How Authors Market Outside the Box

By thinking outside the box, authors can make partnerships and market in ways you never imagined

As a multi-genre author, I never imagined myself writing and illustrating children’s picture books.

But when I finally did, my next thought was…how do I market these things?

The most common struggle among published authors is how to market their products. Or how do I make smart partnerships to sell my books?

This is where creative thinking comes into play.

Whether or not you have ever considered it, there are more resources at your disposal than you originally thought.

But you need to figure out a few key pieces before you start.

Your book’s relatable topic

Every single book has a relatable topic whether it be finding friendship, exploring a particular dream, finding love again, fighting for what you believe in — the list goes on and on.

So, now the question is, what is it about your book that people can relate to?

For my children’s book, Dandelion, it was about acceptance. Dandelion is a weed in a garden of flowers and just wants to be accepted. And thankfully, so do so many other people.

Knowing your book’s relatable topic is the first stepping stone.

Your Theme/Genre

What is your book’s theme or genre that can help you narrow the search for resources?

Let’s use my book Dandelion again as an example. Dandelion obviously has the theme of gardening and the genre is specific to children. That much can start you off.

If I tried to look deeper though, I can take away:

• Science themes

• Art themes with my book’s illustrations

• Being kind to one another

• How to be a good friend

• Self-acceptance

Looking deeper at the other themes your book can touch on can open your mind to the possibilities down the road for your book.

Potential Partners

Once you know the themes and relatable topics of your book, now it’s time to see if there are any potential partners out there for you.

What do I mean by this?

What I mean is, what businesses in your area can you partner with? What other places in your area relate to your book and its theme?

Using Dandelion one more time as an example, I brainstormed a ton of opportunities and reached out.

I tried:

• A children’s indoor play museum called Tiny Town had a small shop area to purchase children’s items

• A children’s indoor play museum called Hands on House also had a small shop area with children’s items

• Grocery stores in my area that sold books in their baby aisles

• Gardening stores looking for specialty items

• Teachers/ schools/ daycares looking for learning kits with a book

• Libraries that were looking for donations

There are so many opportunities out there, but we as authors need to take the time to plan out what we are willing to offer, make a list of people/ businesses that pair well, and then ask.

If your book has to do with trains, try a train museum and see if their gift shop is looking for more items. Or maybe your book is about animals, why not try a Zoo gift shop or smaller farms that do festivals in the area where you could be a vendor?

The possibilities are endless.

For more on being a vendor see: What Indie Authors Should Know Before Becoming a Vendor at a Brick and Mortar.

There are more ways that authors expect to be able to market and make partnerships for their books, we just need to think outside the box.

For more on marketing before publishing, see: 3 Ways to Market a Children’s Picture Book Before Release