More Book Promotion Ideas

I ordered some postcards to promote my Mom’s book.  They weren’t that expensive from vistaprint.  Actually the cards were free, and I just paid postage.  It let me put a photo of the book on the postcard and some text.  On the reverse, I put the book’s description.

The plan is to send the postcards out to museums and libraries in Kansas.  I know librarians like to have a piece of paper to trigger their book ordering.  At least, I always did.

Memory Writing Assignment

Here’s some things to trigger memories for writing about your family:

• Did your family have a favorite cautionary tale to warn you of bad behavior?
• How about stories of family characters?  Any real oddballs in the family? 
• Who was the one that the family held up as an example (good or bad)?
• What did the family discuss around the dinner table?  Describe a typical mealtime at your home.
• Did your family ever say, “Why can’t you be more like ——-”  How did you react to that?
• Who do you think you patterned yourself after in your family?

For my summer writing group, write about some of the above memory triggers as they apply to your own life and family.  This is for the Thursday,  August 6 session.  See you there.

Writing family memories

Librarians – The Original Search Engine

 

• I had fun browsing on Cafe Press under the topic of librarian.  Librarians don’t really retire, we’re lifelong learners.  They have all sorts of great mugs, t-shirts, and other items with library slogans on them.

SO MANY BOOKS, SO LITTLE TIME

LIBRARIANS ARE NOVEL LOVERS

GOT QUESTIONS?  WE’VE GOT ANSWERS… LIBRARIANS

DON’T MAKE ME SHUSH YOU!

SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS ARE BOOKS

LIBRARY GROUPIE

I AM A LIBRARIAN… TO SAVE TIME, ASSUME I KNOW EVERYTHING

I’D RATHER BE READING

I BRAKE FOR LIBRARIES

Wearable Book Promotions

I ordered a t-shirt to promote my mom’s book.  Maybe I should have had them put the book cover on the shirt.  Here it is:

Gail Lee Martin's book

 I ordered this through vistaprint (the people who advertise the free business cards).  The t-shirt was free and I just paid postage, which fit the budget.   I’ll be adding more ideas for promoting a self-published book on a limited budget, so stay tuned.

The important things to get on your wearable book promotion is the book title, author, and webpage for buying the book.

Neglecting My Photography

I couldn't believe how big this ant was

I realized that I’d neglected my photography lately.  I guess I can blame it on being focused on leading the family memory writing group for the summer and finishing and promoting my mom’s new book.  Now that her book is launched and she’s made her first few sales, I got the camera out for a walk this morning. 

I’ll still write and work on mom’s second book, but I’ll try to keep the camera with me throughout the day.  Stop over at my mom’s website if you haven’t read the excerpt from her book yet.

Memory Triggers – Family Relationships

Were you the oldest, youngest child? Did you have household chores/outside chores?  Did you have jobs, get an allowance?  Who cooked, when did you learn to cook, to iron?  Who made the family clothes or did you shop for them?  Did you learn to knit, embroider or other domestic skills?  When did you learn to drive/did you know about fixing a car? How was your mail delivered?  Did the family keep in touch with distant family/visit often?  Did you have childhood diseases?  What pets did the family have? How did the family spend the evenings?  Take Sunday drives? Were you especially close to a relative?

Write about any of these or something else that these make you think of….

This is the assignment for this week’s family memory writing group.

Promoting Mom’s Book – My Flint Hills Childhood

Self-publishing a book involves a lot more that I ever dreamed.  Designing the book was fun and really creative.  Editing the book made good use of my English degree from Emporia State University.  Now I’m in new territory, trying to promote the book for mom. 

I created a webpage for her on WordPress.  I’ve sent press releases to a few central Kansas newspapers.  Now I need more ideas of ways to get the word out about her book.  I’m not sure that mom, at age 84, would be comfortable giving TV or radio interviews.  Maybe they wouldn’t phase her.  I always used to think she knew everyone in El Dorado, but then realized that she just talked to everyone like she knew them.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far about promoting a self-published book.