#PBStudyBuddy MEGA Giveaways!!

Hello world!!

Welcome to my blog, Blissfully Bookish. I’m excited to introduce my next guest Sylvia Chen. She organized a MEGA giveaway opportunity that begins May 15. Read on to find out more!

How did you think of this gigantic giveaway idea?

In late November 2022, I started posting weekly #PBStudyBuddy features on Twitter and Instagram. Since each feature takes 2-3 hours to prepare and post, this felt somewhat limiting when there are *so* many incredible picture books out there! In December, I tweeted to ask if anyone had interest in a special #PBStudyBuddy #BookBoost roundup to be able to shoutout *any* PB they love in 5 themed threads. There were some positive responses, but especially around that time when the Twitter algorithm was in total flux…, I realized that there was a potential opportunity to bring PB promo/debut groups together to battle (ahem, “work with”) the ever-mysterious algorithm. In early January, I floated this newer idea for the #PBStudyBuddy #BookBoost with my hope to offer giveaways for the event to increase engagement that way, and got some great early-RSVPs from various PB promo groups on Twitter. After some more research, I found out there are *over 500 PB creators in >40 PB promo groups*, so I sent out a survey to the early-RSVP promo groups to gauge interest in helping with giveaway offers. To be honest, at this point, I wasn’t sure how my inquiry would go since it’s hard to tell how connected people feel to you online to be open to such a big ask. The survey responses were very helpful to figure out logistics, and the response to the follow-up giveaway sign-up has been flat-out fantastic! So here we are with the gigantic #PBStudyBuddy #BookBoost giveaway event planned for the week of May 15th on both Twitter and Instagram—all made possible with our wonderfully generous #KidLit community and PB promo groups!

What is the goal?

The goal of the #PBStudyBuddy #BookBoost event is to lift up as many fellow PB creators as we can, provide a place where we can boost each others’ PBs (and our own too!), offer giveaways to help increase engagement with opportunities for everyone participating to win (including donors because…why not?), and of course increase # of Twitter (and Instagram!) followers for participating PB promo groups and giveaway donors to thank them for their amazing generosity.

What book promo groups are participating?

So far, we have 31 PB promo groups confirmed as partners for this event. Here they are in alphabetical order. The giveaway sign-up is open until May 5, so we’ll see if any more PB promo groups decide to join too!

21 for the Books, Busy PBs, Diverse Dreamers, Green PB 2023, KidLit Caravan, KidLit Clubhouse, KidLit Collective, Kidlit in Color, KidLit Works, Kids Book Crew, PB23 Bunch, PB Crew 22, PB Dreamers 2024, PB Jam 2023, PB Parade, PB Rockiteers 22, PB Soar 24, PB Spree in ’23, Picture Book Garden 23, Picture Book Gold, Picture Book Junction, Picture books, eh!, Soaring ’20s, STEAM Team Books, Story Jammers, The Dream Team!, The KidLit Crew, Picture Book Scribblers, Kidlit For Growing Minds, New Books For Kids, Picture Book Pals

Who can participate in the giveaways? (and is it limited to US?)

Anyone in the #KidLit community interested in the giveaway offers (e.g. PB manuscript critiques, PB query critiques, PB pitch critiques, AMA Zoom or chat, picture book, etc.) is welcome to participate and can earn points by hearting the themed posts on Twitter and/or Instagram, retweeting themed posts on Twitter, commenting to answer fun prompts for the themed posts, with bonus points for following tagged donors and promo groups. There are some picture book giveaways that will be noted as US-only, but most giveaways should be flexible for those in #KidLit participating from anywhere.

Some more details:

• The giveaways will be hosted the week of May 15th on my @SylviaiChen Twitter and Instagram accounts, and can also be found using the hashtags #PBStudyBuddy #BookBoost. There are 5 themed posts Mon-Fri planned that will each have an additional hashtag: #EmojiShoutouts, #DebutPBShownTell, #MoPromoGO, #LatestPBFaves, and #AmazingAAPIPBs. The giveaway graphics will show easy ways to earn points on Twitter (and Instagram!), including liking the themed posts, retweeting (on Twitter), commenting to answer the prompt, and of course, following the amazing donors and promo groups tagged in these posts for bonus points.
• Information on the giveaway can be found at https://www.pbstudybuddy.com/bookboost. Since the giveaway sign-up period closes on 5/5, more updates will be shared on the site between 5/5 and 5/14. Direct links to the themed posts on Twitter and Instagram will be updated on this site the week of May 15th.
• More exciting news from Sylvia—”There will also be some giveaways for unagented creators including manuscript critiques, offered by agents Alyssa Eisner Henkin of Birch Path Literary, Karly Dizon of Fuse Literary, and Joyce Sweeney of The Seymour Agency! More details to be announced once ready, but I can’t thank these incredible agents enough along with all the PB promo group donors for contributing so openly to this super-new event!”

Sylvia Chen Bio

A New Yorker now living in the Seattle area with her husband and two sons, Sylvia Chen is an Asian American children’s book author represented by Alyssa Eisner Henkin of Birch Path Literary. She is a member of SCBWI and 12×12, a 2019 PBChat mentee of Pam Calvert, a 2021 #PBParty finalist, a 2022 & 2023 #PBParty judge (and behind-the-scenes Ninja Superstar), a 2022 & 2023 #PBRisingStars mentor, and the creator of #PBStudyBuddy, which features amazing picture book creators and mentor texts on Twitter and Instagram each week. Ever so excited about her upcoming debut picture book TRICKY CHOPSTICKS (Spring 2024, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster), Sylvia loves crafting picture books that spark kids’ interest in STEAM and creative thinking. She often stays up late into the night puzzling away with wordplay and working on quirky ideas.

Links:

Twitter: @SylviaiChen

Instagram: @SylviaiChen

Website: https://www.sylviaichen.com/