mar's Desk

marcoujor: My First SELF-e

6/29/2016

I recently got an email from Mike Friedman of Mockingbird Books, also known as my illustrator, publisher and faithful marketer friend. He invited me to consider submitting Kylie's Blossoms to BiblioBoard of the SELF-e Library Journal.

After I checked out the link he sent, I knew I wanted to give this opportunity a try. I love the idea of even more children having access to my book as they access their town libraries.

The application process was straightforward and there are no hidden charges. Within a couple days of submitting the form, I received the following letter from the BiblioBoard and SELF-e teams.

Welcome to Indie Pennsylvania!

Congratulations, you have successfully moved into the library space--a venue largely out of reach for self-publishing authors. Your book is now primed for exposure as part of Indie Pennsylvania, a collection of books by authors in Pennsylvania available exclusively on BiblioBoard, an ebook reading platform built for libraries.

When a library in your state purchases BiblioBoard, the Indie Pennsylvania Book Collection is available to those patrons. This means the more libraries with BiblioBoard, the more patrons can discover your book. Remember BiblioBoard is totally mobile; so, you're even reaching people reading on their phones.

If you would like to see what your book will look like once it's available on the BiblioBoard platform, we invite you to watch our short video "What happens after you submit to SELF-e?" on our Vimeo channel.

BiblioBoard was designed for maximum accessibility. People in Pennsylvania visiting libraries who have purchased BiblioBoard can read Kylie's Blossoms using the computers within the library. Patrons of participating libraries not physically at a branch can still access BiblioBoard via the web or by downloading the BiblioBoard app from Apple's App Store, Google Play, and through the Amazon AppStore for Kindle owners.

Indie Pennsylvania has created a channel of collaboration for you and your state's libraries. This is an entirely free way to promote your book.

Libraries are a gateway to book sales: either purchased by the library or by the patrons themselves. Your inclusion in the Pennsylvania Indie Book Collection provides the validation you need to reach out to libraries in your state. See if they have BiblioBoard so their patrons can discover your book.

Stay tuned as we will be sending a series of emails providing tips and insights into how you can get the most out of being a part of Indie Pennsylvania and get Kylie's Blossoms into the hands of readers.

Welcome aboard,

The BiblioBoard and SELF-e Teams

I never thought I'd be promoting my own SELF-e, yet this feels more comfortable than sharing a Selfie!

Hoping other authors, of all genres, will consider checking this out and submitting your work to Indie (your state). You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

When I shared the good news with Mike, he sent me a smile maker I had to share with you. Kylie and Teddy are thrilled at meeting new readers. I had no idea those two could dance like that!