by Laurie Brenner
Once your children’s book is finished and published, the real work begins. While writing a book takes effort and dedication, once it’s complete, you need to let your market know it’s available. Whether you have a publisher or you self-published your children’s book, you are the one who can make it successful. If you want to start enjoying your book royalties sooner, consider some of these ways to market your children’s book.
Research
When you are marketing a children’s book, the book itself must do the heavy lifting. Children don’t have the web presence of adults and won’t see your social media updates about your book, so in many ways, it must sell itself. Before you begin to write the book, research the audience that will read it. Your children’s book must be tailored to your readership’s age group and appeal to them. Once you’ve defined your readership, choose the correct genre for your book and stick to it.
The “Parent” Market
While you must write your book to your readership, also keep in mind the “Parent” market. Since parents typically have the approval over a child’s book purchases, if you fail to appeal to parents in your book marketing, your children’s book won’t sell. Find blogs written by mothers or fathers who make recommendations for children’s books and offer an e-Book version in exchange for a review. These word-of-mouth recommendations are worth their weight in gold. You can also offer to write a guest article for their blog or website for a free mention of your children’s book.
Cover Art
The cover art you use can also make or break your book. If it fails to catch children’s eyes and blends into the background, you won’t be successful with your book. The cover art has to pop and stand out from the other books whether it’s in an e-Reader store or on a physical bookshelf. Use vibrant, bright colors and kid-enticing art to get them to pick up your book or choose it from an online store.
Librarians and Bookstores
Contact local librarians to find out how to get your book on their recommended reading list or into their book club programs. Some libraries schedule summer book reading programs for children, and you should apply to participate. Another place where you can get exposure for your children’s book is your local bookstore. Some bookstores also host children’s hours where you can read your book and offer to sign purchased copies for the children.
Website
Develop a kid-friendly website, but keep in mind the laws regarding children and the Internet. The laws about marketing to children are strict to protect them from predators and other online hazards. Familiarize yourself with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to ensure that your website and online marketing efforts comply. Revisions in December 2012 put additional protections in place for children.
E-Book Versions
Tablets and e-Readers give children increased access to purchasing books online with accounts set up by parents. If you only have a hard-copy version of your children’s book, add an online version to Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes and Noble’s Nook or Apple’s iBook store to increase your book’s visibility. Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, commented in a January 2013 Publishers Weekly article: “After 5 years, eBooks is a multi-billion dollar category for us and growing fast – up approximately 70 percent last year. In contrast, our physical book sales experienced the lowest December growth rate in our 17 years as a book seller, up just 5 percent.”
Culled from Small Business
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