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| A coloring book for Thistletoe, by Kathy Louise Schuit, adapted from Nancy Batra's illustrations, combined with a packrat puppet help enhance sales. |
A group of about eight writers and I from our local chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, SCBWI, have joined together to sell books at various craft fairs throughout the year. We often share a booth and the cost, and sometimes sell on our own. For those of us who are self-published or have a small publisher, this is one of the best ways we sell our books.
One of our members taught history in our local school system. One of her book series is based on New Mexico state history. Teachers have purchased some of these books for entire classes, which also includes a visit and presentation. Her experience gave me the inspiration to create presentations for children based on my picture books and chapter book, which focus on various aspects in nature.
Develop your Program
Two programs that I’ve developed for my picture books, A Packrat’s Holiday: Thistletoe’s Gift, illustrated by Nancy Batra, and Cradle in the Wild, illustrated by 1000 Storybooks, have been well received.
A Packrat’s Holiday: Thistletoe’s Gift
A Packrat’s Holiday: Thistletoe’s Gift is about a packrat whose cupboards are bare during the holidays. Thistletoe wants to find food and decorations for his Mama to have a “right good [holiday] supper.” Thistletoe was presented in an elementary school library recently at the end of the school year. On library day the teachers brought the students to my presentation. The kids were high strung, as they often are at the end of the school year, but the teacher, librarian, and aide stayed in the room and helped keep them in tow. I think we all had fun. A number of my books were purchased by the principal.
• Collect materials: Before the presentation, I collected natural materials that packrats use to build their nests, such as dried leaves and grasses, fluff from various plants, pop tops and pieces of shiny tin foil, and small twigs and sticks. I wrapped a ribbon, string, or elastic band around some of these materials; others I collected in plastic bags. I numbered each item, enough for a 30-student class, and placed them in a basket. Also, I share binoculars and materials from our local library, which included a map of the best places in the area to go birdwatching.
• Introduce a treasure hunt: I hid the natural materials around the room. When the children enter, they are directed to sit down. I get them excited about going on a treasure hunt. Before the hunt starts, I show them a picture of a packrat and ask them to identify it. They inevitably think it is a picture of a mouse. Though packrats do look a lot like mice, we can then discuss how packrats differ.
• Familiarize children with packrats: We discuss that packrats are in the animal family of rodents. We name other rodents, including beavers, a fact I learned while working on this project. We discuss where packrats live, what they eat, and the fun fact about packrats’ traits—how a packrat will pick up a shiny object while searching for food, then if he comes across a more interesting shiny object, he’ll drop the first one, pick up the more interesting one, and take it back to his den.
• If the attention span of the group is a challenge, I then hand out coloring pages to color while listening.
• Tell the story: I have found that telling the story while showing the illustrations works better than reading it with groups of more than five children. This takes some practice beforehand, but it’s worth it.
• After the story: The children can color or take the coloring page(s) home with them.
• Book display: The main display is of the story book and a coloring book that an artist made to accompany my packrat book. My other books are displayed off to the side.
Cradle in the Wild
Cradle in the Wild is a story about two sisters who discover parts of a bird’s nest on their front porch. They scattered the nest pieces on the grass in their yard, but the birds did not come. They had to think of a way to attract the birds, which they accomplished by including scraps of ribbon, yarn, and lace from their mother’s sewing basket. This program was presented at a coffeehouse, a nature center, and more recently at a health club. Books were allowed to be sold at each venue. The owner of the health club bought several books for clients.
• Introduce the topic: Shared with students and parents/grandparents/caregivers is a collection of twelve bird’s nests that I’ve kept over the years. Participants are encouraged to hold the nests, pass them around, learn the materials birds use to build their nests; and especially they are encouraged to feel the soft, downy material the parent birds use for the inside of the nests to protect their eggs and hatchlings.
• Show pictures: Pictures from a book I discovered, Bird Watch Book for Kids: Introduction to Bird Watching, Colorful Guide to 25 Popular Backyard Birds, and Journal Pages, Dylanna Press, 2022 (Amazon) are large and colorful. The book explains what to take while bird watching, such as water and sunscreen, and the book itself. The book has pictures and explanations of popular birds, and a journal in the back for the children to keep track of the birds they observe.
• Suggest an adult bird guidebook: The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Birds is an excellent choice for parents to keep on hand for the family to identify birds their children see in their daily lives.
• Pass around samples of birdseed: Birdseed in small plastic containers can be passed around, followed by a discussion on how bird seed can be placed in an outdoor bird feeder.
• Suggest apps for smart phones: Apps such as Bird Sounds and Merlin Bird ID, The Cornell Lab, can be loaded onto the family's phones to hear bird calls.
• Tell the story: I tell the story from the Cradle book while showing the illustrations from the book.
• After the story: Children can color a page from a book like Birds Coloring Book, Las Vegas, NV, Purply Publication, 2023 (Amazon), or take the page home. Beforehand, I assembled plastic bags containing materials and directions for the children to make their own bird’s nest. I hand the plastic bags out for the children to make their own bird's nest at home.
• Book display.
Explore the Possibilities in Your Area
Think of venues in your town where you can present hands-on programs. Possibilities can include: Lunch & Learn programs at local churches; libraries, bookstores, coffee houses, pre-school get-togethers, local art organizations, and public schools. The key is to include parents, grandparents, and caregivers so that you can display your books for purchase. Interest a teacher, librarian, or principal to purchase a supply of books for a classroom or for children in the school before an author visit. The idea is to get librarians, coffeehouse owners, etc., excited about you and your books and program so that presenting your program is a joint effort. To allow use of photos of the children during your presentation, you can ask them to sign a Parent Consent Form, easily obtained online.
Selling and advertising online? As a self-published author, I have not built a strong online presence to make sales that way. Even if you have a strong on-line presence, you can develop hands-on programs and reach out to your local community. This will not only give you the opportunity to make book sales, but also to enjoy meeting your readers and their families in person. This approach has made all the difference for me. I hope you will find many rewards in this approach, too.
Other articles from Writers on the Move to explore:
"How to Sell your Book in Bulk," by Suzanne Lieurance: Writers On The Move: February 2024
"Give Local Book Sales a Try," by Linda Wilson: Writers On The Move: October 2023
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| Having the parents agree to sign the Parental Consent Form has allowed me to include images of children in my advertising, though the children's names will always remain anonymous. |
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