Podcast Interviews and Book Readings - 5 Picture Book Marketing Tips

As I continue down the self-publishing journey, marketing and self-promotion are essential for success. Without being able to create a constant buzz about your book(s), there is a very slim chance for your book(s) to find their audience and sell. The book marketing world is a completely new world for me and so many other self-published authors. I have been navigating this landscape for about a year now, and I have learned quite a few things about picture book marketing during that time.

1. Mom’s on Instagram are a powerful force. There are mom book reviewers, mom podcasters, mom fans, etc. Getting in with these awesome moms is a MUST.

2. There are between 20-30 high-quality Facebook groups that are essential sources of wisdom for authors and/or parents looking for good children’s books. Doing a Facebook Group search for keywords like “Children’s Books”, “Parenting Books”, “Children Author”, “KDP”, etc. can help you find the relevant Facebook groups to help you promote your book and sharpen your marketing skills.

3. There are many bloggers and websites always looking for new books to feature. This can be a simple book review, an author interview, or something more personal like a podcast. DON’T BE SHY, REACH OUT TO THEM. If all goes well, this is a win-win for everyone.

4. Look for organizations that take book donations while sharing the donated books and/or book reviews on their social accounts. There are many great organizations in the world that donate books to schools, community libraries, hospitals, etc.

5. Paid ads are essential for successfully promoting your book. So far, I have tested Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and Amazon Ads. Every book and ad campaign are different and results will definitely vary, but I have found the most success so far using Amazon Advertising. I suggest starting with Amazon Advertising and expanding to Google Ads and then Facebook Ads as these ads are usually more expensive, highly targeted, but the conversion rates can be low so it will take your time to find the correct balance of audience and ad.

For myself, it seems like I am unlocking new achievements along my self-publishing journey every week. Last week, I unlocked 2 new achievements – I did my first BOOK READING to a LIVE Streamed audience & my first interview on a podcast! It was such a great experience, and the feedback so far has been humbling.

The energy that Quinn and her sweet son Aidyn of http://aidynsbooks.com give off is definitely contagious. I sat down with Quinn to discuss my author journey, the impact of patience, and the future of the Flip and Friends Book series for her podcast, Parenting & Bonding w/ Children’s Books (Aidyns Books) – She also runs an amazing Facebook group, For The Love of Children’s Books – Definitely go check it out as she is constantly hosting LIVE authors on her Facebook Group and podcast. Please let me know how I did in the comments!

1. I did my first guest appearing on a podcast to discuss my author journey, “Do You Have Any Patience?”, and my future plans.