Work Wednesday: On the Road
It’s Work Wednesday here at Kaye’s Korner, the day I talk about the nuts and bolts of my adventures in writing children’s books. I’d say children’s literature, but that seems a little highbrow for my rhymes. Perhaps Kid Lit. That seems appropriately cute.
Yesterday, I spent the entire day doing the thing that most writers dislike the most. No, not starting a new book with a blank page. I went a-selling. It’s really not the same as a wassailing, though I did feel like I was singing for my supper a few times.
As an independent publisher, I have to be my own advocate for sales. I don’t have an advertising and marketing team sending catalogs to bookstores and boutiques. I don’t have someone contacting local book buyers to see if they would be interested in carrying All Hallow’s ABC. Ingram may carry my book, but I have to get news of it out by myself — which, hey, is the essence of being independent.
That’s why I drove 282 miles in my little white Honda, visiting bookstores, toy stores and children’s boutiques. I visited eight stores in three counties (Sonoma, Marin and Contra Costa), saying hi, dropping off my book and a sell sheet. You can see the sell sheet on my media page. I’ll do a post on those another week.
It was a fun and frustrating trip. At one store, the posted hours did not correspond with it actually being open. A different boutique had an incorrect web site, listing hours that were no longer in effect. A major independent bookseller’s children’s book buyer was on vacation, but forgot to put a vacation message on her phone. There were lots of misses.
But I still left notes and books, dropping them off with a smile. Whenever anyone actually saw the book, the reaction was positive. “It’s adorable,” said one manager. Comments like that made the whole day worth it.
I learned a lot. Here are the tips I will follow in the future:
* Always call ahead, get the merchandise or book buyer’s name and make sure the buyer will be in. I could have saved some time if I had followed this rule.
* Try to group two or more store visits in a city. If you’re spending the gas to get there, make it count.
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* Bookstores are not the only people who buy picture books. Boutiques and Independent Toy Stores are other sales opportunities — and sometimes can be very welcoming.
* Be brief with your spiel, but be sure to mention if you are willing to do booksignings or story times.
* Always leave a copy of the book. A few dollars of printing could bring much more in returns and goodwill.
* Always be polite and professional. And eat something if you feel cranky. No one likes a cranky person trying to sell them something.
I will probably end up mailing books to the few greater Bay Area places that I missed. The local stores I will visit in person.
Now all I have to do is make the follow-up calls and hope people order the book. It’s a slow process to build trust, but every positive interaction is a chance to make connections that could last a career.
May the magic of books make your days bright.
