Happy Saturday!
It's a fine day, and I'm chilling here wondering what I'll do after I hit send on this newsletter.
Should I go hiking? (Ugh, I'm already dreading the cramps.) Or should I just kick back and watch a documentary? (Seems like a way better option, lol.)
Well, I guess it all depends on how motivated I'm feeling once I wrap this up.
But enough about my weekend dilemma – let's dive into something way more interesting!
This week's newsletter is on the amazing Gabi Garcia.
With 20 years of experience as a school counselor working with K-12 students, she's also the author of 8 children's books.
Some of her popular titles include:
Gabi sells nearly 7,000 copies each month—just from her paperback versions in English.
But that's not all; she also publishes her books in Spanish and French.
Here are five of her marketing strategies:
Marketing Strategy 1: Sharing Valuable Content
Posting on social media as an author isn’t just about promoting your book—you need to mix up the type of content you share.
Entertaining posts (like what made you happy recently)
Fan appreciation (sharing a positive review)
Behind the scenes (your writing process)
But Garcia takes it up a notch with her educational content.
She knows her audience—parents, educators, and caregivers interested in social-emotional learning for children.
And what are they most likely to engage with?
Exactly, content that helps them learn more about children's emotional and cognitive development.
So, on Facebook, she shares articles on these topics.
The engagement on these posts speaks for itself.
It works because it resonates with her audience.
Plus, it’s content they find valuable enough to share with others like them.
Key Takeaway: Understand what your audience cares about and share valuable content that speaks to their interests.
Marketing Strategy 2: Strategic Collaboration
If you’re looking to grow your audience, one of the most effective ways is by collaborating with other authors.
And Garcia knows how to do this well.
Her approach? She partners with authors in her niche—social-emotional learning.
Why?
To make sure the collaboration is both relevant and valuable.
Here’s how she does it:
Identify a Common Issue: Choose a topic that aligns with both your book and your partner authors' books. For example, she might focus on "Kids' Mental Health."
Team Up: Collaborate with authors whose books tackle the same issue. Plan a joint ebook giveaway or a promotional event.
Execute the Giveaway: Launch the campaign, such as a free ebook giveaway, for a set time (like 2 days). Time it to coincide with a relevant awareness month or a trending topic—Garcia, for instance, ran a giveaway during Mental Health Awareness Month.
Promote: Announce and remind your audience about the giveaway on social media and other platforms.
Key Takeaway: Collaborating with authors in your niche allows you to tap into their readers, expanding your reach to a group already interested in your topic.
Marketing Strategy 3: Engaging in Strategic Events
When it comes to events, Garcia is strategic.
She only participates in those that attract her target audience.
While browsing her Facebook page, I noticed that she was a speaker at the Empower, Ignite, and Soar Summit event in 2018.
What stood out was how perfectly the event matched her audience—parents, educators, and caregivers—who are always looking for resources to support children's emotional and cognitive development.
How she does it?
1/ She chooses events that her audience would find valuable. For example, the Empower, Ignite, and Soar Summit.
Here’s a description from the event page explaining who it's for.
Talk about a perfect author-event fit! (Ok, I just coined that phrase, but you get the idea.)
2/ She then positions herself in front of this audience by speaking or presenting at these events.
So, who do you think the attendees are more likely to buy books from? That's right—her, because they see her as an authority in the space.
Key Takeaway: Align your event participation with your target audience to establish yourself as an expert and boost book sales.
Marketing Strategy 4: Giveaway Reminder Sequence
Many authors run promotions for a few days but only announce it on the first day.
Garcia does things differently.
Why? Because she’s smart and doesn’t want to miss out on extra engagement.
Here’s her game plan:
For her 2-day promotions, she does the following:
Day 1: She announces the giveaway, letting her followers know about the promotion and how to participate.
Last Day: She posts again to remind everyone that the giveaway is ending, urging followers to join before time runs out.
It may seem straightforward, but it’s highly effective.
Because it boosts participation.
And that final reminder? It pushes people to jump in before it’s too late.
Key Takeaway: Regular reminders are key to getting the most out of your time-sensitive promotions.
Marketing Strategy 5: The "Problem-Agitate-Solve" (PAS) Framework
If you want readers to see your book as the answer to their problems, try the PAS—Problem-Agitate-Solve—framework in your marketing.
Garcia nailed this with her book Find Your Calm during the COVID-19 pandemic, when anxiety levels were high for kids everywhere.
Here’s how she uses PAS:
Problem: She identifies the issue—children's anxiety—and explains it's both a mental and physical challenge.
Agitate: She dives deeper into the problem, emphasizing how overwhelming anxiety can be and introducing concepts like the "fight, flight, freeze" response.
Solve: She presents the book as the solution, providing tools to help kids manage anxiety and feel safe.
The outcome?
803 likes
Tons of comments from interested readers
It works because it directly connects with the audience's needs and offers a clear solution.
Key Takeaway: Use the PAS framework to clearly show how your book solves a problem—it makes your message clear, relatable, and more likely to drive engagement.
And that’s it for this week.
You can view Garcia's:
-Website here
-Amazon Author Page here
In case you’re curious, I decided to go hiking... Just kidding, this documentary has me hooked already!
See you again next week!
If you’re new here, welcome! This is part of my weekly newsletter where I share how top authors market their children’s books—giving you marketing ideas without the 40+ hours of research. Subscribe here!
Liked what you read? Why not share it with someone who might enjoy it too?
Alex Safari
Co-founder, Zuri Book Pros
Say hi 👋🏽 on Facebook
Struggling to find the perfect illustrator for your children's book? Let us handle it! We match you with the right illustrator, making the process stress-free.
Comments