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

Saturday Book Review: “Percy Finds A Girlfriend”

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 Observations from a simple life blog:

Percy Finds a Girlfriend by Sissy Parker

Percy Finds A Girlfriend (A Frame Named Percy Book 1)

by Sissy Parker

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478764632

Synopsis:

Pamela Jones has established herself as an up and coming artist, critics have praised her work as a chip off the old block. Pamela’s father William Jones has been guiding his daughter’s work for quite some time now. Four years ago Pamela created a frame for the family’s portrait and she gave it a kiss and called him Percy and this is where Percy’s life started. Unbeknownst to Pamela every time she gives her creations a kiss and a name they come to life but nor can they talk to her or any other human under the age of 10. Pamela felt Percy needed a companion so she created a beautiful porcelain statue and again she gave it a kiss and a name but before Percy could bond with the statue it was stolen. Pamela suspects someone in the family but the family thinks someone came in and stole the statue. The Jones family will go to great lengths to find out who stole the porcelain statue. Percy Finds A Girlfriend is another episode in Percy’s adventure; he is still trying to learn how humans and his friends deal with everyday life. Come join him on this ride of love, friendship and betrayal.

Critique:

Percy Finds a Girlfriend by Sissy Parker is a magical story of a picture frame named Percy and how he is able to speak and interact with the other household items as they witness the lives of the Jones family.

The story opens with the house on Mulberry Street with its occupants. Hanan is the wife of William and mother to Pamela, Bernita, Anita, Sandy and Liz. Pamela is an artist who crafts amazing works of art including stained glass and other works. The Jones family is preparing for a wedding. Hanan’s niece is coming and the house is in a fury trying to get everything ready. Pamela has a special reveal for her family and their guests. It is a small porcelain statute she named Jacqueline. Jacqueline was created as a girlfriend for Percy. The family doesn’t believe that Percy is alive and finds it weird that she would make a girlfriend for the picture frame. But unbeknownst to the family, Pamela is able to breathe life into her creation with a simple kiss. Then suddenly, Jacqueline goes missing. Who is the thief? Will Jacqueline be returned safely?

I enjoyed the precise about a magical picture frame and other household items who are the often silent witnesses to the Jones family. I think this story is a great imaginative adventure as told through the eyes of a beautiful picture frame. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy magical stories.

Percy Finds a Girlfriend

is available on Amazon

on the Kindle for $5.00 and in paperback for $9.95

[ reviewed by Jennifer Lara  ]

Here’s what some other reviewers are saying:

The narration of the book is the primary character in the book, Percy. Pamela Jones, an artist designed Percy,a picture frame.Pamela sets the frame by the family portrait and gives it a kiss. Every time she creates something and kisses it, it almost becomes alive. It becomes smart. These creations can only talk to children under 10 years of age. At least they are the only ones who understand them. Well not quite, a family of mice can also have communication with the kissed objects.Pamela develops a plan to give Percy a girlfriend. She makes a statue, [and names] it Jacqueline. Percy finds love. A theft occurs at a wedding and Percy and Pamela are really upset about it. Jacqueline is gone. Will the thief be discovered? Is it a new character or an existing character? Will things get back to normal? Will Percy find his Love? or is she gone forever? Will the ending be a happy one or sad one? This was a great book for children and adults. Children and adults attach themselves to different things and sometimes believe they’re like human.It’s a fun and exciting read. Great story for children and adults alike.Pick up a copy and read it with or to your child and be introduced to Percy, Jacqueline, Pamela and others. I enjoyed it and I’m going to pass it along to some nieces who I know will enjoy it.

– Amazon Reviewer Gayle Pace

The primary character and the narrator in this book for children is a picture frame named Percy. He was made by artist Pamela Jones and when he was put around the family portrait Pamela kissed him and somehow granted him sentience. Percy is not the only intelligent object in the house, every object that Pamela creates and then kisses develops a consciousness. They can talk to each other but only humans under the age of 10 can understand them. There is a family of mice in the house and they can also communicate with the objects kissed by Pamela.

Pamela creates a porcelain statue that she names Jacqueline and she places her next to Percy with the intention of giving him a lady friend. Her plan works and Percy finds himself in love. There is a human wedding with a large number of attendees at the house and in the aftermath someone steals Jacqueline, an action that devastates Pamela and Percy.

After a bit of moping and engaging in a process of elimination, the culprit is discovered and it turns out to be someone that has been cranky and disagreeable throughout the entire story. All is restored in the Jones household when Jacqueline is returned.

The premise of sentient objects is an interesting one that children will find entertaining, for they naturally develop attachments to objects and consider them to be alive with dynamic personalities capable of having deep emotions. There is a significant amount of family drama and subterfuge as well, even though there is a happy ending and the “bad person” is forced to confess and accept punishment. This is a good story.

– Amazon Reviewer Charles Ashbacher

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

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

Conversations: 1/22/2016

IT’S A NEW DAY! NEW MONTH! NEW YEAR!

Readers Have Deep Emotional Expectations

 

Yes, readers have emotional and spiritual expectations when they purchase your book. Not only are they looking for the escapism-excitement of cliffhanger stories they want to hear, feel, taste, touch and smell the scenes you’re creating. These are the elements where writers either shine brightly or fade quickly. The story and plot pieces cannot carry a book toward the bestselling lists alone. You may recall my mention of Aristotle a couple weeks ago. His philosophical thoughts continue to offer today’s writers a unique perspective on how to enhance the full reality of a character’s experience by adding uniquely descriptive words—even made-up words—from the following categories.

four elements earth fire air water

  • The Earth we walk upon brings us many challenges. Will your characters face a hot, dry, throat parched day? Or will they enjoy a cool, crisp, invigorating day? Must they dig themselves out of 18 inches of wet, heavy snow? Or face an earthquake? Tornado?
  • Water—and having access to clean water—is truly a life or death part of your story whether it is ever mentioned or not. If characters exist in an environment where turning on the faucet and filling the coffee-maker is an every-day occurrence that describes an important part of your story. However, if your character(s) must walk nine miles to reach a well of bitter water, their perspectives (and your reader’s perspective) will be quite different.
  • The Air we breathe might be hot and polluted or cool and clear. Air quality has become a focal point of governments and life-threatening to people/characters with breathing illnesses. Particles in the air can literally “take the breath away” from someone as if a poison gas surrounded them.
  • Fire. Readers can enjoy the cozy fireplace flames with your characters or the campfire nights under a clear star-spangled sky. They can also hear, taste, smell and be touched by the heat that comforts them in winter or the heat of flames that explode in a forest fire or burn a home to the ground. Fire is an element that readers both fear and enjoy.
  • Aristotle’s 5th element of “life” is aether which we identify today as “outer space.” He imagined that the stars and planets, that make up the “heavenly spaces” we see above us, have an effect and affect on our daily lives. Every character you create will looks UP—at some point in their story—and feel or think something that is unique to them. Something that will connect with your readers.

aether

Over the span of the last 40 years I’ve listened to hundreds of writer/speakers in workshops and classrooms as they talked about the usefulness of descriptive writing. They agree upon the absolute need to incorporate the sounds, tastes, textures, smells and emotional elements of the concepts listed above. However, most such lecturers warn writers not to over-do. MY ADVISE is to LET LOOSE and “over-do” with ALL you’ve got—especially as you create the 1st draft of your manuscript. If your desire is to give Readers a story they can “sink their teeth into,” then DO IT with clear, concise, picturesque word choices. The whole concept of descriptive writing is to feed and satisfy the readers’ expectations—allowing them the opportunity to live the lives of the characters. Paint a masterpiece image of the people, places and things that make up your story. Every detail will make your book more interesting and more engaging. THEN, by the time your 2nd book hits the bookstores and online shopping sites, you’ll have created a fan-base for all your future published works! ⚓︎

 

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, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Resolutions for 2016 That Every Aspiring Author Should Make (pt 3)

Two weeks ago, I kicked off a new series for Self Publishing Advisor geared toward addressing a single and seemingly simple question:

What’s your goal for 2016?

Many of you probably have a few goals already lined up, consciously or unconsciously.  I know I do.  But you might also be of a similar strain to mine in that many of your goals, historically, have been doomed by a perfect storm of ambition, short-sightedness, and limitations of time, energy, and other resources.  When it comes to your books, however, failure is not an option.  Your book needs to be written, and your book needs to be read!  So how do we make this happen?  Over the last two weeks, I’ve covered the first seven steps to turning your New Year’s literary resolutions into reality:

  1. Set goals.
  2. Facilitate goals.
  3. Make writing a priority, and
  4. Read, read, read.
  5. Master at least the basics of social media.
  6. Research deeply, and
  7. Connect with other authors.

Today, I’d like to look at the next four steps:

  1. Embrace a good critique.
  2. Learn to love rewrites.
  3. Try something new, and
  4. Stop comparing your achievements with others.

collaboration

Let’s take a closer look at these points!

What does it mean to “embrace” a good critique?  We all want to improve our craft but find it difficult to be objective about our work without fixating on the flaws, large and small, that we as authors are bound to spot.  You may be one of the lucky ones who doesn’t obsess over these cracks in the pavement, but if you are, I can’t begin to recommend joining a critique group highly enough.  (Check out my comments last week about using social media to find your fellow writers.)  Not only is constructive criticism a writer’s best friend, but it’s the bedrock foundation of the rewrite!

And what’s this I’m hearing about rewrites?  On the scale of editing to revising to rewriting, editing involves a great deal of “tweaking” but rewriting involves the most intensive kind of substantial alterations.  Many people who self-identify as “pantsers”––authors who write the first draft quickly and without a lot of research or reference to an outline and so on––are the most in need of rewrites … but that doesn’t mean that a careful planner and strategic author can’t benefit from the freedom that only radical changes can offer!  No matter what kind of author you are, you must make rewrites, edits, and revisions a normal part of your writing process.  It helps to set your work aside for a few weeks before tackling revisions, but trust me … it’s worth doing.

rewrites

So I guess it’s time to try something new.  Are you feeling uninspired by the space opera novel you’re working on?  How about that Western or that crime novella?  If you find yourself facing the dreaded Writer’s Block and your love for writing endangered by boredom or frustration with how things are turning out with your current project, it’s time to mix things up and experiment with writing in other genres.  Doing so may reignite your passion for that romance novel or that book of poems … and stretching your creative wings is never a waste of time!

And lastly (for this week), it’s time to stop comparing your achievements with the achievements of others.  Every writer wants to be a published author, but each author’s journey is unique.  You must concentrate on your own goals, and your own personal definition of “success,” and remember what Teddy Roosevelt once said: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

theodore roosevelt comparison is the thief of joy

Only once we lay aside our insecurities and our fear of failure can we truly thrive as authors, rediscovering day after day what it is that drives us to do what we do––write!

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

Marketing BASICS : Ascertaining Your Ideal Reader

Welcome back to Wednesdays on Self Publishing Advisor, where we tackle the intricacies of marketing each and every week in the hopes of making your life as an indie, hybrid, or self-publishing author just a little bit easier.  This is actually the third post in a series examining marketing B.A.S.I.C.S.––yes, that’s an acronym! but more on that later––with a particular emphasis on marketing for new or first-time authors.  It all began two weeks ago with this introductory post, and continued last week with an in-depth look at the “B” in B.A.S.I.C.S.: “Building an Online Presence.”  This week, we’re ready for a new letter and a new sub-topic.  What does the letter “A” stand for, then?  Simple: “Ascertaining Your Ideal Reader.”  This is one of the most important and foundational of steps to crafting a successful marketing strategy.

What is this “Ideal Reader” business??

Your ideal reader is not simply the person who buys your book; he or she is the person who falls in love with the world your book creates and actively looks for ways to participate in that world, whether by following you (the author) on social media or sharing your book with others.  They’re not invested solely out of obligation––which is to say, they’re most likely not members of your immediate family or friend circle.  As wonderful as your existing network of relationships is, and as useful as your friends and family can be––as cheerleaders and amplifiers in your marketing campaign––they first fell in love with you and not your book, and that is always going to be a complicated tightrope to walk.

Your ideal reader, on the other hand, is a fan; but more than this, he or she is engaged with your book outside of the text as defined by letters inked on a page or pixels shadowing a screen.  Your ideal reader will slide your book into a back pocket while walking the dog or slip it into the diaper bag when taking the kids to story hour at the library; she’ll talk about it over the headset while duking it out with her friends on the Xbox or he’ll pass his dog-eared battered copy on to a friend or someone will drop it reluctantly by a Little Free Library––not giving it up because they didn’t have a use for it anymore, but rather giving it up because they’re fairly certain someone else might need it very much indeed.  These people are your mediators, your access, and your ambassadors to the world.

What does an ideal reader have to do with marketing, anyway?

As with any product, your book needs someone to buy it.  You can try to move copies by being absurdly wealthy and getting your superPAC to buy and then distribute thousands of volumes to local libraries in the vague hope that people will discover it while browsing and magically translate that discovery into a sudden impulse to buy more copies and distribute them to friends and family––but I’d be lying if I told you this is a time-honored or even remotely effective strategy.  Time and again, authors who meet their own personal benchmarks for “success” (and the word means something different to everyone) point to these sudden spikes or “strategic bulk” purchases as unethical, while grassroots support from middle or low-income readers who actually love your book enough to buy it despite limited resources tends to lead to long-term sustainable sales.  It goes without saying that people who have a personal, political, or financial stake in promoting your book are useful … but they can also unintentionally sabotage your success if they make your book about themselves, or about anything other than untrammeled storytelling.  And in order to find your grassroots supporters, you have to know where they live (so to speak), and the language they use (literally but also figuratively) to share what they love.

How do I track down my ideal reader, then?

Your ideal reader, if you’re an author of nonfiction, can be identified according to what problem he or she is trying to solve––whether that problem is the reader’s dependency on sugar for energy (a dietary self-help book, perhaps) or the upcoming dinner he’s throwing for the in-laws (a Mediterranean cookbook, perhaps) or her desire to fill a gap in her understanding (of particle physics, or a history of bipartisan politics in America, or the internal hierarchy of multinational corporations).  If you’re an author of fiction, your ideal reader is defined as someone who, when looking for new material to read, is drawn to the type of content or genre or characterization or form which you like to write––in other words, your ideal reader is someone whose tastes in consumption corresponds directly with your tastes in production.  There are many other people who might read your book and enjoy it or benefit from it, but they are baptized into the fold rather than the founders of it.

ideal readers self-publishing

Now, your book many bend genre traditions.  It may be so utterly innovative that the usual metrics of comparison––genre, plotting, etc––break down entirely.  And that’s entirely wonderful, even if it makes identifying your ideal reader just a touch more difficult.  If this is the case for you, instead of trying to jam your book into the confines of a neat description, ask yourself: What do I like to read?  What works of art and music and film move me?  Where do I like to go to discover new reading material?  These make for the simplest and most effective path to finding your readers.

 

Once you find your ideal reader, what next?  Well, you make it worth their while to buy your book.  And that’s where next week’s blog post comes in.  Make sure to check back here next Wednesday!  There’s so much more to come.

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.
ebooks, Elise Speaks, from the archives, Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

From the Archives: “Top 5 Considerations for Effectively Pricing Your Self-Published Book”

Welcome back to our Tuesday segment, where we’ll be revisiting some of our most popular posts from the last few years.  What’s stayed the same?  And what’s changed?  We’ll be updating you on the facts, and taking a new (and hopefully refreshing) angle on a few timeless classics of Self Publishing Advisor.

∗∗∗∗∗

[ Originally posted: February 3rd, 2011 ]

“Is my book too expensive?”

“Am I selling myself short?”

Traditionally-published authors usually don’t have any control over the price of their book. As a self-published author, though, how can you make sure you have priced your book appropriately? There is no hard and fast rule, unfortunately. However, here are a few things to consider while coming up with a pricing strategy for self-publishing a book:

  1. How much royalty will you earn from every book sale? If you’re planning on writing full-time, you want to make sure you’re making a sustainable amount per book ($1.50 – $2.75 is reasonable).
  2. What is your target market? Is your intended reader a teenager or an affluent attorney? You want to keep your audience in mind so that you don’t price yourself out of the market. You won’t be very successful if your ideal reader can’t afford to buy your book.
  3. Where do you want to sell your book? Trade discounts often determine where a book is sold. Most online retailers are fine with a short trade discount (less than 40%). However, big box stores, such as Borders, Barnes&Noble, etc. require at least a 50% discount (in addition to a solid marketing plan and full return-ability) to consider carrying your book. If you can’t imagine self-publishing your book without it being stocked on the shelves of your nearest B&N, you should consider going with 50% (though it will cut down on your royalties).
  4. How has your competition priced their books? Research books similar to yours. Make sure the page count is similar, it was published recently, and hopefully self-published. You don’t want to price your book too high above (or too low beneath) these books.
  5. Have you asked an expert? Now is not the time to guess. This is your livelihood. Your best bet is to employ the services of someone who is already familiar with the self-publishing industry, like a Publishing Consultant. These people know the book business, and they can help you with questions like these.

DISCUSSION: How did you decide on a price for your book?

– by Elise L. Connors

I absolutely love Elise’s post on ebook pricing, especially since most of the points hold steady in the face of a rapidly changing market.  There’s very little that’s the same in 2016 as it used to be in 2012 when it comes to the world of self-publishing in digital formats––except for this!  And while some figures may require updating––and Borders has gone altogether out of business––I cannot think of better advice than what Elise gave us in these five simple points.

online shopping

One recent event has, of course, dramatically altered the parameters by which you should set your ebook’s price: Hachette won its suit against Amazon.  What does this mean?  Why should indie authors care about a battle between an online retailer and a traditional publishing company?  I can think of several reasons.

One: Amazon is far and away the largest online retailer of ebooks, outpacing Barnes & Noble by leaps and bounds and leaving Apple’s iBook store and the Google Play store to contend for the last percentages of the market with their book subscription services and bundles.

And two: Hachette’s win means that Amazon no longer gets to keep ebook prices artificially low––justifiably low, in Amazon’s opinion––as the prices of ebooks put out by the Big Five traditional publishing houses cannot be reduced by the third party online seller.  As a consequence, ebook prices have been soaring––as the Big Five set higher prices to rake in more profit, many self-publishing authors are following suit because of the luxury principle; they don’t want their books to be assumed inferior in quality just because they’re less expensive.

A lot of factors go into your price-setting decision.  Are you looking mostly for exposure?  If you are, then selling your book at a dramatically reduced price (say, a $0.99 deal) may well get your book in front of more pairs of eyes than if you price it higher (say, around $9.99).  A low price might also help lure in readers who are itching to try a new book but only have a little free cash to risk.  But a low price cuts into your royalties, and for Amazon especially the highest royalties (around 70%) come when you price your book around the $2.99 sweet spot.  You may lose a few risk-conscious readers, but you only need one reader to purchase your book to every two who turn away in order to break even in your royalties when you boost your price to $2.99.

Your book’s genre and length can also play a role.  Remember Elise’s fourth point, above?  If you’ve written a book that falls neatly to a particular genre (or perhaps, relates un-neatly to several) then you should take a long look at how similar novels of a similar length and style are being priced.  All books are wonderful things and no genre is inherently more “literary” than another, but a pragmatic author must recognize that human perception is flawed and nowhere near as egalitarian as we’d like.  This is to say, romances, Westerns, science fiction, and fantasy tend to be priced more cheaply than, say, a travelogue or political exposé.  You don’t want to price your book outside of your ideal reader’s expected range.

In a lot of ways, it’s easy to lose sight of your vision for your book when the price dominates conversation.  Here’s my advice for pricing an ebook in 2016: Do your research, consult an expert, and make the call.  Don’t spend too much time deliberating, or you’re missing out on the most important thing that you as an author can be doing: writing another book!  ♠

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.