How to Promote Your Children’s Book: Tips, Tricks, and Secrets to Create a Bestseller (Kindle, iPad, Nook, PDF)
I don’t even have an eReader, but people in the biz whom I respect, were recommending this book, and I had fairly recently discovered Katie’s blog and podcasts and totally dig her style and humour, so I bought it and read it on my Mac. Reading a book on a computer is NOT to be recommended, but reading “How to Promote your Children’s Book” most certainly is. This topic is the one thing I dread about being an author, and the idea no longer completely overwhelms me! This is a hands-on, in-depth, information-filled (mmm, how many more hyphenated words can I add?) resource for ANY children’s writer needing to promote a book (whatever the genre and whatever the format).
Katie’s style is conversational, funny and engaging, so I think many will speed through it in a couple of sittings, as I did. I feel like this is how Katie would chat to me if I were to sit down in a café to eat popovers with her (and a bunch of other famous kidlit peeps), thus I quickly became enthused that I too might become a promotional whizz. The book also contains a multitude of links, which I am now going though on my second read through. Katie has many friends in the kidlit world and shares interviews and insights from many professionals in the industry. Just some of the things Katie touches on are: budget, social media, video, giveaways, twitter trauma, blog beginnings, facing up to Facebook, working in a team… All these things can seem too much to us, but the practical examples offered, the examples of how to AND how not to, bring everything truly within our grasp, even as a not-yet-published newbie.
You may be thinking, “I’ll get this book when I get my first publishing deal”, WRONG, you need this book now, folks. So much of this advice can be put into place right now. I had a ‘timing’ question, which I shot off to Katie half way through my reading and received an immediate and helpful reply. At the end of each chapter are homework assignments, as, after all, this is a how to guide. Remember; even if you aren’t ready to launch your own book, you can become involved in the thrill of helping to promote others’ work!
I’ll give you a taster. Here’s a quote about setting up a FB fan page:
“You have GOT to get a Facebook Fan page already. I mean no disrespect to your Mom, but when I want to see pictures of your latest book tour, I don’t like having to filter through your family vacation pictures. I mean, geez, do you really want 1000 people looking at photos of your kids in inner tubes?”
Now, the only lessons I skived at school were art and craft lessons, and bearing in mind the unrecognizable nature of my stick men, you can imagine my aversion to anything that takes illustration, yet even I think I could have a go at making a book trailer after the practical examples Katie gives. Though, clearly, I wouldn’t expect to win, as Katie did this year, the SLJ Trailee Award.
The is a book I would strongly recommend to all kidlit writers. It is readily available on Amazon and please do check out Katie’s website and weekly podcasts. Oh, and you can ‘like’ her Facebook Fan page! 🙂
NB After I had planned this post I discovered that Katie is in the middle of a blog tour and so I suggest you check out her blog itinerary here and start leaving comments, as you could win yourself a free copy!.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
I have already purchased this book, and MUST make time to read it soon! Oddly, after I got to know Katie a bit through her blog, her podcasts, and her Facebook presence, I realized that I had picked up not one, not even two, but THREE postcards about this book at SCBWI LA last summer! Took a while for the message to get through to me, but I’m glad it did. (I firmly believe that these things come into our lives at certain times for a reason, and then we discover they’ve been waiting for us to catch up to that “right time.”)
This is such a great overview, Joanna. Thank you for making the point that I, and others, must read this NOW, not wait until we’re published.
Timing is indeed everything, Beth. I can have a book on my shelf for months or even years, and then at just at that right moment, it calls to me from its dusty place!
You’ll laugh your way through Katie’s book. I love her humour!
I have been throwing around the idea of purchasing this book. It sounds so good however my only concern is that it is really basic. Does it spend a lot of time talking about “How to” set up things like FB and Twitter? or is there more practical applications and strategies?
I think that is a valid question, Eric. I found it detailed and practical and I still haven’t gotten through all the links. For example, in the first chapter on outlining, Katie covers: budget, niche, tv, social media, radio, appearances, video, reaching the influencers and more! I feel the tips are very concrete and go beyond the basics.
Thanks Joanna! I’ll let you know if I move forward with the purchase.
Joanna, I laughed out loud at this: You may be thinking, “I’ll get this book when I get my first publishing deal”, WRONG, you need this book now, folks. I was just thinking, oh I need to put this on my list of books and then you said it! I agree about the point about FB. I created a fan page to use for the “writer” me. Of course, I tend to use my personal profile to comment on FB sites. So, it turns out now I have writer friends on my personal FB. And, I love my writer friends. Not sure, if they all care to see pix of the kiddo, but that’s just part of the writer and personal me. I’ll check out the blog tour and will add this to my list. I have a few books in the que to read right now, but I promise I will take your advice to get it sooner rather than later.
Stacy, I confess I am a bit strange but I kind of want to see Enzo in his arm bands and rubber ring, but then for me at the moment, most people I have friended on FB and my fan page, I have really connected with and so want to share more personal stuff.
Great interview with Katie. I hope I can download this book, if not on Kobo on the iPad. It’s not in paperback? I can use the suggestions, even though I haven’t published yet I also agree about FB. Will have to eventually create a new FB. Fortunately I don’t post frequently, so I don’t put much pesonal infrmation on my personal page — just my blog reviews and some comments. But, I have a large following of spiritual friends, writes/authors and friends on my FB. Major undertaking to switch. I like Katie a lot. She’s sure making a round of the blogs — good for her!
This wasn’t an interview, Pat, but I did find her book very helpful. If you sense you have friends on FB who don’t want to keep seeing all your writing related stuff, then it is probably time to set up a fan page, which is super easy. It took me five minutes.
Thanks for the prompt, I should have mentioned that you can buy this in PDF, For iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, Kindle and Nook.
I want this. Like, so much that I think I’m going to hop on amazon or run to B&N NOW! Love stuff like this and Katie sounds great. I’m off to find her website and FB. 🙂 Thanks so much for reviewing this!
Leigh, do drop in on Katie’s blog tour and leave some comments and see if you can’t win a free copy! Also if you don’t know her yet, you will LOVE her podcasts!
I bought this book and it is just waiting for me to read it! Not enough hours in the day, but I’ll get to it soon! 🙂
Read through the first time without clicking on any links, Susanna, and it will go pretty fast! It’s a very easy, humorous read!
Holy cow! Someone just left me a note on my blog, said they found me through this post, and I came to check it out. Wow! How fun for ME to read through all these great and kind comments, not to mention – rather – ESPECIALLY the blog post itself! All day I’ve been making a book trailer for this book and I was really at my wit’s end, so this was a terrific pick-me-up! Thanks to everyone…and a big thanks to you, Joanna!
You’re welcome, Katie. What excited me was the number of people in the comments who have already bought your book, which just shows your promotion is working. 🙂