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

Saturday Book Review: “I Wonder: A Book for Children, Parents and other Grownups”

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 Books, Reviews, Etc:

I Wonder: A Book for Children, Parents and other Grownups by Jane Altman

I Wonder: A Book for Children, Parents and other Grownups

by Jane Altman

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478765820

Synopsis*:

This book is a treasure! It is unusual in its endearing and educational verses and illustrations for children and in its engaging and varied pieces for parents – and other grownups. The rhymes are appealing, the illustrations are wonderful and the writings range from heartfelt to very funny. All in all a must read.

 * courtesy of Amazon.com

Critique:

The author has written this book as if it were a poem. It will probably be recognized since it is similar to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. Children will get into the swing of the book in no time. The beginning of each verse is a question about the different animals, such as, “How I wonder little bat, being blind in the dark, how you fly like that.” This allows the children to stop and think about it. The adults can talk about the bat and how it lives with the child. It’s a learning experience. With each verse there is a colorful illustration of the animal. There is a nice little page that has a frame where your child can put his or her own picture. Very cute. Then there is a magical fantasy story “The Glow-Stones” which allows children to see the magic where adults have a hard time slipping into that fantasy of magic.

In Part Two, there is poetry for the adults.Some are pieces about the future and how the child will feel when certain events happen.Some of the poems are on everyday things such as flowers. Then there is a funny piece which will make you chuckle and think. A wonderful book that is great to bring parent and child together for a reflection of the past and a look into the future. A book that every grown up and child should have on their book shelf to read and re-read.

I received this complimentary copy from the author, Jane Altman in exchange for my unbiased review. No other compensation took place.

I would give this book 4 STARS.

[ reviewed by Gayle Pace of Books, Reviews, Etc ]

Here’s what some other reviewers are saying:

In “I Wonder,” Jane Altman has created a poem that children will feel is familiar from the start. It has a similar structure to that of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” that will help young readers easily catch on to the rhythm of the text. Each verse opens up the possibility for discussion about the various animals that are mentioned, elephants, mice, bats, etc. And the illustration for the final verse also allows the child to paste a photo of him/herself into the book and making it very personal. There is also a fantasy story titled “The Glow-Stones,” which portrays the ability of children to perceive the magical when adults only see the commonplace.

Within the second part of the book, Altman has a collection of poetry that is tailored for the adults in the family. Some are nostalgic in tone – pieces wondering over how children will grow up, how one would feel on the very last day of the one-hundredth year of life, or why youth fades away. Others reflect on more everyday occurrences such as admiring flowers or pondering why grass can be so much work to maintain. And then there is the comedic piece about an undergarment that t’aint fittin’ any longer. The whole book feels like a peek into someone’s journal and catching their changing moods from day to day.

This is a book meant to be read together and enjoyed together.

– The Fairview Review

Four out of five stars.

The first section of part one contains a series of four line rhymes that generally have the same rhythm, one that reminded me of the song “Twinkle twinkle little star.” The structure is an image referencing the rhyme on the left side with the text on the right. There are fourteen such items, all but the last referring to animals. The last one is designed to reference the young reader.

The next section of part one is a short story about a small village near the ruins of a very old castle. No one ever goes into it and no one seems to care about it. When a young man decides to leave the village and go out in the world, a stone in the castle glows at him, so he stops to grab it and then takes it with him. Something similar happens when a young woman also starts her journey out of the village.

The two people then marry other people and have children, the story continues after their deaths when their children are going through their belongings and find what appear to be nondescript stones. They all return to the ancestral village and the children then see things in the castle that their parents cannot.

Part two is given the designation that it is for the parents and grownups and is a set of short segments of more complex verse. There are rhymes having various orders where the matches occur. For example, the section of verse called “What to Do?” has three line segments where the first two lines rhyme as well as the third lines of sequential sections. They are designed to be read to children, they will sound pretty good if the proper intonation is applied.

This is a good book for children, one that children will enjoy having read to them, for they have a natural affinity for rhyming verse.

– Charles Ashbacher Reviews

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

Conversations: 3/31/2017

MARCH INTO SPRING

WITH A SPRING IN YOUR WRITING STEP Part V

This week closes out my march into spring series looking at various book genres that meet my criteria of educational reading—while enhancing our writing skills. I’ve chosen the genre of Children’s Books because—as a parent, grandparent, great-grandparent—I’ve learned so much from our children and the books they love reading. However, I must warn you. Should you, too, delve into the shelves of Children’s book section of library or bookstore, you may get stuck there, too. With so many excellent books to tell you about, I’ve had difficulty selecting just a few.

A Day at the Dog Park by Justene Presley is fun to read, educational for children (and adults) royalene6and gives writers a peek into “ordinary days” that just might be useful in “scene development” for your novels.

Everyone loves to imagine a child enjoying the day with a favorite pet dog. Meet Carter and his dog, Snickers. Carter’s mom takes them to the dog park, and their enjoyable day provides fun as well as practical lessons about the best way to make new dog friends. Carter explains that there are lots of different types of dogs, and goes through a six-step method for meeting a new dog. Carter also shares advice about what not to do.

royalene7Author Barbara Bryan has published several books including this one titled: FROM SCRATCH, Three Short Stories. The theme is “Everyone Needs a Helping Hand.” I love this concept because I’ve always found it hard to ask for help. AND YET, being a writer/author I, too, have sought help to develop writing skills from character development to book marketing and more. But it’s not always easy to admit that we need help…and it’s valuable to learn when to offer help, too.

In these three wise and charming stories, Bryan explores the idea of helping from different viewpoints. You’ll meet three characters who fit this common theme in different ways. Catherine needs help, but doesn’t know how to ask for it…and she finds it in an unexpected way. Rooster gets some complaints about his cock-a-doodle behavior, but he realizes what’s really important when he’s called upon to save his family. And Wiley finds out that being rude and unhelpful to others can leave you out in the cold…literally. DID you notice that word viewpoints? Understanding the perspective of the characters we’re creating is a key component to making our novels great!

I just had to add this book: WE ALL MATTER by Angel McGowan. Not only is this an royalene8excellent story about a boy who is being overlooked and ignored by his classmates, which makes him feel all alone, it is authored by a young woman I would love to meet someday. McGowan broke into the publishing world at the age of fifteen and has been winning awards ever since. Her ability to expose the bare bones of issues that are harmful to our children (of all ages) will make a big difference in the lives of future generations!

As you turn to the next page of Mikey’s story he is so overwhelmed that he breaks his silence and blurts out exactly how lonely he’s been feeling. What happens next… (Oops! Better not give that away.)

Each of these books are written from passionate hearts—from writers who see the world with a unique perspective—like you. Don’t hold back! Write! Publish! Offer the world another chance to learn.  ⚓︎

Royalene

ABOUT 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, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner: The Business of Writing

So, you’re an author. Writing is your business, right?

Well … hopefully. The problem with being an author, particularly a self-published author, is that the real work is a solitary activity, taking place at home or in another not-a-standard-office-environment workplace, and is oh-so-easily interrupted by the ordinary vagaries of daily life. Anyone who works from home can attest that it’s difficult to keep home life and work life separate!

So how can an author make writing a business, with all of the peculiar challenges authors face?

Draw up a business plan.

Whoa, whoa, a business plan?! Isn’t that for people who are, like, starting a bakery or a coffee shop or maybe a lumber yard? Yes. But it’s also for you, the indie author. You have to prioritize making a business plan if you want to make a profit off of your writing. There are plenty of small-business handbooks available through your local public library, so I won’t go into great detail for you here, other than to say you don’t need to be afraid of the spreadsheets … you just have to be willing to bow before the truths they present to you. If the spreadsheets and the business plan requires you to sacrifice certain luxuries in order to make a good go at becoming a profitable self-publishing author, that’s what you’ll need to do. In most cases, however, a business plan will simply help you figure out which services you ought to pay for, and which ones you ought to train yourself to manage. Like bookkeeping, or website design. It will help you organize your author-related budget and separate it from your personal, regular budget, articulate your needs and your vision, and filter out distractions. I promise, this is the best possible thing you can do, whether you’re just starting out or midway through your career!

Figure out your brand.

What do you want to be known for, as an author? Are you going to be recognized for some sort of narrative through-line to your works, a passion for author advocacy, for your engagement with your audience, or something else entirely? (Hint: you can be all of things, and more.) Your “brand” is as much a product of your personality and your priorities as it is the actual physical product you publish on the page.

You can probably name a couple of brands off of the top of your head. Starbucks, Wal*Mart, Toyota … and when you think of these brands, what do you think of? Their visual presence, like their logo and their website or smartphone app? Or perhaps the little jingle that plays during their commercials? Now, what about authors? Which ones spring to mind as having distinctive presences out in the world? Terry Tempest Williams? Ann Rice? Stephen King? Figure out what draws you in, and what you can feasibly do as a creator in order to tap into the same strengths.

Find your market.

Have you spent much time thinking about your ideal reader? This isn’t a simple thought exercise, it’s an important part of delivering your business plan into the world without undue complications. Spend a few hours researching and drawing out characteristics and qualities you think of when you contemplate who will or ought to be drawn to your work, and then brainstorm ways to reach them which you can manage in a regulated, sustainable, and protected way.

Protected? Yeah. As with all other new things, it can be hard to build new muscles and tap into new markets, because such things rely on habitual, scheduled curation. Statistically speaking, readers are far more likely to subscribe to your social media accounts, blog, and email newsletters if they know they’ll get updates regularly—even on the same day each week. You absolutely must protect such habits from the encroachment of daily distractions! Otherwise, they’ll go the way of all other resolutions. And if you want to treat your work as an author like a business, that’s just not going to help much.

businesslike business suit coffee child

If you’re feeling frustrated with your attempts to put together a business plan for your writing, get in touch! We’d love to hear your stories and help you face the challenges ahead with the best possible resources at hand. We’re here for you.

You are not alone. ♣︎

Elizabeth

ABOUT 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.
decluttering, Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

Decluttering…The Archives!

You may know the feeling, you go to open a drawer and papers are protruding every which way, you have to force some down to even open the drawer at all and your impatience mounts at the idea of dealing with it for just two seconds, not to mention an entire afternoon of actually dealing with it by cleaning shop. For those of you who still utilize filing cabinets–the non-digital kind–let’s talk about the ways in which we can declutter the archives and the crud that often accumulates in file folders.

The best way to start the de-crudding process for a filing cabinet would be to either create or reaffirm what your filing system is. You need a method by which you consciously store your papers and documents and this method can be as simple or as complex as you’d like it to be, as long as it makes sense to you and helps you find what you need in a timely and convenient manner. Some options for organization are alphabetical, numerical, due date, project, chapter, book, character, etc. etc.

Next up, you should write down a list of the working files you’ve decided to keep in your cabinet. Name the files in such a way that they are immediately recognizable to you. Use book or chapter titles, character names, etc. if it’s related to your writing. If you happen to also keep your water and electric bills in that cabinet, definitely label them and keep them in a separate area from your writing files. Miscellaneous folders are no help to anyone. They are clutter traps and try your best to avoid them!

Feel free to spice things up and make the decluttering process more exciting for yourself. Use visually appealing folders, perhaps toss that filing cabinet that you can barely open without the drawer almost flying out onto the floor. Customize this system to your organizational and aesthetic preferences!

Next up: pull your files out one at a time and lay them on a flat surface–this can be the floor or your desk or whatever you’d like. This way, if you have items in the wrong folders, they clearly stick out and you can place them aside in a pile and correctly file them as you go. When you go to replace the files in the cabinet, be sure to refer to your filing system list you began by making.

Once all the already filed items are back in a row, ask yourself if you have a stack of papers that still needs to be filed. Having a tray or box for a stack like this is always a good idea, especially marked with some imperative like “to be filed.”

The fun part of cleaning out the ‘ole filing cabinet? You can have a nice bonfire or shredding party with all of your disposed paperwork. Pour yourself a glass of wine, beer, coffee, tea–whatever your drink of choice may be–and celebrate a clean (and organized) slate!

bonfire burning papers

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. ♠

Kelly

ABOUT 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
from the archives, Jodee Speaks, Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

From the Archives: “Start Summer Right. Write Now toward Publishing”

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.

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[ Originally posted: June 21st, 2010 ]

Finishing a book is not as daunting as it sounds. The key is to write something everyday. Then, use the Internet for accountability. Interesting right?  Write everyday, and publish everyday—either on a bulletin board, a writing group, or on a personal “blog.”

There are a number of reasons to do this.

1) The public commitment will help motivate you. When you publicly declare that you will add content to your blog every day, or every week, you are more bound to complete your task.

2) If you choose the right forum, people may offer to help you. (Note, if you choose the wrong forum, and find people are being counter-productive, simply change venues).

3) By creating an Internet presence this early in the process, you can start to generate interest in your book when it comes out—either search engine interest, or human interest. Both are good when it comes time to promote and sell your book later on.

You may wish to search Google for some forums in which to participate. You’ll be writing and more and you may make some new friends and/or fans.

Then when you are ready to publish your book, consider all of those things we’ve discussed previously in finding the right self-publisher to meet your goals.

Have fun and keep writing.

– by Jodee Thayer

 

Summer is almost upon us, and your next book is calling.

I don’t know about you, but I love each season, and the variety of seasons, and the changing of seasons. This winter has been a long one, and even now it has a tenuous grip on the Rocky Mountain landscape in which I live; ugly snowbanks still hide where the sun doesn’t shine, and the roads are gritty with salt spread to speed the melting ice. The ground is heaving in my back yard as the moist earth thaws, then buckles. With the thermometer still dropping at night, it’s not yet safe to plant. It feels like forever since I sat outside with a cup of coffee and a book, forever since that first pumpkin spice latte last Fall.

But sure as the world turns, we are getting closer. We are officially in Spring, no matter what the thermostat setting, and Summer approaches apace. I, for once, am nowhere near ready for it. For me, Summer means far more frantic planning and balls in the air than it does relaxing days at the beach (what beach? I guess lakes have beaches, too…) or even pleasant woodland strolls, no matter how much I love them. After all, I have a family. And kids have a lot they want to get done in Summer, as do husbands, and the house inevitably falls apart a little bit and requires some maintenance, and the lawn too, and…and…and….

You know how it is. If I want to get something done in the Summer, I really have to lay the groundwork in Spring. If I want to get something done by the Summer, then I really have to start chipping away at it now.

Which means, yes, it’s time to break out the manuscript revision process and the marketing calendar, too. If you often feel at a loss, as I do, then it’s always worth investing in something like the Author Marketing Calendar, which lays out what to do each month in order to create a balanced, achievable marketing routine throughout the year. Sometimes it really is nice to take the guesswork out of the equation–although my point about being extra busy in Summer still holds.

As Jodee wrote in 2010, one of the most important steps is setting up and grooming an online presence. That’s a good first Spring-cleaning step for us as self-publishing authors. And as someone who works daily with other indie authors, too, I can’t stress the importance of laying out a pattern of behavior now, getting support and accountability from those who can help you reinforce these new habits–like getting up earlier, and writing each morning, undisturbed–and then making this new pattern rock solid and reliable before Summer and its various stresses arrive.

We’ll be writing more about how to prepare for Summer as the weeks tick by!

summer glow

Thanks for reading.  If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them.  Drop me a line in the comments section below and I’ll respond as quickly as I can.  ♠

Kelly

ABOUT 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.