Self promote your book

Yesterday I was on a panel for our local chapter. The topic: learning tips and tricks to market your book through online and traditional methods. There were four of us on the panel, three writers and one illustrator.

Heather Powers, Maritha Burmeister, Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Catherine Stier

As we all know, with diminishing budgets, most publishers want authors and illustrators to do most of the promotion of their books. Some tips:

Promote your book on your Website, Facebook, and Twitter. Contact bookstores and libraries for booksignings. Network at writers’ conferences and at book festivals. I’ve gotten many an invitation for school visits and speaking engagements at these events. Always have with you promotional material for your book, i.e., brochures, postcards, business cards. The objective is to get your book out there in the public eye. Even if your book is not out yet, prepare and be ready for when it is published. It will make a big difference.  

Some time ago, I bought the book, How to Promote Your Children’s Book: A Survival Guide for Published Writers, by Evelyn Gallardo. It offers excellent tips on self promoting your book.

On the topic of Websites, I came across an interesting article, “Update That Website,” on publishersweekly.com written by Barbara Vey. It mentions the importance of websites and blogs for authors and why they should be updated regularly.

“Never try to chase trends. Write what you love, and write the best book you can, and worry about publication later.” – Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner