Writing and Publishing

Self-Publishing and Promoting a Children’s Picture Book

by Deb C August 26, 2024

Self-Publishing and Promoting a Children’s Picture Book

Publishing, especially self-publishing, and promoting a children’s picture book go hand in hand. Although today’s traditional publishers leave much of the promotion to their authors. And a children’s picture book has its own niche audience. Actually several niche audiences, which I will get into. Some aspects of promoting a children’s book are different from promoting adult fiction.

Learning about Self-Publishing and Promoting a Children’s Picture Book

Whether you self-publish on Amazon or Lulu, or one on the other self-publishing sites, it’s on you to get the word out. Or, to hire someone to do that for you.

There are several book gurus that offer advice and others that offer paid advice and help. I learned from several of them during online summits or webinars. Once you sign up for one, you will probably hear about others, or from some of the speakers at the summits.

Then there’s the various book e-newsletters. You can sign up to have your book promoted in their newsletters that they say have 1000’s of subscribers. And you can pay to have your book highlighted, or listed among the first to be seen. Be choosy and do some research. I have had a lot of supposed book newsletter promoters contact me, but they are scammers. They have odd email addresses or just use a gmail account which isn’t professional.

If your book is on Amazon, sign up for GoodReads as an author and fill out your author profile and list your book with an Amazon link. Amazon offers various ways that you can advertise your book.

There are several Facebook groups for children’s book authors. Be choosy and engage with other authors if you sign up. Be aware that scammers lurk on those sites. Do your homework before paying anyone.

Promoting a Children’s Picture Book to and through Barnes and Noble and libraries

If you want to have your book in Barnes and Noble and have libraries order it, you need to publish it on IngramSpark. You can have your book on Amazon, too, but they won’t order it from Amazon. Self-publishers usually have to physically contact the manager of the local Barnes and Noble and make a pitch. Some are more willing than others to work with local authors. Some will schedule a book reading and signing and others may even let you set up a table and display for a day. From feedback from those who have had success with Barnes and Noble, they physically go in with a copy of the book and ask to speak to the manager. (Call ahead to verify they are there.)

You also pretty much have to contact libraries on your own. You may end up giving them a book, but it may result in an invitation to read and do a book signing, maybe giving a portion of the sales to the Friends of the Library or however the library directs. The publicity is priceless and you may also send a notice to the local paper or post on the local Facebook page that you will be featured at the library.

This goes for being at Barnes and Noble, too.

Promoting a Children’s Picture Book to Niches or Categories

It’s obvious that children don’t buy books, adults do. So you have to attract the attention of adults in several categories: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, teachers, etc. and promote to gift niches: birthdays, Christmas, Hannukah, other seasonal celebrations, and interest niches such as dogs, cats, cars and trucks, sports, fairies, princesses, dinosaurs, etc.

And further niches involve age or grade level and religious or moral slants.

Promoting a Children’s Picture Book to and through Schools

Some preschools and elementary schools do allow children’s book authors to read their books and do presentations and sell books. Some schools, or their PTA’s even pay for the presentations. You need to come up with a plan, a presentation, a display, and a contract. You may also want to prepare book order forms for pre-orders so you can bring in already sold books with your autograph.

It’s not recommended to go to a school without a contract. Having a contract ensures that everyone knows what the expectations are and parameters. Some schools may want several presentations to several classes. Others may have one large presentation in the auditorium. One like that may require you to prepare a slide or flipbook presentation for a screen.

Some may or may not allow you to sell your books onsite, but will allow order forms and pre-orders.

Promoting a Children’s Picture Book through Your Website and Social Media

If you don’t have a website, create one. Or hire someone. And capture emails through it so you can promote future books to your readers. Add a media kit and/or About the Author/Publisher to your website. Also include a blog or use one you have to update your readers on any book signings or other news. Use your current social media or sign up for them specifically for promoting your book(s.)

Promoting a Children’s Picture Book with Handouts

Handouts include: business cards, postcards, flyers, bookmarks, stickers, and coloring pages. It’s important to have your website and/or a link or QR code to where people can buy your book on any handout.

The larger items such as the flyers, bookmarks and coloring book pages can catch people’s attention when you set up a table at a bookstore or fair or community event. Some children’s authors offer free crayons with the coloring pages at their table.

Whenever I’m out and about I carry a business card with my name, company name, website on one side, and an image of my children’s book, and a QR code to the book on Amazon. If/when someone asks me what’s new, I mention my book as I pull out a business card. I am working on a coloring book and will soon have coloring pages available. To date I’ve mostly done one on one promoting rather than participating in an event.

Some of the local stores and businesses that I buy from allow me to leave my business cards for their clientele to pick up.

Promoting a Children’s Picture Book through affiliations

I volunteer for several organizations. Before one committee meeting was called to order, I announced that I had just published my book and handed out my business cards. I also had a copy of the book for people to look at. That generated some orders.

I sent notifications to my college alumni association and to my alma mater, and each published a notice, one in their newsletter, the other in their magazine. At an alumni luncheon, I offered a copy as a door prize and sold autographed copies, giving a portion of the proceeds to the alumni club.

My neighborhood association that offers business memberships and publishes a newsletter included an article about me, and my book, and the ties that book and I have to the neighborhood. I can promote my book at the association’s business mixers.

Self-Publishing and Promoting a Children’s Book takes Time and Patience

Expect a lot of drafts and rewrites. It’s not only getting the story down, but pacing it and fitting it into 32 pages in a way that makes sense. Many times I thought I was finished only to realize something was off. Or a Beta reader caught and error or made a suggestion which improved the story.

One issue was about having the background colors always the same on the spread, or left and right pages, while flipping through the book. For the ebook, it didn’t matter, but for the print, it did. I discovered a grey background (for nighttime) on a left hand page opposite one with a blue background (daytime.) It was a little jarring. Luckily I discovered and corrected the color before approving the final proof. I also discovered that the type of paper that you choose makes a difference and upgraded my orders from IngramSpark.

Then when I was going through a writing summit, one presenter offered suggestions to improve my cover. Well, that spilled over into changing the color scheme of the interior, which involved more revising and more hours.

As you are finishing your book, and readily for launching, ideally you are also setting up your promotions. So you are doing a lot in tandem. There’s a pre-launch, launch, and then continuing to promote. Having early success doesn’t ensure continued sales. Other books come along and take away any momentum. Promoting doesn’t stop. Learning doesn’t stop.

I hired someone to help with launching my book about six months out, and about seven months out, as I’m writing this, I’m still working on building sales on Amazon and other online outlets as well as in-person venues. It’s not “set it and forget it.”

Self-Publishing and Promoting a Children’s Picture Book: Don’t Do It Alone!

Lastly, it takes a village to birth, publish, and promote your book. Recruit friends and allies to read and give feedback. Join at least one author’s group, whether in person or online.

Find trustworthy experts or companies to assist you. There are several tiers: those that can help you with workshops that vary in price, and those that offer a variety of assistance from soup to nuts, depending upon your inclination and budget.

However, it’s best NOT to pay someone a lot of money to publish your book for you. Odds of it being a bestseller and recouping your investment are poor. And you may end up with boxes of books that you have to hawk yourself.

There’s lots of free information out there and modestly priced programs available. Amazon itself offers guidance on setting up your book and publishing it. You can upload your documents to Amazon and IngramSpark yourself. And you can order however many copies you want from either of them, and not be forced to buy large quantities.

All for now…check back for more information about my journey to self-publishing and tips and pitfalls.

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August 26, 2024 0 comment

How Shadowchaser Got His Name front cover

Family Fun Letting go of your stuff Writing and Publishing

My Journey to Writing and Publishing a Children’s Picture Book

by Deb C March 31, 2024

First Steps in My Writing and Publishing Journey

It’s been a long journey to writing and publishing my children’s picture book. I’ve been paid for writing, starting in high school, but always for non-fiction, whether for work, or as a free-lance writer. It wasn’t until I was a mother of two young children that I started to think about writing a children’s book. I started to jot down ideas based upon real incidents.

Something that happened when one of my sons was around three stuck with me as the basis of a book. I wrote out various ideas until I came up with a short plot. I bought or borrowed library books that offered advice on how to write a story and pitch to a publisher. I crafted letters to a local and a national publisher. Their rejection letters were polite but firm.

After rewriting and re-submitting, I still had no takers. I put the story aside, but saved my notes and rejections.

More Steps in My Writing and Publishing Journey

I continued to do free-lance writing, as well as newsletters and marketing materials for my business and for employers. Once in a while I would come across the folder with my story. Sometimes I would jot down more notes.

Years, and then decades went by. One day when my older son was about 20 and home from college, he suggested that it was time to clear out the very back of his closet where I had stored some childhood toys and stuffed animals. One of the stuffed animals was central to my story. I was reluctant to give it to a thrift shop, and the other animals due to the memories attached to them. My son suggested that I take photos of them so I’d have them to bring back memories, but not take up lots of space.

We gathered them all up and arranged them on the couch and he sat down amongst them. I took some photos, although I wish I had taken more and some closeups. This was in the days of film, not SmartPhones, so I didn’t know how the photos came out until I had them developed. My photos were pretty bad. However, my son’s idea was sound. I have been able to let go of things and give them away or donate them instead of storing them. I have also recommended this to others.

Amazon and My Writing and Publishing Journey

When my first published book came out, self-publishing by print-on-demand was just being offered. The book was a memoir that I was helping a female politician write. While I suggested trying the print-on-demand (POD) approach, she opted to pay a local printer to print a limited quantity to start. She sold and gave away dozens of copies and gave me several boxes. I sent some to an online bookseller, who periodically orders more. During this process, I learned about how to get and ISBN number for my book and other steps to publishing.

I investigated Amazon once it offered POD. I took a few InDesign and Photoshop classes as well as some on POD publishing. I hired a Graphic Arts student I met while working at the Independent Association of Framingham State Alumni. She helped me design a couple of journal style books including one about craft beer and format them for POD on Amazon and through IngramSpark, which distributes to bookstores and libraries. I also sold collectibles and second hand items on Amazon through my account. This helped defray the monthly fee that I had to pay as IngramSpark was placing my books on Amazon rather that my doing it directly.

Bit by bit, I learned how to create eBooks and format paperbacks and publish them directly on Amazon. They weren’t the kind of books that a library might buy so I didn’t use IngramSpark. Slowly but surely I’ve added more books on Amazon, and it’s nice to get notifications that I will be receiving royalties for them.

Finding an Illustrator for My Children’s Picture Book

As I was helping another Graphic Arts student with financial aid, I put her to work on various projects at my job. One was a holiday card that was sent out to alumni. One recipient called up and asked if she could meet the artist who created the design. Next thing she hired the student to illustrate a children’s book that she had been working on. The student received two other commissions as a result. After seeing what she did for the children’s book, I decided I’d better get on her client list quickly, as it was filling up fast.

We huddled and I gave her my current draft of the book and my photos of the stuffed animals. She came up with a series of watercolors of scenes that I had described in my story. They helped me to better craft the book.

Writing a Children’s Book – Not as Easy as You Might Think

I confess I picked up and put down the project after getting the illustrations. I started to cut out words and scenes. I signed up for a couple of writing webinars, then courses, as I realized I still had a lot to learn. I knew children’s picture books should be no more than 32 pages. I learned more about structure and limiting words. Wow, did I cut out words and scenes. Some I had added since my original queries, thinking I needed more.

Using what I’d learned from formatting my other books, I designed a cover and interior using PowerPoint, which is a lot easier than InDesign. Still, I’ve done about 30 drafts, tweaking colors and revising images. I found a company online that would format my project into an eBook. And one of the picture book seminars I signed up for included help with keywords and other steps involving Amazon. But, every time I thought I was done, I wasn’t.

I changed my title a couple of times. It helped to have feedback from other writers during writing workshops.

I had several friends, librarians, and professors proofread my book. It took a village and I made more revisions.

Writing is One Thing, Publishing a Children’s Book Is Another

Ever after following formatting guidelines, it took several revisions to upload documents that were acceptable to me and to Amazon and IngramSpark. There was one revision uploaded that held the release date while I worked on it. Over several months, I took more writing workshops and reworked the manuscript. A couple of book designers picked my cover to critique and gave me valuable advice and insights. I liked the earlier edition, but always wondered if it needed a little more eye-appeal. Thanks to them, I created a brighter and more eye-catching cover and brighter interior.

And Then There is Promoting Your Children’s Book Before and After Publishing

While working on the book itself, during the writing seminars, I realized that publishing includes promoting. So, as I tweaked my book, I was also working on how to promote it. Hmmm…I had a website, but it had a glitch in the theme and I couldn’t edit it. Stymied. I hired someone on Fiverr, who said she was in the U.S., but was actually in Nigeria. There were disconnects with communication and a struggle to get the website where I was happy and I could end the relationship. I’ve usually been happy with those I’ve hired on Fiverr.
Anyway, authors need a website and an email list. I’ve had a blog, as well as the book website, but never got the hang of collecting emails. Another challenge and dimension to publishing. Keeping my brain active. I signed up for Convertkit to manage my email list. It’s used and recommended by one of the publishing gurus whom I respect.

I’ve joined writing groups on Facebook to learn from and share promotional ideas.

Homestretch to Writing and Publishing My First Children’s Picture Book

Well, not really the homestretch, as the journey doesn’t end when the book is released. Before and after the book is released there is getting the word out to my circle of friends and associates, and organizations that I’m involved with, plus doing select promotions online, etc. Luckily I can hire someone to help with some of the promotion who have been vetted by the experts whose writing seminars and workshops I’ve taken.

I’ve started to place notices and ads and created business cards announcing my new book. Remembering to bring and give out my cards is a whole other new exercise.

The best part will be when the publishing release comes as it’s been a long journey to being able to share the story with the public, however many I sell or give away. The story that I’ve wanted to capture and have others enjoy will finally be a reality.

Here is the link to the ebook version: How Shadowchaser Got His Name.

Here is the link to the paperback version: How Shadowchaser Got His Name.

My Journey Writing and Publishing a Children’s Picture Book Will Continue

Once my children’s picture book is published, as I mentioned, the promotion will continue. i will be updating my website, GrandmothersTrunk.com. My email list will grow, and I’ll be working on a newsletter.

Oh, and then there’s a sequel to my children’s book. My character, Shadowchaser, and his owner, get into trouble.

And there’s more to come from Grandmother’s Trunk Press.

Here’s an Author Talk podcast on YouTube when How Shadowchaser Got His Name was launched: Celebrating the release of “How Shadowchaser Got His Name: A Cat Tale ” (youtube.com)

Have you had a long journey to a life’s goal? Have you written, or want to write a book? Share your journey below.

So many beers and breweries, how to keep track?

If you want to keep more detailed records of where you went and what beer you enjoyed, you might like Keeping Up with Craft Beers: A Journal for Your Tasting Adventures. You can list up to 100 beers, as well as list breweries and brew pubs you liked as well as beer festivals.

Want to learn how to start a blog?

Here’s some courses to get you started: Start A Travel Blog

or Start A Blogging Business.

Want or need help with your blog or website? I’ve found inexpensive help on Fiverr.

Check out our Etsy shop, GrandmotherstrunkUS

March 31, 2024 0 comment