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Every debut author knows that the bulk of marketing and promoting their debut title will be left to them once the book releases. Right? (I see you nodding your head.)

But what if you go the self-publishing route?

Then the opening statement applies to you with one change: replace “the bulk of” with “all.”

Self-publishers and vanity presses make greater profits by signing authors than selling books. Visiting any self-publisher’s home page will demonstrate this. One touts their “publishing guide,” not their published books. Another lists three publishing options with price tags in the hundreds. Why promote a $16 book when they can push a $599 package instead? If you release a self-published picture book, you must make your own sales.

Having worked a decade in marketing and press relations prior to beginning the children’s authorship journey, I’m particularly interested in how books are promoted. This article comes after months of witnessing basic promotional missteps with self-published picture books.

If you have a self-published title releasing soon, here’s a promotional do-and-don’t list:

Check the press release links. Press releases for self-published books link to the publisher’s home page—not an individual book—by default. Remember the self-publisher is more interested in finding more authors than selling individual books. Insist that the URL links directly to your title and that the page is working properly. If the publisher won’t link to your book’s page, then test their home page search. Can you find your book? If you can’t, a potential buyer certainly won’t. If you’ve created your own website (crucial), the release should include your URL and your site should be fully operational. One look at a blinking “coming soon” and a potential buyer won’t return. If the release mentions your book is sold via Amazon, make sure it’s there and available for immediate purchase. Delay the press release until all online ducks are in a row.

Offer direct contact. Insist the publisher put your email address on their website so potential buyers can contact you directly. I’ve sent messages to five authors as a potential buyer via the publisher’s “author contact” form. Weeks and months later, not a single author has replied. (This could mean the author has chosen not to respond, but it likely indicates the message wasn’t delivered.)

Price competitively. Ensure your book’s price is within the average picture book range (or less), approximately $16 for a 32-page hardcover title or $9 for a paperback. No parent is buying a $32.99 picture book. Even the most technically advanced pop-up books sell for less. But also understand that the price may be beyond your control, especially if you have submitted a lengthy picture book and have requested illustrative changes.

Provide excerpts. Offer a substantial excerpt of the book. This is where you have an advantage over traditional publishers, who are reluctant to post more than two or three pages online. Let a potential buyer who cannot read your full text in a bookstore or at the library make an informed decision with a lengthy online excerpt. A parent wants to know their child will enjoy repeated readings of a book. They don’t want to spend money on something they read once and then shelve permanently.

With a non-traditional book, don’t rely on traditional venues. Understand that a library or a bookstore is not likely to stock your title. Booksellers are having enough difficulty moving traditionally-published books in this economic climate. Your local library or school may accept a donated copy, or a local independent bookstore that you patronize may display your book.

Respect length of traditional process. Don’t brag about how quickly your book was written. How does fast translate into a sale? A traditional picture book takes an author months, sometimes even years, to perfect. Then once an editor acquires it, it requires more rounds of editing and refinement. Then during the illustrative process, more changes. Even after it’s published, the editing process may never stop, if there are multiple editions. Consider that a traditionally published book takes an average of three to four years from the time the author starts writing to appear in stores. This may be one of your reasons for choosing self-publishing, but question whether you should boast about a “two day” endeavor.

Study best-in-class self-published authors. Dar Hosta, a NJ-based author/illustrator, has a loyal following and is in high demand for school visits. Jane Kirkland’s Take a Walk nature book series ties into school curriculum and has won numerous awards. Steampotville author Steve Ouch used social media to market his self-published book and captured the attention of a literary agent. The agent recently sold Ouch’s title to Running Press for release in Spring 2010. Guitarist Eric Litwin’s Pete the Cat was sold with an audio CD of an original song and got picked up by HarperCollins. Bryan Chick’s The Secret Zoo is a self-published novel, not a picture book, but it’s worth mentioning because he hired an exceptional artist to illustrate the cover, creating a look that set his book apart.

What are these authors doing to promote their books? How can you learn from their success?

Tara Lazar is an aspiring children’s book author who blogs about kidlit at Writing for Kids (While Raising Them). She hosted PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) in November 2009 as an alternative to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) for picture book writers.