Perhaps others out there are longing for those hot dogs on a grill days because for some strange reason this October people are buying my book Five Little Hot Dogs. Like a lot. It even has two 5 star ratings!
Now it is a cute book and everyone loves a good hot dog, but it seems really odd for some reason! Out of all of the books, I guess you can never really guess what will speak to people!
Hot diggity dog! Hop on to your favorite bookseller's page and get your copy today!
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I have tried advertising through Amazon KDP using their options under the Marketing section with limited success. I mean REAL limited. But I have to admit I did not put a lot of money into it (Amazon Ads). To be frank, I didn't understand how it worked. I looked at videos and still it was all so hypothetical and I just couldn't take a big risk.
So... I stuck to creating images like the one shown here and posting to my social media accounts. Going by sales, they haven't worked at all. Seriously, I am selling books, but never the ones I am advertising!
What is a person to do?
Try Amazon Ads again. I know - I haven't had luck before, but I'm going to try a very limited run to see what happens and I can always stop it at anytime. I'll be focusing on my Halloween book Candy : A Bingo Book this weekend and then in November I will be featuring my two Christmas titles, Santa : A Bingo Book and Five Rowdy Reindeer. We shall see what happens. Meanwhile, I'll still make my image ads. I find it relaxing and they are free :)
UPDATE: I ran the Amazon Ad from October 26-31 and had about 3000 Impressions with one click that cost me .46 cents. and no purchases *sigh* I think the cover is good. We shall see how the Christmas books go!
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Like I said, it was an awesome day - we did sell 17 books which is an all time high - but I left with a nagging problem to solve which has been puzzling me: people do not understand what "A Bingo Book" means. Side note, I also need to remember scissors and tape next time.
In any case, back to the Bingo books! Since I have been singing these songs in storytimes for quite some time, the words "A Bingo Book" immediately bring to mind singing a song to the tune of Bingo...
"There was a farmer who had a dog and Bingo was his name-o"
You know, that tune. Any five letter word can be made into a Bingo song... BUT what has finally sunk into my head is that people see "A Bingo Book" and think the book has something to do with the game, you know B - 22 or G - 63, etc.
I can totally understand the confusion. I mean really, how would a book work based on the popular game? So tell me, how can I convey to people that the books are variations of the Bingo TUNE, not the Bingo GAME when I am not standing there in front of them explaining it?
One idea we came up with at home is to go through all of the covers and remove "A Bingo Book". I cannot alter the titles on Amazon, but at least the covers, which is what people notice first, may be more inviting.
Another idea is to come up with some marketing ideas for ads, however I have noticed that my sales have nothing to do with current advertising. There is no correlation. Amazon does offer the ability to include information on the book page though so I think if I can come up with something succinct that I can put on the Bingo Book pages, that might help.
Any other ideas would be welcome! I really love the books and kids enjoy them when they read them or hear them, it is a matter of getting them into their hands! #marketinghelp #selfpublishing
This is an example of child learning and expressing empathy. Empathy is the ability to be aware of and understand the feelings and experiences of another and to express that understanding by showing care, support and compassion. A slap on the back is not usually deemed “compassionate”, but when a standard pat didn’t work, what is a toddler to do?
Modeling compassion and empathy will strengthen your child’s learning, but if you are at a loss at what to do or where to start, check out some of these helpful picture books:
Beautiful Blue by Taylor Girardin - Blue is feeling down, when her Grandmother shows her how beautiful it truly is to be yourself - even in a world where you feel alone.
It Will be OK by Lisa Katzenberger - A sweet, simple picture book about how to help a worried friend. Discover the power of listening and gain insight into dealing with anxiety and having empathy.
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena - Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don’t own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn’t he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty—and fun—in their routine and the world around them.
Namaste is a Greeting by Suma Subramaniam - Discover namaste’s many meanings in a simple, lyrical text, paired with a charmingly detailed visual narrative about a little girl’s kindness.
I am Human by Susan Verde - Being human means we are full of possibility. We learn, we dream, we wonder at the world around us. But we also make mistakes and can feel fearful or sad.
Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchevby - Today is Pet Club day. There will be cats and dogs and fish, but strictly no elephants are allowed. The Pet Club doesn’t understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.
Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle - A muddy country road is no match for this little pick-up—that is, until he gets stuck while pushing a dump truck out of the muck. Luckily, Blue has made a pack of farm animal friends along his route. And they're willing to do whatever it takes to get their pal back on the road.
The mornings are crisp and the leaves are beginning to change color; sure signs that Summer is over and Fall is fast approaching. The cooler air and multitude of changes that come with the season allow for many fun outdoor learning opportunities. Just remember, even though summer reading programs are over and the kids are back in school, it does not mean that family fun reading time needs to end! A wide variety of books exist that can add to your fall outdoor excursion experiences!
Begin your jump into the season with It's Fall by Renee Kurilla. It is a wonderful overall review of the season in rhyming text coupled with simple, fun illustrations. For some singing fun, add either Acorn : A Bingo Book or Five Little Hedgehogs by Cassie Veselovsky. Both have a beautiful fall feel and are great rhyming books for toddlers and preschoolers.
After enjoying some scrumptious apple cider and donuts, check out Apple Cider Making Days by Ann Purmell (go for the kindle edition!) or The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons which includes a description of how an apple press works. Before a trip to an orchard check out Apple Picking Day by Candice Ransom. If you’re feeling a bit crafty after your tasty treats, take a look at Apples, Apples, Apples by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace which is not only fun and informative, but also provides instructions on how to make apple prints.
Pumpkins can be found everywhere this time of year; in stores, patches and roadside stands! Check out Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht for a fun rhyming read-a-loud with awesome retro feeling illustrations by Jarvis. Cathryn Falwell’s Mystery Vine: a Pumpkin Surprise provides pumpkin growing information for older children and also includes some pumpkin recipes! You might also like Mark Kimball Moulton’s The Very Best Pumpkin or Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills for gently fun stories on finding a the best pumpkin.
There is nothing like a nature walk on a cool Fall day. Prepare for your walk by sharing Count Down to Fall by Fran Hawk. The Fall inspired countdown rhymes coupled with beautiful realistic illustrations by Sherry Neidigh are sure to get everyone in the mood. While on your walk, gather fallen leaves and try to identify the tree with the help of a book such as Leaf Jumper by Carole Gerber. And after returning home with nature collections firmly in hand, share Leaf Man by Lois Elhert for ideas on how to create people and creatures out of leaves, nuts, seeds and twigs.
Check out this amazing book list about apples for kids! These educational, fun and interactive picture books are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, highlighting how apples grow on trees through the four seasons, how to pick them and what you can make with them. It's a great way to teach kids about nature and healthy eating habits and perfect for enjoying in the fall season when many enjoy cider mills and picking your own apples. #apples #kidsliterature #education
1. Amara's Farm by JaNay Brown-Wood - Amara is hosting a potluck for friends on her farm, and her snacks won’t be complete without pumpkins. She’s searched and searched, but she’s grown so many plants that she needs help finding them. What do we know about pumpkins? They’re large, round, and orange - and, wait a minute, is that a pumpkin? No, that’s an apple. Where, oh, where could those pumpkins be?
2. Apple : A Bingo Book by Cassie Veselovsky - It is apple picking time and the gnome family is ready to pick and create a variety of tasty, apply treats! Familiarity and repetition strengthen learning! Here we have taken the familiar Bingo tune and created fun songs with other five letter words
3. Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall - Two young sisters follow the progress of their apple tree through the seasons, from a bare tree in the winter, through the pink blossoms of the spring, to the apple picking in the autumn.
4. Little Apple Goat by Caroline Jayne Church - Little Apple Goat's love of apples, cherries, and pears helps her plant an orchard for the animals on the farm.
5. Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson - Invites the reader to tap, rub, touch, and wiggle illustrations to make an apple tree bloom, produce fruit, and lose its leaves.
6. Apple Picking Day by Candace Ransom - A sister and brother welcome fall with a classic activity–apple picking! They bound with glee through the apple orchard, and race against other children to pick the most and the best apples
7. What's an Apple? by Marilyn Singer - Rhyming text shows all the imaginative things you can do with an apple.
1. If you are self-published and not attending vendor events, do try them! In Michigan we have Facebook pages for organizations to advertise vendor events. Check your state; they probably have some too!
2. Regarding items you will need to have: table, table cloth, chairs, canopy for outdoor events, baskets or other devices to hold your books. I have linked the items I purchased off Amazon (the baskets are from Five Below) and I do NOT get paid for any referrals. Baskets and book holders I picked up from Goodwill.
3. Additional items: baskets to hold small items, bright cloth if you can not yet purchase a printed one, business card holders (I designed my business cards and had them printed via canva.com).
6. People love free items! I borrowed a button maker from our local library and made buttons of my books to hand out. I also designed bookmarks through canva.com and then had them printed through Walgreens. Lastly I purchased stickers through Amazon which were a hit with people of all ages.
7. Something to transport everything from your car to the event! After trying different things, I ended up with this cart which can hold table as well as all of the things. WOOT! The canopy I have to transport separately.
8. Just one last note, I suggest bringing a cooler with drinks and snacks and also bring someone with you to help with the setup and to watch the table if you have to step away.
I hope these ideas have been helpful. Have you attended any vendor events? If so, please add your own suggestions to the comment section below.
For a little over a year now, I have been trying to
fine-tune my blog. It isn’t the fanciest
thing in the world and will never win an award, but I wanted a spot for my book
information and to talk about my experiences as a new, self-published author. Goodreads would have been nice, but they don’t
offer a blog. And Amazon provides a nice
author space, but again, no where for a blog; only a blog feed. So, I turned to Blogger.
I have toyed with Blogger before. In fact, many years ago I had a blog called “Read
It Again Mom” where I reviewed picture books and posted craft ideas for the
toddler/preschool age group. Pictures
were pinned a lot in Pinterest and the blog received a good number of visits per
day. Life because a bit chaotic though
and I decided to let the blog go. Now I
had to start again!
Remnants of my previous blog still hung out under my
username, so I had to do some cleaning, but things fell together rather nicely
once I wrote my first post. Again,
nothing earth-shattering, but I was expressing my feelings and ideas, sharing
new books and new experiences and over the course of the last year, I grew to
receiving 100-200+ visits to the blog per day.
I was so thankful!
THEN Google rolls out its “helpful content” update.
This update was supposed to target content written with
algorithms in mind to rank well – not necessarily content written by people for
people. Well, I can tell you, I haven’t
a clue how to write content that will rank well in Google yet I was hit
hard. My pages can no longer be found in
Google at all and I am seeing very few visits per day, probably as a result of
links in Pinterest and Instagram or on my Link Tree account.
I really do not know what to do. Right now, I plan to keep putting out my posts
filled with ramblings about my struggling author days.
On the plus side, this whole debacle has caused me to try the
Microsoft Edge browser because they have actually indexed my blog!
I really want to see if people are talking about the books. This evening I ran across this review of my book Heart, which is one of my Bingo titles. I appreciate this review because they do spell out the book is a take on the original Bingo song. There are so many people out there who really do not understand that the Bingo Books are based on the original song:
"There was a farmer who had a dog and Bingo was his name-o
B I N G O, B I N G O, B I N G O
And Bingo was his name-o"
You can take any five letter word and make a fun song to sing with your child! I do it quite often in storytimes which is why I have so many Bingo books! Take making your own song up with a child in your life.
Read the full review HERE
If you are new to Amazon KDP it might shock you a bit and cause some worry if you all of a sudden see your book discounted. Do not fear! Amazon knows what it is doing and your royalties will not be affected.
My book pictured here Candy : A Bingo Book is down to $5.39. What a deal! It is not that much more than what it costs me to buy an author copy. How come? Because it is the Halloween month and Amazon is hoping to sell more. Do not worry. It is a good thing!
Besides, as Amazon says on their Price Troubleshooting page "We retain the discretion to set the retail price for books we sell". They have many years of experience in the book selling field - trust them and let your book be purchased!