Tips for an Awesome Book Debut by Tina Cho and Epic Eighteen Friends

My picture book debut year of 2018 is over, but some of the Epic Eighteen authors and I would like to share our tips with you to help with your debut. It's never too late to start thinking about all the bookish things that need to be done like as soon as you sign the contract or even before, get your author photos taken. Your publisher/agent will ask for one.

General
"Stay organized! Keep a month-by-month master list of tasks to complete before release day. Every time you hear a tip about book promotion, include the tip in your list so you keep track of all the great ideas swirling around. And don't worry if you can't get to all the ideas by release date--your book promotion efforts will continue after that magical date as well!"
~Melissa Stoller of Scarlet's Magic Paintbrush

"Relax. Take time to enjoy this experience that very few people get to have. Not doing every single thing to promote your book won't make or break your book."
~Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow of Mommy's Khimar

"My top tip is to join a group like Epic Eighteen. For all the obvious reasons. And if you can't find one, create one yourself."
~Christy Mihaly of Hey, Hey, Hay!

Book Promotion
"Don't rely on your publicity department to contact book bloggers--You need to do it yourself 6 months before publication."
~Jeanette Bradley of Love, Mama

"Keep a list of all your guest blog post urls that you've been featured in. Write blog posts ahead of time and keep them in a folder so you don't keep repeating the same things in your posts."
~Tina Cho of Rice from Heaven

"Ask your network to suggest your book for purchase at their public libraries. Library purchases often result in multiple book sales."
~Margaret Chiu Greanias of Maximillian Villainous

"Change all your bios in SCBWI, your website, Twitter, etc... to reflect that you have a NEW BOOK!"
~Tina Cho of Rice from Heaven

"Build a relationship with the local indie bookseller before the book comes out. It really makes a difference. The bookseller has been so helpful, and I think it is because they already knew me as a client way before my book came out.

Set up a GoodReads profile and an Amazon profile.You'll want to copy/paste your US Amazon profile into the other country Amazons (Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.ca etc...) because it does not automatically transfer your profiles over, even if your login info remains the same.

Book bloggers and book review chains help build up your book's visibility."
~Viviane Elbee of Teach Your Giraffe to Ski

Swag
"Wait till your reviews come out before you order postcards so that you can include the reviews on your postcards. On the back of your bookmark, thank people for buying your book and list other ways they can be helpful such as telling their library about the book, telling friends and family and writing a positive online review."
~Kate Narita of 100 Bugs! A Counting Book

"Collect book swag (even swag pictures) that YOU like and might make for your own."
~Tina Cho of Rice from Heaven

"Don't overdo it with swag. The return on investment probably isn't there."
~Hannah Holt of The Diamond and the Boy

Book Signing
"Take Post-It Notes for people to write the spelling of their names and what they'd like written in the autograph.

Decide on refreshments, a craft, and decorations that emphasize the theme or colors of your book."
~Tina Cho of Rice from Heaven

"If you have a relationship with a local elementary school, send home fliers in school folders the week of your launch party. You might be surprised by who shows up to see you read.

Unless you are a celebrity, bookstore readings tend to be sparsely attended (unless they have a regular storytime). It's probably not worth your time to drive an hour to read to one person. Only do these if you are more interested in building a relationship with the bookseller than selling books on that day. A chain store will likely forget you by the next day, but for a smaller shop, you could build meaningful relationships. Hopefully you'll have more books and more events down the road. Build for the future!"
~Hannah Holt of The Diamond and the Man

Tina signing with her special Sharpie pen

School Visits
"Try a school visit...you might actually love it!!"
~Shanda McCloskey of Doll-E 1.0

"During my debut year, I learned that every school handles visits a little bit differently. Be flexible whenever possible."
~Brenda Maier of The Little Red Fort

"During readings at schools or bookstores etc., figure out a way to make your story interactive. This could be having the kids repeat a refrain or listen for a particular word. It could be singing. It could be asking questions as you go along, or showing illustrations and asking kids about it. AND--practice with a friendly crowd before you do your debut reading. I took my ARC to a first grade classroom (where the teacher is a friend) and read it to them and responded to their constructive critique (there was a portion that needed a little explanation for young readers)."
~Christy Mihaly of Hey, Hey, Hay!

"Make your presentation in Google slides, that way you can log into any computer, and it's there. You don't have to worry about carrying your computer or projector or cords."
~Tina Cho of Rice from Heaven


"Make a teacher's guide for your book and have it downloadable on your website. Bonus if you have a craft!"
~Tina Cho of Rice from Heaven

Rice from Heaven craft

After the Debut
"Keep a folder on your computer to collect photos of your book in various places and with other people.

Focus on the children, not the gatekeepers, not how many stars or no stars your book received. If you made a difference in the life of a child (or adult), you achieved your purpose."
~Tina Cho 

Letters from students and a teacher in New York regarding my book

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I hope these tips are helpful to you. Remember, even though your book's birthday or year is up, you still need to promote your book. In the coming weeks I'm doing some author Skypes for World Read-aloud Day and doing an author visit at my school.

What can you start doing for your book's release? Have fun! Be creative!

Back to School with An Inconvenient Alphabet Written by Beth Anderson, Interviewed by Tina Cho

As a kindergarten teacher, I love ABC books. When I heard about Beth Anderson's An Inconvenient Alphabet, I had to find out more! She & I are part of the Epic 18 Debut Picture Book group, where I've gotten to know her. She's also a former educator. Welcome, Beth!

Photo by Tina Wood

1. How did you come up with this idea?

First, thank you so much for sharing AN INCONVENIENT ALPHABET with your readers!

As a writer who loves narrative nonfiction, I’m always on the lookout for interesting tidbits from history or science or maybe a combo. When I saw an article on Ben Franklin’s alphabet, it caught my eye. And then, as I read Ben’s words, “Those people spell best who do not know how to spell,” it hit me in the heart – my teacher, parent, language-loving heart. But it still required lots of digging to find the premise and shape the story.

2. What was your research like? Did you travel anywhere special to find golden nuggets of info? How long did it take to research?

My research started with scouring the internet to get an overview as I considered the potential of the topic and gathered a list of sources. Then I turned to the library and began requesting books about Ben and Noah and language history. I am so grateful for all the historical texts that have been digitized and are shared on a number of databases – such incredible resources! I reached out to historical societies, the Library on Congress, museums, and other institutions.

The first round of gathering information took a few weeks. Then as I drafted and revised, I continued to get more books as one source led to more and more, a dribble of ongoing research for a few months. As I’ve found with every manuscript, I needed to do another dive into the research, rereading my notes and searching out more resources, to reframe or hone a special thread of the story after receiving critiques.  

3. What was your favorite bit of information that you uncovered?

ISH. Ben had me at “ish,” his letter for the SH sound. That along with the quote I mentioned above were my favorites. Oh, but then there was the fact that Noah and Ben were opposites, Noah being a tad pushy and wanting to legislate his ideas. And I have to admit to liking the point that Ben, Super Founding Father, didn’t hit it out of the park every time he had a new idea. He let his ideas “take their chance in the world,” which is great advice for me as a writer. So basically, I kept finding more to love. :)

4. How many drafts before this sold?

I did about 40 drafts of this manuscript.

5. What have you learned about marketing? Any tips to newbies?

I’m still a newbie at marketing, learning as I go. I’m trying to take advantage of any opportunities, learn from other authors’ experiences, keep records for the future, and have fun with it. 

6. I see you have two more picture book biographies coming in 2020 from Calkins Creek. Would you like to share anything about those?

Although these two picture books both deal with transportation in New York City, they are very different.

LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT: ELIZABETH JENNINGS FIGHTS FOR STREETCAR RIGHTS, illustrated by the phenomenal E.B. Lewis, is a civil rights story about a woman who won the first court case for desegregation of public transportation. She’s an amazing woman, much like Rosa Parks but a century earlier. To me, her story shows how we are links in time, standing on the shoulders of those who came before us and inspiring those who follow, as well as how we all need to find the courage to step up and play a role in establishing social justice.

“SMELLY” KELLY AND HIS SUPER SENSES: THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF AN ORDINARY MAN AND HIS EXTRAORDINARY NOSE, illustrated by Jenn Harney, is set in the fascinating underground world of the 1930’s New York City subway. There, James Kelly, a humble immigrant learns to use his natural talents for the benefit of all—and also finds out what it takes to be a true hero.

7. What are you working on now?

At the moment I’m working on editor revisions for a third Calkins Creek title that hasn’t been announced. I’m also revising a new manuscript on a bit of revolutionary history that I’d never heard of before that seems incredibly relevant in today’s world. And then there’s pile of research and a few ideas that keep swirling in my head…

Wow, Beth, Congratulations, on these additional forthcoming titles! You've been busy with research. I hope you all get to read An Inconvenient Alphabet! 

Bio

Beth Anderson, a former English as a Second Language teacher, has always marveled at the power of books. Armed with linguistics and reading degrees, a fascination with language, and penchant for untold tales, she strives for accidental learning in the midst of a great story. Beth lives in Colorado where she laughs, wonders, ponders, and questions; and hopes to inspire kids to do the same.

Beth blogs at https://bethandersonwriter.com/
An Educator’s Guide will be available on 9/25 HERE