How to use this Page

My comedic novel set in a pet shelter was unleashed upon the world last July.

Here's the good news. Reviews have been almost universally excellent - three and four stars on Amazon and Goodreads, and even a very nice one from the pros at Kirkus. So, great, right?

Well, not exactly. Truth is, I'm just not selling many books. Here's the dilemma, no doubt one faced by many self-published authors. I'm not reaching my audience. If the book had lousy reviews - or even no reviews - I'd give it up. But people LIKE it, and many absolutely LOVE it.

So I'm seeking help: I need some fresh ideas to market the book without bankrupting myself.

Before you start to make suggestions, I'm going to outline what I've done so far.

Social Media
Twitter: I've strategically acquired nearly 70,000 Twitter followers, most of whom are animal lovers and/or avid readers. I promote the book regularly on Twitter, and send new Twitter followers a welcome message containing a link to the book on Amazon. Plus, I engage my readers daily with witty, fun, thoughtful content. And Twitter, my friends, has been the sole successful effort to date. Nearly all my readers come to the book via Twitter. I definitely need to diversify, which I'm trying to do. Read on.

Facebook: Created separate Facebook page for the book, and post there as well as on my regular page.

Goodreads: Contacted top reviewers, mainly women, and requested reviews. A few did so, with mostly glowing reviews. Results: some sales, I guess. Not tons.

Amazon: The mother of them all. Like Goodreads, sent review requests to top reviewers who seemed a good fit. Again, received great reviews. Enough to generate business? Nah.

Pinterest: Have a bunch of followers there, and the book is part of my profile.


Women's interest e-newsletters

Sent the actual book or link to Amazon page to: Daily Candy, Pure Wow, Urban Daddy, Fab, Joyous, Hello Giggles (Zooey Deschanel's site) and Rookie. Guess the outcome.

eBook Reviewers

Sent review requests to People, Entertainment Weekly, Bustle and even The New York Times (now there's a waste of postage).

The Dodo

This is in a category all its own. I read in the NYTimes that founder of BuzzFeed was funding his daughter's new animal focused website The Dodo. So I sent said daughter a copy of the book, and The Dodo featured a story I wrote about my dog on the site, with a link to the book's Amazon page. Guess I sold a few extra copies the days the story was featured.

Bookstore Readings
Did readings at two local stores. Frankly, don't have time to pursue this further and doubt it would do much for me.

Blurb and PR requests
Sent copies of the paperback to around sixty celebrities who are known animal lovers (yes, including Ellen DeGeneres) and to chick-lit writers, asking them to write a blurb for the book - or even, in some cases, option it for the movies. Yes, I have delusions of grandeur. Result: I received a lovely, handwritten note from author Meg Cabot, informing me that she was no longer doing blurbs, but wishing me luck, and - TA DA - an envelope containing nothing but an autographed picture of Charlize Theron.

Charity Tie-In
I approached animal oriented charities - ASPCA, The Humane Society, PETA and the World Wildlife Fund - offering to donate to them a percentage of the profits from sales of the book if they would promote it on their websites. All turned me down, though PETA does have an online store where I can list the book for $500. I'm considering it.

Pet-oriented businesses
I sent copies of the book to PETCO, Petsmart and a few other national pet supply stores to see if they would carry the book. All declined. Also tried a few local independents - same result.

Vets' offices
I tried my local veterinarian's office,which is part of the VCA chain. They said they couldn't make the decision to carry the book, and that I would need to approach VCA's national headquarters. I did so, and contacted the other big veterinary chain, Banfield, as well. Never heard from them - and yes, I did make follow-up phone calls.

Pet-centric writers
Sent copies of the book to a few columnists who write about animals. Nada.

What I've considered and haven't done
Placed copies of the book on subway seats and airport waiting areas with a note asking finders to post reviews and/or spread the word any way they could in exchange for the free book. Any thoughts on this?

So, bottom line. I've done every free thing I can think of. Please share with me your ideas (whether more unpaid things or things I'd have to pay for) so that I can help my little baby find the audience it deserves. You can post here or email me at [email protected].

HUGE THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO READS THIS, BOUGHT ANIMAL CRACKER, OR MAKES A SUGGESTION.

Mary Nethery signed her new book, The Famous Nini: A Mostly True Story of How a Plain White Cat Became a Star, at Eureka Books last Saturday, and a kitty from the Humane Society was on hand to greet the attendees. In support of the Humane Society and in celebration of Adopt a Cat Month, Eureka Books is giving a free copy of Mary's new book to those who adopt a cat from this shelter. Your new cat will love to hear the story of Nini over and over again.

photo by kimbospacenut www.flickr.com

I decided to write about this book today in honor of the approaching holiday–Valentine’s Day. This book is about love in one of the most selfless and special ways we can give love–to animals who have been in puppy mills. **A portion of the sales profits from A Home for Dakota go to shelters and animal rescue groups.

*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders, contemporary fiction
*Puppy mill pup as main character
*Rating: A Home for Dakota will pull at your heartstrings and make you want to hug your pets and your children!

Short, short summary: A Home for Dakota is told from the point of view of puppy number 241, who starts his life in a puppy mill and is rescued. After being held in a shelter, a human named Emma takes him home to help him get adjusted to living with humans. Emma is patient, kind, loving, and knows how to take care of a sick dog who has lost most of his fur from infection. She names him Dakota, and he learns to trust her. When he is on the mend, Emma brings a family in to see Dakota, and he learns to live with a new owner. The book being told from the puppy’s point of view makes it that much more powerful, and in my opinion, endearing to children.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. The last page of the book has special information for parents and teachers to teach your students or children more about how to treat dogs. This information may also help you to answer some questions that come up while reading A Home for Dakota. For example, many children might not understand why Dakota has lost his hair and the illustrations show that he has bumps on his skin. As a service learning project to go with A Home for Dakota, students could bring in their pennies to donate to a local animal shelter; or you could find the animal shelter needs list online or by calling, and students could each donate one item off of the list.

2. This is the perfect book to teach animal safety, especially when finding stray dogs or cats. Children often approach stray animals and scare them, and then the animal attacks. You can also discuss with students the proper way to care for and treat an animal that is in their home. After these discussions, allow students to create posters, sharing information they learned. You can hang these in the hallway at your school or in your kitchen (if you home school) to remind others of these important lessons.

3. Children may want to know why “Sweetie” is drawn without any hair. The text never says that Sweetie has cancer, and so children who are not familiar with this may not understand. Take some time to discuss with children why Sweetie may react the way she does to Dakota at first, why she has no hair, and how Dakota and Sweetie become friends. Give children plenty of time to ask questions and share stories of family members or friends with cancer.

Don’t forget–there’s still time to win your very own copy of Hate List by Jennifer Brown. This is a young adult book, fiction, about a school shooting and how students deal with the aftermath. Make a comment on the post about the book by Feb. 14 at 8:00 p.m. CST.