Paving the Path

by Julie Woik
(Sarasota, Florida)

Self-published, printing by
Arcade Lithography in Sarasota, Florida

Well, I can't tell you everything, as you don't have enough band-width for me to tell you about all that has transpired in the past 4 years.

If you decide to self-publish, you must learn 3 words...MARKETING, MARKETING, MARKETING! I've learned that everyone seems to feel they have a great book somewhere inside of them. And, maybe they do. But when I'm approached regarding how I got to where I am, I tell people straight out, you HAVE to know how you're going to sell it, or you'll end up with 4500 books in your garage.

Just take my books for example. We have a fabulous product. Each book is very well written, they rhyme, they teach life lessons and build character, they're absolutely incredibly illustrated, we have about 100 activities for FREE on line for each book in the series, they're hard cover, larger than average in size, we donate a percentage of sales to different organizations, and you get all of that for a super duper price of just $19.95.

Yeah, okay, and the question still remains, how do I get everyone to know about this fantastic book series? Answer: Market it in every way I think is appropriate and affordable for our books. I'm constantly thinking of ways to get Lilly's name out there. During the week I present at schools, speak at clubs and organizations, and fill orders from the Lilly the Lash website. On the weekends I do craft fairs, festivals, farmer's markets, home shows, and so forth. You've got to spend time and money getting your product out there. If you don't, it's simple, no one will know it exists.

Money and time are a huge consideration.

We've spent more money than intended (as most companies do) and I'm marketing in some way 24/7. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. Absolutely love it!!! So for me, it doesn't seem like a job. But if you don't plan to devote any of your time to getting your product out there, you may want to hold off for the time being.

I've realized that I have the ability to Pave the Path for Lilly the Lash to become a household name. It won't happen in a day. I'll be building this road one stone at a time.