Picture Books with Audio CDs May Help Autistic Children Learn to Read

Recently, while attending a book festival, I was approached by an excited teacher who told me that she is using my books in her teaching program with autistic children. Of course I was thrilled to hear this. I love children and would do anything to help them.

After our conversation, I did some research on my own and found that many teachers and parents of autistic children are finding that their children learn best when reading very colorful picture books. Combining an audio CD with a picture book merges the best of both worlds, adds another dimension to the learning process, and helps make the experience more meaningful for the children. Many children with autism respond well to music and also to hearing the words read aloud while they follow along.

As a former elementary teacher, I understand that teaching autistic children to read is often a challenging endeavor. It’s also of utmost importance to realize that not every technique will work with every child. Autism has an impact on the way children look at the world around them and, because these children have special needs, they often become easily frustrated. Patience and determination, plus creativity, are of the utmost importance.

When I decided to add audio CDs to my picture books, I knew I was creating more of a “total experience” for children. I’m so happy that the books are not only making children smile, but also helping them learn.

Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

Writing For Children? Try Thinking Like a Child

One of the advantages in writing for children is that I get to think like a child. How do children think? If you have to ask that question, you might want to spend more time with children before attempting to write for them. One of the privileges of being a teacher, a mother, and now a grandmother has been experiencing firsthand the magical world called "childhood."

Relative to the world of children's books, here are some of my unscientific observations about how children think:

Children are enthusiastic. They are eager to know what is coming next in a story.

Children are creative. Ask them what they think will come next in a story, and enjoy their answers!

Children love pictures. They thrive on visual stimulation and they love bright, colorful illustrations. Try this: Tell a child about a dog riding a bike, then show them the picture. You will see a huge difference in their reactions.

Children love sensory descriptions. It's not enough to say, "The toy was soft." Children have a better understanding of descriptions such as “soft as a puppy” or “loud as a whistle”.

Children love happy endings. I don’t think there is ever a reason to have a children’s book with a sad ending. Let childhood be a time of optimism and fun.

A Children’s Story Doesn’t Need to Be Realistic. Children have no trouble at all believing that chickens can talk or rabbits wear clothes. In fact, it's much more fun to believe in make-believe.

Children love rhyming words. They also love the patterns of words that are repeated, such as "Fly,fly fly in the sky, sky, sky."

So, that's my short list of what it's like to think like a child. If you would like to write for youngsters, find a group of kids, sit on the floor, talk to them and, above all, listen!

Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

How My Grandkids Helped Me Create a New Career

How was I to know that by simply combing my granddaughter's hair, I was standing on the threshold of a new career.

It was the Spring of 2005 and my husband and I were babysitting for our 6-year old twin granddaughters and their 9-year old brother. It was actually day 2 of our 10-day babysitting stint, but that's another story!

I was trying to comb through Emily's morning tangles, she was crying, and, well, you know the scene. So...I did what grandmas do so well - I made up a story. Suddenly, out of nowhere, came the story of the sweet little Knot Fairy who visits sleeping children and loves to tangle their hair. Emily stopped crying. She loved the story and begged me to tell it every day - not only to her - but to all of her friends. Not only one time, but over and over and over.

To make a long story very short, my hubby and I were energized by the grankids' excitement. We created a publishing company, incorporated, hired the best illustrator we could find, hired a graphic designer, found the perfect printer, and Best Fairy Books, Inc. was born. That was 2005. This year we published our 4th book and we just received our 19th children's book award.

We actually have 10 grandkids and they are all a part of the process. They are the source of new ideas and they are my best - and most honest - critics. Their names appear on all of the dedication pages and their funny little voices are features on the CDs that accompany my books.

I would never have believed it if anyone had told me how my grandkids would change my life. They have taught me to always be open to new possibilities and to go after whatever life has to offer - even in the Golden Years!

Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

Live Music and a Successful Book Launch Party

We had another very successful book launch party as The Fart Fairy came into the world. Our closest estimate is 365 people! One of the keys to the success of the event was having live music geared specifically to the kids. In my case, it was "Uncle Pete", a local talent who entertains children as a profession. And his joy is so contagious. He sang and played the guitar and organized dances for the kids for two full hours. It's Uncle Pete's voice and music that you hear on the CD that accompanies the book.

One huge advantage to providing entertainment for the kids is that the parents can stand in line to have their books signed and not have whining kids pulling on them. We were sure to mention the live music on all of our advertising. This (along with the promise of face painting and cake)was one of the reasons we had such a large turnout. My talented illustrator (Mark Wayne Adams) was also a featured guest. His illustrations always delight the kids and parents alike. Of course, I'd like to think that the new book brought them, too.

As an added benefit, our event was sponsored by the Harford County Libraries. And, as always, the Barnes & Noble (Bel Air, MD) staff was fabulous. I can't thank them enough for their support.

I love my community and I am so grateful that they have always been there to support me. Thanks to everyone who helped make this a very special event.

The Fart Fairy Has Launched!

At long last, the Fart Fairy has launched. It seems as though I have been working on this book forever. In fact, it now seems as though the word ‘fart’ has been a part of my daily vocabulary for a very long time. There were a few small hitches in getting the book ready to print, like a re-recording of the CD, the re-hiring of a vocalist, the re-writing of the Fart Fairy song, and the re-illustrating of a little boy whose color was a bit gray, but we made it.

We planned a huge launch party at Barnes & Noble in Bel Air, MD and were delighted beyond belief when 350 people showed up! Luckily there were plenty of extra books on hand, plenty of cake and (thank goodness) enough free whoopee cushions to go around.

I have to admit, I was a bit worried about this book. Would people accept my new found vulgarity? Would anyone show up at my launch party just to heckle me? Would there be raised eyebrows? Smirks and harrumphs? The answer is no! Almost everyone I have come in contact with has approved of my use of a sweet, little boy fairy to explain the whereabouts of the annoying sounds and odors that are a part of everyday life. I say ‘almost everyone’ because there have been a few people (mostly members of my generation) who have looked at me in utter disbelief when they heard ‘that word’ come out of my mouth.

Let’s always keep our sense of humor – and our sense of smell!

I’ll end with my hubby’s new favorite saying: “Never fear the fart!”

Grouchy Authors Not Welcome Here

I have the pleasure of attending numerous book fairs. In fact, I attended three such events just within the last three weeks. Here’s my rant for the day: It never ceases to amaze me how disagreeable and unapproachable some authors appear! At one of my recent events, I was tempted to grab my camera and take a few pictures to demonstrate the “don’ts” of author behavior; however, I must admit that it was the fear of a lawsuit kept me sane. Why do so many authors stack their books in neat piles on the table, and then sit behind the piles wearing deep frowns upon their faces? Their expressions say loud and clear, “Don’t you dare speak to me!” I recently witnessed one author who was reading a book (behind his stack), another one playing a game on his cell phone and another – in my opinion the worst one of all – typing away on his laptop. All this while supposedly introducing their books to the public. Is this really the image you wish to portray?

There are many books on body language and it might help if exhibiting authors (or for that matter, anyone who deals with people) took the time to read them. Uncross your arms, put down that book, put a smile on your face and open yourself up to people. You will be amazed at the results.

C’mon people, believe in your book. Believe in yourself. Believe in the power of a smile!

Thanks for listening to my rant! :)

Bobbie Hinman :)
http://bestfairybooks.com

What’s Really in a Screen Name?

Remember when you went through a stage where you didn’t like your name? Did you think your name was too girlie, too masculine, too old-fashioned, or just plain weird? Most of the people I asked said they’ve been there.

I for one have never liked my name. I always thought “Barbara” was too common and ordinary. What’s more, I couldn’t identify with the name. I never felt like a “Barbara.” From the time I was 4 or 5 years old, I insisted that people call me Bobbie instead. I’ve known a number of people who evade their name by suing their middle name, and still others who go by their initials.

Enter the screen name. What a great idea. Now you can be known as anything you like. I was recently sifting through my mailing list and wondered - Is jaguargirl a car fanatic or a catlike person? Is jonwonkonobie a Star Wars fan? Does the name karatemama tell you anything? Is ethel clinging to the past? Is directordan (who I know is not a real director) just want us to think he’s in charge? And what about gamecock? (I’m almost afraid to guess.) And hedgehogsdilemma? And dogears?

Whatever the reason, whatever the name, I think it’s great that we can now be known by any name we choose!

Do You Give Your Books Away?

I have spoken with many fellow authors about whether or not they believe in giving away sample copies of their books. The results seemed to fall equally on both sides of the fence. The main reason cited for not giving away books seems to be that “if someone is genuinely interested, they should at least be willing to cover the cost of the book”. Also heard a few times was, “my books are not free to me, so why should they be free to others.”

On the other side of the fence, I have had a number of very large sales that were direct results of my freebies. Two days ago I visited a major bookstore that did not have my books on the shelf. (The books are in the computer, but were not in that particular store.)I asked the manager if she would be interested in ordering a few books and said that I would be happy to come back when the books are in to sign them. I then handed her a copy of each of my three books (along with my contact information and some bookmarks) and told her that they were a gift to her to acquaint her with the books. I also suggested that she might use them as display copies to generate interest in the books. Two days later I received a call from the manager saying that she did display the books and then she read them during storytime. She also held a drawing in the store, using the books as prizes. She thanked me for sharing the books with her and asked me to please stop by in a few days to sign the 30 books that she had ordered for her store. In addition, she requested a book signing which we scheduled that day. All this from three sample books.

The same day I dropped off three books in an upscale children’s boutique. I introduced myself to the owner and gave her the books “as a gift, to acquaint her with the books” which I assured her would enhance the already wonderful gift selection in her store. This time it was only one day before she called to place an order for her store.

I also give free books to my close friends and relatives. They have turned out to be quite vocal when it comes to sharing my books with their friends and relatives, resulting in many, many sales.

A few guidelines that I use:
Just don’t be too free with your freebies. I give away only one of each book to each customer.

Don’t take the books back. If a store manager decides not to purchase books, I never go back to reclaim my books. I told them they were a gift. Let them keep them or sell them. You never know what will come of it.

Be sure to leave your contact information. This means a professional business card or colorful postcard, not a scribbled cell number on a scrap of paper.

Be sure to follow up. While people mean well, many need a friendly reminder.

Don’t forget to ask your tax professional if you are entitled to a tax deduction for the free books.

Good luck.
Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

Why Don’t Men “Get” the Silent Signals?

Have you ever noticed that women have the innate ability to communicate by silently mouthing words to each other? Age is irrelevant. I can silently “talk” to my granddaughters, my daughter and my mother. My best friend and I have been sending each other silent signals since high school. We definitely had the advantage on double dates when we could send each other message such as, “He’s hot,” right in front of the boys without them ever catching on.

Why do men just not get it? My husband and I have been married for 30 years and yet he is clueless when I try to send him a silent signal. Just yesterday we had a meeting with what turned out to be a very persistent salesperson. I looked across the table at my hubby and mouthed “tell him no”. Hubby gave me a look that clearly said “huh?” (Women are also great at reading looks.) I then mouthed “let’s go”. No use. Next I resorted to one of those famous kicks under the table. You guessed it. He responded with “ouch”. Really!

You’ve heard that popular expression, “read my lips?” It doesn’t seem to work with men. Try it with the men in your life. They just don’t get it.


Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

Authors, Are You Engaging?

As I watched the adorable little faces on the childen in the class I visited yesterday, a question crossed my mind: Am I engaging? (I think the answer is “yes”. At least, I hope so.)

Nope, I’m not talking about being attractive or delightful. Yes, it does help to have an engaging personality, and it does come in handy when working with children. But, while this is important if you wish to prevent the risk of boring them to death, I’m talking about the word “engaging” when used as a verb. Most parents and teachers have probably realized that the longer you talk to children, the less they hear. Talk too long and they hear nothing…nada. Engage them and you have an entirely different situation.

This really holds true if you are an author and are doing classroom visits. If you talk “at” children, if you bore them to tears, not only will they not respond to you, but they also won’t buy your books.

Here are a few clues as to whether or not a group of children is bored with your presentation:

1.The children's eyes appear to have glazed over.
2.You call on a child and their answer is "huh?"
3.You ask the group a question and no one raises their hand.
4.You tell a joke and no one gets it.
5.You ask a question about your book and someone raises their hand to tell you a totally unrelated story about their new cat.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m in no way suggesting that we act like a clowns or think we are there to be entertainers. However, it's really important to ask the children questions throughout your presentation. Do you have some props to show them, such as a lantern like one in your book or a hat like the one worn by your character? Can you interject a song? Can you have the group repeat a difficult word that you have used or read aloud with you a line of text? Do you have colorful pictures or charts that you can hold up? If we do these types of things, we can make the class a part of the experience, rather than just a group of onlookers. You’ve probably heard that expression, “I see your lips moving, but all I hear is blah, blah, blah.”


Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

Do students reflect the personality of their teacher?

During a recent school visit I made a very interesting observation.

I was in the process of setting up for my presentation in the school media center. About 5 minutes before the designated starting time the third grade class arrived, led by their student teacher. Their classroom teacher was nowhere in sight. The children were seated and my presentation began. During my presentations I ask a lot of questions, always encouraging interaction and engaging the students. It didn’t take me long to realize that most of the children in this class, with unpleasant frowns on their faces, didn’t particularly want to be engaged. The answers to my questions tended toward the negative and, when asked to create their own fairy ideas for a story, many of the children contributed ideas such as the Robber Fairy, the Toy Fairy (steals toys) and other mean-spirited fairies. I should mention here that this particular school is in a rather upscale suburban neighborhood.

Twenty minutes into the presentation the children finally seemed to relax and we were having a nice discussion. Then the classroom teacher appeared. No surprise – she had the same negative expression on her face that the children had had when they entered the room. In fact, the first words out of her mouth were, “Sara, stop talking. Jason, put that pencil away.” She proceeded to sit, arms crossed, staring into space while I went on with my presentation. Is this why the children acted the way they did?

When this class left the media center and the next class arrived, I watched carefully. These children entered the room smiling, accompanied by their teacher who was also smiling. This presentation proved to be one of the most enjoyable I have ever had. Not only did the children have lots of creative ideas, but the teacher even raised her hand a few times and offered her own creative story ideas. The children and the teacher all had the same positive attitudes. The ideas this class offered for their fairy stories were kind fairies such as the rainbow fairy, the snow fairy and the messy desk fairy. In retrospect, the teacher of this class looked and acted as much as Mary Poppins as anyone I have ever met. What lucky kids!
L
ooking at these two examples, coming from the same school on the same day, I have to wonder - is this a coincidence or do teachers have this much influence on the personalities of our children?

Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

Have Hobbies Vanished?

Have Hobbies Vanished?

Oh, no! I just asked a group of third graders about their hobbies (hoping some would say “reading”), but they didn’t know what I was talking about! Really! Is it that kids don’t have hobbies these days or that they simply call them something other than hobbies? Either way, hobbies (or whatever you call them) are not what they used to be. I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s when almost every neighborhood had an actual “hobby shop”. These little shops were always packed with goodies such as gimp, balsa wood and paint-by-number kits. They were places where the owners actually knew all of the neighborhood children.

Without getting too sentimental. do you remember when children actually did things after school? They played ball, took walks, roller skated, built forts, did arts and crafts, learned to knit, collected bugs, read books! Now they sit, electronic equipment in hand, and they twitter, send instant messages and chat on facebook. Ok, I guess I am old, but maybe I have lived to be old by being active, having hobbies and actually doing things. I’m fearful that the next generation will be plagued by weight problems, shrinking grey matter, giant thumbs and carpal tunnel problems.

C’mon parents, get you kids up and doing something. How about an hour of computer for every hour of exercise? How about an hour of Wii after an hour of reading? How about family games in place of TV during the week? How about bowling? Photography? How about talking to each other? How about a hobby?

Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

Have You Ever Wondered How an Audio Book is Created?

Have you ever wondered how an audio book is created? I have. While I was writing my first children’s book, I often thought about the interactive books with tapes that I used to listen to with my own children. What if I could create a CD to accompany my book? Of course I could! To make a long story very short, I’ve put together the basic steps I followed in creating the CD for my first book. It worked out so well that I also created CDs for my second, third and (just recently) fourth books.

• First, plan the entire content of the CD. For a children’s book, the story narration is the key element. Also, a song would be nice. And background music. How about some interesting sound effects?

• Write the entire script including every word and every pause. Decide who will read the story. Most people prefer to hear the author reading the story, so be prepared to practice, practice, practice.

• Locate a reputable sound studio and meet with the audio engineer to work out the details. How long will it take to record? Will he/she adjust the sound levels and timing, add the sound effects, delete any unwanted sounds and create the finished product? Be aware that it’s not as easy as simply strolling into the studio, reading your book and waltzing out with a CD in your hand.

• What music will you use? Music is protected by copyright laws, so you will need to write your own words. You may be able to use the tunes from old nursery rhymes that are now in the “public domain.” Just be sure to do the research on the song you choose to make sure it’s available.

• Who will sing the song? Finding musicians was relatively easy even though I live in a small town. I called music schools and local bands and was amazed at how many talented people live nearby.

• Be prepared for a lot of fine tuning at the end. This is where the audio engineer can provide the same “magic” that a graphic designer provides for illustrations.

The process was a real exercise in creativity and quite a learning experience! And I can’t wait to do it again! By the way, how do you like my “non-union” chorus of grandchildren and friends?

Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

Create an Emotional Attachment - Read to Someone Today!

What makes children’s books memorable? Think back to your favorite childhood books. What type of stories did you like best? More importantly, how did they make you feel? Do you remember feeling happy, excited, surprised, or maybe even sad? Did rhyming books make you feel as though someone was singing to you? Did you feel excited by the books that had surprise endings?

Stories that create an emotional attachment always seem to be remembered the most. While part of this can be attributed to a good plot, interesting characters, and appealing illustrations, there is another important element that is hard to measure. If you were lucky enough to be read to as a child, a large part of your feelings were created by just sitting close to the person who was reading to you. Nothing can replace the warmth of a lap or that snuggle in bed while being read to by someone you love.

For me, the cherished memories are of my father reading The Saggy, Baggy Elephant and The Pokey Little Puppy to me over and over and over again. To this day, when I see these books on a bookstore shelf, I feel a calmness and sense of nostalgia wash over me.

Yes, I realize that the 21st century is here and yes, I know about the internet, e-books and the like. However, I hope people will still hold their kids, read to them and create the warm feelings and emotional attachment that will never fade away.

I hope that my own children's books will become childhood favorites for many children.

Bobbie Hinman(a sentimental grandmother who always has time for one more bedtime story) http://bestfairybooks.com

Why Can't I Leave Well Enough Alone?

Are you like me? Do you have to change everything? Why can’t I leave things the way they are?

I can’t buy a dress off the rack without wishing it had a different belt or collar. I have even purchased two outfits together because I liked part of one and a different part of the other. If I see a piece of jewelry I like, it always has the wrong color stone. When I buy a purse, I usually can’t help wishing that the handle was more like another purse – the one that I didn’t buy because the color was not quite right. When I’m looking for a new haircut, I always desire the front of one and the back of another. I wish our new van had been available with a different color interior. Choosing new carpeting for our house was made more difficult because I liked the colors from one company and the texture from a different one. This is the story of my life.

Eating out is one of my biggest challenges. I can’t seem to ever order from a menu without sounding exactly like Meg Ryan in the movie “When Harry Met Sally.” Yesterday my husband and I had lunch in a nice restaurant. A smiling waitress took my order, but she wasn’t smiling for long. I noticed that her expression was slowly changing into a fixed, teeth-gritting kind of look. I don’t think it was my imagination that she was looking at me as if I were speaking a strange language. Just because I ordered a sandwich with a different filling, different bread and different sauce than the one on the menu? I think it might have been after I asked to have the salad made with romaine lettuce instead of iceberg, feta cheese in place of the bleu cheese, the dressing on the side and no bacon or croutons, that she started looking like she was about to laugh (or maybe cry).

I turned to my husband (who is never surprised by anything I do) and asked him if he thinks I am a perfectionist. All he could do was smile.

Hmmm… Am I a perfectionist or simply a creative genius?

Bobbie http://bestfairybooks.com

The Results Are In - 350 People Showed Up!

On July 7th I blogged about the plans for my book launch party for The Belly Button Fairy. I received a number of emails from authors who thought I was going a bit too far and spending a bit too much. Today I'll tell you how it all turned out.

On Saturday, the day of the event, we(my husband, my illustrator and I) arrived at Barnes & Noble an hour before the event was to begin. We were delighted to see that little fairies had already begun to arrive. We had enlisted a few friends and some of our grandchildren as helpers. Together we covered the tables with sparkly tablecloths, assembled the give-aways, and set up the cakes, our book posters, the microphone and the illustrator's easel. In the meantime, the face painter and craft person were busy getting ready.

I had distributed approximately 1200 invitations, and a little more than 350 people showed up. If my math is correct, that's about 25%. Not bad. I'm not sure of the exact final book count, however there were well over 200 of my books sold that day. My illustrator (Mark Wayne Adams) and I signed books for 2-1/2 hours. I was so happy to have a sore hand! The kids were all happy. Their faces were painted, their tummies were filled with cake, and they were happily clasping the new wands they had made and the new books they had purchased. The parents were happy because the kids were happy (and busy).

Was it worth the time and dollars that it took to create this event? You be the judge.

Remember the movie line - "If you build it they will come?" My advice: "If you do the work they will come."

Fairy wishes,
Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

The Belly Button Fairy - New Video Trailer

I am so happy to share my new video trailer with you! Trailertothestars.com did an excellent job!



Fairy wishes,
Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

"Bobbie and Julia" - The Next Movie?

Along with the hoopla surrounding the opening of the movie Julie and Julia, I am feeling a new respect for one of the true queens of cooking. Her great book, Mastering The Art of French Cooking was, in fact, the first cookbook I purchased as a new bride in 1963. It’s surprising to find out that this revered book was rejected by several publishers before it was finally published in 1961 by Knopf.

It’s also no surprise to find that many other successful authors received their share of the dreaded rejection letters before finding someone who believed in their books. One of those famous authors is John Grisham, who was reportedly rejected by a dozen publishers before his career was launched. (Who’s crying now?) Then there are J.K. Rowling’s famous Harry Potter books which were also rejected by a number of large publishers. Add to the list the authors Stephen King, George Orwell, William Faulkner and Irving Stone. Even The Diary of Anne Frank received its share of rejections.

It’s never fun being rejected. My reaction when I received my first rejection notice was to throw myself a pity party and eats lots of chocolate. After two days, I had to actually pick myself up from my bed, shove the chocolate wrappers aside, slap myself across the face and say, “I’ll show them!” One of the keys for me has been to remember that “Success is the best revenge!” I had to understand what I was doing, do it well, keep my eye on the goal and never give up. And, through it all, I had to promise myself that I would at least try to enjoy myself.

I consider each of my rejection slips as a badge of honor, a ticket to the world of writing, a promise of things to come. Show me an author who has never received a rejection slip and I’ll show you someone who still has a lot of living to do.

As Julia would say, “Bon Apetit!”

Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

What Happens in Storytime Stays in Storytime!

Does the word “storytime” conjure up happy memories for you? Are you lucky enough to remember the warm feeling of being in the library, surrounded by smiling children and hundreds and hundreds of books? Maybe you were nestled in your mother’s lap. Or maybe you were feeling brave enough to venture a few feet away to sit with children you didn’t even know. Do you remember the “library lady”, with her warm smile and sing-song voice? Do you remember how she held the book to the side while she read, showing you the pictures and at the same time somehow managing to read the words? Did you practice reading to your stuffed animals at home, trying to hold the book at just the right angle?

Now, I don’t want to burst your bubble, however, as an author I visit lots of storytimes. I’d like to add a few new scenarios to your memories – some scenes that are only within the reader’s line of vision. There are storytime “happenings” that you just might have missed. For instance, just yesterday, while I was reading one of my fairy books, a man and his son were actually on the floor having a wrestling match over a toy truck that the child just wanted to hold onto while he listened to the story. Sadly, papa said “no!” Then there were the 2 little girls who spent the entire hour hitting each other over the head with plastic flowers that they had brought from home. Add to that the two nannies who I spotted sound asleep in the front row while their little charges wandered aimlessly around the room. Oh yes, and there was also an entire pre-school class who came to storytime, proudly carrying the fairy wands they had just made in class. Wands were waving, kids were being poked, and all I could hear was my mother’s voice in my head saying, “Stop that before you poke someone’s eyes out!” And, it’s funny how there always seems to be at least one “Cheerio Kid” at each storytime because after each event, the floor is always dotted with crushed cereal.

I hope you don’t get me wrong. I love reading to children. I love the look in their eyes as they imagine the world they are hearing about. The view from the front of the room just adds character and excitement to each event.

Please continue to support storytimes at your local library.

Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com

Who Should You Invite To A Book Launch Party?

If your first reaction to this question is, “Huh? I didn’t know you should invite people to the party,” then listen up. If you have planned the party well (see my post dated July 7), then it would really be a shame if no one showed up.

Yesterday an author friend of mine told me that she never sends out actual invitations to her launch parties or bookstore events. She relies on her press releases to do the job. No, no, no. That's not enough.

The goal is to invite, invite, invite.

The first thing to do is create a colorful invitation. The many online printing sites make this easy and affordable. I guarantee that you will have a more positive reaction to professional looking invitations than to boring run-of-the-mill flyers. If you plan ahead, you will be able to take advantage of the promotions and coupons that the online companies always offer.

The number of invitations needed depends on how big you can think. A print run of about 1200 invitations is an impressive, yet reachable, goal if you work at it. Today I invited an entire Brownie troop to my upcoming launch party. That was 30 down and 1170 left to go! Then I visited a day camp at my local community college and handed out 200 more. That brings me to 230 down and only 970 to go. Uh oh, I hope I don’t run out.

Use the internet to your advantage. Today I emailed a copy of my invitation to a teacher friend of mine and asked her to forward it to the other teachers in her school, as well as to her students. She was happy to do so. I will send the same request to a friend who belongs to a large Mom's club and to all of my friends,
both the real life and the online social networking ones.

For a children’s event, think of schools, camps, daycare centers, dance classes, scouts, etc. For other genres, ask yourself exactly who you think will be interested in your book. Then ask yourself where these people shop, eat, have meetings or just hang out? Think of specific places to promote to your particular niche market. Think of shops, organizations, colleges, libraries, book clubs, etc.

And, of course, don’t forget the media. Be sure to send invitations to the newspaper reporters in your area. A great personal touch is to locate the reporters’ names online and hand-deliver the invitations. Even if only one reporter shows up, the result will often be an article with some free publicity.

Remember = You Are Invited To A Party – everyone who reads this blog is invited to my book launch party for The Belly Button Fairy on August 29th at 11 AM – Barnes & Noble – Bel Air, MD – Come for Storytime, Gifts, Prizes and Cake - Meet the author and the illustrator - Fairy costumes are welcome!

Bobbie Hinman
http://bestfairybooks.com