Marketing Madness? A Simple Marketing Plan for all!

mar·ket·ing

noun: marketing

1. the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.

   

    MARKETING MADNESS   1/30

   Writing, illustrating and dreaming up creative picture book stories                                                                                                       is a joy.  

                                           Inspiration is all around!

                       Story ideas come to me at all hours of the day, or night.  

   Marketing on the other hand, is a bug-a-boo. 

   I have decided to take this challenge head-on with 30 days of actions repeated three times over the next 30 days.  

   If you need to market, feel free to copy this marketing 30 days plan!

         Easy P-easy! Follow these 10 steps, then repeat 3 times!

   1. Introduce one book on the blog, and post its image on http://www.pinterest.com.
              (oh and Twitter Too!)
   

   2. Blog about a new story idea.
   

   3. Blog about the 'extra' pages, or extra-interest features about a particular book or books.
   

   4. Explore the joys and challenges of collaboration.
   

   5. Surprise Post!  Post one surprising thing on this blog!
   

   6. Reader Responses --              
               Just for fun, ask for name suggestions for a character
                               or feedback on a story ideas.
   

   7. Free card day -- post a free, original card for download.

                      (Personal use please)
   

   8. Journal pages day - post a few journal pages for free use.

               (We all get to use them /personal use please!)
   

   9.  Animation splash!  Post an under a minute PowerPoint Presentation.
   

   10. Have a "free book contest" for visitors in the comments section --  with specific rules!

    

   So, without further a do,  First post - 1/30 

   
   

   INTRO a BOOK

   Let me introduce you to ...

                    MER The Mermaid and the Pearl

      

   Order a copy of MER

    The Mermaid and the Pearl is a lively retelling of         Hans Christian Andersen's The Princess and the Pea. 

    

           Original art, doodles and colorful backgrounds combine to                     create a watery world of Mer romance.

    This is a flipped version of the classic Hans Christian Andersen's                     The Princess and the Pea, told with Merfolk.

   This story idea came to me as I was buying Christmas presents for my daughter.  I started to group presents around a Princess&Pea theme.  A hand mirror with a pea-pod and leaf attached by a ribbon,  green drop earrings, a blanket with a "pea"  bead stitched on.  And I wondered; Had anyone written this story using a mermaid and a pearl?  An exhausted Google and Amazon search said no! 

   
   

   
   

   I enlisted the talented and wonderful Doodle Encourager, Tana Bevan, for the artwork, and together we wrote a mermaid, rhyming version of the tale. 
   

   MER: The Mermaid and the Pearl was Tana and my very first picture book together.

   
   We've gone on to write many more  and many more are planed under a joint branding soon to be announced.                   
                    

   

   
   

   Inspiration:  

   The inspiration for flipping this story into a Merfolk telling came from a love of the sea, mermaids and asking:
    I wonder, or what if questions.  I wonder if anyone has done this?  What if we tell the story with mermaids and Merfolk?
   

   Fun facts:

                            A sequel to MER The Mermaid and the Pearl is planned, titled                                                                             MER The Scaredy-Cat Sea-Dragon.                                                          

          

          Hans Christian Andersen's story was NOT rhymed, 

   and is lass than half a typed page!

   
   

    

   Click to order a copy of MER

    

    

   To order books, or for information on how to bring your

    book to CreateSpace:

   
   

   Contact the author Robin Smith

   smithr8020@gmail.com

   www.orderchildrensbooks.com 

   
   

   MER The Mermaid and the Pearl

   Copyright 2010 

   Robin Smith & Tana Bevan

   All Rights Reserved