Book Marketing Fun & Book Review of Animal Sound Mix Up

Animal Sound Mix-Up
by Connie Arnold

• Paperback: 16 pages
• Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (August 12, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 161633083X
• ISBN-13: 978-1616330835

TO PURCHASE A COPY OF ANIMAL SOUND MIX UP VISIT

Guardian Angel Publishing

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Animal Sound Mix-Up Book Review

Set the washing machine on the spin cycle, throw in animal sounds and add animals. What do you get? “Animal Sound Mix U p.” Connie Arnold wrote a book to open a child’s imagination to the possibility of a world where owls howl like dogs and lions meow like kittens.

The rhyme intoxicates children with its effortless sing- song rhyme. The illustrations are crisp and eye catching. Kit Grady has out done herself. The animals are so life-like, the reader can almost hear the animals making their unique fans.

CONTEST/DRAWING
There will be drawings at the end of the tour from those who comment for a $10 Amazon gift certificate and an Animal Encyclopedia, and a drawing for an animal ornament set from those who purchase a copy of Animal Sound Mix-up and provide confirmation of order to me.

Book Marketing Brainstorm

Animal Sound Mix-Up

Children's Author Visit - Create the "Animal Sound Mix-Up" version of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," "Connie Arnold's Wacky Farm." Post the song on your website and create hand gestures, movements, or a dance to compliment it. Get the instrumental version of the song and record a few children singing your version of the song. Use it on a book trailer or your site playing in the background. Videotape the kids doing the dance.

Design postcard invitations to a book signing sing along and send them to local preschools, primary and Sunday schools. Buy a cheap toy banjo to strum as the kids & you sing "Connie Arnold's Wacky Farm.". Post flyers at stores, libraries, and community centers. Wear overalls, a straw hat, blacken one of your teeth and use a bale of hay to sit on.What you might do,m is read your book and do your basic talk as the real you. Retreat to a hallway to go get your country cousin. When you come back you're your country cousin. The kids will love it.Hold the event at the community center or YMCA.

Have a book signing make a candy/prize bowl. Let kids choose an egg (like plastic Easter eggs). In each egg put a piece of paper with 1 piece of candy, 2 pieces of candy, misc prizes and all of the prizes should promote "Animal Sound Mix-Up."

Run a coloring contest. Use the coloring page your artist created. The winner gets a poster size "Animal Sound Mix-Up" coloring page. (It would be nice if it was a different coloring page than your contest, but it could be.

The tour continues October 8, 2010 at Connie Arnold, Children's Author Blog

Interview with Connie Arnold author of Animal Sound Mix Up

Animal Sound Mix-Up
by Connie Arnold

• Paperback: 16 pages
• Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (August 12, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 161633083X
• ISBN-13: 978-1616330835

Brief synopsis: Can you imagine what the world would be like if animals each made completely different sounds than expected? That would be such an amazing surprise, and how crazy it would seem if this were to happen! This book explores different animal sounds and why animals make the sounds they do.

TO PURCHASE A COPY OF ANIMAL SOUND MIXUP VISIT

Guardian Angel Publishing

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

CONTEST/DRAWING
There will be drawings at the end of the tour from those who comment for a $10 Amazon gift certificate and an Animal Encyclopedia, and a drawing for an animal ornament set from those who purchase a copy of Animal Sound Mix-up and provide confirmation of order to me.

Author: Connie Arnold
Blog Address: http://conniearnold.blogspot.com
Website Address: http://www.childrenbooks.webs.com

Email: beautifulmomentsofjoyandpeace@yahoo.com
Bio: Connie Arnold is an author and poet residing in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with her husband, has two married children and three young grandsons. She is the author of three inspirational poetry books. Animal Sound Mix-up is her first published children’s book. Her writing appears in several anthologies, magazines and newsletters.

Interview with Connie Arnold

Aday: Connie, what a fun and wacky concept for a book. Where did the idea come from?

Connie: We all get these stray thoughts that wander into the mind, and the secret is to grab hold of them and jot notes while it’s fresh to develop when there’s a chance. One day I was thinking about little children learning what sounds animals make, and I thought, what if they didn’t make those particular sounds? What would that be like?

Aday: Tell us about getting your mind in a creative mode? How do you begin your writing process?

Connie: It’s most helpful to discover when you are the most creative, when your thought processes are clearest and you’re most open to inspiration. For me, it’s in the morning that creativity peaks, and I need to start writing before it fades away as the day goes on. A particular place to write is also important, away from distractions and either quiet or surrounded by music or images that best stimulate your creativity. I enjoy soft instrumental music and a window to look out or being outdoors but sometimes just need complete silence in a comfortable place by myself.

Aday: Many writers utilize a writing group. Where do you get constructive critiques and feedback?

Connie: I have several friends that are very good with feedback and constructive suggestions about my writing. My husband’s suggestions are always valuable to me as well. It’s good to have someone else read your work with fresh eyes that might catch something that you have overlooked or have ideas for what might improve it. Also, having someone else read it aloud often will make it clearer where improvement is needed.

Aday: What plans do you have to market your book?

Connie: I’ve already contacted my church bookshop and a large local Christian bookstore, and they both are stocking Animal Sound Mix-up. I will be doing readings for different preschool classes this fall, providing order forms for the children to take home to parents. The central library is planning to request copies for each of the branches and arrange for me to do programs and sell and sign copies. Word of mouth is a great marketing tool, and I’ve sold many copies to other grandmothers and friends of my children with young children, who will show their friends. Online there are many opportunities for marketing, such as this blog tour, Facebook, Twitter, and other social communities and groups. Guardian Angel Publishing, the publisher of Animal Sound Mix-up, arranged a recent book signing at Borders and a special event for children, and I hope to do more things like that here and other places I visit as well.

Aday: Do you know of a confused bunch of animals? How did they get that way?

Connie: The only confused animals I know are in Animal Sound Mix-up, and they got that way through my imagination! Animals are part of a marvelous creation, filled with great variety, each unique in their own sounds as well as appearances.

Aday: What audience will your book appeal and why?

Connie: I’ve found that grandparents and parents are delighted with the words and Kit Grady’s wonderful illustrations, and young children find the rhymes and colorful pictures fun. From the children I’ve read Animal Sound Mix-up to, including my little grandsons, it seems the 3-5 year olds especially enjoy hearing it read, looking at it, and sharing the sounds the animals actually make. At the recent events with other Guardian Angel Publishing authors and artists in St. Louis I had an opportunity to read Animal Sound Mix-up to a group of home school children. They were quite an attentive audience and excited to share their own animal sounds afterwards!

The tour continues October 5, 2010 at Lori Calabrese's blog.