Thursday, April 18, 2024 (1 Comments)
Posted by: Adeline Lui

Mickey Carolan with his daughter and Third Culture's books. Attending ALA with IBPA while promoting his children's book Sky, the Deaf Home Run Hero.

Through the pages of his imprint, Third Culture Books, IBPA member Mickey Carolan explores the world of the deaf community. In addition to two children’s books published in their Deaf Kids Can series, Third Culture recently launched a book meant for adult readers Mom Dad Not Hear, which is Mickey’s memoirs of growing up as a CODA, a Child of Deaf Adults. The book gives readers a unique peek into life growing up as a hearing person in a non-hearing home, with all its joys and challenges.

We were interested to learn from Mickey about his experience as an author publisher, who like many author publishers, also holds a full-time job while managing a publishing business on the side. With limited time and support, Mickey developed an intentional marketing plan for his book which helped it find its audience and reach Amazon Best Seller ranking in its category.

IBPA: Hi Mickey, thanks for taking some time to chat with us. First, tell us about how you came to publish your books. Your first two books were children’s books…

Mickey: While negotiating with writing partners for my memoir, a detour emerged – it sparked the creation of a children's book titled Sky, the Deaf Home Run Hero: A Lesson in Courage, inspired by my father. The book's publication on the anniversary of his passing felt deeply meaningful. Then, emboldened by the positive reception of Sky, and fueled by my mother's eagerness to see her story in print, I penned a second children's book: Bonnie and the Deaf Bake Squad: A Lesson in Confidence.

IBPA: You’ve said that both books served as valuable training ground for your next book.

Mickey: That’s correct. The lessons from publishing the children's books allowed me to approach Mom Dad Not Hear: 30 Powerful Stories and Lessons about Leadership, Life, and Love from My Deaf Parents with a more strategic mindset. While it may be the third book under my imprint, it was always the intended centerpiece.

IBPA: How are your books sold?

Mickey: For print copies, paperback and hardcover, I use Amazon KDP and IngramSpark for a wide distribution reach. This ensures my books are readily available on major online retailers and bookstores. For ebooks, I took a different approach for each title.

The two children's books are exclusive to Amazon KDP. This allows them to be part of the Kindle Unlimited program. For Mom Dad Not Hear, I recognized the potential for library sales. Therefore, I used Draft2Digital to distribute the ebook to various libraries and retailers, along with a direct upload to KDP for wider availability on Amazon.

IBPA: Congrats on Mom Dad Not Hear attaining Amazon Best Seller status. (Editor's note: Amazon’s Best Sellers list showcases the top selling products within featured categories based on BSR scores). Tell us how you developed your marketing strategy.

Mickey: Thank you so much! As for the marketing plan, it centered around five key pillars.

First was building a strategic partnership. I knew I couldn't achieve this alone… everyone needs guidance and brainstorming. That's why I partnered with Aryn Van Dyke, a nonfiction book launch consultant and author coach. It's a small world! Years ago, I met her mother through the West Michigan business community.

Next came targeting the right audience. Here Aryn's expertise was instrumental. Many authors, myself included, make the classic mistake of thinking their book is for everyone. However, after analyzing the success of my children's books we pinpointed the ideal reader for Mom Dad Not Hear.

Mickey with his mom and sister at the dedication of an office they sponsored in his father’s memory at the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

IBPA: What came next after identifying your audience?

Mickey: We crafted a focused, six-month marketing roadmap. This included securing endorsements, maintaining consistent messaging, and sending advanced copies (ARCs) to key influencers within our target market.

Another key pillar in my marketing plan was relationships. Building relationships with prominent figures in my niche social media circles proved to be a major factor in our success. These influencers became valuable advocates for the book.

IBPA: Tell us how you worked with influencers.

Mickey: The foundation of successful influencer marketing, in my experience, lies in building genuine connections with potential endorsers. I began by creating a comprehensive list, segmented into three categories: dream, target, and safety. The dream category housed my most aspirational choices, think big-name celebrities and well-known authors. The target and safety groups contained influencers who closely aligned with my ideal reader base and my network. This multi-tiered approach allowed me to chase after those A-list endorsements while simultaneously securing commitments from highly relevant influencers who could still deliver impactful results.

IBPA: This was the easy part, right? Next comes the hard part which is contacting the influencers in your list!

Mickey: I’ll state that personalized outreach is the key to standing out. And that quantity takes a backseat to quality when it comes to influencer selection. Leveraging LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, I prioritized crafting personalized outreach messages for each influencer. These messages often went beyond simple text, incorporating elements like photos, captivating descriptions of the book, and in some cases, even video introductions.

IBPA: You’ve said that providing value upfront and building trust are key when collaborating with influencers. Tell us more.

Mickey: One tactic I found particularly effective was sending out advanced review copies (ARCs) of my book to my targeted influencers. By providing them with early access and the opportunity to delve into the content, I demonstrated upfront value. Furthermore, the potential for even a few sales generated through their recommendations made sending ARCs a worthwhile investment.

IBPA: What were some of the marketing programs you found most useful?

Mickey: As a member of IBPA, I utilized various member benefits that contributed to the book's success. These included:

ALA Conference Book Signings: An incredible experience I highly recommend!
Roundtable Calls: Valuable for insights and networking.
Media Outreach Blast: Increased visibility through targeted media contacts.
Bookstore Catalog: Increased bookstore discoverability.
Library E-Blasts: Reached librarians who curate book selections.

Additionally, volunteering as a judge for the Ben Franklin Awards was a rewarding and educational experience!

IBPA: Thank you for volunteering. Judging can be a valuable learning experience too...to be on the other side evaluating a book’s quality and missteps.

Now here’s our final question, any tips to share on working with Amazon KDP?

Mickey: The most transformative lesson? Mastering the triangle of KDP success: metadata, keywords, and category selection. I poured myself into researching these elements. And leveraging tools such as Publisher Rocket proved to be a game-changer. It's easily one of the best investments I've made on this journey. Nail your categories, and the coveted bestseller badge becomes a much more realistic goal!

IBPA: Wow, thank you for sharing all these valuable tips with us today Mickey. We wish you and Third Culture continued success!

Share your unique publishing stories with the IBPA community! Send to adeline@ibpa-online.org. For more details about the types of stories we're seeking, click here.

Though launching a new book isn’t the focus of our Spotlights articles, IBPA is happy to share that exciting news on social media. Please contact ashley@ibpa-online.org with the launch date, your book cover, your book title, your book's genre, a link to where readers can learn more about your book, and your Instagram handle.

For good news in general about your publishing company (your book received a wonderful editorial review, you have an upcoming speaking engagement, etc.), use the hashtag #IBPAmemberGoodNews on Twitter and IBPA will amplify your good news!

Whether you have news or not, all of us at IBPA are cheering you on!

About the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)

Founded in 1983 to support independent publishers nationwide, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) leads and serves the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success. With over 3,500 members, IBPA is the largest publishing association in the U.S. Its vision is a world where every independent publisher has the access, knowledge, and tools needed to professionally engage in all aspects of an inclusive publishing industry. For more information, visit ibpa-online.org.

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