Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Weekly Self-Published Book Review: Anamnesis: The Further Adventures of Struth Digger

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 by Midwest Book Review:

Anamnesis The Further Adventures of Struth Digger

Anamnesis: The Further Adventures of Struth Digger

J. Wyant

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781478715122

Reviewed by Natalie Summers

“Anamnesis: The Further Adventures of Struth Digger” by J. Wyant is about two sisters, Salle and Anna Kate Limoux, who stay with their Uncle Jason and Aunt Jen while their parents are on a cruise. They love spending time with their cousin Bunkie as well as his neighbor across the street, Struth Digger, and this summer will not disappoint them with the prospect of a possible hidden treasure to find and a spooky old hospital to explore. The old Wagner Hospital has a mysterious past regarding a doctor whose wife went missing and was never found. This particular hospital was off limits to the children of Pocawa, a small town in New Orleans. The hospital was old, falling apart, and dangerous to anyone who entered. Until one day when 3 children chasing their dog ended up in the basement of the old Wagner Hospital, only to come upon a mysterious box and a great discovery.
I found “Anamnesis: The Further Adventures of Struth Digger”, to be a fast read with the promise of a new adventure in the up and coming sequel “Rubicon: A Struth Digger Further Adventure”. Some areas in the story were bogged down with too many descriptive words, and caused the reader to pause more than once in the story line. It is always good to have a clear picture of where the author is taking you in the story, but too many descriptive words can have an effect on how the story flows. I enjoyed the story, plot and conclusion and would recommend it to ages 10-16 as an easy read adventure type book. I look forward to seeing what the Author has in store for the reader in the “Rubicon”.
“Anamnesis: The Further Adventures of Struth Digger” by J. Wyant has a lot of potential as an entertaining adventure novel, and the story line is an interesting read that keeps you hanging on, reaching for the next page to find out what happens next.

Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

10 Inspiring Quotes on Writing

Let’s face it, we all lose the motivation to write sometimes. Whether it is criticism, writer’s block, fatigue, or any other obstacle keeping you from writing, I am here to help. I’ve collected 10 of my favorite inspiring quotes on writing to get you motivated to start or finish your writing project. Here they are:

1. “This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until its done. It’s that easy, and that hard.”  ― Neil Gaiman

2. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”  ― Maya Angelou

3. “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”  ― Madeleine L’Engle

4. “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”  ― Stephen King

5. “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”  ― Mark Twain

6. “And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”  ― Sylvia Plath

7. “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”  ― Anton Chekhov

8. “The scariest moment is always just before you start.”  ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

9. “The first draft of anything is shit.”  ― Ernest Hemingway

10. “I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I’m afraid of. ” ― Joss Whedon

I’d love to know, what is your favorite inspiring quote on writing?

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the 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 at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self-Publishing Week in Review: 2/18/14

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 Tuesday to find out the hottest news.

Is Self-Publishing a Better Road to Wealth for Writers?

This BusinessWeek article discusses Hugh Howey”s analysis of data that shows self-publishing authors make more money than authors with traditional deal.  This is an interesting article for all authors to read.

This chart ought to make the publishing industry very nervous

This chart illustrates some of the data recently analyzed by Hugh Howey. It shows daily unit sales of ebooks by publisher type.

10 Questions With Indie Author Hugh Howey

In this Huffington Post article, the author interviews successful self-published author Hugh Howey. He talks about his self-publishing experience, his writing process, marketing strategy, and more.

Swoon Reads: The Next Romance Bestseller, Selected By You

Swoon Reads, a new young adult romance publisher, has started crowdsourcing, promising a contract to the writer whose book wins the hearts of a community of online readers. On Valentine’s Day, Swoon Reads announced the winner of that contract: Sandra Hall a teen librarian in Morristown, N.J., who wrote A Little Something Different, about two college students falling in love. This is a must read article for romance writers.

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the 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 at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Jodee Speaks, Uncategorized

Happy President’s Day, Self-Publishing Authors!

For many people, President’s Day is just another day off work, or another day that you’re stuck at work while everyone else is off. However, it should be a day to celebrate presidents both past and present. As a country, we’ve been blessed with some wonderful leaders who’ve made great changes and who are an inspiration to us all. For those of you interested in history or current issues, President’s Day is a great opportunity to start a self-publishing project in honor of your favorite leaders. Here are a few ideas to help you generate some book ideas.

  • Get current – Read a newspaper. Watch the news. Browse online news sources. Find out what is happening in our country, and decide if you have an opinion on any of the topics. This research might spark an idea for your next project.
  • Get personal – One of the most interesting history genres is biographies. If you have a favorite president, start doing some research and consider writing a biography.
  • Interview others – Biographies and news sources only offer a limited perspective. Sometimes history is more interesting when you hear it from ordinary people. If there is an event or leader who interests you, interview people about that event or person. Their stories might just make an interesting book.
  • Make it up – If you enjoy history but prefer writing fiction, consider writing historical fiction. This genre offers creative freedom while appealing to your inner historian.

No matter what you decide to write, take a moment this holiday to celebrate the great presidents our country has had and remember that today is more than just a day off work.

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order 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, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 2/14/14

PICTURE THIS!

When a person includes 95 photos and a few illustrations in a memoir, readers will enjoy a unique and very personal adventure through time.  Such was my consulting/ghostwriting experience a couple years ago at the completion of the beautifully expressed life-stories of two exceptional people.  An extra bonus for me was that their project reinforced my understanding of the relation between photos (or illustrations) and story-telling.

During my school years, I remember several teachers telling me, “Royalene, you are definitely a visual learner.”  I think they were frustrated by that revelation because it created a challenge for most educators of that era—except the art teacher, of course.  However, as I grow into my chosen profession of writing—creating visual images with words—I appreciate their early analysis and I continue learning how to use this element to my benefit.

“Art,” they say, “evokes emotion,” and the artist/photographer will utilize this to express the essence of a moment captured in a millisecond of time and space.  The writer must carry this concept further by selecting words, and combinations of words, that transport instant images into the readers’ view—images that evoke emotion.  This ability will not only communicate their story well, it will also carry an author to the top of the Best Books list and possibly set them up for movie and/or television acclaim.

The visually shared experience will also have a greater sustained impact—one that will bring about contemplation of the various elements of the story and lead readers to discuss your book as their next Book Club selection!  Here are a few tips for writing visually:

LOOK FOR the emotion in your characters AND their environment.  Dissect the emotional anatomy of each of these elements, such as:

  • What is the motivation behind a character’s actions, attitude, and perspective?  What has your character experienced that brings about their reaction(s) to the events?  Did they suffer physical trauma that brought an emotional response?  What are they holding on to from their past that is creating current circumstances?
  • What is the emotional impact of their environment?  Do they live in a mansion or tent?  Is there a lawn—mown and manicured—or is it a field of weeds?  Has there been fire, flood, or drought devastation?  Can they hear the birds singing?  See flowers blooming? Watch butterflies float through the air?  Is the air so clear the brilliant blue of the sky is visible, or is the fog/smog so thick vision and breathing are severely hindered?

My client/friend’s memoir told the story using all these elements, and I am the richer for reading it.  That is my hope for all writers—that we can enrich the lives of our readers and enjoy every step of the process.  And if expressing the emotional elements are tough for you, don’t hesitate to accept help.  There are editors and ghostwriters out there—partnering with self-publishing teams of professionals who will help you complete your work.

Royalene ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.