8 Steps to Launch Your Children's Book

Promoting ebooks is easy, one quick click and the potential customer is at Amazon, but how do you sell your paperback?

Have a launch!

My invitation design

Launches are a whole heap of fun. If you're not sure how to go about organising one, here's a list of things that I tried for My Zombie Dog:

Give clear instructions

1. Choose your location. Ideally see if you can get a bookstore (that has a great children's section) to host your launch. Independent bookstores are sometimes happy to set you up for your book launch, especially if they have a cafe or plenty of space. If you can't find a good bookstore, try a family-friendly cafe or restaurant or even your local park (get council permission first).
2. Plan the launch. Launches aimed at adults can include talks on the topic of the book or how you came to write the book. Kids are not interested in your speech. Keep it short. Introduce the book, have a little (preferably interactive) talk about it and then include some activities. Include some stories and jokes. Read part of your book (you could read the whole thing if it's a short picture book). 
3. Have giveaways. I've had magnets made up with zombie dogs on them, they cost me very little from Vistaprint. You can also get bookmarks (kids love bookmarks) or postcards.
4. Include a few quick games or competitions. I'm asking kids to come dressed as zombies for an undead fashion parade, I'll be giving away book vouchers from the store as prizes. Emily (my teen girl) will be offering zombie face painting to create a whole little army of undead.
5. Promote your event. Facebook is awesome for this, but you might need to get out and about in your community. Offer to speak/read at local schools and libraries. Have invitations to the event printed up (again, Vistaprint are awesome for this) and hand them out. Try to get a buzz going.
6. Advertise - Do a letterbox drop in the area near the bookstore and put up flyers at local shopping centres. You could even put an announcement in the local paper. Get a banner made up to put outside the store on the day of the launch.
7. You can also promote through mums and word of mouth. Get to know the school mums or visit some Mummy blogs and see if they'll review your book for a free copy.
8. Order your books way ahead of time. No point booking a launch only to find your books haven't arrived yet!

My magnet give-aways

That's it! Most of all, make sure you have a LOT of fun, don't let it get stressful!