Do you offer products or services of benefit to writers and illustrators? If so, you can list them here. Contact Editorial Director Roxyanne Young with details. Thank you!
As the saying goes, it's hard to recover from a bad first impression, and if you want to put a most professional face on your Web site, start with the domain name. Think about it: yourname.com, or www.feebiehost.com/~communityatlarge/username/sitehome.html? Assuming you can fit all that on a businesscard, which name makes the better impression?
People will come looking for yourname.com and will expect to see that attached to your book titles in any promotional materials you put out. Plus, yourname.com goes with you if you change hosting companies, or if your hosting company goes out of business. Lots of people new to the Web get started with free template sites like those offered by iVillage and AOL. These sites do not support custom domains like yourname.com, but you can have a domain forwarded to them.
AllDomains.com offers affordable registration and easy self-management tools. You can register your domain for only $24.95 per year. They even offer domain forwarding, for those of you with free Web sites. Click on D-Gear when you register your domain, and your domain name will point to your free Web site for only $25 a year.
Hiring a publicist is a big step for most authors, particularly in the children's book field where it's hard to make a living on what are often small print runs and low royalties. For that reason, my agency generally recommends that an author consider doing his own publicity first, so that he can gain a realistic view of the market and learn what can be done to supplement his publisher's efforts.
Once you've decided to take the plunge and hire a publicist, there are a number of things to consider. First is whether you want to hire someone locally, or someone who is a specialist in the field. Secondly, you should decide if you'd like to work with the publicist on an on-going basis, or on a campaign for a specific book. You also need to talk with your publisher or publishers about your intent to hire a publicist because it's important to avoid duplication of effort and to make sure that that all parties are kept informed.
When negotiating with the publicist, make sure you find out the number of contacts she'll make on behalf of your book, how the books will be sent (will you do it, or will she?), what method she uses to report results and how often you'll get information. Ask about her experience with books similar to yours, and be sure to convey what you think is most important to achieve for your book.
Susan Salzman Raab is the author of An Author's Guide to Children's Book Promotion ($16.25), a handbook that provides an overview of the process, and her agency website, www.raabassociates.com has a "To Market" section that supplements the guide. She is also marketing advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and founder of Raab Associates, an agency specializing in marketing children's and parenting books. She can be reached at
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After 12+ years of experience at several major publishers (including HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Harcourt, and more), Rebecca Grose is now offering her expertise in publicity on a freelance basis. Specializing in children's books, SoCal Public Relations provides personalized p.r. services and consulting for authors and illustrators -- such as creating press kits, setting up telephone radio interviews in major markets across the U.S., pitching top 100 newspapers, and scheduling bookstore events.
Expand the media coverage for you and your book(s) today!
You can purchase two dozen personalized pencils for about $3! Imagine handing those out at your next school visit or booksigning. What a great, inexpensive marketing tool!
Recommended by author illustrator Chuck Galey: "You can get a great deal on postcards at Modern Postcard. That's where I've had some printed before; 500 cards for around $100 when you supply all the digital mechanicals. Just go to go to www.modernpostcard.com."
Recommended by author Dotti Enderle: "www.vistaprint.com offers 250 free business cards at their site." (Editor's Note: The catch is you'll have Vista Print advertising on the back of your card, but they do have good deals on business cards, letterhead, postcards, and so on, without their ads on the back.)
Recommended by author Bonny Becker: "Consider getting a stamp made of an image from your book. It's inexpensive ($40 or so) and kids love to have their hands stamped and it brightens up an autograph. Specialty stamps can also jazz up a simple business card and you can easily change your image. I have a stamp of a pencil. When I have my author hat on, I stamp my card with the pencil tip. When I'm being an editor, I stamp on the eraser."
Recommended by author Cynthia Leitich Smith: Web Cards are a which is a fun way to promote an author Web site. They make good mailings, giveaways, and business cards. http://www.web-cards.com/
If anyone can recommend more companies for producing great promotional materials, please let me know.
Roxyanne Young Editorial Director SmartWriters.com
