Author Promo Suggestions & The Kid Lit Blog Hop 64.

Promotion for authors today is more than a full-time job, and it can be time-consuming and overwhelming not to mention frustrating. I'd like to share some resources that I've used in the past few months that have helped to get my writing out there and even produced sales.

One element that must be present in all marketing endeavors is the author. Authors must be participants in all marketing programs, even the authors interviewed on Carpinello's Writing Pages. Those authors who promote and reply to comments on this blog have an exceptionally high viewership compared to those who sit back and don't participate.

When Sons of the Sphinx released in October 2014, I decided to explore marketing resources outside of ones I'd used for previous books. I did consider price, first and foremost, and then looked at what other authors in similar genres were using. I also explored companies that engaged me on Twitter and on Facebook. It is not possible to tie sales directly to any one marketing tool, but my sales using all of these resources has led to increased sales—in books I wasn't specifically promoting—and in the sale of classrooms sets of Sons of the Sphinx directly from Createspace.

Here are a list of the resources I've used in 2014/2015. Many are offering specials for the fall, so check out the website/FB page. These are just suggestions, not guarantees. Remember that marketing resources only work as hard as the author. Also, marketing is not done in a vacuum. It performs best when used with multiple avenues.

My Family's Heart - Sons of the Sphinx Book Tour.
Loving the Book Launch Party - Sons of the Sphinx Release FB Party; Back-to-School special.
Tweet Your Book - On Twitter @TweeetYourBook_ - Using for all of my books.
Double Decker Books - Sons of the Sphinx Book Blast/Review Tour.
Aroma's Authors - FB promotion site for all of my books.
Mother/Daughter Book Reviews - Always one of my favorites. Used multiple times.
Facebook Ads - Targeting the correct audience is essential here.

Once again, there is no guarantee of sales with the above marketing resources. I believe, though, that it is essential for writers to share what is working for them so other authors at least have a starting point. Authors need to determine what their marketing strategy is and do the research on promotional companies before signing. Also, the above companies are just some that I have used.

And Now,

Welcome to the 64th Kid Lit Blog Hop where we continue to develop a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists.

On this Hop, Carpinello's Writing Pages interviews

Children's author

Gregory E. Bray

You are always more than welcome to join us by popping in a post and hopping around to meet some of your fellow Kid Lit bloggers and authors!

*** Please note that we will only be hosting 1 Kid Lit Blog Hop during the months of July and August. These will take place on the 3rd Wednesday of each month (July 15 and August 19). We will be returning to our normal schedule (the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month) beginning in September.  The next Kid Lit Blog Hop will take place September 2.

Hostesses:

Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Julie Grasso, Author/ Blogger

Cheryl Carpinello, Author / Blogger

Stacking Books

BeachBoundBooks

Music Teaching and Parenting

Pragmatic Mom

Reading Authors

The Logonauts

A Book Long Enough

Spark and Pook

Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/category/kid-lit-blog-hops/" title="Kid Lit Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/KLBH-Button-FINAL.jpg" alt="Kid Lit Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Kid Lit Blog Hop Rules *Please Read*

1. Link up any Kid Lit related post in the Kid Lit Blog Hop. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.

* Don't link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post.*

* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one. Please link unique posts each time ~ no repeats please. *

* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*

* Feel free to link more than one post.*

2. Please visit AT LEAST the TWO LINKS from the Kid Lit Blog Hop directly ahead of your own and leave them some love in the form of a comment. We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you!

3. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you're linking up. If you'd prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links!

4. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!

Happy Hopping!

KID LIT BLOG HOP

Meet Children's Author Gregory E. Bray

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes children's writer Gregory Bray who personally knows Geroge of the Jungle!

First, a bit about Gregory:

I was born and raised in Sacramento, CA, where I still reside with my wife and son. I was a film/TV major in college. I worked on a few movies, the most notable being George of the Jungle. Currently I work in the IT field.

Why did you pick to write books for children?

I didn't set out to write a book. The Tail of a Boy Named Harvey, my first book, was a script for a friend of mine to animate. I lost contact with him and decided it would be fun to make it into a picture book with my sister's drawings. Once the first book was done, I had an idea for a second story, then a third, fourth, etc. So the reason I chose to write is mainly because it's a lot of fun.

What types of books do you like to read?


I enjoy reading children's books with my son. It's great to see his face light up when he gets excited over a picture in one of his books. If I'm reading for myself, it's normally noir style or fantasy.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?


I enjoy hiking with my family, chasing my son around, playing hockey, and sleeping.

Tell us about Meowy Christmas and how the story came to be.


Meowy Christmas is the story of a cat's first Christmas with his newly adopted family. The story is my take on Christmas and what it means to me. It's not about presents, it's about spending time with family.

Here's a peek at Meowy Christmas:

It’s Franklin’s first Christmas with his new family and he is excited to see a present under the tree with his name on it. He panics when he sees that it’s from "Mom and Dad" and realizes he didn't get them anything. With his friend Charley’s insight, Franklin discovers Christmas is about much more than presents.

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.


Yes. The Tail of a Boy Named Harvey is about a boy named Harvey who mistreats his pets. He has a dream where the roles are reversed, and he doesn't like the way he is treated. He wakes up with a new-found respect for his pets.




What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?


My third book Pochon's Monster is written and waiting to be drawn. I have several ideas for other children's books I keep milling about. I try not to force myself to write a story that isn't complete in my head. Everything starts as a movie in my mind that I translate to paper. The one that is furthest along is a scratch and sniff book.

What advice do you have for other authors?


Make writing enjoyable. For me it's a fun hobby. It would be great if it turned into a career. But if not, I'm just enjoying every second of the process.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I appreciate each and every one of them. There are so many great authors out there to choose from. I'm always honored to have someone choose one of my books to read. And that you (Cheryl) are great! I am really thankful for this opportunity to be interviewed.

Where can readers find you and your books?


They can contact me through

Facebook

Goodreads

My books are both available on Amazon:

The Tail of a Boy Named Harvey


Meowy Christmas

Sons of the Sphinx Summer Tour and the Kid Lit Blog Hop #63

The award-winning time travel adventure Sons of the Sphinx is making it's summer tour with My Family's Heart. There are author interviews, excerpts, character bios—they wanted to introduce themselves to readers—and Giveaways: a $50 GC and a free eBook of your choice when you visit The Quest Books website and sign up for our monthly newsletter! The Quest Book authors are yours truly, Wendy Leighton-Porter, and Fiona Ingram. You will find great adventures for MG/YA and those young-at-heart set in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds.

Below the tour banner you will find links to the blogs hosting Sons of the Sphinx and the rafflecopter giveaways. We'd love to have you visit and leave a 'Hi' at each stop, but understand time is precious. I've also put together a Pinterest board for the tour: Sons of the Sphinx Pinterest Tour board.

Alice's Book Wonderland

Indy Book Fairy - Content Warning, but Sons is G-rated.

Reading Authors - Kid Lit Blog hostess

The Story of a Writer

Jemima Pett - One of the Book Elves

Addiction to Reading

My Family's Heart

Muffy Wilson

New stops will be added each day.

And Now,
 

Welcome to the 63rd Kid Lit Blog Hop where we continue to develop a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists.

On this Hop, Carpinello's Writing Pages interviews

fellow Hop hostess and MG author

Julie Grasso.

You are always more than welcome to join us by popping in a post and hopping around to meet some of your fellow Kid Lit bloggers and authors! *** Please note that we will only be hosting 1 Kid Lit Blog Hop during the months of July and August. These will take place on the 3rd Wednesday of each month (July 15 and August 19).  

Hostesses:

Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Julie Grasso, Author/ Blogger

Cheryl Carpinello, Author / Blogger

Stacking Books

BeachBoundBooks

Music Teaching and Parenting

Pragmatic Mom

Reading Authors

The Logonauts

A Book Long Enough

Spark and Pook

Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/category/kid-lit-blog-hops/" title="Kid Lit Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/KLBH-Button-FINAL.jpg" alt="Kid Lit Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

 

Kid Lit Blog Hop Rules *Please Read*

1. Link up any Kid Lit related post in the Kid Lit Blog Hop. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.

* Don't link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post.*

* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one. Please link unique posts each time ~ no repeats please. *

* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*

* Feel free to link more than one post.*

2. Please visit AT LEAST the TWO LINKS from the Kid Lit Blog Hop directly ahead of your own and leave them some love in the form of a comment. We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you! 3. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you're linking up. If you'd prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links! 4. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!

Happy Hopping!

 

KID LIT BLOG HOP

Meet Aussie MG Author Julie Grasso

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes fellow Kid Lit Blog Hop hostess and award-winning MG author Julie Grasso. She is the author of the Caramel Cardamom Sci Fi trilogy and the Frankie Dupont mystery series. Julie hails from down-under and is expecting a new Grasso this September!

First, a bit about Julie:

With a background in paediatric nursing, Julie Anne Grasso spent many years literally wrapping children in cotton wool. Every day she witnessed courage and resilience from the tiny people she cared for, which inspired her to write stories to entertain them.  A science fiction nerd, (she even owns a TARDIS) cupcake enthusiast and lover of all things mystery, she lives in Melbourne with her husband Danny and their little girl Giselle. Most days she can be found sipping chai tea and dreaming up wonderful worlds that often involve consumption of cupcakes.

Why did you pick to write books for children/MG?

Middle grade is such a sweet spot, because kids this age are not quite ready for the reality of the world we live in. Fantasy and Mystery are how I choose to entertain them, with the hope to ignite their imaginations.

What types of books do you like to read?

I love mystery, middle grade, picture books, sci fi and forensic pathology.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

Spend time with my family, drinking chai late’s and dreaming up ways to make our small part of the world better.

Tell us about the newest Frankie Dupont book and how the story came to be.

Frankie Dupont And The Science Fair Sabotage is the third in my Frankie Dupont mystery series. I loved the idea of having kids attend a sustainable science fair, where their inventions have to be made from renewable or recyclable material.  It gave me a chance to dream big and then weave the mystery in around it. It was released in May 2015.

Here's a peek at Frankie Dupont And The Science Fair Sabotage:

Frankie Dupont is less than impressed when he has to attend the sustainable science fair with Kat and Amy. Upon his arrival, he learns that Amy's brothers have had their robotics chip stolen. Keen to recover the chip, Frankie questions the kids in the competition, but everyone seems to have a motive. When baffling clues start rolling in via “Snap-Goss” instant messages, Frankie realises it will take all of his detective muscles to solve this case.





Tell us a bit about the Carmel Cardamom books.

My Adventures of Caramel Cardamom Sci Fi trilogy was completed in January this year. Caramel is no ordinary elf.  She can read minds and control technology, but when the crunch comes, she has to work together with her friends to overcome the enemy.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

Frankie Dupont And The High Seas Heist, the 4th book in my series, will hopefully be released in August this year. This one has some awesome evidence to be investigated, which I hope the kids will love.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Dream big, expect nothing to come easy and work hard because no one else can make your dream a reality….

Anything else you want readers to know?

Life is too short not to eat a sticky date and caramel cupcake with caramel cardamom sauce at least once in your life.  I recommend it.

Where can readers find you and your books?

Website
Blog
Creative Kids Tales
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube