"Baby Dog Beans Comes Home" is my kid's book

Hi Jennie

Cute site. You may want to also post this on the "Conventional self-Publishing Thread" here. On the main board it's along, long, long way down. It's fairly new and just noticed it awhile ago. I haven't really checked it out.

I heard on our local news up here in Canada in the last month or so about a self-publisher of children's picturebooks who is doing quite well. They are selling books in the UK. They're in either Kitchener or Waterloo (They are twin cities). If you google (self-publishing kitchener, ontario, canada/ or waterloo, ontario, canada) you may be able to find enough information to contact them. They are fairly small too, so they might be willing to trade information.

JennieB said:

Hi everybody. I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right place, but I'll give it a shot here.

I just wrote a children's book ("Baby Dog Beans Comes Home: A Paul and Beans Adventure") and started a publishing company for it, and now I have 2000 books in boxes around my house that are waiting to be sold. I did a big Amazon campaign last week and the book made it to #30 on the kid's charts, which I think is pretty good and is something I can use in my promotional mailings.

I'm promoting it in every way I can think of, but am still having a hard time getting people to buy directly from my website. So I guess what I'd like from you guys is a website critique -- can you tell me if there are any glaring problems or reasons you'd hesitate to buy?



http://www.abbottavenuepress.com

Another question, and again I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask it, is -- have any of you been able to attracted foreign publishers or distributors? If so, how did you do it?

Thanks for your help!

Jennie

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Hi Jennie,
I went to your site and think it's well done. I think the problem is that your site is one of several million on the internet, and you only have one product to offer. What kind of web promotion have you done, other than Amazon? Have you tried to link your site to other animal-related sites, rings, forums, etc.?

Is your book a hard cover or paperback? You should specify that on your site. It's also a bit pricey for a 22-page book, even though it's 4-color.

Have you tried pitching the book to the dog-loving crowd? You can contact humane societies, vet's offices, breeders, pet-grooming places, etc., and even tack shops might be interested in this book. There are also probably big pet product shows it would be worth checking out to see if they have book distributors/reps you can use to sell into that market.

Distributors aren't generally interested in a one-book company unless it sells pretty well off of your own web site (although I understand the Catch-22 here: you can't do another book until you sell enough of the first one to fund the second, and you can't sell the first one well until you have a second one to offer, as well). I would suggest trying to sell to the non-bookstore crowd first, since your book is so specifically doggy (which is a good thing).

Good luck!

Nicely done web site, Jennie. What nomad and watcher said are on target. Good luck with your book!

I absolutely adore the site Jennie... after all i'm a big dog lover, wish I could have every single dog, but then that would be a house full. Seriously though, I don't understand why you are having such a hard time selling the book. My father-in-law had a similar problem. He wrote a book (not childrens) and did the self-publishing route...he has boxes full still.

It's hard to sell books these days with e-books and such. Still, I think your book is interesting..I would certainly buy it (If I had the money)

JennieB said:

Hi everybody. Thanks for the nice words of encouragement. I've been taking the book around to stores since I don't have a distributor, and I was just shot down twice in the last hour. So it was reassuring to read your comments.

I couldn't find the news story on the self-publishing success story in Ontario, Canada, so if more detail comes to you will you post it? And Nomad, when I was researching what to charge for the book, I found that kid's hardbacks are usually $15.95 and up, so mine at $13.95 is kind of a bargain and I priced it that way on purpose. I'll be sure to mention that it's a hardback on the website.

Someone suggested targeting the doggie people, and perhaps I'll do that next. Maybe investigate getting a little booth or part of a table at a pet expo? That might be a good idea.

Also, here's a new question: does anybody have any experience with getting into the Scholastic school book club, or the children's book of the month club?

Thanks for all your help!
Jennie

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Hi Jennie,
It's very difficult getting into either Scholastic's school book club or CBOMC, but you should definitely give it a shot. The margins are unbelievably low, though, so be prepared for that.

Difficult, Jennie. I suggest just ringing them up and seeing what they say. Most of their catalogues are going to be filled by the big publishers who make regular sales presentations, so...

Be prepared to discount your book to something like 10% of the cover price.

JennieB said:

Hi Nomad,

Do you have any advice on how to approach Scholastic or the Children's Book of the Month Club? And I am indeed prepared for low margins... this industry seems to be built around them.

Thanks!
Jennie

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Hi Jennie,
Sorry--our distributor does all of our selling for us, so luckily I don't have to deal with any of it. I just say yes or no to the offers, when they come.
I would echo Torgo, though--do some research, contact them, and see what happens. Good luck!

This might be more time-intensive than you'd wish, but most elementary schools have one or two book fairs a year. The ones near your home might be thrilled to have an honest-to-god author appear at one to sign/sell her own books. Also, have you written any press releases about the book for your local paper? You could tie one in with a book signing at an elementary school... great photo op.

Your local library is one of your best promotional vehicles. Make friends with the Children's area director, and see if you can set up a story time or something where you read your book to the kids. Also go to elementary schools, and see if they'll let you do the same thing. Donate a couple of copies to classrooms -- a lot of elementary schools have a "birthday book" program, where you can contribute a book in honor of a kid's birthday.

Go to your local pet groomers and see if they'd be willing to stock a couple of copies on consignment for you. Do the same with pet stores, and even the veterinarians offices. If your ASPCA or animal shelter is willing, see if they'd put a few out on the counter for people to look at -- maybe they could offer it at a discount rate every time someone adopts a dog.

With something as specialized as a dog story, there are endless amounts of places you can self-promote. Heck, you could even go to children's birthday parties and read it to them -- put together a Baby Dog Beans Gift Package with balloons, a book for the birthday child, and some milk-bone-shaped graham snacks. The possibilities are endless.