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Slapping a book on a blog is not all it takes to sell it. I know you know this, but I had to explore this book-marketing-101 concept further.
I mean, it seems like a logical idea, right? Create a blog, develop a loyal following, and they’ll buy your book. Easy, peasy!
But being the curious type, trapped in Post Book-Launch Stress Disorder, I decided to don my gumshoes. (BTW, thank you for all the awesome comments on PBLSD. I want to reply to each and every one, just gimme some time. Remember, PBLSD cannot be cured with two aspirin and a morning call.)
I opened my WordPress stats. In the last six months, this blog has had approximately 75,000 visits.
Wow, right? Amazing. I can’t believe it myself.
Six months ago is when I inserted links to pre-order THE MONSTORE in my blog column (so it appears on every page on this site) and on my books page. And guess how many clicks those links have had?
7,500? That would be about 10%—not too shabby. But no.
1,500? That would be about 2%. Still pretty respectable. When I was working in marketing, a 2% response to a direct mail offer was considered average. But, nope. Not even close.
Out of 75,000 visits, links to order THE MONSTORE have been clicked on only 355 times. That’s [almost] 0.5%.
But, I have no idea how many of those clicks turned into purchases. If it’s 2% like my direct mail experience has shown, then I’ve sold 7 books.
Kinda humbling, isn’t it?
75,000 visits = 7 books sold.
Now, I realize this is very unscientific. Any statistics professor would knock my knuckles with a ruler. People have other ways of purchasing books, and I know I’ve sold more than 7 books!
But, I wanted to demonstrate that slapping a book on a website is not all it takes. That don’t do diddly.
Boy, I’ve just realized this post is really not helping the PBLSD! (But maybe it will help you!)
BTW, if you do want to crawl inside THE MONSTORE, you can by clicking below. Ya can’t blame a girl for trying!
IndieBound.org
Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com
BooksAMillion.com
Chapters.Indigo.ca
“My two boys (3 and 6) loved this book. They wanted me to read it many times. Then they played Monstore games all afternoon. They made their own monsters (pom-poms, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes). They built Monstores with blocks. Then they made booby traps and trap doors with couch cushions. I can’t remember the last time reading one book led to such prolonged creative play.”
~ Amazon customer review
So my debut picture book has been out for three and a half weeks (not that I’m counting). People are excited for me. It’s finally real! They ask me how the book is doing.
Ya got me!
I’ve received two positive quasi-reviews from School Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly—I call them “quasi” because they were more like synopses than reviews. No thumbs up or thumbs down, just thumbs sideways. I watch my Amazon rank bounce up and down. Up to 12,000, then down to 134,000, then back up again. I held book signings where a few complete strangers did show up, looked at my book, then put it back again. My township’s mayor bought two copies as gifts. Reviews on GoodReads and Amazon have been 96% positive. And bloggers have beamed over the book. Still, I have no idea if sales are brisk, average or slow. There’s no way to know.
So, three and a half weeks post-release and I’m kinda stuck.
I call it “Post Book-Launch Stress Disorder”.
I don’t know what to do next to help promote my book. And frankly, I’m exhausted. I’m lounging with my laptop, glancing at Amazon and GoodReads, checking my inbox for messages. I know I have blog interviews to complete, but it’s tough to answer repetitive questions in new and interesting ways. And it doesn’t help that I have three books under serious consideration right now and it feels like they’re taking forever to work their way through the system. I feel very much in limbo, without direction. Maybe I need to consult with North West.
I suppose this is why so many writers have a schedule, a set routine. I am not one of those people. I have never been good with routines, tap dance or otherwise. But I see the advantage of the same-old, same-old. If I were a scheduled, disciplined person I’d be writing every day, no matter what, Post Book-Launch Stress Disorder be damned. Like Roald Dahl, I’d stroll to my writing hut, plop down in my comfy chair and grasp my Number 2 Ticonderoga, watching it fly across the legal pad. But no. I sit here. And wonder what comes next.
I never had an actual book launch party. I don’t like planning parties and it seemed like a frivolous expense. Friends assured me you only release a book once—celebrate! Plus, my husband said the party is to thank everyone who has helped me over the years, not necessarily to toot my own horn. But it felt like tooting, and frankly, I’m tired of tooting. (P.S. To the seven-year-olds reading this, NOT THOSE KINDS OF TOOTS.)
It’s hard not to toot when someone blogs beautifully about your book, or when it winds up in a major newspaper. But I fear I may be getting overexposed. Maybe I need to consult with North West.
All this is to say I have no plan. Wednesday was the last day of school for my children and I’ve realized the summer is here and I NEED A PLAN. They’re going to camp, but it’s only half days, which leaves me little time to write. Did I say I need a plan?
Anyone got a plan for beating Post Book-Launch Stress Disorder?
Head on over to the Happy Birthday Author blog today! You won’t want to miss this incredible glow-in-the-dark monster craft!
Got any plans?
Live in north/central New Jersey?
Well, come on down! (You’re the next contestant on The Book is Right!)
Author Darlene Jacobsen and I. And me? Or is it I?
I’ll be signing THE MONSTORE at The Bookworm in Bernardsville on June 20th, from 3:30 to 5:00pm.
Gummi worms for all!
Hope to see you there! (I’ll be the person directing people to the bathroom.)
So the release date for THE MONSTORE finally arrived!
Dude, I was bustin’ out!
OK, I wasn’t that hot to trot. After all, I had known this was coming for three years. So my excitement was more, um, subdued.
But inside, I was like this.
And this.
And this.
But I soon found out Barnes & Noble wouldn’t be carrying THE MONSTORE.
At first, I thought it was no biggie.
I would overcome!
But then, I slept on it.
Somehow, I didn’t break down.
With a little help, I kept it together.
In fact, I had something to say to that brick-and-mortar behemoth.
So I rallied the troops.
And people went to bat for me. For me?!
They’ve even told me funny stories about how B&N has been ‘splainin’ the book’s absence. (Yeah, they got a lotta ‘splainin’ to do.)
They said: “It’s with a small publisher.”
“It has to be reviewed first.”
“It’s a Halloween title.”
So, maybe this means it will be there in October?
Doesn’t matter, though. My peeps got my back.
These peeps, too.
Yeah, the response to THE MONSTORE has been pretty insane.
Oops, not Bynes insane. Stone insane.
And the fun has only just begun.
Because, remember…
Today we’re welcoming Ammi-Joan Paquette, the agent who sold THE MONSTORE, to do a guest post on what originally got her excited about the manuscript, and what makes it a successful debut picture book. Welcome, Joan!
LAT: THE MONSTORE is Tara’s debut book. Was it also the first manuscript you saw from Tara?
AJP: Yes! Tara queried me with this picture book, also mentioning that she had several other projects in the works. I read and loved THE MONSTORE, and asked Tara if any of her other works were complete and available to send me. She did! The more I read, the more I loved Tara’s effusive writing, dynamic characters, and wildly inventive imagination. I was hooked.
LAT: What was it about THE MONSTORE that really made you sit up and take notice?
AJP: I think THE MONSTORE is the definition of high-concept. Right from the title you know…
View original post 528 more words
I’ve been flipping a coin, trying to decide if I should post this. The coin rolled into my bathroom, spun beneath the toilet tank, and landed on tails, but I decided to post anyway.
THE MONSTORE has not been ordered by Barnes & Noble. And it’s supposed to hit shelves TOMORROW.
There. I’ve said it.
Barnes & Noble and Simon & Schuster continue their dispute over ebook pricing and in-store promotions, so the bookseller has cut back on orders from my publisher. Drastically.
I will say something else. It totally sucks. I don’t blame either party; it’s just business negotiations and it happens. BUT, we new authors are caught in the crosshairs. It ain’t fun. (See, it’s deteriorating my English!)
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So…what does this mean for my debut book?
It means the savvy kidlit readers will still know my book. They’ll find it at their local indie. They’ll order it online. They’ll laugh. They’ll cry. They’ll say it’s much better than “Cats”. (Nod to SNL there.)
However, it means the general public might not know my book even exists. Sales may suffer. Hope of a sequel will grow dim. I’ve worked four long years to get this book into readers’ hands. FOUR YEARS. And now because of this dispute’s timing, well, I can’t say it. I can’t. It’s not nice. And I’m a nice girl.
So this means I need you, my blog readers, more than ever.
If you have enjoyed this blog, participated in PiBoIdMo, or just have a heart of gold, I ask if you can help me get the word out about THE MONSTORE. I would be forever grateful. Together, we can make up for some of the loss the book will suffer for not being in America’s only national book chain.
Some things you can do to help:
- Blog about THE MONSTORE. (Many of you already are. I’m so appreciative.)
- Order it from places that already have it: IndieBound, Amazon, BN.com
- Call my local indie, The Bookworm, and order a signed copy to be shipped to you: 908-766-4599
- Visit/call your local B&N and ask them to order the book for in-store pick-up.
- Visit/call your local indie and ask them to order the book. They may already have it!
- Review THE MONSTORE on any book site.
- Mark it “want to read” on GoodReads.
- Let your local librarian(s) know about the book. THE MONSTORE’s ISBN: 9781442420175.
- Set your Facebook cover/banner to this image (click for full-size, then right-click to save):
But I’m also open to your ideas. Heck, I NEED your ideas. So hit me with them.
HIT ME HARD.
And THANK YOU.
Flash on over to Flash Fiction Chronicles today and I’ll tell you all about writing micro fiction for children! It’s how I got my start.
http://www.everydayfiction.com/flashfictionblog/flash-fiction-for-ya-y-not
Wow, we had a lot of giveaways recently…so I’ve grouped all the winners into one fireworks bonanza of a post!
OK everyone, check your tickets! Drumroll please…
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The winner of Farhana Zia & Ken Min’s HOT HOT ROTI FOR DADA-JI is:
Cathy Biggerstaff!
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The winner of PENGUIN ON VACATION by Salina Yoon is:
Michelle Levin!
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The winner of Dan Krall’s THE GREAT LOLLIPOP CAPER is:
Aimee!
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And the three winners of Charise Mericle Harper’s BEAN DOG AND NUGGET prize packs are:
Terri, Dawnyelle Moore and MegWrites!
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Be on the lookout for an email from me.
Congrats, everyone! And don’t worry if you didn’t win…more giveaways are coming soon!
Hope. Dream. (See attached necklaces.)
When people find out I’m a children’s author, I typically get this response:
“Oh, wow! You know, my sister/cousin/neighbor/son’s teacher wrote a children’s book a while back. You could probably help her/him to get it published.”
This is so common. You know the saying “everyone has a book in them”? That’s incorrect. “Everyone has a children’s book in them” is far more accurate!
In the early days, I was naive. I said, “Of course!” I gave the person my contact info, then I spent hours with their acquaintance critiquing their manuscript, teaching them about picture book structure, and ultimately causing this person great disappointment when they realized the tale they whipped out on a rainy afternoon wasn’t publishable exactly as they had written it.
It made them feel awful. It made me feel awful. It was not worth it.
Then I realized—these casual writers think having a published book would be “neat”. And it’s not neat. It’s hard work.
So now, I take a very honest approach. Instead of offering my assistance right away, I say this instead: “If they have a passion for children’s books, by all means, send them my way and I’ll do all I can to help. But if this person wrote a story on impulse and they don’t have any desire to have a career in children’s literature, they’ll find it extremely difficult to get published and end up being very frustrated and disappointed.”
This is usually followed by an “Oh. Gotcha.”
They understand. (I hope.)
I don’t know why being a children’s author is perceived as such a simple skill as opposed to something like playing in the NHL or becoming a doctor or lawyer. You never hear someone say, “You know, my sister/cousin/neighbor/son’s teacher wrapped an ace bandage around a kid’s ankle a while back. You could probably help him/her to become a pediatrician.” OK, I realize you don’t need a degree to become an author, but you do need several years of concentrated study and practice. You need to be dedicated. Passion for your craft is essential.
So now I let people know this. Publishing is not something to enter into partway. The industry is full of criticism, rejection and waiting…more waiting than the DMV times a thousand. It’s frustrating. It’s challenging. If you don’t love it, you won’t live through it.
So hope and dream. And work hard.
The kids deserve it.
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 