Blogger: Rachel Kent
Author Diane Stortz is a Books & Such client with a lovely new release, Words to Dream On: Bedtime Bible Stories and Prayers. It is a storybook Bible with delightful illustrations (by Diane Le Feyer) and wonderful, easy-to-read-and-discuss stories. There are also short Bible verses, blessings, and prayers for children to ponder as they fall asleep each night. The book is designed so a parent and child could read it together or a young reader could enjoy it alone, too. I have a copy here to give away to a randomly-selected commenter, so please be sure to comment if you’d like a chance to win!
I was over visiting Diane’s website (Dianestortz.com) and noticed that she has done something wonderful on her blog. She found a way to market Words to Dream On in a way that the book isn’t the central focus of the blog post, but instead is featured as an example of what she chose to write about as the main blog topic. Her blogs don’t feel like marketing attempts. They offer practical, useful tips for parents, and the book naturally ties in.
Here are the two examples I saw:
First, Diane writes about how to speak blessing to your child. She goes into detail about blessings and has examples from authors John Trent and Gary Smalley, but then at the end, she is able to incorporate her Words to Dream On because it has small blessings for children throughout. She only writes one sentence about Words to Dream On and includes a picture.
The second post is about how to choose the right Bible storybook for your child. Very useful, and something moms and dads might be wondering about. It has five simple tips for parents to use when shopping for a storybook Bible to fit with their child’s needs. In tip #4, Diane uses her Words to Dream On as an example. She shows how she handled the battle of Jericho in an age-appropriate way in the book. There’s also a picture of the book cover.
I love how Diane offers real, useful content and helpful tips and doesn’t focus her posts on her books. She’s allowing sales to naturally happen, rather than trying to force them. I think we could all benefit from learning from her example. Thank you, Diane!
Do you have any simple tips or tricks you’ve used to market your books without it seeming like marketing? Please share them with us.
And remember, if you comment over the weekend, you will be entered into a drawing for a copy of WORDS TO DREAM ON! I will announce the winner on this blog post Monday.
Kudos to Diane for the emphasis on blessing your child. In the Jewish tradition, every Friday evening the father blesses his children (think Sabbath Prayer from Fiddler on the Roof). No matter how bad the week has been, the child knows that the Sabbath will come with Dad’s touch and positive words. What power!
I see the wisdom in Diane’s marketing approach–it’s not a trick, really. It is the consistency of her passion and mission. Thank you, Rachel, for sharing it with us. This will be an enlightening discussion, for sure.
Shirlee, thanks for your kind words! Loved the comment you left at my blog too–what a wonderful story you shared!
Just to clarify…I didn’t mean for the title to seem like we should trick people. I was trying to go for something catchy. 🙂
That is a great idea. I write a column in our local public school’s newsletter about literacy at home. She could also do something like that, write about how much reading to your children helps in their scholastic endeavors later in life (which it does, hugely!) and then mention her Bible story book as a good read aloud. It is hard to pick a children’s Bible, because the appropriate one changes as they age. The real Bible is so bloodthirsty that most parents want to hold off a bit. I started reading the actual Bible quite young (10 or 11 yrs.) and started in the book of Job out of pure contrariness. I learned all sorts of things from the Bible. Rape is the one that stands out in my mind these many years later (yep, I also read judges) so marketing your children’s Bible as a gentle intro seems like a good idea.
Kristen
Kristen, good idea. I’ve got a post planned in February about the benefits of reading aloud with kids and tips for doing it.
I started with an Adventure Bible. I believe it had the full text, but had child-friendly notes.
Speaking blessing to a child also works for a spouse, and I wish more people would do it. We’d have a better world for both children and adults.
When “Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart” came out, I started the blog of the same name (the one that can be reached by clicking on my name with this comment), and had really no clue what to do with it. The first few months of posts were a mess of different topics, with no focus and few followers.
The I did a couple of posts on marriage…and people found them. I realized that marriage and relationships is what I write about, what I want to write about, so the match had been there all along.
So now BPH (the blog) is about Christian marriage, with the tagline the courtship and marriage are the greatest adventure in life. Corny, but I like it, and more important, I believe it.
Since the book also deals with PTSD, I’ve included posts on that, and they’ve hit an even wider audience.
The build in popularity has been slow, but that has not been a bad thing. For a number of practical reasons I could not really publicize the book when it came out, aside from a few local signings.
The synthesis of product and marketing niche was accidental, but I think I learned more from that bit of serendipity that I would have from a calculated approach.
Andrew, you’re right–we can bless others besides our children, and also our children at any age, just by how we invest in them and interact with them. I haven’t been fabulous at this throughout my life, but I’m learning!
Andrew,
I love how you used your relevant comment about the subject of this post to incorporate the suggested marketing trick. Great example! 😉
My middle grade novel has flashbacks to the Russian royal family. I have found that many people have a keen interest in the Romanovs, so I make sure my blog and queries highlight that aspect of the book.
So, Rasputin and Anastasia are the bait on my hook. Sooner or later, an agent has to bite – right?
Rachel, I know just the child who would love “Words to Dream On.”
That is such a fascinating time in history. I would bite. Hope you end up selling it because I would enjoy reading it.
It was quite a time in history…
I’m directly related to Genghis Khan, and have considered a Mongol Horde series of historical romances.
Somehow…I think this might not be a draw…eh, Rachel?
But I am still proud to be MONGOLIAN!
Laughing out loud, Andrew. Maybe you could create a great love story to accompany that bit of your history. 🙂
Rachel, thank you for letting people know about Words to Dream On with this post–it was a lovely surprise to learn you were doing this!
I hope the idea of posts with book tie-ins gives other authors lots of good ideas for their own marketing too! (Article/post writing is the ONLY aspect of marketing that comes anywhere close to natural for me, unfortunately!)
Thanks so much for stopping by to mingle with everyone! 🙂
It is hard for marketing to feel natural, I think. There are a lucky few who seem to have no problem, but most people struggle.
Glad I’m not alone in the struggle!
I love your website, Diane. Such a beautiful post, beautiful photo.
I don’t have any tips, really. For non-fiction, speaking has been a huge blessing for me, as far as selling books. The last sweet group of ladies I spoke with … not a large group, they bought some thirty books. That may not seem like much, but it was a sweet return for pouring out my heart. And I didn’t even have to say one word about them. The books sat on a table off to the side, I put my mom in charge, and they disappeared. Plus, they totally spoiled me while I was there. God sweetness.
Thank you, Shelli. Blogging Bistro did the site for me this fall.
I’ve already pre-ordered this for my kiddos. And now I’m STOKED to hear about her site too. Outside of the savvy of the blog content, it’s also a great ministry to parents which I’m going to guess is also a huge part of her heart. Meaning, now I’m connected to her as a parent as well as a reader to my children. AND what a great resource to pass on to our Children’s Ministry director at church!
Wow, Jamie, you just blessed me so much with these wonderful words! Thank you!
A beautiful blog with beautiful posts. Thank you, Rachel and Diane.
Thanks for the encouragement, Meghan!
Diane, I love how your passion comes out in your blogs. And obviously in your book. And it’s a universal theme, yes?
I haven’t had a chance to check out your website yet, but I plan to mosey on over there in a bit.
Love for you to come by and visit, Jeanne. I hope it’s a place that encourages parents and grandparents to teach their kids the Word so they can know and love God!
Thanks for posting this, Rachel. I love your example, Diane. I’m about to launch my own author blog, and have felt nervous because I truly dislike self-promotion. This is a great reminder that I can talk about my subject matter without promoting my book, and the connection will (hopefully!) naturally happen. Thank you!
I’m so glad this was well-timed for you!
I’m still learning the marketing ropes myself, Carrie!
Love how she shared her book too! Thank you for sharing!
What a lovely way to ‘promote’ without pushiness. 😉 I love the concept of sharing tips, etc, that will in turn create interest and buyers.
Sorry I don’t have any tips. I’m just happy to learn about this book and how Diane has chosen to market it. 🙂
I blog often about topics that relate to my books with an Amazon link at the end: “Like this post? Check out these books on similar subjects.”
I loved reading to my kids before they could even speak. Now my own daughter and her dearest hubby are expecting a child. Our first grandbaby! I am already starting to collect books for reading to a new batch of bumpkins and this would be a perfect addition.
As far as marketing. I try to tie in my book when I can, but since I am a “mom who writes”, I usually write about mom things..faith , family and food… and sometimes if I am doing research or visiting schools I will post something about my middle grade novel. Yesterday, I posted about our daughter driving to school and how I felt about being so close to not being needed in my mom role. I mentioned Empty Nest at the end because it is a resource I need and would recommend to others.
I think anytime you can connect with your audience, you are marketing your books. Great job and can’t wait to read to my grand?
Congratulations! What a special time for your family!
Marci, you will love being a grandparent, and I know you will be a great one!
Sounds like some great marketing ideas!
I’m pleased to know it is possible to self-promote with integrity. This book looks absolutely wonderful!!
My dog uses those little sample packs of dog food.
Wow, what a great way to promote your book! Thanks for this post, Rachel! Diane, what a good idea and what a great book cover! I love it!
Now I want the book!
I love how the book cover and the website color scheme blend. Its so peaceful to look at.
Diane is an absolutely phenomenal author to work with. She is one of the most organized and gracious people I have ever met. If her new book is anything like she is in person (which I suspect it is), I’m sure that parents, grandparents, and their kiddos will love it.
I am so impressed with Diane’s ability to “soft sell” her books in her blog posts. She has a knack of delivering valuable, helpful content and then suggesting her book (and other authors’ books) as a resource. It’s not offputting at all; in fact, it makes me want to buy the book. Which is saying something, in today’s market.
If authors are looking for a stellar model to emulate, Diane’s your girl!
Laura, I just now read your comment here. Thank you so much for these kind and encouraging words! Something to live up to, even.
I’d like readers to know that you and your team would be my number one choice to work with again on any website project!
Sounds like a lovely book! I look forward to reading it to my kids
My low key marketing comes down to trying to help people do something they want to do. My book Kneeling With Giants is about prayer, and readers were using it in small groups and classes at their churches. So I self-pubbed a small group leader’s guide and give it away on my blog. I figure every free leader’s guide is a group’s worth of books!
Congrats to Diane for the exciting achievement!
In regards to marketing, I say for those who already have a published work, connecting with readers on a regular basis is the key to self-promotion. Asking fans to take a photo of your book in a creative way, and then posting them on your site is a good way to promote yourself as an “Author for the People”. And building a fan base is, in a sense, marketing future works before they’re even written!
The randomly-selected winner is Gary Neal Hansen! Congratulations, Gary! Could you please email me (representation@booksandsuch.com) with your mailing address? I will also try to contact you directly!
Thanks to everyone who read and participated!
Woo Hoo!!!!!!
Thank you so much!!
And speaking for my kids who love to be read to, thanks in advance for many lovely evenings to come.
Congratulations, Gary! I hope the book truly blesses!
Thank you Diane! I’m sure it will. Thank you for writing it–anyone who blesses the children is a hero.
My 7-year-old grandson would love that book. I’m putting my name in the drawing and I also appreciate hearing about Diane’s wise marketing.
Kathy, we gave our 7-year-old grandson his copy of the book recently when we were in Savannah to help out the family after the birth of a new baby. He loves it too.
We had had a conversation about the meaning of forever, and I had told him how glad I was that in heaven there wouldn’t be any need to say good-bye (as we so often have to do). He remembered that and brought it up on our last night together and we got talking about heaven again. I suggested he read the last story in the book to learn what I think heaven will be like.
He ran to get it and read the story aloud to us all. Such a joy to hear him reading my words about the goal of all our journeys–recounting God’s words, really!
I’m sorry you didn’t win, but I hope your grandson gets to read the book!