How to Market Your Children’s Book After Publishing on KDP

The good news? You don’t need a huge budget to market your book effectively.

CHILDREN’S BOOK & PUBLISHING

Whimsy Studios

11/26/20253 min read

a sign for alice and the wonderland land in front of a tree

Publishing your children’s book on Amazon KDP is an exciting milestone—but the real journey begins once your book goes live. With millions of books on Amazon, standing out requires a smart marketing strategy that blends creativity, consistency, and data-driven techniques. The good news? You don’t need a huge budget to market your book effectively. With the right approach, you can build visibility, attract parents and teachers, and steadily grow your sales.

In this guide, you’ll learn practical, proven methods to promote your children’s book, improve your Amazon ranking, and build a long-lasting author brand.

1. Optimize Your Amazon Product Page

Your Amazon listing is your digital storefront. A well-optimized product page improves search visibility and convinces parents to buy.

✔ Craft a Strong Title & Subtitle

Include descriptive, keyword-rich wording that clearly tells the reader what the book is about.

✔ Write an Engaging Book Description

Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and emotional language. Highlight:

  • Age group

  • Learning outcomes

  • Unique features

  • Benefits for parents and educators

✔ Choose the Right Keywords

Use long-tail keywords like:

  • bedtime stories for kids

  • picture books for preschoolers

  • emotional learning books for toddlers

These help your book appear in relevant searches.

✔ Select the Correct Categories

Add your book to competitive but relevant categories so it can rank faster and hit the bestseller list.

2. Encourage Early Reviews

Reviews are the strongest trust signal for parents.

How to Get More Reviews
  • Ask friends and family to buy and review (without offering incentives).

  • Include a review request page at the end of your book.

  • Share your Amazon link in parenting groups and invite honest feedback.

  • Give away free digital copies during launch week to increase review volume.

3. Run Amazon Ads (KDP Ads)

Amazon Ads help your book appear in front of readers who are already searching for children’s books.

Tips for Successful Ads
  • Start with Automatic Ads to gather data.

  • Use Manual Ads with highly targeted keywords afterward.

  • Monitor daily and turn off keywords that aren’t performing.

  • Run ads consistently for the first 90 days after launch.

Even a small budget of $5–$10 per day can bring strong results.

4. Promote on Social Media

Social platforms are perfect for showcasing your illustrations, themes, and character personalities.

Best Platforms for Children’s Book Authors
  • Instagram – ideal for artwork and visual storytelling

  • Facebook – parents’ groups, book communities, and ads

  • TikTok – short videos, behind-the-scenes drawing clips

  • Pinterest – great for long-term traffic and moms searching for kids’ content

Post Ideas
  • Time-lapse drawing videos

  • Character introductions

  • Inspirational quotes from your story

  • Read-aloud snippets

  • Behind-the-scenes sketch-to-final comparisons

5. Build an Author Website

A website establishes your brand and helps you attract clients, readers, and publishers. Since your audience includes parents and authors, a website acts as a long-term marketing asset.

Include:

  • Book portfolio

  • Author bio

  • Contact form

  • Blog with helpful articles

  • Links to purchase your books

Internal linking also boosts Google ranking and brings organic traffic.

6. Create a Strong Brand Around Your Characters

Children connect emotionally with characters. Developing a recognizable brand improves sales.

Branding Ideas
  • Character stickers

  • Social media mascots

  • Free coloring pages

  • Printable bookmarks

  • Activity sheets related to your book

Offering freebies encourages parents to follow you, join your mailing list, and buy future books.

7. Leverage Parenting Communities

Parents trust recommendations from other parents. Focus your marketing where they spend time.

Effective Places to Share Your Book
  • Facebook parent groups

  • Teacher and homeschool communities

  • Daycare and preschool forums

  • Storytime groups

  • Local library groups

Avoid spamming—share helpful content and include your book naturally.

8. Collaborate With Influencers & Educators

Micro-influencers (1k–50k followers) in the kids’ niche are perfect for children's books.

You can collaborate by:

  • Sending a free copy for review

  • Featuring on their storytime videos

  • Creating a sponsored post or reel

  • Asking them to read the book to their children

Teachers, librarians, and homeschool bloggers are also powerful promoters.

9. Offer Freebies to Gain Email Subscribers

Email marketing helps you communicate directly with parents and readers.

Freebie ideas:

  • 5-page coloring book

  • Activity worksheets

  • Bonus story

  • Printable character poster

Once they join your list, you can promote:

  • New books

  • Discounts

  • Limited-time offers

  • Behind-the-scenes updates

10. Participate in Local Events

Offline marketing builds credibility and personal connections.

Ideas:

  • Donate copies to local libraries

  • Participate in school events

  • Attend book fairs

  • Host a book reading at a bookstore

  • Ask local gift shops to stock your book

Parents love meeting authors in person!

11. Keep Publishing More Books

On Amazon, multiple books create compounding visibility.

Each new book:

  • Links to your previous titles

  • Expands your audience

  • Boosts your brand authority

  • Attracts more organic sales

Consistency is one of the strongest long-term marketing strategies.

Final Thoughts

Marketing your children’s book after publishing on KDP doesn’t require a huge budget—just creativity, consistency, and the right strategy. The more value you provide for parents, teachers, and young readers, the more your book will grow organically. Focus on building your brand, creating great content, and nurturing your audience. With steady effort, your children’s book can gain the visibility and sales it truly deserves.