The Reality of Promoting a Children’s Book as a New Author
When I first read that children’s authors should promote their books through school visits, fairs, and fetes, I thought, Right then — I’ll do exactly that. And I have. I’ve thrown myself into every opportunity I could find. But the truth is, the reality of promotion is far more complex than the neat advice suggests.
School Visits: My Learning Curve
I’ve completed three school visits so far, each one teaching me something different.
Visit One: Sales were surprisingly good — 17 books — but I was inexperienced. I didn’t structure the session as well as I could have, and I walked away knowing I needed a clearer plan next time.
Visit Two: Only one book sold, plus a few colouring books. I had just half an hour in an assembly, literacy levels were low, and I wasn’t prepared enough for that specific environment. I did my best, but it was a tough one.
Visit Three: A heatwave. The room was far too hot to ask children to move around or engage in the activities I’d planned. The school didn’t offer the book for sale either, which was disappointing. I left feeling deflated — and out of pocket.
One visit was good for sales, but not perfect in structure. The others were challenging in different ways. But each one taught me something valuable.
Fairs and Fetes: A Different Kind of Challenge
I then moved on to fairs and fetes. And here’s what I quickly realised:
People browsing stalls at a summer fete aren’t always looking to spend £7.99 on a book — they’re hunting for bargains. I was also positioned next to a 3D printer stall that was absolutely inundated. I simply couldn’t compete with flashing gadgets and moving parts.
I tried to engage people, build my email list, and talk about the book, but it was hard to draw them over. Harder than I expected.
The Honest Truth
This is the reality of promotion. It’s not glamorous. It’s not easy. It’s not instant. It’s learning, adjusting, trying again, and sometimes feeling like you’re shouting into the wind.
But I believe in my book. I believe in Bob and Julie. And I’m not giving up.
I have more events lined up, and I’m learning from every single one. I’m new to all of this, and I’m trying — really trying. What I need now is a steady supply of opportunities to apply what I’ve learned, and a community around me that understands how tough this stage can be.
If You Can Help…
If you know of an event, a school, a group, a fair, or any opportunity where a local children’s author could be involved, I would be genuinely grateful to hear from you.
Every chance to share my book helps me grow, improve, and keep going.
Thank you for reading — and for supporting a new author finding her way.
If you want, I can also turn this into:
a shorter social‑media version
a more upbeat promotional blog
a newsletter update
or a version that highlights your South Wales identity more strongly
Just tell me the tone you want next.
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