Author: selfpublishingadvisor

amazon reviews, Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “Pluto the Starfish: An Undersea Tale for Children 1 to 101”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of the Midwest Book Review:

pluto the starfish

Pluto The Starfish: An Undersea Tale for Children 1 to 101

by Bonnie M. Anderson
Illustrated by Malinda Raines

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478730408

Synopsis:

It’s a beautiful day in the crystal blue waters surrounding Buck Island. This magical undersea world, with its glittering rainbow of colors and fine, sparkling sand, is home to Pluto the Starfish…but Pluto is feeling sad and confused. Many of his friends can swim gracefully and swiftly. Some can even breathe air and move about on land, and others are large and fierce-looking. But Pluto can’t even swim! It took him all day to move two feet in the sand near the coral reef. He believes he’s not even good enough to be considered dinner! Pluto wonders why he is so different.

Why can’t he do more things like most of the other underwater creatures? What is his purpose?

Luckily, Pluto has good friends-like Lewis the Lobster, Lolita the Latina Leatherback Turtle and Nancy the Nurse Shark-who teach him that everyone is important and wonderfully different. Pluto the Starfish is a charming, delightfully illustrated book that not only helps children discuss their feelings and fears but it also teaches respect and care for the spectacular and varied inhabitants of our waters. A must-read for children of all ages.

Critique:

Pluto the Starfish: An Undersea Tale for Children 1 to 101 is a delightful children’s ocean allegory that stars special marine creatures in a search for life’s purpose and meaning. Pluto the Starfish is sad because he has no idea of his purpose in life. He is comforted by many different marine characters, including Lewis the Lobster, Nancy the Nurse Shark, Lolita the Latina Leatherback Turtle, Harriet the Humpback Whale, Konky the Conch, and even a human diver. Answering Pluto’s fear and sadness, Lewis the Lobster tells him: “You are the star of the ocean…You don’t have to swim… or be fast… or be furious…. or even be big. You are our star and you are humble, beautiful and kind. You are a good friend, too. That is your role and we respect and love you.” Pluto the Starfish is an entertaining and imaginative marine fantasy that encourages outside the box thinking while educating about many fascinating facts of marine biology. The expressive illustrations provide living, vivid background to every page of white text.

[ reviewed on the Fantasy/SciFi Shelf of MBR ]

Here’s what some other reviewers are saying:

Like all truly universal tales, chances are anyone who reads “Pluto the Starfish” will see aspects of themselves in the little guy who feels he doesn’t quite measure up to his underwater friends. But thanks to their kindness and wisdom, Pluto learns that everyone has something to contribute and that “we’re all here for a purpose.”
Apart from teaching little ones about our neighbors who live under the sea, Pluto also imparts lessons about why we must all look out for one another through charming characters, a touching story and illustrations so vivid they jump off the page.

– Amazon Reviewer Gail O’Neill

This is a great tale to encourage children and to show that while everyone has unique qualities and talents, everybody is important and of value. Personally, I found this story oozing with morale, but then this is my personal impression from the POV of an adult which is not the target group and therefore shouldn’t affect the rating of this book too much.

My son really loves the story of little Pluto and his friends, which shows that its simplicity combined with the beautiful pictures meet a child’s perception perfectly. He had a lot of questions regarding the different sea animals and their characteristics as well as each animal’s talent and worth. We had to interrupt reading several times to discuss the story’s details and the book kept us thinking for a long time. His detailed and lasting interest in this charming adventure show that Pluto the Starfish is a fascinating book sure to attract and inspire children.

– Goodreads Reviewer Elke

Book Trailer:

saturday self-published book review

Thanks for reading!  Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

Self Publishing Advisor

selfpubicon1

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Conversations: 1/8/2016

IT’S A NEW DAY! NEW MONTH! NEW YEAR!

FILLED with Expectations!

 

Way back in my memory files there is a quote I’ve preserved attributed to a fella named Aristotle. He wrote an essay titled Rhetoric examining the art of persuasion, which is (of course) every writer’s goal—to persuade every Reader that their book is a must-have. Aristotle says, “A good style is, first of all, clear. The proof is that language which does not convey a clear meaning fails to perform the very function of language.” Keeping the concept of clear language to convey clear meaning as a priority can be a challenge when a writer is FULL of excitement about the story that is bursting forth and demanding to be written.

aristotle

SO—after you’ve selected the book/story you’re going to complete this year (from last week’s exercise), here are a few thoughts to help you with the element that gives me the biggest headaches: PLOT. Logic is needed to develop an excellent plot! LOTS of LOGIC!

It is said that Aristotle was the founder of “formal logic.” Well, he may have used clear language to inform others of the (clear) meaning of logic, but he certainly wasn’t the “founder” of it. Logic was being used since the beginning of time and whether your characters are pre-historic, historic, modern or futuristic, then you must develop their story using the logic behind their actions and reactions to the conflict/events you’ve given them. Author Charles Swindoll says, “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” Now, that is an excellent definition of utilizing multiple PLOT elements.

In our universities today, the Science and Psychology departments utilize two basic elements of logic: deduction and induction. With deduction a Writer begins with a characters beliefs about the world they live in—that they assume to be true—and creates their responses to plot conflicts based on those “logical” assumptions. With induction characters develop theories based on deductive data that could explain their actions/reactions. However they are walking on thin ice never really certain what might be the best course of action. Excellent writers will weave these two elements throughout the story leading Readers on a journey that offers them “opportunities” to resolve “impossible situations” in their own imaginations.

In our publishing world today, the savvy Readers who purchase our books are demanding more clearly defined pieces to the story-puzzle. They want to be challenged!  SO…

  • DO YOUR RESEARCH! Discover the technical aspects of the plot/conflict piece you want to use and portray them accurately.
  • BE WILLING to create the conflict “simply.” But don’t over-simplify. Your characters must face a realistic “opportunity” to resolve the “impossible situation.”
  • Your characters must BE “real people” acting and reacting to these events. IF your imagination is operating in slow-motion, google key words from your conflict scene and see what appears in the “real” world. Learning how real people deal with events gives clear and authentic language you can use to portray most any event.
  • The conflict/plot situation must trigger motivation from within your characters. If they could care less about what happened, so will the Reader.

Bottom line, the writing skills and abilities that you’re developing today will GROW as you use your own LOGIC—satisfy your own EXPECTATIONS—and write the WHOLE story that resides within you. KEEP WRITING and be ready to PUBLISH by year’s end. ⚓︎

 

RoyaleneABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.  

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.
elizabeth speaks, Goals, Holidays, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Resolutions for 2016 That Every Aspiring Author Should Make (pt 1)

What’s your goal for 2016?  New Year’s provides an opportunity to assess what has and has not worked in 2015 and resolve to make 2016 the best year yet, and for writers this opportunity is especially important.  To that end, over the coming weeks I would like to focus on a number of ways in which authors can meet their New Year’s resolutions for and through self-publishing.

writing goals

 

This week, I’d like to examine four goals.  I’m going to list them here, and then break them down individually–because let’s face it, nothing’s quite so simple as a list of neat bullet points when we’re talking about real life and especially real life for an author!

  1. Set goals.
  2. Facilitate goals.
  3. Make writing a priority.
  4. Read, read, read.

 

So, what does it mean to set goals?  What are the implications of a goal-driven self-publishing experience?  I have to admit, I find it nearly impossible to keep even a modest resolution–much less a lofty one–without clearly defined benchmarks to reach and methods to follow.  My first recommendation for you, the aspiring author, is this: If your resolution is to finish your memoir in 2016, make sure you break that resolution down into concrete, manageable steps.  If it’s to publish a cookbook, chart out the steps to making that happen.  If it’s to pen a romance novella, be sure to go about it in a structured way.  Leaving room for creativity in your writing doesn’t mean leaving room for things to fall apart in terms of planning and organization–and in fact, many of the authors I work with find that tangible, manageable goals help rather than hinder the creative process.

On to the second point.  What does it mean to facilitate goals.  To facilitate something means, loosely, “to make (something) easier : to help cause (something)” to happen, and to remove any hurdles that might prevent you from keeping your resolutions.  My job description boils down to facilitation, to helping authors get from point A to point B with the greatest ease and the least inconvenience possible.  Your job, as an author, is to make sure nothing gets in the way of your writing–and in the way of your writing reaching your readers.  I recommend reconsidering, if time is an issue, the number of hours that you work or your social commitments.  You need both time and energy to meet your goals, and those resources don’t just manifest out of thin air.  Someone once told me: “I think every person has a kind of emotional budget for the day.  You wake up, and you have a certain amount of energy, and you have exactly 24 hours.  You have to balance that budget by the end of the day and set up your budget for the next day.”  If you spend all of your time and energy on other things, you’ll have–literally–nothing to spare for the writing and publishing processes.

And that third step you already know to be non-negotiable: Make writing a priority.  You’ve heard all the tips and tricks before, some of them here on Self-Publishing Advisor: Take a break from TV and social media, and set aside a time to write every day.  Whether you post creatively on Twitter or write your spouse a juicy love letter, regular writing is guaranteed to feed your creative side and improve your craft.  There are loads of online writing courses and how-to guides to self-publishing available for free these days, and there are online communities and forums dedicated to providing support and encouragement to aspiring authors.  Every person will find help from different sources–there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to writing and publishing–but one fact remains true for everyone.  There is no cheating when it comes to writing original content; it all has to come from somewhere.  And if you don’t carve out room for writing to be a priority … it won’t happen.

And last but not least: Read, read, read.  The number one piece of advice best-selling authors offer to other writers is to read as much and as widely as possible:

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”
— Stephen King

and:

“If you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. You must write every single day of your life. You must read dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you. May you live with hysteria, and out of it make fine stories — science fiction or otherwise. Which finally means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.”

— Ray Bradbury

and last but not least:

“Be awesome! Be a book nut!”

— Dr. Seuss

See what I mean?  Reading may be the last item on today’s list of resolutions, but it’s by far the most foundational practice for you to succeed as a writer.  Books are your friends, both the ones that you write and the ones that you read, and your fellow book-lovers make the staunchest of allies in a world that can sometimes make it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, much less check items off the to-do list and meet your New Year’s resolutions.

But always remember: you are not alone. ♣︎

ElizabethABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 18 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, pre-production specialists, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path.
Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Back to the Basics of Marketing

Over the last couple of months, I’ve used this Wednesday blog slot to talk about a lot of different things.  Many of them have been marketing related, and many of them have been inspired by topics that self-publishing authors may find useful before the marketing process begins––for example, my series on e-readers––but I’d like to step back, if you will join me, and refocus on what has traditionally made Wednesdays on Self-Publishing Advisor unique.

earlobe

I’d like to take us back to the basics of marketing for self-publishing authors.  Where does an author new to self-publishing get started?  How might an experienced indie author re-infuse a lackluster marketing campaign with new energy and more effective strategies for self-promotion?  This is the heart and soul, the real meat, of what I want to get at here.

The first order of business is, of course, to listen:

  • What topics would you like me to cover here?

  • Where are your marketing methods running into trouble, and …

  • Where are they succeeding?

  • Where do you turn for advice and resources for self-promotion?

My first instinct is, of course, to launch us back into this subject with a defense of marketing for self-publishing authors, but … let’s face it: we’re already here.  We’re already convinced that we need to sell our books, and we’re already fully aware that the heavy lifting falls on us as authors to make that happen.  What’s useful––what’s really useful––is information on how to make marketing better, or more effective.  Easier.  We want, and need, the tips and tricks of the trade, without having to waste time on trial and error in a world (and a market) that waits for no man or woman.

And no, there’s never going to be a day when publishing and selling a book is as easy as clicking a button and sending it into the aether––for indie authors as well as traditionally-published authors––despite what all of the corporate jingles and advertisements would have us believe.  There’s never going to be a day where we don’t have to pay for publication, whether we’re talking about sacrificing years of our time before release as well as our rights and royalties (as with traditional publishing), or whether we’re talking about sacrificing years of our time and energy after release to marketing and self-promotion (as with self-publishing), or whether we’re talking about sacrificing money to skip the lines but retain the professional marketing campaign (as with hybrid publishing).

There’s always a cost … but the payoff is worth it.  We have to remember that.  You have to remember the fact that there’s a book inside of you that needs to be read, that could indeed change someone’s life.  And it will change your life, too, to know that your book is out there in the world and exists in a universe outside of your own mind.  And that book is worth reading.  It’s worth buying.

The trick is in getting the word out there.  The trick is to raise awareness.  And that is exactly what I’m going to help you do in the coming weeks as we dive back into the deep end of the Marketing Maelstrom that is … your life as a newly minted self-published author!

 

Thank you for reading!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line at selfpublishingadvice@gmail.com.  And remember to check back each Wednesday for your weekly dose of marketing musings from one indie, hybrid, and self-published author to another. ♠

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.
Kelly Speaks, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 1.4.2016

This week in the world of self-publishing:

In his first annual list of prescient insights for the year ahead, Tom Chalmers writes in this December 28th article for DigitalBookWorld.com that we’re likely to see both more of the same kinds of things we saw in 2015 and some new and key trends emerging.  What makes the list?  Here are a few of the more pertinent bullet points as pertaining to self-publishing authors:

  • Continued regrowth of print sales.
  • Amazon spending some time under the radar.
  • Book fair evolution and the emergence of the micro-fair.
  • Struggle for subscription but steady digital sales.

Chalmers, who touts his stellar inter-office record at predictions (“I regularly point out in the office that I predicted [trends] two or three years ago. Given that I’m generally met with bemused looks, I thought I would make an official record of some predictions for 2016.”) has plenty of industry experience and data to back up his predictions for the year ahead.  For the complete list as well as lengthy descriptions of the points above, check out the original article!

In this week’s highlighted interview, Dorothy Thompson interviews science fiction author Roxanne Bland in this January 1st article for the Examiner.com.  Bland, who struck out on her own to start her own publishing house rather than abide by the constraints of traditional publishing, prefers to identify herself as part of the “indie” community (“short for independent author or publisher. It’s not quite such a mouthful as “self-published,” and it sounds way cooler”), but doesn’t hesitate to defend the choice to self-publish.  “For one,” she says, “there are no deadlines imposed by others. I don’t do well under that kind of pressure—I freeze, and make stupid mistakes. There’s also the satisfaction of doing everything yourself. I don’t know, it’s exhausting, but the feeling I get is one that I’ve really accomplished something great.”  And it’s true––whether you call yourself “indie” or “self-published,” one central fact remains the same: you’ve done something truly and magnificently grand by opting to maintain creative control of your own story.  For more of Thompson’s interview with Bland, follow the link!

Remember our primer guide to the benefits of merchandising through various obscure platforms?  Wattpad made the list as one among several up-and-coming possibilities to watch out for.  Well, in his December 28th post for GoodEreader.com, Michael Kozlowski writes that e-book retailer Kobo “has quietly unveiled a new section of their website where readers can purchase e-books published by Wattpad.”  The e-books, which sell for anywhere from $1 to $12, aim to take advantage of Wattpad’s massive user base, which “currently attracts over 40 million users per month, growing at a rate of over 1 new user per second.”  The decision may have been made entirely for pragmatic reasons, Kozlowski attests, but there’s a certain degree of circumstantial resonance to the partnership: both Kobo and Wattpad are based out of Toronto, Canada.  How’s that for coincidence?  For more information about it, check out Kozlowski’s full writeup.

Closing out this week’s top headlines is a story we can all feel good about!  In a December 28th article that made the Arts & Life section of the Halifax Herald, contributor Jennifer Taplin highlights the work of local author Joanne Light.  Light, who “was teaching in Malaysia in 2003 when she decided to go for a hike near Poring Hot Springs in Sabah on the island of Borneo,” was so struck by her interactions with native orangutans in the wild that when she later “learned about the plight of the orangutans—killed, injured or run off by palm oil manufacturers,” she couldn’t help but want to transform her love for them into a children’s book.  Light––an educator, artist, and writer––found herself an illustrator in Lindsay Alchorn and has since self-published her book, with all of the proceeds going to Orangutan Outreach and Rainforest Rescue.  Says Light, “Self-publishing is a very viable way of publishing,” especially now with the rise of e-books.  To read more about Light and her book, follow the link!

spa-news

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.