Be Your Own Publicist!

Who knew that being a KidLit Creator meant you had to become a skilled book marketer? What happened to the days when an author could sequester themselves in a quiet log cabin in the middle of the woods with their trusty typewriter and write stories? What if you don't know the first thing about building a website? Or establishing a social media presence? What if the thought of cold-calling schools and libraries to pitch your presentations has you waking up in a cold sweat at 2am?

It doesn't have to be scary! Learn helpful tips and tricks from author Veronica Bartles, coordinator of the MD/VA/DE/WV/DC Read Local Challenge since 2015. In this 6-course series, you'll visit every stage of the marketing journey, from preparing your school and library visit presentations to building your online presence to reaching out to book events and keeping an audience engaged, both in-person and online.

A useful, time-efficient walk-through for the first-time Wordpress user plus some handy print-outs of things to consider before embarking on the site-creation journey and once established. It was great to see the web design options laid out in one place. A newbie may find it really helpful to have this information rather than just jumping in and trying to work it out themselves. Anne Young, picture book writer and 12x12 member

Veronica's course on setting up and improving author websites came at a good time for me. I am a longtime writer but pre-published children's writer and I've been wondering for a while how to market myself in advance of the publishing I hope is to come! Veronica gave good examples of how websites can connect with different audiences and how you can combine different parts of yourself (not just children's author, for instance) to make it compelling, thorough, and inviting to a range of readers. I was inspired by all she has done as a writer and beyond and now want to create my own site. She has an easy-to-understand and friendly style that I think will resonate with students at all stages of their writing (and website) journeys. Laurie Kaiser, picture book writer and 12x12 member

With worksheets and videos to make sure you have everything you need in your media kit, this online course provided a comprehensive template for what I needed to do. Veronica delivered everything with an easy, casual vibe that made the whole process less intimidating. Videos were short. Worksheets told you exactly what you needed. It helped motivate me to work on something I dreaded doing. She also included information that I had no idea I needed as a debut picture book author. I’m so grateful that I took this course. As anyone who has been a new author, marketing can be overwhelming without a guide, which is what this course has been for me. - Brandi-Ann Uyemura, debut author of I AM A BON DANCER

Great tips and insider knowledge! I am sure people that are about to start the process will find this webinar very useful. Elena, picture book writer and 12x12 member

line art drawings of a laptop, a confused frog with social media icons swirling around his head, a white board, the initials SYWSYS, a frog peeking out from behind a book, file folders, and children arranged in the shape of a heart, to represent the 6 segments of the selling yourself without selling yourself short series of courses

SYWSYS Course Overview

When I put together an on-demand version of this series of courses for the KidLit Creators participating in the MD/VA/DC Read Local Challenge, we had a kick-off live webinar where I walked through an overview of the whole course. This is a recording from that event. It's a good overview of what this series of courses has to offer.

Write Now: Make a Plan

There are a million different ways to art!

Your publishing journey will be different from anyone else's. And that's a good thing! There will obviously be overlap, times when your paths cross, and times when you're actively walking side-by-side with other KidLit Creators. But only YOU are telling your story. Only YOU have your personal experiences. Only You know the best way to art for yourself.

Now that you have an idea of what to expect from the courses in this series, take a moment to make a plan.

Where will your journey begin? Which course will you start first?

Will you work through the courses one at a time, finishing each one before starting the next?

Will you sample bits and pieces from the courses, filling your soul with the whole SYWSYS buffet until you have completed your own custom course of study?

What are you hoping to accomplish by the time you have worked through these courses?

What is your end goal? This will drive your choices as you navigate your publishing journey more than anything else will. As the Cheshire Cat told Alice, the path you should take depends entirely upon where you want to get to!

Now that you have a sense of where you're going*...

Let's begin!

*Remember that it's always perfectly okay, even encouraged, to change direction from time to time. If you discover that the path you're walking leads to a destination you don't want, don't be afraid to change directions! If you hit a wall and can't find a way over or through it, don't be afraid to come at it from a different direction. You may discover that the detour leads you so someplace even better.

Shine in Your Own Spotlight

SYWSYS Courses

initials SYWSYS, which stand for Selling Yourself Without Selling Yourself Short

Sometimes, marketing ourselves is scary, but don't put yourself on the clearance rack. You are worth full price!

image of yellow file folders with the words Marvelous Media Kits

Create & share easy-to-download files for libraries, bloggers, & others to find & help promote your books!

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image of a school whiteboard with stick figure children and the words my story matters, and yours does too

Discover & define your own unique voice to create the presentation that is "Perfect" for you to share.

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image of a spotlight, highlighting the words Shine Online!

With ever-shifting online options, how can you keep up? Dip into the social media pool without drowning!

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illustration of a laptop, open to Veronica Bartles website, with the text Wonderful Websites that really Work above it

You don't need a degree in web design to create your own effective author or illustrator website.

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illustration of diverse children arranged in the shape of a heart, with a heart shape made of books behind them and the words Make Meaningful Connections in the center of the heart

Our business is personal in meaningful ways. Balance professionalism & play to keep your audience engaged.

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image of a yellow daisy sticking out of a bunch of purple roses and the words Reach Out & Stand Out

Feel like a daisy in a bouquet of roses? Let's connect with the readers & organizations who are looking for daisies!

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Selling Yourself (without selling yourself short) Course Overview

Learn more

Access the Full Series of SYWSYS Courses

If you don't already have a username and password to access the course, you may click one of the buttons below to purchase access to the Selling Yourself Without Selling Yourself Short series, or to add a consultation or group Zoom meeting to your previous purchase.

Selling Yourself Without Selling Yourself Short

12-month access: full series

$150.00

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Selling Yourself Without Selling Yourself Short

1-on-1 Consultation + 12-month access

$199.00

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Selling Yourself Without Selling Yourself Short

12-month access: Individual Course

$50.00

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Selling Yourself Without Selling Yourself Short

1-on-1 Consult or Small-Group Zoom

$30.00 - $99.00

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