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Tuesday, September 2, 2014

@AlinkaRutkowska on Selling Her First Book #AmReading #KidLit #SelfPub

Your first kiss is something you never forget. So is the first sale of your new book. Sometimes you don’t really know if what you experienced can be classified as a kiss or not. How passionate does it have to be? Does a kiss on the cheek count? So in reality you might have several firsts. With books as well. I would like to tell you about my two firsts. And we will be talking books now.
It was a cold December day. One of those that are meant for watching Cartoon Network whilst eating potato chips. At least that’s what the cool kids were doing. The nerdy ones, those whose parents think that TV sucks and books are fun, came to an indoor book launch party of their local author. They made cardboard ships, colored ships and ate chocolate ships. They also read Maya & Filippo Make Friends in Auckland, the first of their local author’s travel book series Maya & Filippo.
At a certain point I heard two parents trying to figure something out: “We need one for Paula, one for Victor, oh and we completely forgot about Vanessa!” Then the lady turned to me and said: “we can buy these, right? We need at least three copies!” Wow! That was pretty amazing. I don’t think they realized that they were my first customers. Hey, I don’t think I realized! I was so busy replying to the readers’ questions and posing for the local newspaper’s photographer (yes, there was a reporter at this event!) that I completely forgot about the commercial side of my book launch party.
So, yes, my very first sale of the series was a face to face delightful experience. Now, on to my second first.
Maya & Filippo Make Friends in Auckland takes place both on a cruise ship and in Auckland (the capital of New Zealand) so naturally I made an excel spreadsheet with all the bookstores, tourist centers, libraries and cruise lines I could market my book to. I compiled it with all the contact persons’ details and started my niche marketing campaign. Two months after the book came out I checked my sales dashboard and there it was – my second first – seven books were bought by one of these institutions. That’s great – but which one was it? I felt joy mixed up with a bad taste in my mouth – yes I just kissed – and it was a memorable experience – but with whom? It must have been one hell of a party! But even though I can’t quite identify the lucky guy, I believe I can narrow my search down to two candidates. It must either be Auckland Libraries or someone else but hey, I don’t kiss and tell!

Alinka Rutkowska has created a tale that will appeal to children, which teaches about choices, and encourages communication and sharing. Rating: 5.0 stars from Readers’ Favorite Reviews.
Embark on a one-of-a-kind, unprecedented, breathtaking adventure with Maya and Filippo as they travel around the globe on board the “Fun Princess” — a cruise ship full of surprises. Discover their fascinating ports of call, find out what the local customs and traditions are, join the kids in activities at sea, and explore the remarkable world they create through the power of their positive outlook.
This time the kids spend a day on board the Fun Princess. They become junior chefs at sea and learn how to bake a cake. Maya and Filippo discover how trying out different recipes gets them closer to creating the perfect dessert. They also discover the power of sharing.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - Children’s Picture Book
Rating – G
More details about the author
Connect with Alinka Rutkowska on Facebook & Twitter

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