PublishHER Podcast Episode 93: Republishing a Children’s Book with Antoinette Martin

PublishHER Podcast Episode 93: Republishing a Children’s Book with Antoinette Martin

by | May 10, 2023

Antoinette Truglio Martin is a seasoned author of children's picture books and middle grade books. She made the decision to republish a beloved picture book, Famous Seaweed Soup, an adorable, beautifully illustrated book about independence and resilience, which re-published with a new publisher on May 9, 2023. As a multi-published author, Antoinette has a lot of great advice for authors about the process of working with several different types of presses, both hybrid and traditional, and great marketing strategies that have worked for her.


After spending decades in the children's book industry, Antoinette Truglio Martin thought she had seen it all – until she took the unexpected step of re-publishing her own book with updated illustrations and found out just how powerful connecting with her readers could be. Now, her groundbreaking journey is inspiring countless other authors to share their stories. What other surprises might this author extraordinaire have in store?

Watch how children play, see what they're doing, and write stories that will resonate with them. – Antoinette Truglio Martin

This is  Antoinette Martin's story:

Antoinette Truglio Martin, an award-winning children's book author and teacher, knows firsthand the importance of building connections and relationships for successful book marketing. With her recent book, Famous Seaweed Soup, she took matters into her own hands and re-published it with updated illustrations to better fit the modern world. From radio interviews to school visits, Antoinette has been proactive in her marketing approach, seeking opportunities to engage with people and create lasting impressions of her work.

 

After this episode, you will be able to:

  • Excel in marketing children's books by navigating school and library networks.
  • Foster strong relationships to ensure successful book marketing efforts.
  • Harness the power of social media platforms for captivating book promotion.
  • Triumph over self-doubt and persist on the marketing journey.
  • Master the art of writing authentically for children while preserving their sense of wonder.
  • Persist through challenges and tap into expert guidance for triumphant public relations outcomes.

 

The Importance of Making Connections

Building relationships is an essential part of successfully marketing a children's book. Connecting with people in schools, libraries, and cultural events helps establish rapport and trust, which can ultimately lead to increased exposure and sales for the book. Networking with key players in your target market, such as the PTA or school librarians, can expand your reach and audience. Forming connections with educators, librarians, and fellow authors enhance your credibility and will showcase your book in various spheres of influence. For Antoinette, using her career as an art and education teacher helped her to engage with schools and classrooms for workshops and presentations. By establishing connections with school personnel, she creates a supportive platform that helps her introduce her children's book to teachers and students alike.

Key Takeaways

  • Start a blog to establish your voice and share news, events, and updates related to your book.
  • Use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to promote your book.
  • Reach out to local schools, libraries, and bookstores to schedule author visits, workshops, and presentations.
  • Join local writer's groups and attend events to network with other authors and industry professionals.
  • Submit your manuscript to publishers, querying their interest in your book.
  • Consider hybrid publishing as an alternative to traditional publishing.
  • Develop lesson plans or activities related to your book for teachers to use in the classroom.
  • Market your book to homeschooling moms, preschool groups, and other educational organizations.
  • Use Goodreads and other social networking platforms for readers to expand your reach.
  • Reach out to local media outlets, such as newspapers and radio stations, for interviews and promotional opportunities.

Memorable Moments:

00:02:23 – Antoinette's publishing journey,
 Antoinette talks about her initial struggles and how it took about five years to publish her book. She also talks about how authors had no say in how the book would look or illustrations used.

00:20:59 – Local Marketing Strategies,
 Antoinette discusses post-launch marketing strategies such as reaching out to local gift shops, schools and museums for gigs. She emphasizes the importance of using social media to expand your reach beyond the local community.

00:22:14 – Benefits of the Children's Book Review Tour,
 Antoinette shares her positive experience with the Children's Book Review Tour, where she was able to engage with a community of reviewers and promote her book through giveaways. It helped her reach new audiences and increase visibility for her book.

Is Hybrid Publishing Right For You?

Is Hybrid Publishing Right For You?

by | Apr 2, 2019

Is hybrid publishing right for you? In between self publishing and being traditionally published is the hidden gem of hybrid publishing. At in a previous Women In Publishing Summit, we sat down with Brooke Warner the founder of She Writes Press, a hybrid publishing house and asked her to explain some of the finer details of this publishing model.

What Is Hybrid Publishing?

Hybrid publishing has become a catch-all term for the type of publishing that is found in the gray zone between self publishing and being traditionally published. She Writes Press vets their projects, charges a publishing fee, offers higher royalties and has traditional distribution. Some hybrid publishing houses might not have traditional distribution or charge a fee. There are different models that fall within hybrid publishing, making it important to research and understand the publishing before you made a decision.

Who Is Hybrid Publishing For?

Hybrid publishing is a great fit for an author who has a great book but lacks the platform that most traditional publishing houses require. One of the things a traditional publishing house wants to know is that they’ll be able to sell your book and therefore consider your author platform when they decide if they’d like to work with you. The look to see if you’ve got a website, active social media channels with followers, an email list, a podcast or have a Ted Talk under your belt.

“I mean, someone could easily come to us and say, ‘I have a really great book, I have no social media presence, no website, no anything’ and what we do is we assess the book, if in fact they do have a great book, then we also offer an opportunity to build platform, because a book builds a platform,” says Brooke.

What It Is Like To Work With A Hybrid Publishing House?

This is how the process of working with a hybrid house works at She Writes Press. Their submission process is different than a traditional house where a book is submitted to an editor or agent who has to consider the size of your author platform, if your book is right for their list or if they already have something similar. If you get a “no” from them, that’s it.

When a manuscript comes in, you’re assigned a project manager who shepherds the book through the process. They give their authors a one page assessment providing feedback; if it’s publish ready, if it needs a copy edit, if it needs developmental editing or coaching. When you work with a hybrid, you’ll receive a lot of support, feedback, education and perhaps even some hand holding if necessary.

A hybrid also handles the data and distribution of the book and will be able to advise you on how to handle publicity for your book. Some hybrids offer in house publicity and some do not, however they’ll be able to advise you on how to spend marketing dollars for your book (or not). “It really depends on if the book is a legacy project and what the author’s goals are. However, the more publicity you have behind your book, the more we can push distribution,” says Brooke.

What Is The Benefit To Hybrid Publishing Over Self Publishing?

One of the biggest benefits to working with a hybrid house is that they may have access to distribution the way that traditional publishing houses do, making it easier to get your book into bookstores.

Additionally, self-published authors don't qualify for traditional reviews published in places such as Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist and Library Journal. These reviews really carry a lot of weight and a good review will contribute to sales, especially from libraries.  

What is The Benefit To Hybrid Publishing Over Traditional Publishing?

There are many benefits to choosing hybrid publishing over traditional, but we have three favorites. Remember that each hybrid house follows their own model so this may vary a bit depending on who you’re working with.

  1. You’re likely to have more creative control over your book and be able to be part of the decision process when it comes to book cover design and interior design.
  2. You don’t have to wait to build your author platform before you publish your book. You can work on both at the same time.
  3. You’ll receive feedback, education and experience more collaboration than working with a traditional house.

Hybrid publishing is a great next step for someone who has already self published a book and is ready to publish another, someone who doesn’t yet have an author platform but has a great book they’d like to publish or for someone who wants additional feedback or control in their book’s process. To learn more about which publishing model is right for you, check out the Publishers' Panel from the 2019 Women in Publishing Summit. 

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