WHY CAN’T MY BROTHER BE MORE LIKE MY CAT?

 

In this fanciful rhymed children’s book, with can’t-stop-looking-at-them art by NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING ILLUSTRATOR, LEE WILDISH, a little girl stacks up her cat's fine points with her brother's--and the cat always comes out ahead. Or does he?  Available wherever books are sold and on Amazon. https://tinyurl.com/5e5mpw4t.  The

book won a second place in the Connecticut Press Club 2025 Awards, a 2025 Libby Book Award, and was a finalist
in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

FINDING HARMONY: The Kitten Who Taught Friends Kindness

This charming, interactive book takes children on a journey of self-discovery as a little girl and her friends try to
find her lost kitten. Along the way, they learn that shouting, carrying big sticks, and ignoring others’ feelings won’t work, but asking God’s help, paying attention, and being kind will. Kid-friendly illustrations by noted artist Alejandro O’Kif and interactive prompts on every page make this a book kids will clamor to read over and over again. Available wherever books are sold and on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Harmony-Kitten-Friends-Kindness/dp/B0FHHQBV48

https://www.alliawrites.com/ 

Put some magic in your thinking by asking “what if” questions. What if highway blacktop also came in blue top or red top depending on the speed limit? What if there were no bookstores – how would you sell your books? Such questions could stretch your thinking and help lead to new ideas. What off-beat “what if” questions can you ask that could open your mind to think about your concept in a different way? Here are some to get you started:

What if you were given three wishes, what would you wish for?

What if you could be a character in the book of your choice, what book/character would you choose?

What if birds aren’t singing but they are screaming because they are afraid of the heights? (just kidding)

Your personal brand is how people describe you when you are not there. And it should focus on what you do and the value you provide, not just your title or role. For example, instead of saying “I’m an author,” say “I help (parents raise healthy children).” What is your personal brand?

Publicity is an inexpensive and productive promotional tool used by independent publishers to generate exposure for their books. And a press release is the tool most commonly used to stimulate publicity. However, too many publishers' press releases go unheeded because the publicity copywriters make one major mistake--they write their press releases about their books and not about how the content benefits the reader

Your promotion should communicate a single message: why your content is the best means for reaching your prospects’ objectives or solving their problems. And that message should change for each target segment. Remember KISS – Keep It Straightforward and Simple  

There are too many “good enough” books published by unknown authors every year for one to stand out and become a bona fide hit without innovative marketing. The world does not care that you wrote and published a book. Make yours stand above the crowd so people take notice, and that could take years of consistent, strategic marketing – or be more creative in your marketing.

When you are on the air, charm the audience while communicating important information. And you may have to do it in three minutes, perhaps while the host is asking you questions that have nothing to do with your book. Reaching your goals under these conditions requires you to blend your understanding of the audience, knowledge of your topic, diplomacy and training to create a polished, effective performance. You can do this if you know the answers to these questions:

• ·  Given a limited time on the air, what are the major points you want to impress upon the audience? Since you will participate in shows of varying lengths, decide in advance how many points you can communicate reasonably in different time periods.

• ·  What information is important to each audience? Your presentation will change, depending upon the composition of the audience.

• ·  How can you make the transition from an irrelevant question (How is the weather where you are?) to your message without offending the host?

Books are commodity items and are difficult to differentiate physically. Separate yours by content, position, distribution, value, service or author’s credibility.   

Every March basketball fans are embroiled with Madness. Similarly, there are so many marketing “bracket choices” available to authors that they become overwhelmed and do not know where to start or how to organize and implement an effective marketing mix. Until now.

See my article “March Marketing Madness” here: https://bit.ly/3LQqPW8. Then apply bracketology to book marketing by analyzing each of the four parts of a marketing mix: Promotion, Pricing, Distribution and Product Development. These are each depicted as one document suitable for editing here: https://bit.ly/37tZx5z . Complete the brackets as you would for the NCAA Final Four and at the same time your final marketing choices will set your Final Four marketing strategies and actions for the next three months.

Book-marketing success is like working on a 5000-piece jigsaw puzzle, and you create the pieces. Your outcome is what you envision it to be, and only you can see what it is supposed to look like.