A Speed-reading Illustrator Needs a Challenge for 2012

I’ve always been a voracious reader.  By 12, I’d read my way through our entire town library. Thanks to supportive parents and an understanding group of librarians, I got special permission to take out adult novels from the main library instead of being restricted to the children’s section.  I think Robert Heinlein’s Citizen of the Galaxy that I read that year extended the foray into Science Fiction and Fantasy that André Norton’s YA novels had begun.

There have been several years where I kept a personal log of the books that I’d read, awarding them little ratings such as 1 to 5 stars or grouping them into categories such (must own, liked and never to touch again) but when I read about the CannonballRead4 on Facebook tonight, I knew that this was exactly the type of challenge I was looking for.  After all, 2012 will mark the year that I can not only claim to be a published illustrator, but a published author as well.

When I think of all the amazing books out there, just waiting to be devoured, it makes me go a little weak in the knees... Thank goodness I just bought a new bookshelf for the basement and rearranged my entire collection to make room for some new Christmas presents!

Bring on the books!

Marketing A Book...

I’ve been a bit silent on all of my blogs this summer... partly because I’m still not sure where the time went and partly because I also ran some summer camps for young writers and illustrators, hosted volleyball players for Team NB and had wonderful visits with family members who came from overseas!

Paul and I held the book launch for Emily Finds a Dragon in June and got copies off to our distributor in Nova Scotia so that he could take them to meet with the Chapters/Indigo buyer for the Maritimes in Halifax.  This got copies of our book online with them by mid-July.  We sold copies for a Saturday at the Farmer’s Market here in Moncton while I was also promoting my Tale Spin Summer Camp and placed them with a local gift shop who has sold more copies of our first book (Owen & The Dinosaur, 2008) than anyone else except Chapters.

We had an interview on CBC radio here in Moncton early one morning as well as 2 articles in the local paper over the summer which also helped get the word out, but sometimes it is those chances that you take that lead to the unexpected.

While up in Halifax 2 weeks ago to tour the Saint Mary’s University campus before a volleyball camp evening session for our oldest daughter, I took the time to drop off 2 copies of each book at the local television station.  I knew that 2 members of the morning show, Breakfast Television, had children at home.  I also knew as a parent that this time of year, kids run out of things to do and books to read, so I tucked in a note asking them to pass the books on to their kids to see what they thought and that we’d be more than happy to appear on the show if they thought the books had merit.

Paul and I will be doing LIVE television on Thursday morning at 8:15 am to promote the book!  We’re going to drive up to Halifax tomorrow and stay overnight so that we can be coherent.  This also lead to a book signing at the Dartmouth Chapters’ location before we leave town after the show and a confirmed date for the store here in Dieppe as well as a nice order for the stores around the Maritimes.

Promoting the book ourselves first above all has been so much more effective than waiting for someone else to do it.  I think that this is becoming the norm for most authors and illustrators now as the market gets more competitive.  

Now if I can just keep from having food stuck in my teeth on camera Thursday morning....  Eeeep!