Tips for Marketing a Children’s Book
Description: Maria Dismondy, Publisher at Cardinal Rule Press, talks with Alexa about tips to market children's books.
Format: Video Q&A
Level: This presentation is for all levels.
Maria Dismondy
Publisher at Cardinal Rule Press
Award-winning author and founder of the publishing company, Cardinal Rule Press, Maria Dismondy inspires and educates others in the book industry. Her background in early education and research enables her to touch lives the world over while touring as a public speaker in schools, community forums, and at national conferences. When Maria isn’t working, she can be found embarking on adventures throughout southeast Michigan and beyond, where she lives with her husband and three book-loving children. Find out more at CardinalRulePress.com
Mentioned in this video:
- Insight on the children’s book submission process for traditional publishing
- Follow submission guidelines because there are SO many submissions
- There’s a lot to know about the publishing process
- Difference between different types of publishing presses
- The importance of an author engaging in marketing, even if they’re traditionally published
- You must build your platform
- Children’s book authors need to be on Instagram – because your audience is teachers and moms are on IG
- Tips that have worked best for Maria / children’s books on marketing
- Making the shift to focusing on teachers has made all the difference
- Lesson plans in books and as an incentive
- Pinterest – teachers are pinning their ideas on how they are using the books
- Book packs for teachers – give them away to teachers; free book, in a package with fun goodies (invest $25-$50) in exchange
- Every children’s book can have a lesson plan
- How to earn money through school visits
- Grants for schools for author visits
- Read Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun on Youtube – hundreds of thousands of views
Maria's parenting book: Sunny Side Upbringing: A Month by Month Guide to Raising Kind and Caring Kids
All Access Pass Members will receive a recording of the detailed MasterClass we held with Maria where she walks us through the process of booking author visits at schools.
Resources
Teachers Pay Teachers https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/
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Hi Maria
Not sure about your talk.
I released my children’s book at my son’s school. I was not permitted to advertise I was there or talk about releasing it there on media. The reason for this, was they are not permitted to advertise someone like me. If I was well known, the reception may have been different.
Getting forward with children’s books seems to be reliant on being connected to the companies who are involved in book fares in the school. Yet, the children loved my book especially as it was based on some of the photos taken of the local area.
Authors can pay so much on illustrations and get so little return. I have not pushed my children’s book as I do not want to throw any more money at it.
I have learnt that the best profitable children’s books seem to be action books that have black and white drawings. I will add, I have never bought a full price colour illustrated children’s book and I have had four children.
Hi there. It’s unfortunate this has been your experience, and it looks like you are in the UK, so I can’t speak to how schools work at all over there. In the US, what Maria described is pretty successful. I have kids in 2 different elementary schools and we have promoted author visits from nonfamous authors all the time. I would encourage you to NOT consider your son’s school the RULE, and approach some other schools. I have children’s book authors in at least 4 different states who are getting into schools in the manner in which Maria described and are not famous or associated with scholastic.
Also, there are plenty of inexpensive marketing tactics out there, but it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s a lot of time, work, and dedication, knocking on doors, making connections. Creating opportunities. There are plenty of indie authors that are selling lots of books.
I hope you’ll watch some of the other marketing presentations and implement some of their action steps. Getting into elementary schools as an author is certainly not the end all for success. Getting your book in front of teachers, however, is completely different.
This presentation was so informative! I love her disposition and her willingness to share her knowledge without feeling like she was holding back. I will definitely be in contact with her regarding my children’s book. Thank you Alexa for choosing her to educate us!