Speaking of Yom Tov… (here are some BOOKS!)

Here’s a rhyming riddle:

Rosh Hashanah’s almost here: which of my books will you buy this year???!?

I know; pretty tacky, right? I’ll be honest; that’s how I feel about marketing my books in general.

(disgusted baby © iwishmynamewasmarsha via Flickr)

What’s the secret to self-publishing success???

Don’t bother asking me…

I’m told one secret to success in business is not being afraid to ask. So there it is, the ASK. If you’re reading this, we’re connected in some obscure way. And therefore, you or someone you know might really enjoy one of my books, if only you let yourself try.

Scroll down for a list you might like!

Whenever people find out that I’m a self-publishing writer, they sometimes ask about – gasp – the marketing side of things. Because one of the things that commercial book publishers do pretty well is market and distribute your book. They go through well-trod channels to make sure that sellers, libraries, schools, and other interested folks have a physical copy of your book in their hands – or a Kindle copy on their Kindles.

I feel like they’re always quite disappointed to find out I do almost NO marketing for my self-published books. The flipside of that, let’s be honest, is that I make almost no money from my self-published books. If your books are good and you invest in them, whether that’s time or money or whatever, then you tend to get back at least a little return. But it’s HARD WORK. And even though I’m not averse to hard work, I already have hard work in the form of a job.

(The one time I dabbled in a MLM, they came right out and told us that J-O-B is a four-letter word, or at least it should be. But let’s imagine a job is a decent way to get money to feed your family, compared to betting on a less-sure thing when the rent is due.)

But sometimes I shock myself with how little I talk about my own books. I think the last time was in this post about the Jewish Nature series, which I’m so proud of I can barely even put it into words.

So I decided to share a list of yom tov related books that I’ve created that you might want to enjoy with your families. No pressure. These are affiliate links, so if you click through and buy something, I get a few pennies that way, too.

A List of Awesome Books You Should Know About

Get it here: http://tinyurl.com/sigdbook	Pumpkin Pie for Sigd This one actually is NOT self-published, but was released by Apples & Honey at the beginning of August. And – true to form – I totally neglected to do any marketing at the time. It’s great for the fall if you’re looking for stories about a whole bunch of OTHER things that you don’t get in most books. Plus, there’s an amazingly diverse cast of characters, beautifully brought to life by illustrator Denise Damanti.
Get it here: http://tinyurl.com/SharingShmittah	Sharing Shmittah Did you know that the upcoming new year, 5782 (הבא עלינו לטובה / haba aleinu l’, as people say here in Israel), is a shemittah year? Even if I’m not sure anymore why I chose this spelling for “shmittah” (I usually spell it “shemittah”) – this is probably the only kids’ book out there that will help you get prepared for the upcoming shemittah year in Israel which starts in just a few days.
Get it here: http://tinyurl.com/fourlittle	Four Little Holiday Books Yeah, Rosh Hashanah is only one of this mini box set, and okay, the cover is a little cheesy. But it’s only 99 cents and you’re covered for four awesome holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Chanukah, Shavuos, and… I think Pesach). Go get it.
Get it here: http://tinyurl.com/PenguinRosh	Penguin Rosh Hashanah This one has awe-inspiring photos of penguins in their natural habitat, no humans around for miles. Nothing to do with Rosh Hashanah, right? Well, read this post to learn more about the connection. And then – maybe buy the book for your family, for next year, I guess.
Get it here: http://tinyurl.com/AnimalTashlich	Animal Tashlich How do different kinds of animals approach tashlich and the 10 days of teshuvah? Well, they don’t. But as people, we anthropomorphize, and this book does it in grand style, introducing a wide range of animals and the ways they MIGHT do tashlich if they could. Silly premise, powerful book. Trust me.
Get it here: http://tinyurl.com/CaterpillarYom	Caterpillar Yom Kippur Yeah, the caterpillars look kind of gross close-up. But also awe-inspiring, right? And again, this book shares a powerfully simple message that we could all use about growth and transformation – see how it really DOES fit the theme? – during the 10 days of teshuvah.
	Turtle Sukkos The cover is done but the book isn’t QUITE yet. Let’s say coming soon and maybe it’ll be ready for 5783!
Get it here: http://tinyurl.com/getrog	We Didn’t Have an Etrog! Short, easy rhyming story ties together some themes of Sukkot / Sukkos, however you pronounce it.
Get it here: http://tinyurl.com/familytorah	The Family Torah Just in time for Simchas Torah and starting the parshiyos all over again – the beloved classic The Family Torah. Great for homeschooling, youth groups, or around your family’s Shabbos table. And I’m not just saying that because it’s my book. Try the Look Inside feature on Amazon and see for yourself.

 

To see all my books on Amazon, it’s pretty easy. Just click here: http://tinyurl.com/JTMAuthorPage

I also have an amazing new book release that I’m excited to share with you, but Shabbos is coming and my family and our food needs my attention more. As always, marketing is the last thing on my priority list. But I’d like to take this chance to wish you and your entire families an amazing fruitful year of growth in 5782.

STAY TUNED!!!