Have you been looking for a Marketing Checklist for a Children’s Book?
Perfect! Here’s mine which I have been using and sharing with my Clients who are book Authors.
It might seem to have way too many marketing steps, but if you just do one today, and try to do another one each day, you’ll be marketing your book like a Children’s Book Marketing Ninja in no time! 😀
Marketing Ideas for Children’s Books
Step 1
MOST important step BEFORE publishing:
- add a QR Code or link inside the book (front and back) with an incredible offer in exchange for an email name. This is Marketing 101.
The “incredible offer”:
- needs to be something of great perceived value to the potential reader
- I like to offer a free monthly PDF or download, like a colouring page (or story snippet, or detailed page) related to the book
- offering a one-off PDF is also good – but not “great”. I’ve done that in the past, but the bottom line is that does not start to build an ongoing relationship with the potential customer. If the potential reader signs up and gets a freebie gift every month, they will start to get to know you through your emails, and may be more inclined to buy when they’re ready.
Step 2
I recommend starting with this next step as the SECOND most essential starting point for ALL Authors:
- setting up a freebie on the Author or book website (or other place online like Gumroad) for people to sign up for a free colouring (or other relevant) page about the book (this could be a simple Google form or Gumroad page).
- For info on how to set this up for free, grab a ticket for my Author Newsletter Mini Course
There are a zillion ways to market anything and everything – online AND offline – and here are a few of the techniques which I’ve found work extremely well for a “local Author”.
This includes getting to know the locals, reading the children’s book out loud in libraries and schools, and also on radio shows and podcasts.
Step 3
- contacting local schools and libraries and offering to do “readings” in person
- buy author copies in advance to take to the readings
- create flyers about the book to hand out at the readings in case all the books sell
- add an “editable” QR Code to the flyer (if it’s editable, the link it goes to can be changed later to go to a different site/location etc.)
- before, during or after the reading, send a PDF of the flyer to the schools and libraries to share with their Newsletters
- reach out to Mothers’ Groups and Women’s Business Groups to give a talk about the book, take books and flyers as mentioned in item 2, 3 and 4 above
- Contact your local radio stations — ask if they ever interview local authors — offer to give away one or more autographed books to listeners (in the interview, mention the link to the form to fill in for freebie colouring pages etc)
- search online for Podcasts About Authors – offer to be a Guest Author and offer a free book to listeners (in the interview, mention the link to the form to fill in for freebie colouring pages etc)
- everyone who signs up on the form can receive PDF downloadable colouring (or other) pages related to the book
- create an audio file – .mp3 – of you reading a section of the book, or talking about the book, and add that to the email offer; add the website or other klink at the end of the audio file so people can get in touch
- publish this audio file in social sites, attach to emails, etc to reach a wider audience; upload as a mini video on Pinterest, Facebook, Insta etc
- this “list” of email names is worth gold! Apart from creating wonderful books, this list is the way to create a whole community of lovely readers, who need to nurtured and to hear from you every month or so
- this list of lovely email names can be notified of new books, new appearances and events, updates about characters/animals etc.
I hope this helps! I’ve found this to be an extremely valuable way to find potential customers
Excellent book I recommend!
