My Messy Muse

What are the biggest mistakes we make in kidlit marketing?

Oanh Jordan, a brand strategist and the founder of Tiny Triumph Co., a literary marketing consulting firm in Portland, Oregon, provides her insight into kidlit marketing & personal branding.

Oanh spent over 10 years as a Marketing & Sales Director for a prestigious engineering firm before deciding to spend time at home with her littles. Itching to get back to her profession, Oanh turned her sights to the kidlit world. Oanh now focuses her marketing & branding expertise on kidlit, teaching children's lit authors and illustrators how to stand out, attract their ideal readers, and sell more books by building a personal brand.

Her motto is, "Your tiny triumphs are my tiny triumphs" and Oanh always is the first to cheer us on in our book journey.

Three actionable branding tips:

1. Use your actual name for your social media accounts. Don't make it hard for your ideal readers to find you. Think about how you will have your name printed on your published books.
2. Do more video content. It's the fastest way to build your know, like and trust factor which is key for creating loyal, raving fans.
3. Let your readers see what you look like, so show your face at least once a week.

Connect with Oanh on Instagram and twitter @tinytriumphco Find out more about Kidlit Personal Branding at www.tiny-triumph.co

FREE Branding Masterclass with workbook and FREE 15 minute 1x1 with Oanh Jordan for ALL My Messy Muse Members from May 13, 2019-June 13, 2019. Simply join the FREE My Messy Muse Facebook Group www.facebook.com/groups/mymessymuse

We want to help you on your kidlit journey!! TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS LIMITED OFFER!

Follow host Michele McAvoyTwitter: @michele_mcavoyInstagram: @michelemcavoy

If you are interested in a picture book critique, a strategy session or a school visit with host Michele McAvoy, please visit her website at www.michelemcavoy.com/workwithme

In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, an interview with Picture Book Author Andria Warmflash Rosenbaum. Andria has 6 published picture books, her most recent book HAND IN HAND, is an early introduction for children to the Holocaust. Andria has been a member of SCBWI for more years than she can remember.

When Andria's not writing, she's walking her dog, baking ideas, photographing flowers, or having a dance party with her grandchildren. She hunts for picture book ideas from her home in New Jersey.

You can follow her on Twitter @andriawrose

You can learn more about Andria and her books at: www.andriawarmflashrosenbaum.com

Andria's Books:

HAND IN HAND, Apples & Honey Press 2019 BIG SISTER, LITTLE MONSTER, Scholastic Press 2017 TRAINS DON'T SLEEP, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2017 MEG GOLDBERG ON PARADE, Lerner/ Kar-Ben 2015 A GRANDMA LIKE YOURS/ A GRANDPA LIKE YOURS, Lerner/ Kar-Ben 2016 TWO SWEET PEAS, Bebop Books, Lee & Low 2006

COMING IN 2020: BOATS WILL FLOAT illustrated by Brett Curzon, Sleeping Bear Books

Be sure to join the My Messy Muse community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/mymessymuse As a Messy Member you will be eligible for ALL group giveaways (and there are many!) as well as have access to exclusive content.

If you are interested in a picture book critique, a strategy session or a school visit with the host Michele McAvoy, please visit her website at www.michelemcavoy.com/workwithme

Follow host Michele McAvoyTwitter: @michele_mcavoyInstagram: @michelemcavoy

Interview with Dan Saks creator and host of the top-rated interactive music podcast for kids, Noodle Loaf!

Dan is a father, a musician and a music educator trained in the Orff-Shulwerk approach to music education. He records his podcast from his home in Switzerland. Noodle Loaf invites the family to join together for some creative fun. The show is geared for kids 3-9 years old but kids of all ages get into it (including grown-up kids! lol!)

Listen to hear how Dan finds inspiration to create his weekly podcast. How he went from in-classroom educator in New York City to a child entertainer in Switzerland.

Listen with your kids in the car or your students in the classroom!

http://noodleloafshow.com

Follow Noodle Loaf on Twitter @noodleloafshow

Be sure to join the My Messy Muse community on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/mymessymuse for EXCLUSIVE giveaways and content! (for Messy Members Only!)

If you are interested in a picture book critique, a strategy session or a school visit with host Michele McAvoy, please visit her website at www.michelemcavoy.com/workwithme

Follow host Michele McAvoy

Twitter: @michele_mcavoy Instagram: @michelemcavoy

In celebration of Autism Awareness Month, Ilana Bachrach the media specialist with Spectrum360, a school for children and adolescents across the full spectrum of autism and with behavioral and related disabilities, opens our minds to offering author school visits for children with special needs.

In this Episode, you will hear pointers on structuring your visits including questions to ask your school contact about your presentation.

You can find out more about Spectrum360 at www.spectrum360.org

If you are a media specialist you may also enjoy other #LibrarianLessons Episodes, including Episode 7 with Media Specialist Bibiana Prada and Episode 16 with Kathie MacIsaac.

Be sure to join the My Messy Muse community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/mymessymuse

If you are interested in a picture book critique, a strategy session or a school visit with host Michele McAvoy, please visit her website at www.michelemcavoy.com/workwithme

Follow host Michele McAvoy Twitter: @michele_mcavoy Instagram: @michelemcavoy

Sally J. Pla is the award-winning author of the acclaimed middle-grade novels THE SOMEDAY BIRDS and STANLEY WILL PROBABLY BE FINE, and the picture book, BENJI, THE BAD DAY, & ME. Her books are Junior Library Guild Selections with starred reviews, and they have appeared on many awards lists and "best books" roundups. The Someday Birds received the 2018 Dolly Gray Award, which recognizes the portrayal of disability in children's literature.

Sally has appeared on television and radio as an author and autism advocate. She believes in kindness, respect, and the beauty of different brains—We are all stars shining with different lights! She lives in San Diego, where she's hard at work on the next story.

The Someday Birds(HarperCollins 2017), is about Charlie, a bird-loving boy on a life-changing journey across the country to see his injured dad. Charlie's stuck in an old camper with his annoying siblings and a mysterious stranger at the wheel.

– New York Public Library Best Children's Book of 2017 – Winner of the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award for 2018 – Junior Library Guild Selection 2017 – Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee – Bank Street Best Children's Book of 2017 – Publishers Weekly Starred Review – Shelf Awareness Starred Review – CommonSense Media Five Star Rating – Nerdies Award Winner 2017 – Dorothy Canfield Fisher (VT) Book Award Nominee – Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee – Wisconsin Library Ass'n Children's Book Award Finalist – Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee

Stanley Will Probably Be Fine Stanley's a comics trivia fanatic who grapples with anxiety. But he's bravely entered Trivia Quest — a giant comics-trivia treasure hunt — to prove he can tackle his worries, score VIP passes to a big comic fest, and win back his ex–best friend. Along the way, he invents an imaginary superhero to help him cope.

Stanley Will Probably Be Fine:

– Junior Library Guild Selection for 2018 – New York Public Library Best Children's Book of 2018 – Kirkus Best Children's Book of 2018 – "Add to the growing list of intelligent books about kids whose brains operate outside the norm." (Kirkus, *Starred* Review) – "An excellent addition to promote social-emotional learning." (School Library Journal)

Benji, The Bad Day, & Me (Lee and Low), a picture book about sibling rivalry, brotherly love, and neurodiversity, all wrapped in a big blue blanket. Illustrated by the great Ken Min.

Learn more about Sally from her website at www.sallyjpla.com

Follow Sally on Twitter @sallyjpla

Be sure to join the private My Messy Muse Facebook community to be eligible for author giveaways and exclusive content! Join here: www.michelemcavoy.com/podcast

If you are interested in a picture book critique, a strategy session or a school visit with host Michele McAvoy, please visit her website at www.michelemcavoy.com/workwithme

Follow host Michele McAvoy Twitter: @michele_mcavoy Instagram: @michelemcavoy

Diana Murray is a children's book author of 10+ titles including, One Snowy Day (SourceBooks); City Shapes (Little Brown); Grimelda the Witch series (Harper Collins); Summer Color (Little Brown); Pizza Pig (Random House); Ned the Knitting Pirate (Roaring Brook/Macmillan); Groggle's Monster Valentine (Sky Pony) and her upcoming Unicorn Day with Sourcebooks.

She also has 5 more books coming in 2020- Double the Dinosaurs (Step-into-Reading/Random House, 2020); Goodnight, Veggies Illustrated by Zach OHora (HMH, Spring 2020); Five Fuzzy Chicks (Imprint/Macmillan, 2020); Wild About Dads (Imprint/Macmillan, 2020); Sleep, Little Dozer (Random House, 2020)

Diana tells us about how she when from a little girl who emigrated to America and did not speak English to being a prolifically published author.

You can find out more about Diana and her books at www.dianamurray.com

You can also follow her on Twitter @dianamwrites

Be sure to join the My Messy Muse community on Facebook at www.michelemcavoy.com/podcast

If you are interested in a picture book critique, a strategy session or a school visit with the host Michele McAvoy, please visit her website at www.michelemcavoy.com/workwithme

Follow host Michele McAvoy Twitter: @michele_mcavoy Instagram: @michelemcavoy

Jarrett Lerner is the middle-grade author of EngiNerds and its sequel, Revenge of the EngiNerds, as well as the forthcoming Geeger the Robot series (all published by Simon & Schuster/Aladdin).

He cofounded and helps run the MG Book Village, an online hub for all things Middle Grade, and is the co-organizer of the #KidsNeedBooks and #KidsNeedMentors programs.

Jarrett can be found at jarrettlerner.com, on Twitter at @Jarrett_Lerner, and on Instragram at @jarrettlerner. He lives in Medford, Massachusetts, with his wife, his daughter, and a cat.

Be sure to join the My Messy Muse community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/mymessymuse

If you are interested in a picture book critique, a strategy session or a school visit with host Michele McAvoy, please visit her website at www.michelemcavoy.com/workwithme

Follow host Michele McAvoy Twitter: @michele_mcavoy Instagram: @michelemcavoy

Bibiana Prada, teacher, and media specialist for 20+ years and co-founder of EdCamp Urban and Ed Camp After Hours, gives advice on how to find grant money to stack your stacks! No longer be intimidated about asking for money. Ask away and fill your library with beautiful books!

Follow Bibiana Prada on Twitter @bookgirl614

Bibiana Prada, teacher, and media specialist for 20+ years and co-founder of EdCamp Urban and Ed Camp After Hours, gives advice on how to find grant money to stack your stacks!

No longer be intimidated about asking for money. Ask away and fill your library with beautiful books!

Follow Bibiana Prada on Twitter @bookgirl614

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Get Ed funding

My Dollar General

American Association of school libraries

New Jersey Association of school librarians -

#edcampafterhours

#freebooks

Ed Camp

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Be sure to join the My Messy Muse community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/mymessymuse

If you are interested in a picture book critique, a strategy session or a school visit with host Michele McAvoy, please visit her website at www.michelemcavoy.com/workwithme

Follow host Michele McAvoy Twitter: @michele_mcavoy Instagram: @michelemcavoy

Laurie Wallmark is children's picture book author with three published non-fiction titles: Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (Creston Books, 2015)- Starred Reviews from Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal; Grace Hopper Queen of Computer Code (Sterling, 2017)- Kirkus Starred Review Parents' Choice Gold Medal Bank Street Best Ch. Books; and Hedy Lamarr's Double Life (Sterling, 2019) (released February 5th!)

Laurie has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts as well as degrees in biochemistry and information systems. When she is not writing she teaches courses on writing for children.

To find out more about Laurie's books please visit her website at https://www.lauriewallmark.com

Follow Laurie on Twitter @lauriewallmark

Be sure to join the My Messy Muse community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/mymessymuse

If you are interested in a picture book critique, a strategy session or a school visit with host Michele McAvoy, please visit her website at www.michelemcavoy.com/workwithme

Follow host Michele McAvoy Twitter: @michele_mcavoy Instagram: @michelemcavoy

My Messy Muse peppers picture book author Josh Funk with questions submitted by Second Grade students in a "speeddating environment," timer and all! How will Josh answer under such extreme pressure? lol!

Listen in!

www.joshfunkbooks.com