By Glenn Somodi, award-winning author and illustrator of the Olly
& the Spores book series
My book is a dry, dead tree in a vast forest. It is kindling,
nicely bound into a 6” x 9” x 1” pile, just waiting for a ‘spark’ to set it
ablaze.
Know that I am not one to burn books literally, especially in this
day and age. But, deep down in my soul, I know my marketing efforts will work,
and the spark will come, setting the world on fire. I hope it will happen while
I am still around to enjoy the warmth.
I started very naïve, much like many new authors. My book must be
different from the two million new books released yearly. I thought I would write
a book, publish it, and someone would fawn over it enough to tell their
literary peers to place it onto a favorites list. Or maybe it would appear on
that little round table at the entrance to my favorite bookstore with a sign
that reads something like, “A must-read, sure to be a classic.” I thought at
least I would get front-and-center placement in my hometown’s library–they
would surely be proud of a hometown writing hero. And I have a large family, so
surely I could count on each one buying a copy of my book.
None of this has happened as I imagined–although it’s not for lack
of trying. I only sold eighteen books at my last book launch, and five of those
sales were made to family members and close friends. I can proudly say that at
least my books are staged in a little shrine my parents built by the front door
of their house in The Villages in Florida.
But I am not one to be dissuaded by any of these failures because
I have always been an optimistic person. I believe good things come to those
who wait, but I add another caveat to that belief. You can’t just do nothing
and wait. You must do everything possible to give your creation the best chance
and then wait.
So why listen to me blab on about book marketing if I have only
seen failure to date? Because I view book marketing as a long-term investment,
and mine is beginning to reap the rewards. The sparks are there, and it is
exciting to watch for smoke.
That’s what I want to share with you: a peek at all of the metaphorical
lighter fluid I have thrown into my book. The money and time I have invested,
or sometimes wasted, on creating an anticipated little spark.
To help other authors who share my passion, I have compiled a list
of my successes and failures, hoping it might help others find their spark with
less work and investment.
A look at some of my little ‘sparks’
I have to confess my intentions when marketing my books. I am not
looking to become a millionaire from my writing. I surely wouldn’t turn those
millions away, but I just want my stories to be enjoyed, to create a different
kind of spark. I want a young boy or girl to come up to me at a book signing
and tell me how Truffle the Spore made them laugh or how Olly and Em’s
adventures with the animals in the woods made them want to hike in their local
park. I would like their childhood to be like mine, filled with glorious
imagination.
I recently had this happen at a book signing with a young girl
named Anya, and it made every sleepless hour and dime I have spent well worth
it. She knew my characters like they were her friends, and she was shaking when
she talked about how she loved each of them, especially Em, the female
protagonist. I felt like I created a hero for Anya.
A friendly teller at my bank, Corrine, follows my book releases
and buys each one. Her eyes light up when I enter the bank, and she makes it a
point to share my creations with her coworkers. Her first question is when the
next book is coming out or what events I’ll be doing. She surprised me at my
second book launch and bought some books for her nieces.
These little conversations and actions are worth more than any
money and prove that my investment has succeeded. I still get goosebumps
thinking about these experiences.
Where I’ve thrown water on the fire (the mistakes I have made)
Book Marketing Scams
There are so many scammers on social media and they just inundate
my feeds and mailbox. At the start of my marketing endeavor, I almost signed on
with a book promotion company in Texas. It would cost me a lot of money, enough
that I did extra due diligence to ensure it would be well spent. I emailed back
and forth with the company, and they seemed legitimate. They responded quickly,
easing any fears that I had. They even had some very successful authors listed
on their site, and they seemed to be able to prove their worth. But, my
instincts were triggered for some reason, and I looked up their address and
found it to be an apartment complex and not what looked to be a legitimate
office space. So, I decided I would contact some of their clients. It turned
out that the clients did NOT use them and had no clue who the company was. When
I called the company to speak with a real person and ask about this, they acted
offended that I would question their business tactics. Be aware and do your due
diligence before spending money with a book marketer.
Trying to market to everyone and reaching no one
My book is intended for kids, young adults, and adults alike.
That’s how I wrote it–something a middle grader, tween, and parent might enjoy.
Think Harry Potter Volume 1 or Bridge to Terabithia. It’s tough
to market a middle grade book, especially when trying to reach the real buyers
(the parents). I made all of the mistakes of marketing 101 with my online ads: marketing to everyone, trying to cross audience
ages to get more buyers, and spending money on ads that weren’t targeted to the
right market. I needed to decide precisely who my book was for and concentrate
on marketing to that group. I’ve since found tools to help me do that, and I
mention them later in this post.
Picking the incorrect categories and settings when publishing my
book
You’ll laugh at me for this, but I accidentally marked my children’s
book as having adult content because the grandfather gets murdered in the first
chapter (not graphically, mind you). I wanted to be honest about it. I realized
after the fact that they meant adult content, such as sexual or graphic death
scenes. Once I clicked that checkbox, it was almost impossible to reverse
course. It took me a bit of wrangling with KDP support to remove that black
mark of death. I also chose some categories that were inundated with other
books where there was no way I would stand out in the pack. In my successes
section, I mentioned an app I used to avoid this mistake.
Create the perfect conditions for a spark
Reviews
People want to spend their money on something they can trust. They
will hesitate to take a chance on your book if you have no other readers or
reviews to prove its quality. I continue to use a service called Pubby to gain quality reviews quickly. I can get
between 5-10 reviews every week, many of which are verified purchase reviews. The
service has a monthly fee of $20 with a free 10-day trial. It requires you to search
their online library and buy a low-priced e-book version of a book on Amazon,
but the cost is well worth the well-written reviews you get in return. The idea
is pretty simple. You earn ‘snaps’ for reading and reviewing other author’s
books. You can then trade in those snaps for reviews of your book. They have a
30-day money-back guarantee, and you can cancel anytime. It’s a great way to
get reviews of your book on Amazon before you launch the book to the world. I
have tried to use family and friends to get reviews, but it is tough to wrangle
everyone to spend time reading and reviewing unless they are avid readers. You
also won’t get an honest review most of the time.
Book awards
I know it’s a bit cheesy to look for praise in the form of a logo or stamp on
your cover, but book awards offer credibility and a shiny sticker that makes
your cover stand out. If others have invested time in your book and found it
worthy of acclaim, it must have some value. That’s what readers want to know
when they compare your book to others. However, realize that there are so many
book awards you can apply to, and they usually cost money ($60 - $120 per
category entered). Many of them are just schemes to get your money. Research the
available awards and pick the respectable ones. Look at your favorite authors
in your genre and see what awards they have won. Reedsy offers a list of respectable awards.
Create a consistent brand
Make sure marketing materials look professional and that your colors, logos,
and images present a consistent voice that reflects the quality and content of
your book. Ensure you set up profile pages on Amazon, Goodreads, and Reedsy.
When you create marketing materials, try to stick to your brand colors and
images so that users will notice those elements and think of your book whenever
they see them.
Websites and email addresses
You need at least an author website and, if possible, a book website. Hire a
good photographer to take professional author headshots. Find a domain that
makes sense and is not difficult to remember. Avoid domain names with hyphens,
abbreviations, or names that have nothing to do with you or your book. Stick to
a .com domain because people assume it is a .com when they type in a website
address. Purchase an email that ends in that domain name. If you plan a book
series, ensure the domain can fit all books under that domain name. Set up a
subscription management service (I use Mailchimp) to collect subscriber names
and emails for future announcements or campaigns. DO NOT try to just collect
email addresses on your own. Some laws require you to offer subscribers an easy
and instant way to unsubscribe, and you don’t want to run into any legal
issues.
Start on the right foot
I use a great tool called Publisher Rocket. It allows me to see the many hidden book categories on
Amazon.com. It shows me which categories have the least competition, allowing
me to position my book as one of a few vs. one in a million. It also allows me
to see popular books and discover their categories. It does the same with
keywords, letting me know what keywords other publishers use to find readers. You
can find out more on their website, but it does an outstanding job for authors
wanting to market their books and understand the Amazon market. It even tells
you the monthly income of each book on the market so you can see what is
selling and what is not. Check it out here: https://ollyspores--rocket.thrivecart.com/publisher-rocket/
Create a sell sheet
These are also called dealer sheets, pub sheets, one sheet, fact
sheets, or info sheets. They help retailers and libraries to position your book
in their establishment. There is a great
article and interview about these on the Ingenium Books website.
Go on tour
I’m not talking about tour buses and nights at Motel 8. I’m
talking virtual blog book tours. For around $300 plus the cost of shipping ten
books and goodies to avid readers/influencers, you get great bang for the buck.
Tour companies handle all of the logistics for you, too. They find the right
readers with large followings on their blogs and social media accounts. Once a
date is set for your tour, you mail out your book and fun goodies and sit back
and wait. The blog owners agree to read and offer a full review of the book and
then post videos and pictures of them opening your book during a determined
week. This content gets posted on their blogs and social media, and the reviews
are posted to Goodreads and Amazon. You get backlinks, publicity, and access to
all their followers throughout the week. It’s more fun than work, and some of
these reviewers have even asked to get copies of my second book and be on my
next tour.
Be giving
Offer your books as free gifts to parents who need presents for their
children at Christmastime. I met some wonderful families and young readers this
way. I also received some attention in an article on Cleveland.com, although that was not my intention. Donate
books to your local libraries and schools to promote reading. Find a book club
for kids and give them your book to read. If you have a talent, teach a class
related to your book. Donate your book to a Little Free Library in your town (https://littlefreelibrary.org/).
I taught a class on watercolor painting to
children and adults with special abilities (a mushroom character was the
painting subject, of course). I had a blast with the group and gave away my
signed books and art supplies to the best artists of the day.
It’s about who you know
Make sure you get your books into all of your social circles. Post a news
release to your alma mater. Many colleges have lists of authors like mine does
at Ohio University (https://www.ohio.edu/alumni/get-involved/connect/bobcat-authors).
Remember to send it to your high school alum organization, announce it through
your church newsletter, or on your company’s employee website. You never know
who it might reach.
Take advantage of the free sales channels
There are many free or inexpensive places to sell your book, and
each offers another chance to gain awareness and backlinks even if the sales don’t
roll in. I recommend places like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Craigslist, and local
newspaper classifieds. Post a flyer at your local library community bulletin
board.
Be your very best press team
Send press releases to your local papers and news stations. Ensure
you offer a link to high-resolution images of your author photo, book cover,
and marketing images so they can use them in a story if they decide to publish
it. Making these items readily accessible means less work for them and more of
a chance of getting your story picked up. If the book is set in a different
town, send releases to that town, too. Make the press releases specific to each
media contact. In the release, highlight parts of the book that would be unique
and interesting to that town or media entity.
Get in front of readers whenever you can
Research and sign up early to participate in book and craft fairs. Contact your
library or a local bookstore to do a book signing event. Even Barnes &
Noble allows local authors to set up a table to sell books if the store carries
them (even just online). Offer to do guest blogs or interviews on websites that
review books in your genre.
Socialize with fellow authors and grow your craft
Join literary organizations and learn from fellow authors what is working for
them regarding marketing and book sales. Locally, I am a member of The Society
of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI.org) and
Literary Cleveland (litcleveland.com). Attend
their events, workshops, and social gatherings and ask questions. You will meet
some great peers in the industry who struggle with similar challenges.
Giveaways
Goodreads has a great giveaway promotion tool that handles everything for you. It
costs $119, but readers must add your book to their to-be-read list to enter
your giveaway. My books cost about $4 to publish and another $4 to ship. So, I
give away six books and pay $168 out of pocket for the giveaway. I received
great reviews from readers who won, and many bought my second book. I reached
about 2,400 readers interested in each giveaway.
Always be prepared
Always have a signed book or book sales card because you never
know who you will meet. What if you bump into a famous screenwriter, the head
of a publishing company, or a book review columnist in a coffee shop today? Always
have materials at the ready.
Try your luck with influencers
When writing my book, based in Littleton, Massachusetts, I learned that Steve
Carrell lived nearby and was a mailman in that town for a short period (he
hated the job). I also learned that he and his family own the nearby Marshfield Hills General Store (https://marshfieldhillsgeneralstore.com/).
I sent him copies of my first book, hoping he or his family would enjoy it. Ironically,
my book has a character who is a mailman with the last name of Carrell. I haven’t
heard back, but I know my book is in their store or Steve’s home, just waiting
to be read.
I am a big fan of Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black’s book and their
movie, The Spiderwick Chronicles. I learned they live 20 minutes from
Littleton, Massachusetts, so I also sent both a copy of my book. Tony was
gracious and returned a hand-drawn illustration and a bunch of art. Holly Black
is on her new book tour, but I am sure she will respond once she returns. You
never know who will take an interest in your book and mention it in a
conversation. Who knows, maybe they will see the creativity in my story,
mention it to a producer, and Olly & the Spores will be the next big movie.
School visits and lesson plans
I met the fantastic Florenza Lee (https://florenza.org/) at an
author event last year, and she had some great ideas for me. She urged me to
look into creating a curriculum around my book (activities, puzzles, and lesson
plans that tie in with my book). Having a curriculum opens opportunities to get
into schools and apply for literacy educational grants at the state level. I am
in the process of doing this with my first school visit planned for this May. The
school already purchased 165 books for my visit–one for each sixth grader.
Ready to kindle the fire?
Stop thinking of marketing as instant sales. Think of it as an investment in
your branding and awareness strategy. Everything you do will create exposure or
backlinks to your book. It may not be today or this week, but it WILL pay off
someday. Everything you do exposes the kindling and increases the chance that a
spark will catch fire with your book.
Some fires that will make you feel warm inside
A lady named Chelsea Banning had a book signing, and 37 people
said they were going. Only two showed. “Kind of upset, honestly, and a little
embarrassed,” she tweeted. That tweet somehow found Margaret Atwood, Jodi
Picoult, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, and other famous authors, who replied and
tweeted their failures at book signings. These renowned authors helped Chelsea’s
book sell out overnight.
After rejection, Dr. Seuss was
walking home to burn his manuscript when he ran into a friend from school. That
friend was an editor of children’s books and insisted on reading it. The book
was published, and Seuss became wildly successful. Seuss would say later of the
chance meeting, ‘If I’d been going down the other side of Madison Avenue, I’d
be in the dry-cleaning business today.’
Hugh Howey decided to leave traditional publishing and
self-publish, writing when not captaining a yacht or working on computers. He
used Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) to publish a $0.99 digital novella
titled Wool, and it succeeded, doing much better than any of his previous
stories. Well before any print edition rolled off a press, “Wool” had sold more
than 400,000 e-books and was optioned by Hollywood.
Stephen King published his first novel, Carrie, which 30
publishers rejected. Publisher Doubleday eventually picked it up, and the book became
a huge bestseller. It was adapted into a popular film in 1976, launching King
to fame.
Even JK Rowling Turned Down By 12 Publishers Before Finding
Success with her Harry Potter Books. She has sold over 450 million books worth over $1 billion. Can you
imagine being one of those publishers that turned her down?
About Glenn...
Glenn Somodi is an
award-winning author who writes stories in the short space between lying down
and dreaming. The stories are written over many nights, replayed, and rewritten
in his head for enjoyment. His mission is to find anyone who enjoys reading the
stories as much as he enjoys creating them.
Inspired by some of his favorite childhood movies, like Star
Wars and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Somodi writes
stories filled with magic and adventure that might spark the imagination of
others. He calls himself a "spark generator."
Book awards include a Readers’ Favorite Book Awards Silver
Medal, a Page Turner Award for Best Middle Grade Fiction, and a Bookfest Winner
for his audiobook. It was also a finalist in the International Book Awards.
His book series, Olly & the Spores, started with his first
book, Olly & the Spores of Oak Hill, published in November 2022. The
second book, Olly & the Spores of Sapphire Creek, was released in
March of 2024 and is already gathering praise and good reviews. He is currently
outlining his third and final book of the series.
Check out Glenn's website: https://glennsomodi.com/
