June 2023 – Creative Chaos

The District of Columbia Public Library newsletter just popped up in my in-box, and I was thrilled to see that DC has a “Books from Birth” program. Early childhood literacy is a crucial building block for later education and parent/child bonding.

The Books from Birth program is open to all children under the age of five who live in Washington, D.C. All enrolled children receive a free book in the mail each month from birth until they turn five.
https://www.dclibrary.org/using-the-library/books-birth

DC partners with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. According to their website, the program has provided free books for 1 in 10 children under the age of 5 in the U.S. Head to the Imagination Library website to see if you can register your child.

Your state may also have a state program. Google “your state + free books for kids” to get a list of links. Many of them are partnered with Imagination Library but some provide books through other education, private, or health-based grants.

PJ Library provides free books to Jewish Children and their families. You can sign up on their website for books that center Jewish values and culture. PJ Library is specifically for younger children but children 8.5 to 13 can enjoy middle-grade books through PJ Our Way.

When I was a teen, I’d go to my mother’s communications and public relations office to help after school. In those dinosaur-roaming, pre-internet days, people typed up press releases, sent them out to reporters and editors, then called each media outlet to follow up. I had three main jobs: 1) put-together mailings (read: stuff and seal envelopes), 2) make follow-up calls, 3) stuff press kits for press conferences.

Times have changed. Snail mail is quaint, and while I love a conference folder, there are digital alternatives. On this website, I’ve added a downloadable zipped file on my “Books” and my “Creative Speaking/Press” pages. Creating a zipped file is easy. Just shift + click on the documents you need to zip together, right-click, and choose “compress file.”

To start, a media or press kit doesn’t need to be fancy. Ask your publisher for the “one sheet” they’ve created for the book. This has your book information (title, launch date, ISBN, etc.), a picture of the cover, any blurbs, and a picture of you with your bio. I’ve added a high res image of the cover and a few author photo options in case people need them for posting or for school and bookstore visits. Make sure to include the credits for the illustrator and photographer.

Finally, update your media kit. As the book goes out in the world, you may have nice reviews, stars, or awards to add on. Fingers crossed!