7 Steps to Children’s Book Success

7 Steps to Children’s Book Success

You never know what can happen until you try…that is the motto you must pursue when promoting a book, and that’s what the New York Times quoted me as saying when I was interviewed by them this month. See what I mean? I knew it was a long-shot to have the New York Times cover my book, but I sent them a press release anyway, and much to my delight they wrote an article.

Last summer I stared at my computer with the dream of publishing my children’s book Loukoumi about a little lamb that gets lost on her way to America. It was a great idea I thought, yet no publishers were biting. That is when I decided to take the plunge myself. I found an illustrator through myillustration.com and labored over the perfect illustrations to tell my story. Once they were in place it was time to publish the book, and thanks to RJ Communications, Books Just Books made the process very easy.

Come March of this year I had 2000 books and it was time to do something with them. Someone once told me that you could be giving away dollar bills for 50 cents, but if no one knows you are doing it, then it means nothing. Similarly, promotion of your book is the key to success and there is basically a seven step process to pursue.

1. MAILING LIST: The first step is to promote the book to those people that know you because they will naturally be more interested in your book. Assemble a mailing list of names. Add everyone you know: relatives, colleagues, friends, even people that you don’t know that well, perhaps people that belong to a common organization, club or religious affiliation that you belong to, and before you know it, you should have several hundred names. If you don’t, then you’re not trying hard enough. Once you have about 500 names, then make up flyers or postcards to show off your book. I had 6,000 cards made up. I used 2,000 for mailing to my list and the rest I am still using for promotion. One side of the postcard should have the book cover and the back side should have a synopsis about the book and ordering information. It is also helpful to apply for a discounted bulk mail permit and print the indicia directly on the cards in the back upper right hand corner. This will save time stamping the cards and it saves a few bucks too. The postcards should be mailed the week your books are available and once you do, the orders will start rolling in…guaranteed.

2. WEBSITE: In today’s technological environment, every book needs a website. You can set up your own or you can have a company design one for you. Remember that the postcard and the website are what the consumer will see, so design it in an enticing way that will make the readers want to purchase your book. For a children’s book put some of the colorful illustrations on the site. Set up a page with an excerpt, one for the author, one with news and events, and one for ordering and on each page use an illustration from the book as the backdrop (Please visit my website www.Loukoumi.com for an example). When it comes time to ordering, consumers should be able to order directly on-line. You can link up with an on-line processing company like Paypal and the proceeds from sales can be wired directly into your bank account. Some people, however, may not want to purchase on-line so set up a PO box for mail orders and include this address on your site and on all printed materials.

3. ADVERTISING: The next step is advertising and I always say use what you know. If you are a member of a civic or cultural organization and they have a publication or newsletter then place an ad in there. For instance, I write for a national Greek-American newspaper called The Hellenic Times and I put an ad in there as well as the Orthodox Observer, the key newspaper for the Greek Orthodox Church and these ads sparked a tremendous response in sales. Don’t start off by spending thousands of dollars to put a small ad in Publisher’s Weekly that will get lost in the shuffle. Set a budget and use what you know, but remember, without some form of advertising, no one will know that you are giving away those dollar bills for 50 cents.

4. PRESS RELEASES: It is easy to get carried away with advertising and it becomes costly after a while too, so the next step is to try to get some free publicity in the form of press. Design a one-page press release with the key elements including a brief synopsis of the book, information about the author and ordering information. Send it out to all publications you can think of with some type of nexus to you. For instance, since I am Greek-American I sent my press releases to all the Greek publications. In addition, your local town or city will no doubt have numerous regional publications that might be willing to publish something about a local author. With a children’s book, there are also hundreds of children’s publications across the country. Check out their websites and e-mail them a press release. Do some research and find out what publications might be right for you. Beyond that, send that press release to the New York Times too…you never know.

5. DISTRIBUTION: Now your book is out there. People are reading about it in newspapers, maybe you did a local radio or television interview and placed a few advertisements. The next step is making the book readily available for purchase, because even if people know about those half price dollar bills, if they can’t find them you have a problem. So set up the book with as many outlets as you can. Start off with Amazon.com. Check out their website and sign up for the Advantage Program where your book can be sold on their site. Do the same with other on-line companies like Barnes and Noble (www.bn.com). Then target some shops that you may know. Try some baby stores. Ask the owners if they would carry your book. You may be surprised how welcoming some stores could be. Also, try to get the books in book chains like Barnes & Noble, but for these you will need to set up accounts with a book distributor like Baker & Taylor or Ingram. Check out their websites for details. You should also look for Book fairs and trade shows. Last month I took a booth at The Book Expo America at the Javits Center in New York City. This annual springtime trade show is the perfect place to expose your book to thousands of booksellers, teachers, librarians and distributors. You never know who might be interested in your book and I guarantee you that it will be more people than if you didn’t attend the show at all.

6. BOOK SIGNINGS – Okay, now you have your books, you’ve sold to your mailing list, your website is operating, you’ve sparked some sales through press and advertising, and your book is being sold in various places. Now it is time for you to meet the reader. Contact your local school and ask if they would like you to come in and read to some of the students. Call your local bookstore too and see if they would like you to do a book reading and a signing. Most stores have established storytime sessions and would welcome an author to come in and read their book. When I published my novel a couple of years ago I set up a 10 city book signing tour with Barnes & Noble (please visit www.crimesoffire.com under news & events). I am currently doing the same with my children’s book Loukoumi. If one bookstore is not interested then ask another. There are thousands to choose from and you will find the ones that are right for you. There is nothing more rewarding than going out and reading your book to children. To them, everything is new and exciting and it is indeed special to see that wonderment in their eyes and watch them react to characters that you have created. This is what it’s all about.

7. PRODUCTS: Now that your book has some fans consider creating related products that will give the book some legs. The lead character in my book is Loukoumi the lamb so I have been working with a toy manufacturer to create a plush toy. When I exhibited at the Book Expo last month the toy lamb received even more attention than the book. Kids love things they can touch and a plush toy is the perfect way to promote a book. Other items I am considering are clothing items and a board game.

The possibilities in promoting your children’s book are endless. Don’t let anyone tell you that it cannot be done. If they do, then that should be your catalyst to make you want to do it even more. Believe in yourself and it will happen. Good luck!

For further information about promoting your children’s book or for assistance on implementing this 7 step plan, e-mail: info@loukoumi.com.