Kitten and Friends Storybooks
- At January 10, 2019
- By Aviva Gittle
- In Books, Products
0
Want to teach your child to be a good friend? Read Kitten and Friends stories! In each book, Kitten makes a new friend who is very different from him. With patience and kindness they find a way to play together. (Click on a cover to learn more about the storybook on Amazon.com!) Softcover versions include coloring pages!
Kitten & Butterfly
Kitten & Koi
Kitten & Snake
NEW! Kitten & Boy
Kitten & Squirrel
Gatito y Mariposa
Books parents trust.
Stories kids love.
How Do You Market Your Books?
An ‘About’ page allows readers to get to know you. We like to buy from people we like.
How do you market your books? It is a question that indie authors ask all the time. There are so many different ways to promote your work — and tons of books and articles on the topic — that authors get overwhelmed. “Just tell us what works for you,” they seem to be saying.
The marketing techniques you use are unique to you. Your personality, your technical skill level, your budget, the amount of time you can devote to it. There is no one way. There is no system. There are, however, basic building blocks that every author who wants to sell books needs. (See Helpful Resources below my bio.)
Rosie Russell, a fellow indie publisher and author of Beasley’s Journey, asked if I had used any of the marketing techniques mentioned in the article A List of Different Types of Marketing Strategies posted on ListTypes.com.
You should start with Call to Action. Here’s how TypeList defines it:
A Call to Action (CTA) on GoToGittle.com
“Call to Action (CTA) Marketing – CTA is a part of inbound marketing used on websites [my emphasis] in the form of a banner, text or graphic, where it is meant to prompt a person to click it and move into the conversion funnel, that is, from searching to navigating an online store to converting to a sale.”
Every author needs a website. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does need to have a way to buy your books. This could be as simple as having a button that says “Buy” or “Shop” below a picture of the book’s cover and links to its detail page on an online store, like Amazon.
There are two ways to get a website: Hire someone to do it or build it yourself. From there, you can continue to pay someone to update the site as needed or you can have that person train you on the basics.
After getting bids from freelancers on what is now Upwork.com, I ended up finding someone local through Yelp. He charged $450 to build my website with WordPress using a theme I purchased online. (A theme is a framework that provides the web developer with a template for your website.) I knew that this price was reasonable after getting quotes generally between $1,200 and $5,000.
Work with someone locally, if you can. Alejandro and I were able to sit down together to discuss the functionality I needed (which I sketched out on paper) and, when he finished, to give me basic training on how to add and change things on the website. (Take notes!)
Be sure to have an SOW (Statement of Work) that spells out what the web developer is going to do for you, at what cost. It should specify how many revisions the developer is willing to do.
My Amazon Author Page lists my books, but it can also include videos, my blog and Twitter feeds, and more.
Stay away from development / design services like those offered by GoDaddy. First, they are very expensive. But, worse, GoDaddy considers the website they build for you “proprietary” and won’t allow you to move it to another hosting site. (I don’t know if other web hosting companies do this so be sure to ask.)
What is a hosting site, you ask? This is where your website files will reside. You can host your own website by buying and maintaining your own server. If you can do that, you can probably build your own website. I recommend WebHostingHub.com, but there are many others. You save a lot of money by paying for 1-3 years up front.
My website is overkill for most authors. Here is the minimum you need:
- Front page that shows your books with a button below each one that links to the place readers can buy your books (like Amazon.com).
- An About page with your bio and a way to contact you.
- Links to your social media, like your Facebook page and Twitter account.
Get started with this. You can always add things later, like a signup form for a newsletter.
Last thing: You should take advantage of the free author page on Amazon.com. Here’s mine.
Think of your author website as the center of your marketing. Keep it simple and don’t let anyone talk you into more functionality than you need to get started. You can always expand it later. For now, give potential readers a place to buy your books and get to know you better. 😸
Sign up for Gittle News and follow me on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to hear about new articles on everything related to self-publishing. Have a topic you want me to write about? Email me at GoToGittle@gmail.com. Other Aviva’s Advice articles: Edit Thyself? Is Your Book Global?
Aviva Gittle Publishing offers great stories for children in English and Spanish, including the Kitten and Friends / Gatito y amigos series. Aviva’s website, www.GoToGittle.com shares the stories of authors, illustrators and others who create books and creative media for children.
Helpful Resources
10 Tips for Working With Web Designers
Author Websites Must Have Elements
How to setup your Amazon Author page (YouTube Video)
Edit Thyself?
Author J.K. Rowling signs copies of her book ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ (Getty Images)
You can ask J.K. Rowling, author of the wildly successful Harry Potter series, one question about publishing your first children’s book. What would you ask her?
Based on posts in LinkedIn’s groups for writers, many would use this golden opportunity to ask Ms. Rowling whether they should buy a block of ISBN numbers. Or which print-on-demand company is best. They might ask how to get their book illustrated on the cheap.
This is embarrassing to admit: Those were my first questions, too.
Four years and over a dozen self-published books later, the first question I would ask Ms. Rowling is: “Can you recommend a great editor?”
Some indie authors don’t think they need a professional editor because friends and family tell them their story is great. In a survey done by SellBox.com of 307 self-publishers, only 46% paid a professional editor to review their manuscript before they published it. 20% had a friend do it and 34% did it themselves.
In 2013, I decided to self-publish a children’s story I had written in 1995. I read Chloe and the Belly Beast to a few family members and friends through the years and always received positive feedback. I personally liked the story. So – there you go – ready to publish!
We all know the truth, don’t we? Our friends and family don’t want to hurt our feelings or discourage our dreams. Once my sister, an award-winning TV promotions writer, editor and producer, knew that I was actually going to publish this book, she started to get real with me. She provided – gasp! – honest feedback on the story.
Sketch from Chloe and the Belly Beast — still unpublished (Artist: Indrachapa Weerasinghe)
The story was confusing. She couldn’t tell over what time period it took place. Days? Weeks? Years? Some of the language sounded dated and vocabulary too advanced for the age of my target audience.
Most of us are not lucky enough to have an award-winning writer available to review our work. For free. But, she’s my sister, with all that history of sibling rivalry. I realized I couldn’t have her edit my work. The process transformed me from a middle-aged woman into a sullen teenager.
By this time, I had written several stories. Like many writers heading down the self-publishing path, I had no idea where to find an editor and assumed it was expensive. With online freelancing companies now plentiful, it was easy to find out. I posted a job on what is now Upwork.com.
After reviewing multiple bids, I hired two editors. It turned out that it was very reasonably priced. I had the first one edit the stories, then gave those versions to the second editor. Then back to the first editor. This was done a few times until I had a version of each story that I liked. They made some of the same edits my sister suggested. But, it was far easier to have strangers make changes to my “babies.”
Often, self-publishers assume they can’t afford an editor. But, if you don’t know how much it costs, how do you know you can’t afford it? (Tip: The most expensive editor is not always the best.) If your story is so important to you that you are willing to share it with the world, why are you not willing to put some money where your pen is?
Many indie authors wax poetic about their love and sacrifice for the written word. Prove it. Forgo take-out food, lattes, and quit smoking. Before you know it, you’ll have enough to pay a good editor. Should you ever run into Ms. Rowling, ask her for a referral. I’m betting she has a few great editors on speed dial.
Other Aviva’s Advice articles: Is Your Book Global? How Do You Market Your Books?
Aviva Gittle Publishing offers great stories for children in English and Spanish, including the Kitten and Friends / Gatito y amigos series. Aviva’s website, www.GoToGittle.com shares the stories of authors, illustrators and others who create books and creative media for children.
Ellen Davis – #6 on The Gittle List 2015 (Illustrator)
The first board book to win a spot on The Gittle List
How did it feel to win a spot on The Gittle List Top 10? While I have won awards for my work as a medical illustrator, Amos Likes to Jump was my first published picture book. It was immensely gratifying to be recognized for the hard work that collectively went into this book. As a first-time author and illustrator team, we are thrilled to have placed on the Gittle List. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our second book in the Amos series.
Interior illustration by Ellen Davis
What children’s book contains your favorite illustrations? I love the whimsy of Shel Silverstein’s work. The starkness of his illustrations in The Giving Tree lend themselves so beautifully to the emotions in the text.
What is your favorite children’s book? My favorite children’s book of all time is The Lorax. I love the illustrations of the candy-like other world filled with truffala trees and the way Dr. Suess plays with light and darkness to evoke the changing mood in the book. I read it so often to my cousin’s child a few summers ago that I almost know every word by heart, and yet I never tired of it. To me, that is the mark of a lasting book.
Which artists or writers most influenced or inspired your work? Currently, one of my favorite children’s book illustrators is Will Terry. The use of light and color in his work really inspires me. He uses light very purposefully in order to set the mood of his illustrations, and his attention to detail is truly respectable.
What is your favorite color or color combination? I like using varying shades of blue and turquoise in my work. It’s a very calming color and I use it in most all of my work, children’s book and otherwise.
Interior illustration by Ellen Davis
Why did you decide to self-publish? Because the Amos books are about a real dog, [the author] Margaret Lowder really wanted to ensure that our books are true to the spirit of Amos himself. I did not anticipate the sometimes condescending attitude towards self-published books, but have been glad to see some recognition that authors are now choosing this route willingly over traditional methods.
Do you prefer to work digitally, by hand, or both? I prefer to combine traditional and digital methods in my work. I create my sketches in 2B pencil and apply color digitally. There is something about hand-wrought work that I think will always be appealing to readers.
Tell us about your latest project. I am currently working on final illustrations for the second book in the series of Amos Tales, entitled Amos Bounces Back: A Tale of Too Much TV. This book is due for release in the Summer of 2016. In order to reach an older audience, this book will be a large picture book (not a board book like Amos Likes to Jump).
Interior illustration by Ellen Davis
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? I had a professor in graduate school for Medical Illustration who passed away as I was working on this children’s book. Professor Mascaro taught that you should draw, draw, draw, and draw some more. He [also] told me that besides drawing, the best thing I could do was to really understand color.
What do you do to market your books? Aside from setting up readings and signings in shops, libraries, and schools, we have an active social media presence on facebook and instagram. We have a blog on amosthedog.com where we share dog treat recipes on #TreatYourselfTuesdays, and we promote the book through blogs and magazines.
Ellen is a science lover turned artist who found her niche as a medical illustrator. With a BFA in Scientific Illustration and a master’s degree in Medical Illustration, Ellen is well versed in color and design. Whether painting Amos or anatomy, she brings dynamic color and energy to her work. Ellen’s specialties include children’s book illustration, medical illustration and animation, veterinary illustration, and pet portraiture. When not creating art, she can be found cooking and spending time with her chocolate lab, Nala.
Buy Amos Likes to Jump* Board Book Activity Book
Contact Ellen
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Portfolio
Medical Illustrations
Aviva Gittle writes and publishes children’s stories in English and Spanish. Each year, Aviva runs The Gittle List contest to support her fellow indie authors. Oh, she also loves children’s picture books and is always on the lookout for great ones. The 2016 Gittle List Contest is in full swing: submission guidelines. Follow @AvivaGittle and signup for Gittle News (look right) to be the first to know when they are posted! 😺
Bev Stone – #2 on The Gittle List 2015
Bev Stone, earned the #2 spot on The Gittle List 2015 for The Red and Black Ladybug. Bev is a two-time winner; her book, They Told Us Something Wonderful Was Coming snagged the #1 spot in 2014.
How did it feel to win a spot on The Gittle List Top 10? I was elated! I thought it was quite brilliant to announce them one at a time this year. I know, I, and I’m sure many others, anxiously awaited each new day, and each time another book was announced, I thought, ‘Wow, that book sounds so great!’ Then of course I worried that mine might not make the list. I’m enormously grateful to Aviva Gittle for putting in the time and effort it takes to showcase and help all of us indie writers.
What’s you earliest memory of drawing or writing? My earliest and best memory of drawing and painting is in Ms Moscerelli’s 6th grade classroom. Teachers, please know that all the wonderful things you do have a lasting effect on your students. Ms Moscerelli loved art so her class started with an art project every morning. When it was time to put that project away and open our math books, she’d say, “everyone open your books to page ….. ; then she’d say, “Bev, you can continue with your art.” Now, I may not be great at math as a result, but she certainly made me feel very special and helped to start me on my art journey.
What children’s book contains your favorite illustrations? There are so many talented illustrators out there and so many illustrations I love. The Lion And The Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney has to be one of my recent favorites and one purchase I made from last year’s Gittle List, The Kings Dream, written by Harris Tobias and illustrated by Cathy Reene, has some beautiful illustrations.
What is your favorite color or color combination? I love blue hues. I 
usually work with a pretty small palette. Some people say they can recognize my art by the colors I use.
Why did you decide to self-publish? You know, I find self publishing very easy and a perfect fit for me. I’m very happy with the whole process because it allows me to illustrate my own stories and put out as many books as I’d like. The thought of self publishing is a little scary at first — just like anything unknown — but I’ve been publishing with Createspace for about 3 years now and they’ve made it a great experience so far.
Do you prefer to work digitally, by hand, or both? I illustrate all of my stories with watercolors on watercolor paper.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? The best piece of advice I was ever given was when my daughter and son were born and friends told me to ignore all the little things that really don’t matter and spend all that precious time with my babies. That wasn’t hard to do at all! Now I can apply that to things around the house that I don’t want to do so that I can spend my time writing and illustrating instead. That works, right?
What do you do to market your books? Well….Hmmmm, I have to admit I’m not very good about marketing my books. I think I’m getting better but I have to be honest, if I could just write them and illustrate them and not worry about marketing, I’d be happy. Actually, the best thing I’ve done, is to enter my books in the The Gittle List contest. In her prompting to get the word out for all indie writers, she’s led me in directions I wouldn’t have otherwise gone, Twitter, for example. You can follow me @Bevstone13. Thanks Aviva Gittle! Also, Melissa Crane, who is in charge of media at the gallery where I show my paintings, has been amazing at getting the word out locally.
Any advice for writers thinking about self-publishing a children’s picture book? All I can say is that it’s been a wonderful experience for me, so if you’re thinking about self publishing, definitely give it a try. I would caution however, have no expectations, accept to enjoy the process and the fact that you actually succeeded in getting that book you’ve been working on in print. Yay!!! Do it. You’ll be glad you did.
Bev Stone is an artist and indie 
children’s book author. Bev started painting and drawing at an early age and was first introduced to watercolor in elementary school. Today Bev paints in both watercolor and oil and continues to write children’s books while living in the beautiful state of Idaho, overlooking the Snake River. Many of her paintings and book updates can be found on her website, www.artbybevstone.com.
You can follow Bev on Twitter: @BevStone13
Credits: All illustrations in this interview post are created and owned by Bev Stone and come from her award-wining children’s book The Red and Black Ladybug.
