If you are an author hoping to use your local library to promote you book, check with your library before you design and order your promotional material. Each librarian has specific needs and tastes! What’s more, most librarians will be happy to show you samples of other promotional material they have received and this material might give you good ideas.

Here are a few things to consider:

Libraries may or may not want to give out your bookmark. Check with the library before you print 500 extra. Most will be more than happy to give out bookmarks, but some have rules against it. I can tell you for certain that bookmarks that appeal to children get picked up more often than anything too formal that contains only basic book information.

Each purchasing librarian has a preferred way of receiving information about books. Check with your local librarians to find out if they prefer post cards, a letter, colored flyers or envelopes stuffed with all of the above. Here’s the feedback I received when I asked:

• For the best overall cost and most preferred: Send an oversized postcard. Make sure that there is a color picture of the book on the front. Include the Title, author name, ISBN for hardback, soft cover and audio if available. Include the author website! Make sure the words/fonts are easy to read!!! If your postcard is the front cover of your book, leave white space for the basic information about your book. Librarians will look up review information before ordering, but if you have positive reviews, you might include a quick list on the back with quotes from readers.
• If you are going to the expense of a large envelope stuffed with PR materials, the librarians I interviewed said they love “freebies.” This can include: pens, bookmarks, coasters, temporary tattoos or stickers (they might use stickers for kids activities). Overall, the response was: “Make it worth my time to open the envelope. Too much information is a waste of paper. I need the basic information, and I need it in a font that is easy to read. I’m going to look the reviews up, so including the entire review in the package isn’t useful.”
• Most librarians did not like photocopied colored sheets with long book descriptions, althougth this works better for a non-fiction book. I saw some samples–the photocopy was of poor qualilty, no color picture of the book and nothing but text. Keep it interesting and short–lots of pictures, quick lists of reviews, quick list of quotes and sign it personally.

Finally, be aware of when your local library budget is approved. You want to make sure to get your book on the order list when the library still has money allocated for books. Very often, towards the end of the budget year, there may be no new books ordered for two or three months–the money for books is gone for that year. If you know when this happens in your local library, you can work with them to make sure your book gets ordered at the best time possible.

One other note: Libraries prefer hardback books because they last longer. They can rebind paperback books to help them last longer. If you have extra copies of your cover, offer libraries an copy or two (these are often used by authors as PR tools.) The library may rebind your book as a hardcover with the appropriate artwork before it ever sees the shelves. This will ensure that it is read often and well. Be aware that if your book is somehow damaged or destroyed before it has been checked out much, it will not automatically be reordered.

Libraries can be one of the most welcoming places in the world for authors. Take advantage of them!

After you’ve worked with them–here’s a link so that you can find out how many libraries carry your book: www.worldcat.org

In mixing bowl mix:

1.5 cups sugar
1 cup margarine or butter

Add:
2 eggs

Mix together in mixing bowl and then add:

3.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder

Mix well and add:

2 tsp vanilla extract

After mixing, refrigerate until the cookie dough is firm. On lightly floured wax paper, roll the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie shapes or rounds.

Cook at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until bottom is very lightly brown.

These cookies decorate very well with a colored glaze frosting.

Imitation crab purchased in the store is extremely high in salt. Luckily it is very easy to make your own imitation crab–without the salt, but just as delicious!

Thaw and drain excess water from 1 pound of frozen Pollock fish. Marinate in:

4 tablespoons sweet white wine (I actually use a nectar pear wine–you can use chardonnay.)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 tablespoon honey

Directions:
When the fish is ready to cook place flat on lightly greased (I use olive oil) tin foil.

Bake in oven at 300 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until the fish flakes apart.
Drain as much water as possible from the fish and chop. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. The sesame seeds are particularly good in California rolls.

Add and mix well: 1 tablespoon regular sugar. (Imitation crab is highly sweetened!)

Higher Salt Alternative Seasoning:
To make it taste even more like crab, add one can of real crab (or fresh, cleaned crabmeat.) Be aware that canned crabmeat is quite high in salt, but mixing in one can with the pollock dilutes the salt and adds to the overall taste! I rinse the canned crab meat which also helps take some of the salt out.

Use the fish in place of most any imitation crab recipe—salads, California rolls, and dips. Because it is not “pressed” or colored, it may not work for recipes that call for crab sticks.

I’m a big fan of libraries–as a writer and a reader. As a writer, there are things you can do to promote your work within the system–and sell more books not only to the library but to the public.

I’m going to do a series of posts on things to help sell into the library market, but remember the number one place to find out is–the library!

Libraries do have author events–and they will sometimes pay an author a small amount if the author gives an educational talk. The talk can be on writing techniques, submitting to magazines, short story writing, getting published, research or perhaps the subject matter covered in the book. Ask at your local library about opportunities. If they do have a budget to pay authors offer to accept an average of the last three events the library hosted. (This tip comes from author J.A. Konrath.)

Libraries do host book signings/sales, although they generally seem to prefer doing this after an author is established and has several books to sell to the public. Check with your local librarian about setting something up. The library generally puts up notices for you, signs people up (so you know about how many will attend) orders the books ahead of time, and handles the sales part.

Check with your librarian about being chosen for their “bookclub” choice of the month if they run such a program. This may mean the library will buy at least two copies of your book. It also means that those in the bookclub will either get your book from other libraries or will buy it.

Find out if your library has a “new releases” shelf. Most do. This shelf is often near the front of the library. For some patrons, it is the ONLY shelf they visit. They go in, get a few of the latest releases, and check out.

New books stay on the New Release shelf for approximately six months. You want your book there. You want it to get checked out as often as possible in that first six months to generate word-of-mouth. More importantly, if your book is checked out frequently, the library is much more likely to order your next release.

Note: Ask the library to order your book before the release date so that your book arrives as quickly as possible. Most libraries will not put your book on the new release shelf if it is already six months old–ie the New Release shelf is stocked by the publication date, NOT the date the library recieves the book. Some libraries will not put paperbacks on the new release shelf either, but it doesn’t hurt to ask!

Libraries often have “Theme” shelves. This is good once your book is off of the New Release shelf. Like the New Release shelf, it is a special shelf or section. The books are picked from the rest of the library masses and put on display so that they stand out. Libraries do themes such as: crafts, Christmas, fall, spring, winter, science fiction, cozies, thrillers, oldies but loved mysteries, etc. Talk to your librarian about where your book might fit. Come up with themes or reasons that it DOES fit. Books picked for themes see more check-out traffic.

There are many, many activities in the summer for kids. If you have YA or children’s book, talk to your librarian about performing a reading or giving a talk during the summer when kids are available.

In the next post, I’ll talk about some of the promotional items you might want to send to libraries to help them notice your books!

Jim Hines is out with his second novel in the Goblin series, another engaging tale of Jig the Goblin (or Jig Dragonslayer as he has become known in Goblin circles!) Jig is still that wonderfully comforting Reluctant Hero. As an added twist, in this adventure he must “compete” with another Hero, the goblin Veka, who dreams of making a name for herself.

Jig and his partner Smudge remain my favorites in the book. Jig is a determined character and the creativity he uses to get himself out of messes is often funny, almost always effective and in general, safe for kids to try at home–except for the ones involving his sword, which come to think of it, occur quite ofen. Honestly, Goblin Hero is a great book for young adults. The hidden message of the book — how much to sacrifice in order to achieve fame and greatness — is very subtle, but certainly applicable in today’s world. This grand adventure also requires bravery and self-sacrifice as Jig investigates a dire threat that affects not only his Goblin nest, but that of the Hobgoblins and Ogres.

Goblin Hero was paced a bit slower than Goblin Quest, or perhaps I found it so because of the duel POVs, one for Veka and one for Jig. Luckily for me, Hines spends most of his time with Jig, who is the more endearing and familiar. Veka certainly has opportunity to grow as a character, but in this book she plays the foil and there are times when you’d like to hop in the book and smack her yourself.

This is a great weekend read for when you want to enter a different, but familiar world with characters you’ve come to know. Do wear gloves and appropriate headgear however. This familiar world is that of the Goblins and it does include latrines!

For pictures of the cover–including a very good German cover with Veka–check out Jim’s blog