Making a Name for Yourself
by Elysabeth Eldering
When my first book was published in 2008, I knew it was going to be a long road to make a name for myself. It's about marketing and promoting. Writing books does not an overnight success make. This month starts my "busy season" of promoting and marketing. Homeschool conferences, book festivals, and other ways to promote my books. Between the middle of February and the middle of November, it seems there are several events going on every month that I could possibly participate in. I've got to pick the ones I feel will be the most beneficial in promoting my books. Events like the SC Geographic Alliance's Geofest are great ways to promote myself inexpensively (this one cost me a little bit of gas, an overnight stay and two meals) because the core group of attendees is comprised of social studies teachers and other geography related folks who are looking for new and innovative ways to promote geography and social studies.
The second week of May is travel and tourism week. Most Welcome Centers probably do something to promote travel and tourism during the week. I've lucked up in that the SC Welcome Center coming in from Georgia on I-85 promotes local businesses. This is strictly a promotional gig as opposed to a book festival or other event where I can sell my books. The advantage of this type of event is that I get to meet people from many other states who are traveling north. As long as I'm putting bookmarks and other info in the hands of the people, I'm promoting my books.
The more events I do, the more I should be making a name for myself, but what about repeat events? This is truly the way to make a name for oneself. People will look for you after you do an event one time. This happened during the Love to Learn Homeschool Information and Resource Conference in August of 2010; a lady came to my table near the end of the day and said she remembered me from the year before and was glad I came back this year. I'm doing that conference again this year. The Savannah Children's Book Festival is another repeat event, and the best part of this is that I'll have the opportunity to do school visits before the book festival and get paid for that, so if I can line up at least three school visits, that will pretty much pay for my trip or at least cover my hotel costs and a couple of meals.
The other way to promote is using inexpensive items as giveaways. Bookmarks are a wonderful way to promote and you can include so much information on the bookmark. Mine include three covers, my website, my blog, my email, my logo, my illustrator's logo and her website. Where do you get bookmarks that don't cost an arm and a leg? Online through gotprint.com. The last order I did was for 2500 bookmarks at the low cost of only $25 and some change plus shipping, which was under $13. It is worth every penny and the quality of these bookmarks is very high. I usually sign the backs of the bookmarks so the kids have something autographed. I keep a stack of 50 or 100 in my pocketbook to hand out when I'm out and about.
I also offer prizes and freebies that are book related or at least United States related for my workshop attendees (geared for the kids) that I pick up at Dollar Tree, Dollar General and through Oriental Trading. You will be remembered and start making a name for yourself if you get out there and promote and market your books and yourself.
Elysabeth's Bio:
Elysabeth Eldering is the award winning author of the Junior Geography Detective Squad (JGDS), 50-state, mystery, trivia series. She has been a traveler since birth, traveling with her family while her father served in the United States Army. Ms. Eldering has lived in several states and overseas. She calls South Carolina home these days stating she is "Southern by choice, not by birth." Elysabeth entered her first writing contest at the age of 41 and took second place for a children's mystery story, "Train of Clues," which inspired the JGDS series. The stories are written in a Jeopardy!® like style in that a game gives the kids clues but they don't have to answer in the form of a question. Each book highlights one state. There are supplemental study guides, which take the books cross curriculum.
For more on the series, visit the JGDS website
For updates on events and things book related, visit the JGDS blog
Elysabeth can be reached via email at eeldering@gmail.com for questions, comments or book orders
Be sure to follow the VBT Writers on the Move tour by visiting Jenny Turner who will be hosting Marvin Wilson (The Old Silly).
