount of 45-55% off cover. There is plenty of time for the bookseller to promote the event.


You’ll notice I’ve tied my examples with events. An event sells books. While most people who go into bookselling love books, they can’t be a bookseller without making money. Bookstores have limited space. A book on a shelf needs a reason for people to get engaged. An event is meant to get readers engaged. So, if you want a bookstore to consider carrying your book, see if they’ll consider hosting an event for your book.
Here are the most basic things a book store needs to consider your book event:
  • A quality product. It’s painful to say, but too many books have poor covers, have not been edited (or have been poorly edited), have misaligned formatting, and/or are missing basic information a bookseller needs. While we’ve worked with some presses who also have these issues, this is mostly a problem with self-published books.
  • A means to make money by hosting this book event. Can the bookstore order your books at a profitable discount (as mentioned above, usually 45-55% off cover)? If your books are ordered through a publisher or distributor, can the bookstore return unsold copies? Are you willing to sell within the bookstore’s consignment parameters (usually 30% off cover, often with a flat stocking fee)? (This also means, for authors setting their own prices, that it is important to consider the bookstore’s cut.)
  • A minimum of a two to three month lead time. Many local publications want press releases weeks or months before an event. Many local calendars need time to approve listings. The bookstore wants to include the event on their mailing list, blog, and social media several times. Books about sales often cite a person needing to hear about something multiple times to remember. There needs to be time to create, print, and distribute flyers. The bookstore needs to make sure it has sufficient staffing. The more time to plan, the better chances of having a strong-selling event.
  • An idea of what you, the author, will do to promote this event. Will you share our event listing? Our blog posts? Retweet us? Tell your fans to buy your book at our store? Invite friends and family to the event? Will you get your friends, family, and fans to share, retweet, and talk about the event? Don’t expect the bookstore to carry all the promotional weight. The best events we’ve had, hands down, are the ones where the author was involved in the promotion.
If working with you is a positive experience, even if an event wasn’t huge, a bookstore will be willing to host future events by you. Here are a few tips for being someone a bookstore loves to work with:
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  • Have a press kit ready to send or easy to access on your web page. A good press kit includes:
    • Bios of varying lengths
    • Short book descriptions
    • Cover images that can be used in flyers and online
    • Author photos that can be used in flyers and online
  • Answer emails in a timely manner, usually within 48 business hours.
  • Share, retweet, and promote the event along with the bookstore.
  • Do not call the bookstore every day or every week for updates on the event or sales.
  • Be friendly, fun, and approachable at the event.
  • Have readings from your work ready and practice them.
  • Do not yell at the bookstore staff if few people or no one comes to your event. Believe me, we already feel bad—and it is a financial loss for us because we do spend staff hours and funds promoting and marketing.
 
Boiled down to a “simple” answer, if you want a bookstore to carry your book, be a professional the bookstore wants to work with. Success of your book and book event is a success for the bookstore. When thinking about approaching a book store, have in mind what will make this partnership fun and profitable for all parties involved.

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Visit by author Sharon Healy-Yang
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Visit by author Ed Kurtz
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Panel Discussion on "Creating in the Trans Community"
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Trisha J. Wooldridge is the events coordinator for Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester in Worcester, Massachusetts. When not wrangling authors, publicists, electronic media outlets, and newsletters, she also writes and freelance edits. She’s edited over fifty novels; written non-fiction articles, poetry, and short stories for a variety of publications; and under her child-friendly name of T.J. Wooldridge, published poetry and three middle-grade novels.

Find out more about Trisha at 
www.anovelfriend.com. 

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​Find out more about Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester from their webpage, Facebook page, blog, or even sign up for their newsletter!

NOTE: Trisha is currently working on Annie's Book Stop's Annual Small Business Saturday event. They host a group of authors for a day of readings the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Small Business Saturday is an event created by American Express where cardholders get extra bonuses for shopping local at participating stores. Annie's Book Stop shares that extra promotion by inviting local authors in to spotlight their work, and this year they are focusing on children's book authors.

Annie's Book Stop of Worcester is at 65 James Street, Worcester, MA, and will host authors from 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM with scheduled readings, Q&As, and snacks through the day.

If anyone is interested, shoot Trisha an email at trish@anniesbooksworcester.com or trish@anovelfriend.com (both come to the same place; one is easier to misspell than the other). ​
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GOALS FOR PROMOTING YOUR DEBUT PICTURE BOOK

7/9/2018

3 Comments

 
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​Guest Post By Alison Goldberg
 
As I started thinking about this post, I asked critique partners and friends for their questions about promoting a debut picture book. In addition to nuts and bolts questions about swag and event planning and blogs, one person asked: What if you (secretly) don’t want to promote?
 
And I kept thinking about this question, since it underlies a lot of conversations I’ve had with writers on this topic.
 
For many of us, creating a promotion plan for a first picture book can feel intimidating, at times overwhelming. It requires diverting precious time away from writing and/or illustrating. The activities involved may demand a different set of skills from the ones honed to polish a manuscript for publication. Just the idea of marketing ourselves can be challenging, and for the introverts among us, particularly exhausting.
 
My first picture book, I Love You for Miles and Miles, released from Farrar, Straus and Giroux on December 26, 2017.  During the past year I’ve tried several different strategies to promote my book. I have also not tried several different strategies to promote my book.
 
There are countless ways to tackle book promotion. As I reflected on this question, I realized that a big part of making this process feel manageable, accessible, and worthwhile—something that I actually wanted to do--was to come up with my own goals for success.
 
Book promotion isn’t just about trying to sell more books, but I think sometimes the resistance to promotion is the feeling that’s the only thing we’re supposed to be doing. But there are so many other reasons to leverage the opportunity of a book launch to promote--especially as a debut. It can be empowering to redirect our focus to goals that support our ongoing careers as published authors, help us develop new skills, strengthen our communities, and connect us to kids, families, librarians, booksellers, and teachers.
 
Just like each of our writing journeys will vary, each of our book promotion paths will vary. What do you hope will happen when you send your new book out into the world? Who do you want to share it with? Who do you want to connect with? What skills do you want to develop? What steps can you take with your debut that will help you launch your next book? How can you use the opportunity of this book launch to support your community?

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When launching a picture book debut, I think it’s worth taking the time to step back and come up with book promotion goals that feel true to you. As an example, I share my book promotion goals below. Your plan can be as big or as small as you want it to be. It can involve a whole team of people or just a few. It can involve lots of cookies or no cookies at all. The important part is that it includes what you want to do.

My Book Promotion Goals:
 
1) Develop infrastructure for my writing business
As a new children’s writer, I had invested a lot of time and resources in developing my craft, far less in developing my writing business. One goal was to use the opportunity of my launch to create more business infrastructure. What did this look like for me? I overhauled my website, and created contact lists for email outreach to friends and family and a postcard mailing to bookstores and libraries. All of this was pretty time consuming, and the website was resource intensive, but these things will be in place for my next book launch too.


2) Tell my story as a debut
At every step in my writing journey I have read the profiles of writers, often in the form of blog posts hosted by other writers. Another goal I had was to tell my story as a debut in order to give back to this supportive children’s writing community with content of my own. This was easy to do, free, and great preparation for a media interview request when it came along. (Here are those posts and interviews.)

And telling my story as a debut connected back to my goal of developing business infrastructure. I wanted to establish a greater presence online to make it easy for potential readers, reviewers, and editors to learn more about me as a writer.


3) Connect with my local bookstores and libraries.
I love my local indies. I love my local library. A big part of my excitement for launching my book was the chance to connect with and support bookstores and libraries in this new role. I prioritized events in these venues and this has been a highlight for me--a chance to get to know more bookstores in my area and share my book (and crafts and cookies) with kids and families.​ 
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Pretending to be airplanes during storytime at The Curious Reader
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Truck Storytime at Belmont Books with Toni Buzzeo
4) Expand my writing community
I found that launching a debut was a terrific opportunity to meet more children’s writers. I joined an amazing debut group, Picture the Books, and connected with other writers and illustrators with 2017 picture book debuts. We shared information and strategies, circulated advance copies, and supported each other throughout our debut year. I also connected with agent-mates with 2017 release dates and a broader community of writers on social media.
 
I knew that my events would be more fun for me if I planned them with other picture book creators. Expanding these networks helped me to find authors and illustrators to team up with.
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Picture Book Fair at Wellesley Books with Jannie Ho, Gaia Cornwall and Gina Perry (all members of Picture the Books).
5) Support an issue
I’ve been involved in the Campaign to End Childhood Hunger for decades and saw the opportunity of my picture book launch as a chance to raise some money and exposure for this work. I included this information in my book trailer and on my website, and I’m exploring ways to build this support into future events.
 
6) Experiment
Finally, I had a goal to experiment with strategies throughout the year, to stretch myself and learn about a variety of tactics for my next book launch. For example, even though I decided I wouldn’t plan school visits for this release, I volunteered to lead a storytime at my children’s former preschool to learn more. Since I was curious about the potential reach of a book trailer, I went to conference workshops for advice and ended up working with an animator to make one. I’ve never participated in a book festival before so I recently sent in some applications.
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Alison Goldberg is the author of the picture book I Love You for Miles and Miles, illustrated by Mike Yamada (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017). Before becoming a children’s writer, she worked for economic justice organizations and co-wrote the resource guide, Creating Change Through Family Philanthropy: The Next Generation (Soft Skull Press, 2007). To learn more about Alison visit her website at ​alisongoldberg.com/




​To purchase I Love You for Miles and Miles go to: 
www.indiebound.org/search/bookkeys=i+love+you+for+miles+and+miles or  
www.amazon.com/I-Love-You-Miles/dp/0374304432/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528207432&sr=8-1&keywords=i+love+you+for+miles+and+miles

Signed copies are available through www.portersquarebooks.com/alison-goldberg

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GETTING YOUR BOOK INTO CLASSROOMS & SCHOOL LIBRARIES

7/1/2018

4 Comments

 
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Guest Post by Lisa Rogers

Please welcome author and librarian Lisa Rogers to 24 Carrot Writing. 

Lisa is an elementary library teacher in a K-5 school in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Her debut picture book, 16 WORDS: WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS AND THE RED WHEELBARROW (Random House/Schwartz & Wade Books) will hit shelves in the spring of 2019. 

From her unique seat as both an author and a librarian, we asked Lisa to share her thoughts on how books are selected for classroom and school library shelves. 
 
Thank you so much for joining us Lisa! 
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How do librarians and teachers choose their books? And how can you get your book in front of them?

Here’s how I choose: Readers, teachers, budget and time. Ideally, I would know and be able to read all of the new books and order the ones I think my readers would most enjoy. I preview as many books as possible before ordering and I've been focusing on books that offer characters and perspectives that reflect our diverse world. It all comes down to choices.

First, my readers. What do students want? What do they like, and what might I present to them? Sometimes, choices are simple: yes, that new Fenway and Hattie; Jasmine Toguchi, definitely. When School Library Journal advises grades 5-8 for a middle grade book that sounds amazing, I request it from the public library and read it before buying. And, I must think about readers like the first-grader who desperately sought nonfiction truck and tank books. For that, I dug into my book distributors, Mackin and Follett, and used their filters and previewing tools to make sure the books I chose were age-appropriate and had enough information to satisfy my student.

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​Next, teachers. What can I buy that might help them fill a hole, refresh an old reading list or invigorate a lesson?  That takes curricular familiarity as well as a deep knowledge of my own library’s strengths and shortcomings. When Carolyn Crimi’s The Louds Move In came out, I knew it would be perfect for the third-grade teacher looking for onomatopoeia-based picture books. Miranda Paul’s Water is Water, I knew, would fit in two places: kindergarten study of the water cycle and third-grade nonfiction genre study.
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​Budget. It’s tight, and books are expensive. If the review journals flag a book for “a larger collection” or suggest giving it a pass (rare, but it happens), it’s unlikely to make it onto my order.

Time. School districts committed to having librarians might not have assistants to circulate books, shelve them and inventory them. Librarians often serve multiple schools—with a different collection of books in each, making it even more difficult to make choices. Teachers have constant pressure to learn new curriculum and ever-tighter time frames to deliver it to their students. They depend on my knowledge of our library’s books as well as lists that come with their curriculum—but those lists often include outdated, out of print materials.
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That provides an opportunity for authors to get teachers’ and librarians’ attention. Teachers love lists organized in ways that support their curriculum. Teachers love Pinterest, so if you have a board or are blogging, create lists of books (including yours, of course!) around a teaching point: voice, point of view, theme, author’s purpose. They’ll ask their librarians for these books or order them on their own, and once they find a winner, it’s likely to be shared at grade-level meetings, and might find a place in the curriculum.

Educators care deeply about the quality of what they introduce to their students. If you’ve written a book that will connect to the curriculum or have enormous reader appeal, you can be sure they want to hear about it.

Work your connections to befriend your school librarian and local bookseller. Find a teacher who can spread the word. And write the best book you can.

To learn more about Lisa, please visit her website www.lisarogerswrites.com/   
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​The Essential NESCBWI Spring Conference Survival Guide

3/26/2018

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Guest Blog by Meg Lysaght Thacher

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​Every year, over 700 writers, illustrators, agents, and editors converge on Springfield, MA, to meet and learn and talk about their favorite thing: children’s books. If you’re heading to Springfield next month, here’s how to make the most of your conference experience.
 
First, go read Francine Puckly’s Essential Conference Preparation Checklist.

Your First Conference
About a third of conference attendees are first timers. (You can recognize them by the subtle “First Conference” labels on their badges.) If you are one, be sure to attend the conference orientation on Friday afternoon. You’ll get information and advice that’s even more useful than what you’ll read here, plus you’ll meet the conference coordinators and the New England SCBWI team.
 
Workshops
Listen well. Take notes. Participate! Don’t sit in the back—this isn’t high school.
 
Critiques
Go into your one-on-one agent/editor meeting with an open mind. No matter how many times you’ve polished your work, no matter how many critique partners have read it, an editor or agent will probably see something that needs improvement. You paid for this advice. You will get your money’s worth by listening.
Visit the critique prep and support room. There will be a moderator and other attendees who can give you an idea of what to expect in your meeting, or help unpack your 15 minutes of advice.
 
Conference Extras
There will be talks by lots of famous authors. Do not miss Jane Yolen’s keynote address. Just trust me on this one. It will be short, sweet, inspiring, and you will finally learn what BIC* means.
Other events include panels, open mic, peer critiques, an interview with Patricia MacLachlan…um, I don’t think the 24Carrot folks have enough space for me to talk about it all. Read your conference schedule!
 
Networking Basics
* Behave like a professional.
SCBWI has recently adopted anti-harassment guidelines for its conferences. Would you like to be a professional writer? Behave in a professional manner. The NESCBWI conference is a place to learn, network, and hang out with fellow writers. It is not a singles bar.
* Meet new people.
Sit down at a table with someone you don’t know at least once. When you meet someone new, tell them your name, age group you write for, genre(s), and current project. Don’t just read each others’ nametags.
* Do not pitch unless requested.
There are 600 people at the conference, and all of them have at least two projects they’re dying to pitch. We could all stand around pitching for the entire conference, and we would not have a single human conversation. That being said, it’s fine to pitch when someone asks you to.
* Treat the agents and editors like the human beings they are.
​There’s plenty of time after the conference to send them your manuscript and perfectly polished query letter. Would you rather that query letter started with “Remember me? I’m the one who monopolized your time during the Friday night mixer!” or “I really enjoyed chatting with you about our favorite classic fantasy novels”?
 
Volunteering
This is an excellent way to get involved, feel like you belong, help the conference to run smoothly, and meet folks. Plus, there’s free food on Saturday night, and you get to learn the secret volunteer handshake.**
 
Take Care of Yourself
You can always tell the people who don’t get enough food or sleep at a conference. By the last day, they have glazed eyes, are speaking complete gibberish, and have probably introduced themselves to you three times. Don’t stretch yourself so thin that you can’t make a good impression. There are quiet spaces listed in the conference schedule. Use them if you need to decompress or regroup.

And drink plenty of water!
 
Beware of False Comparisons
At any given NESCBWI conference, about a quarter of attendees are published authors or illustrators. Everyone else is “pre-published.” We’re all here to improve our writing and learn. Comparing yourself to other people will get in the way of that. Embrace your you-ness.
 
After the conference
A major benefit of attending a conference is that you get a list of agents and editors who will accept your query for a few months after the conference. The list includes people who don’t normally accept unsolicited queries. Follow the directions on the list. Show them how easy you will be to work with. Make sure you submit only a polished manuscript. You’ll learn a lot at this conference. Apply it! And never share the list with non-attendees. You paid for this privilege. And we don’t want to swamp the faculty inboxes.
 
Final words
Approach your conference with a growth mindset. Everyone is there to learn—even the faculty. Even the editors and agents. And especially you. So learn!
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~ Meg
 

Meg Thacher will be attending her eighth NESCBWI conference this April. She teaches astronomy at Smith College and writes nonfiction for Highlights and the Cricket Magazine group. This is her first blog post of any kind.


Find out more about Meg:
Website: Megthacher.com
Twitter handle: @MegTWrites
 

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2017 meeting stats courtesy of Shirley Pearson (who will remind you to fill out your post-conference evaluation). Thanks, Shirley!
 
*Nope. Not going to tell you. Listen to Jane.
**There is no secret volunteer handshake. Maybe we should make one up! 

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Josh Funk Shares Powerhouse Marketing Strategies

7/31/2017

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PicturePhoto credit: Carter Hasegawa
~ By Josh Funk
Marketing. What are my thoughts on marketing a picture book? Where do I start? What would I tell an author who has a debut book coming out? That’s a loaded question, so I apologize in advance for the long post!
 
#1: Start Early
 
We all know it takes about two years (give or take) for a debut picture book to be released once it’s acquired. Those two years are precious - use them wisely! Spend that time growing your network.
 
One way is to go to as many author events at bookstores as you can. And here are four whys:
  1. You’ll meet other writers and illustrators - not just the event’s host, but friends of the creator and more.
  2. You’ll meet the booksellers, which will make it easier to schedule events when your book is out (it helps if you purchase books at the stores during these events - they do notice who buys books).
  3. You might meet educators who are fans and friends of the author for whom the event is scheduled - and these book-loving educators always enjoy meeting more (future) authors!
  4. You might learn a thing or two (or twelve) about presenting at book events.
You never know where these writer/illustrator/bookseller/educator connections will lead - be it book sales, or blog posts, or friendships, or school visits.
 
Another thing to do is to get on social media - and grow your virtual network. There are pros and cons to all of the different social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, tumblr, etc), but my preferred platform is Twitter. As a picture book writer, my direct audience (children 0-10) is not on social media. (This is different if you write YA - I can’t speak about interacting directly with your readers.) I love Twitter because it’s a great place to connect with educators, bloggers, booksellers, parents, and other writers and illustrators.
 
How do you grow your network when your book is still two years away?
 
Follow people in the industry and see what they tweet and what they talk about. Twitter is like a worldwide cocktail party where everyone’s invited - and anyone can join in on any conversation at any time.
 
Follow educators like Pernille Ripp, Margie Myers-Culver, & Melissa Guerrette. Follow bloggers like Jen Robinson, All the Wonders, & Mr. Schu. Follow bookstores like Porter Square Books, Vromans, & Octavia Books. Follow writers like Tara Lazar, Phil Bildner, & Linda Sue Park. Follow illustrators like Girllustrators, Don Tate, & Debbie Ohi. Follow organizations like IndieBound, American Library Association, & SCBWI.
 
But what do you tweet and share?
 
If you have a blog (which you don’t NEED to have), tweet out those links. Read blog posts and articles that the above people write and tweet - and share the links that resonate with you. If someone you know sold a book or has a book birthday, congratulate them! And tag people. Positive vibes and good will go a long way.
 
And just maybe, when you start connecting with people on Twitter, they might click on your name and website (more on that below) and they’ll see you have a book coming out yourself. Your book is now on their radar. You’ve planted the seed.
 
 #2: Prep for Launch
 
Make sure you have a solid and easily navigable website. There are lots of resources out there regarding what your website should have. Look at other writers’ websites and see what you think will work for you. I use Wix to design mine, but there are lots of options. My chosen website categories are as follows:
●Home - the landing page.
●Books - a list of all of my books (each with a sub-page dedicated to that specific book).
●Stuff for Kids - a kid-safe page with fun stuff.
●Schedule & Appearances - a list of everywhere I’m going (and a map of everywhere I’ve been). Make sure to keep this up to date so your fans can follow you.
●Author Visits - a place where teachers can connect with you to bring you to their schools (remember, teachers call them Author Visits even if writers call them School Visits - so make sure to speak their language, since they’re the ones who will be looking at your site).
●Resources for Writers - my 12-Step Guide to Writing Picture Books - AKA the link I send to people when a Facebook friend tells me their cousin wrote a picture book and do I have any advice for them?
●About - a page with my bio, headshots, how to contact me, an interview archive (which will soon include this link), and social media links.
●Blog: I do have a blog to which I try to post at least once a month.
 
Other things I’ve done pre-launch include:
●Newsletter: I have a newsletter (sign up here!). Some people say they’re critical. For a picture book author, I’m not sure. But it doesn’t hurt to have one and post to it a few times a year, especially when you have big news.
●Book Trailers: I've created all of my own book trailers, often along with songs I've written and recorded (on my phone, nothing super fancy - but technology today is awesome).

​​●Activity Kits and Coloring Pages: I've been fortunate that Sterling Publishing has made Activity Kits to go along with the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast books. Michael Slack and Rodolfo Montalvo each made coloring pages for Pirasaurs! and Dear Dragon, respectively. If your book’s illustrator or designer is willing to strip the color out of some of the images, it’s an easy, free, printable bonus to offer your readers (and to bring to events).
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●Online Quiz: I created a Which Pirasaur Are You?! online quiz. I’m not sure how much payoff this had.
 
#3: The Book Launch

 
If you’ve been patronizing and networking with your local booksellers, hopefully you’ll have an opportunity to schedule your book launch at one of them. Invite everyone you know. Jarrett J. Krosoczka once described his debut book launch as similar to a wake, but where no one died. More people will show up out of the woodwork than to a wedding.
 
Some people create Facebook events for book events (I sometimes do), but for a book launch, especially your debut, it might be worth sending out an actual (online) invitation to your email contacts in addition to friends in your online social networks.
 
Regarding swag, I’ve had fun making some. If you’re lucky, your publisher may make some of their own and share with you. It also doesn’t hurt to ask if they’ll reimburse you for making your own.
  • I created ‘Collector’s Cards’ in lieu of bookmarks for Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, Pirasaurs!, and The Case of the Stinky Stench - as they serve the same purpose for a picture book.
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  • Rodolfo Montalvo and I made posters and stickers for Dear Dragon, while Penguin made some post cards.
  • Sterling made Tote Bags, Pins, and Magnets for the Lady Pancake series.​
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Definitely offer food. Bring all the swag you have. Make it a party! And congratulations!
 
 #4: My Book Is Out. Now What?
 
The best advice I received (from author Jen Malone and probably others) is: Do what you like.
 
How do you know what you like? My answer to that is: Try everything.
 
Store events, library events, conferences, group events, solo events, school visits, school book fairs, nErDcamps, farmers markets, karate studios (if your book is about ninjas), etc. - do them all. Determine what you like and what you don’t - and then continue doing the ones that appeal to you.
 
If you’re fortunate (or there is a conference in your area), your publisher may invite you to do a signing (ALA, ILA, NCTE, ABA, BEA - if you don’t know what these are, look them up and learn them).
 
Keep sharing on social media. If you’ve developed relationships with bloggers, see if they’re interested in interviews (or even giveaways). You can also set up Goodreads giveaways (these are often done pre-launch).
 
There’s no magic bullet to a book’s success. My trailers on YouTube have a few (under 5) thousand views - nowhere near viral. I’ve still got a few boxes of Pirasaurs! collector’s cards in my basement. Who knows if my Twitter network has affected sales (it’s impossible to really tell)? I’ve been to events where nobody showed up.
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But when you add it all up, the more times my book covers are on a poster at a library or in a tweet or a newsletter or a guest blog post (see what I did there?), the better the chances that the next time someone sees one of my books at a bookstore, they might just give it a second look before walking by.
 
#5: Beyond
 
Keep in mind that much of the sales success of your book is almost entirely out of your control. The reality is that for a book to do really well, the publisher has to seriously get behind it. The publisher’s marketing and publicity teams need to be excited about it to feature it at the bookseller expos which will in turn get their salespeople excited about it so it gets into bookstores and get their school & library teams excited about it to share it at education conferences and so on.
 
I don’t write that to discourage you from doing marketing. If the publisher only has moderate expectations, YOUR marketing push could help exceed them!
 
If you market your behind off, there’s a good chance your publisher will notice. It might make it easier to get your next book through acquisitions (remember, sales and marketing teams are at those meetings). It might mean they’ll give you a bigger marketing and publicity budget on your next book - and maybe your second book will get a bigger push at all of those expos and conferences.
 
And with that network you built, those connections and friendships you made, and all those lessons you learned along the way - you’ll be that much more prepared for your sophomore effort.
 
And don’t forget the most important thing is still: write a good book.

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Josh Funk writes silly stories and somehow tricks people into publishing them as picture books - such as Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast and its sequel The Case of the Stinky Stench along with Pirasaurs!, Dear Dragon, It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk, Albie Newton, Lost in the Library, and more coming soon!
 
Josh is a board member of The Writers' Loft in Sherborn, MA and was the co-coordinator of the 2016 and 2017 New England Regional SCBWI Conferences. He’s written a 12-Step Guide to Writing Picture Books, which is free and accessible on his website.
 
Josh grew up in New England and studied Computer Science in school. Today, he still lives in New England and when not writing Java code or Python scripts, he drinks Java coffee and writes picture book manuscripts.
 
Josh is terrible at writing bios, so please help fill in the blanks. Josh enjoys _______ during ________ and has always loved __________. He has played ____________ since age __ and his biggest fear in life is being eaten by a __________.
 
Find more information about Josh at www.joshfunkbooks.com and on twitter @joshfunkbooks.
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​Marketing Goals, Big and Small

7/24/2017

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By Allison Pottern Hoch
 
If you’re a regular here at 24 Carrot, you’re no stranger to setting and reaching for your goals when it comes to your writing. But why should that end with the final page of your manuscript? Marketing is how you get that big, beautiful book in front of readers.
 
Having marketing goals helps you to focus on your strengths and make the best use of your time and energy. Because you want to be diving into the next writing project, not spending every day on a new marketing plan. So where to begin?
 
BIG GOALS:
Identify Your Audience: Remember when you started your book and you thought you knew what it would look like when you were done? Odds are it’s become something bigger and stranger and more exciting than you ever imagined. Your audience is the same – your work will touch people you never thought possible. So now it’s time to really dig in and identify who those readers are and how to best reach them (I have some tips here).
 
Know Your Why: With each marketing strategy you try — interviews, blog posts, events — you should ask yourself ‘why?’ What are you hoping to get out of the experience? What are you hoping your readers will get from it? This can help you target specific venues and outlets that meet your marketing goals.
 
Play to Your Strengths: There’s a time and place for all kinds of marketing. But where should you put the most energy? You don’t have to do everything to have success. Identify the strategies that get you most excited and play to your strengths. Public speaking? Social media? Blogging? {For example, I love talking, teaching, and writing so I host workshops and write for a blog}.
 
SMALL GOALS:
Start now: You can begin building your fan base right now, even without a publication. Build your online network through social media and your in-person network through conferences, writing communities, and local bookstores and libraries. Lay the groundwork now so that when you do have that book coming out, you’ll have ready and willing co-marketers.
 
Support others: Promote others as you would like them to promote you. Attend events, review books, buy books, and let people know about the writing and authors you love.
 
Make a plan: Get out a blank calendar and colored pens. Identify key dates (publication date, bookstore events, relevant holidays, etc.) and how you need to plan around to market your work. Booking events? Posting social media updates? Sending out an evite? Put it all on your calendar.
 
Set aside time to market yourself: This is hard. You want to be writing, I get it. But you can’t cram the marketing in last minute – it doesn’t work that way. Build time into your weekly schedule to promote yourself, your work, and your events.

 
Allison Pottern Hoch is a writer and event coach with over eight years of experience in marketing, publicity, sales, and event planning. She spent four years promoting academic titles at The MIT Press before she went to work for Wellesley Books as a bookseller and event coordinator. She organized, hosted, and promoted over 150 events during her tenure, ranging in size from intimate workshops and lunches to multi-media events with over 700 attendees. She’s worked with veteran authors, celebrities, and debut authors. This September, Allison is teaching a Building Events workshop at Grub Street and leading a bookstore panel at The Writer’s Loft. For more information on her workshops and coaching services, visit http://events.pottern.com

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The Wooly Adventures of Self-Publishing - An Interview with Donna Mae

3/2/2016

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​by Francine Puckly
 
24 Carrot Writing welcomes picture book writer Donna Mae, author of MARSHMALLOWS GALORE (illustrated by Brandon Fall) and THE WOOLY ADVENTURES OF PURL (illustrated by Valeria Issa).
 
Thank you, Donna, for taking the time for this interview and congratulations on the release of your second book, THE WOOLY ADVENTURES OF PURL. Can you start off by telling our readers a little bit about the development of this story idea?

 
Certainly. The idea for the story blossomed while I was knitting. It’s a very focused and present-moment hobby, almost like meditation. I recalled how difficult knitting seemed when my Mom taught me. When I got the hang of it, I didn’t want to stop. I loved it. The idea of a little girl being obsessed with knitting (as most knitters can be) seemed like such a fun idea for a children’s book. So we see what happens when a little girl receives knitting needles and a pet lamb for her sixth birthday!
 
Why did you choose self-publishing over the traditional publishing route?
 
I am in the 6th decade of my life, and I knew getting traditionally published could be a lengthy process. Actually, someone at my critique group said she knew an older writer who wanted to get published but decided to do it herself because “she needed a book before she died”! It was funny but at the same time it resonated with me.
  
Self-publishing isn’t for everyone. What do you feel has been the key to your success as a self-published author?
 

People want to try self-publishing because they think it’s an easy road. Print on demand gets them on Amazon without a lot of out-of-pocket expenses. My intention, however, was to have a hardcover children’s book with jacket. I knew Barnes & Noble could pick it up if it was worthy and looked professional. On-demand sites only print paperback, so that was not an option for me.
 
I really believed that for me, taking fear and doubt out of the equation would make everything work smoothly. I took a whole visualization approach--I visualized my book on the shelves of Barnes & Noble. Together with my intention as well as meeting the requirements, it has worked for me.
 
But self-publishing is not for everyone. You have to be willing to do the work.  Staying open to possibilities is key. I think my thoughts and attitude jettisoned me through the process. One example is that this fall I was part of a vendor/craft fair at a school in Holden. My sales were so-so, but I looked at it in a positive way. I accepted the day and knew anything could come from it. One of the teachers from the school bought my books and loved them, and a week later I got an opportunity to showcase my book for an author visit! Put yourself out there. Don’t allow frustration to stop you.  Keep a positive attitude. Believe in yourself.

 
How did the publishing process for THE WOOLY ADVENTURES OF PURL differ from that of MARSHMALLOWS GALORE?
 
I took the same steps with both my books, yet different illustrators and their expertise made each process unique. My first book, MARSHMALLOWS GALORE, was illustrated by Brandon Fall, an experienced, talented illustrator from Colorado. His work background had been in film illustration at Disney. He had illustrated many children’s books before mine and was able to give me some much-needed advice and direction. I learned about page turn and illustrating excitement and all about single- and double-page spreads. My second book, THE WOOLY ADVENTURES OF PURL, was illustrated by Valeria Issa, a young professional woman living in London. The language, of all things, created a little challenge. We did a lot of laughing as some of the terms we use are not translated the same in England versus the United States. Also, the five-hour time difference was a little tricky. Additionally, sending my books to print proved a different experience. When you, your illustrator, and the printing company are all on different time zones, it takes patience and persistence to get the product finalized.
 
How do you market your books? And do you have any marketing advice for other authors?
 
Out-of-the–box thinking is crucial.  New and unique ideas for events and school visits make the difference. True, being shelved in Barnes & Noble has given me access to in-store readings and posted events, but the possibilities to market a book are endless. Here’s a short list of what I’ve done and would recommend:
  • Approach Indie bookstores for readings.
  • Ask local gift shops to sell your book. (My hairdresser sells my books. Because I am a local author, I have signed books in her shop. People love signed books!)
  • Set up author visits at your local libraries. (Advertizing ahead of time in local newspapers about your readings brings more awareness.)
  • Cable T.V. (I’ve done interviews for both of my books.)
  • Radio. (A local radio station helped me promote my newest book launch.)
  • Donate books to non-profit groups. (I’ve sent books to Milk & Bookies in California.)
  • Find your book’s niche. (I’ve become friends with the on-line marketing manager for Jet-Puffed marshmallows. She recently ordered copies of MARSHMALLOWS GALORE from me to distribute to her bloggers as gifts.)
  • Organize a book launch. Publishers create book launches for authors to help promote their books. I recently held my own book launch for THE WOOLY ADVENTURES OF PURL at a local yarn store, and a local radio station was more than happy to have me come in and talk about my launch.
 
You have to be creative and take risks if you want to succeed. Stay positive! Miracles happen in common hours!!!

  
How is your writing week structured? Do you set weekly writing goals or targets?
 
I take a very gentle approach to my writing and try not to beat myself up if I don’t meet a target goal. Meditating helps me focus and come up with story ideas. When I get ideas I write them down, and I revisit them often to see what might make more sense to me this time compared to last. I come up with ideas often. I write weekly. And I’m always working on the next project. Staying focused has become second nature. (Finally!)
 

You said in a recent radio interview that you had an epiphany in 2005 to “make your life work.” Can you tell us a little bit about how that impacted your life and your writing?
 

As a person, I was quiet and shy on the inside but a little loud and bold on the outside.  My inside and outside didn’t match. My epiphany was the realization that my life needed fine-tuning. I needed to make my life work. I wasn’t sure what that meant but I was so filled with joy that I started writing. I wrote every day. I wrote sweet rhyming poems about my husband and my children and everything in between. I wrote a funny poem about the Red Sox and it got published. I wrote a poem for a famous roadside lobster shack in Maine and sent it to them. A year later, the senior editor at Downeast magazine emailed me to ask if they could put my poem in a book. It was at that moment I revisited an old dream of mine. A “knowing” that had been told to me when I was a young mother. “Someday you will write children’s books.” Just like that. I know it sounds crazy but that is exactly how it happened for me.
 
I joined SCBWI, read books on writing for children, read blogs and turned to social media to see what other authors were doing. I was welcomed into my critique group. I felt like a duck out of water but forced myself to keep at it no matter what. My new self was blossoming and I needed to find where it might take me. So, thanks girls for believing in me when I wasn’t sure I believed in myself!           
 

I know that you are a member of SCBWI and participate in an SCBWI critique group. How does peer feedback factor into your writing process?
 
My peer feedback is essential to my writing. They offer up all their years of knowledge and expertise. So, from having zero books to self-publishing two children’s books, you can say they are my lifeline.
 
I get so much more than I can give. I’m still in awe of the fact that they have welcomed me into the group. We all come to this wondrous world of writing with many different backgrounds. Some have been writing for 10 years while others have been writing as far back as they can remember. But we all have something of value to offer.
 

Which picture book writers have inspired you and your creative work?
 
As a young mother reading to my own children, we loved Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss, and anything that rhymed. For whatever reason, it’s rhyming that I write and love. It’s comfortable. It’s like putting a puzzle together—you have to make the pieces fit.

 
What advice do you have for beginning writers?
 
Read, read, read. Join SCBWI, go to conferences, listen and learn. Know that everyone has his/her own special voice in which to tell a story. But most of all, remember there’s room for everyone. Stay positive, work hard, believe in yourself and never look back!
 

Find out more about Donna Mae at www.donnamaeauthor.com.
 

Donna will be back later this spring to talk about book videos and trailers and other forms of book promotion. Check out her MARSHMALLOWS GALORE video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F7AMRRsRCc


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