We were lucky to catch up with Tricia DellAnno recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tricia, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

The competition is fierce as a children’s book author. Today, anyone can self-publish a book, and sell it on Amazon and other online retailers. There are thousands of new titles, both traditionally and self-published, from all genres uploaded to Amazon every day. And with millions of books to choose from, how do you not become another needle in the haystack?

I learned early on that a book’s marketing plan needs to include more than the right metadata such as keywords, categories, and book descriptions. This is a must but it’s only one piece of the marketing puzzle. So, I researched and found a few reputable online book promotion services and in conjunction with my social platforms, I advertised a free book promotion on Kindle. By doing online promotions both of my books were on Amazon’s #1 Best Seller List in multiple children’s book categories in 2022 and 2023.

But sales and rankings ebb and flow so I knew I needed to expand my marketing strategies and connect with my target audience offline – children, parents, schools, libraries. And I knew I needed to differentiate myself starting with my book readings. So, I began to advertise “Book Events” not readings. I put my books in PowerPoint and project on a smart board or large screen. Now most of my readings are done in front of large groups of children – on average 50 to 250. I added animation to the PowerPoint slides so there are moving parts (balls rolling, dog tails wagging, etc.). I also have a slide with questions to reinforce the subtle lessons in each book. The event highlight is a visit from two real-life stars from the books – Millie, a Goldendoodle, and Codie, a Black Lab and certified therapy dog.

In preparation for the events, I set up a shared Google folder for the book order form, a spreadsheet for orders by classroom, etc. This helps keep everyone organized and I can then personalize each child’s book ahead of the event. In addition, every child gets a bookmark with a QR code to my website for free coloring pages, activity sheets, etc. This one marketing strategy has proven effective in driving sales from my inventory as well as future sales online.

So, as an author and a brand, I try to differentiate myself and what I do. As mentioned, in such a saturated market, it’s about finding your target audience and connecting with them in fun and memorable ways.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am the author of two children’s books, ‘No Dog in my Yard’ and ‘A Dog in my Yard.’ I have undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Communications and my MS in Human Resources Development. I spent 26 years working in corporate HR. My inspiration for writing a book came in 2020 when we gave in and got a Goldendoodle puppy. She wreaked havoc on our lives, turned the house upside down, interrupted meetings, nearly pierced my ear with her puppy teeth, etc. The threat to rehome Millie was real and often. As I shared stories of Millie’s antics, I received little sympathy. Friends and family thought the stories were hysterical and a few commented, “You should write a book.” I’ve always enjoyed writing so one day, I looked at Millie and said, “You’ve given me some good material. Let’s do this.”

But I put the book about Millie and her antics on hold (A Dog in my Yard) and decided to first write about our son’s plans to convince us to get Millie, including enlisting the help of nine neighborhood dogs (No Dog in my Yard).

Though the books are comical, it was important to me that they teach children subtle life lessons – being responsible, working hard for the things you want, determination, patience, and unconditional love.

As important as the story is, I believe the illustrations are equally important. I was fortunate to find an amazing illustrator, Jim Pearson, who worked at Pixar on Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo, and The Ant Bully. He was also the Art Director for the Cartoon Network. His playful illustrations depict a boy and a cast of neighborhood dogs planning, scheming, and learning valuable lessons.

Based on the book’s themes and stunning illustrations, both received the Literary Titan Gold Book Award and Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Reviews. ‘No Dog in my Yard’ was a finalist in the UK Wishing Shelf Awards.

I’m beyond grateful that my books are finding their way home to children’s bookshelves.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

A few years ago, I read an article that asked a great question. Do you want to be a hobby writer or a career author? As a career author, you are traditionally or self-published with the intent of making money. I knew I wanted to be a career author and for my books to be my business.

This new career turned out to be so much more than writing. I learned early on that while you’re writing, you get feedback from critique groups, rewrite, get your work professionally edited, query agents and/or publishers (if you go the traditional publishing route), publish, and promote.

One of the most important things a self-published author must have is a strategic marketing plan, even before your book is launched. And like any business, you need to spend money to make money. You need to budget. You hire for what you don’t know how to do or don’t want to do (i.e. designing a website to promote your book(s)). I decided to try to learn and do as much as I could on my own. This became incredibly helpful as I talked and brainstormed with other writers and authors because in this “authoring” world you can feel like you’re on an island by yourself. So, connecting with others and offering support and encouragement is very rewarding.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

If someone had told me I would leave my 26-year career and become an author, I wouldn’t have believed it. The lure of two publishing contracts was enough for me to take that leap of faith. I don’t know what the bigger risk was, leaving a very secure position with a great company or ultimately turning down both contracts. I wanted to keep the rights to my book and felt strongly about having a say regarding the illustrations. After consulting with a literary lawyer and doing an incredible amount of research on my own, I have no doubt I made the right decision.

But, once my books were published, I did begin to miss some aspects of my prior career – helping others. A few of my roles included employee relations, leadership development, training, and recruitment marketing. I missed connecting with people.

So, I joined a few local writing and publishing groups and did in-person events as a vendor. I repeatedly heard, “I’ve always dreamed of writing a book” or “I wrote a book and don’t know what to do next.” So, I had a thought. I could write an ‘Introduction to Book Publishing Workshop.’ I wanted to share tips and resources I found most helpful. I wanted to share the mistakes I had made. Most importantly, I wanted people to understand the pros and cons of the different publishing paths. I sent a proposal to local Community and Recreation Centers in surrounding towns and my workshop was added to many of their programs.

The decisions I made and the publishing path I took might not be for everyone. The publishing world is ever-changing and can be overwhelming. So, when people say this workshop “has given me a jumping off point, better direction, or even, this is too much work, it’s not for me,” then I’ve done my job.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://goldendoodlerules.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tricia.dellanno.author
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goldendoodlerules
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tricia-dell-anno-ms-phr-shrm-cp-84643414/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TriciaDellAnno
• Youtube: The Golden Doodle Rules – YouTube
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMDYHH7L

Image Credits

Not applicable