Tag: children’s book authors

news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 4.23.2018 – Publishing Trends Roundup

the word "april" from the wooden letters

And now for the news!

Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing, specifically regarding publishing trends within the publishing industry, and their implications for all authors!

From our neighbors in the still-snowy northlands comes this heartwarming story of Rahma Mohamed, who aims to reshape the publishing landscape by boosting diversity in representation. Her reason? As a Canadian of Somali descent and a mother, Mohamed was motivated by a moment two years ago in which her daughter, then only four years old, saw an Elsa costume (replete with golden hair and light skin) and “pleaded with her mother to buy it so she would look ‘beautiful.'” With little representation of people of color, much less African-American Muslims, in children’s literature it can be extremely difficult for children to find themselves in mainstream children’s literature (from picture books through young adult literature) and identify with the characters. Mohamed has set out, by way of self-publishing her own children’s book, to help tip the balance towards a more diverse, inclusive, and joyful publishing industry. This trend towards diversification and representation isn’t new–it made serious gains over the last five years–but every author who chooses to tackle this thorny issue is, like Mohamed, pushing us further in the right direction. This article comes to us by way of Kashmala Fida of Edmonton’s The Star.

We’ve written about Rupi Kaur before here on Self Publishing Advisor, the self-publishing poet of great Instagram fame who swept North America and the world with her book, milk and honey, which was first released in 2014 and gained serious notoriety in 2016. milk and honey was, after blockbuster success, picked up for a reprint by a traditional publishing house, but the backstory to this book is a celebration of the independent, artistic soul of self-publishing. As Katherine Diaz Villegas of ScadConnector hints at in the title of her article (which is in many ways a nuanced review of the book itself), the Internet’s obsession with Kaur may have as much to do with where we are in this cultural moment as it does with Kaur’s actual content, which is moving in and of itself. Writes Villegas, “Kaur is an authentic and important voice to women, especially those in their teenage years or any transition period. She writes about serious themes of life, love, sex, femininity, oppression, growth and culture. Yet, she writes them in a way that includes self-reflection and acceptance, showcasing strength as she stands up for who she is.” If those lines sounds familiar, it may be because of the national Women’s March which took place recently or the heavy press surrounding the #MeToo and #NeverAgain movements online. Whatever your stance on matters like those Kaur writes about, it’s clear that we are now in a time and place where conversations about them are going mainstream. And self-publishing has in no small part enabled us to get there, by allowing authors with out-of-the-mainstream ideas to publish and reach wider audiences than ever before … and to, perhaps, fuel new movements.

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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.

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

Conversations : The Best of Royalene Doyle (part 2)

Celebrating the Best of Royalene Doyle

and her fantastic Conversations

farewell goodbye waving

Once upon a glorious time, Royalene gave us her backstory as an author and self-publishing expert. And let us tell you, it’s something special. Royalene started out writing genre fiction in her teens, mastering everything from science fiction to mystery to children’s books, before moving on in her adulthood to overcome that age-old tale of a gifted writer facing rejection letter after rejection letter. Her response? To take up self-publishing, of course! There’s a lot more to the story than what we can summarize here, but one of the highlights is her unwavering faith in herself (and other authors) and her own personal vision. Here is a writer who faced challenges so common (or perhaps even universal) to the profession, and out of her own grit and determination and self-empowerment, carved out her own uncommon response … and success! In fact, Royalene has had a lot to say about success over the years, and we can’t recommend reading her posts enough. But for the background and the foundation of who she is as a writer, and where her advice comes as a self-publishing professional? Read this post for sure.

Next up, we wanted to shine a light on some of Royalene’s method. (And also, let’s face it, there’s something just plain winsome about Winnie the Pooh, and Royalene’s reference here is spot on.) 2013 was a splendid year for Royalene posts (a very fine vintage), packed full of insights into how she goes about starting a new book, particularly a new children’s book. She walks readers through the first step (research), then the next (conversation), and the last (money). Each of these steps presents some obstacles for the self-publishing author to overcome, but Royalene’s clearly defined and organized steps might just prove a working blueprint for those children’s book authors who come after her. Well worth a full exploratory read, don’t you think?

Our last post for the day was the logical follow-up to the previous one; in fact, this post was published just one week after, also in 2013 (as we mentioned, a very fine vintage!). It also seems logical to have begun today’s reminisces with Royalene’s own childhood, middled with her method for writing a children’s book, and concluded with that other big component of children’s picture books—a relationship which in many ways defines the entire experience—the relationship between author and illustrator! Royalene delves into her various thoughts about illustrators, including some of her requirements for the relationship and her tips on knowing when an illustrator is right for you. As she mentions in her post, this is foundational to the creative development of a children’s picture book, and it’s just as important to develop a working philosophy or ethic of how to go about finding an illustrator and establishing that relationship as it is to write and publish the book. If you’re thinking of writing, illustrating, or otherwise publishing a children’s picture book this year, we recommend reading Royalene’s post in full!

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That’s all for this week! We’ll be back next Friday as we detail more of Royelene’s greatest hits, as determined by our blog’s analytics. You can follow Royalene’s further adventures by checking out her Twitter feed (her handle is @RoyaleneD) or her website at www.DoyleWritingServices.com. We miss you, Royalene! ⚓︎

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. She developed 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, has received 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. December 2017 marked the end of Royalene’s tenure at Self Publishing Advisor. and we will be spending the next few weeks celebrating some of her all-time hits, her most well-received articles for our blog, in thanks for years of generous service.
Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Conversations: 5/26/2017

WRITE YOUR CHILDREN’S BOOK TO INSPIRE!

Recently I was inspired by a famous news commentator who said, “Even though our world seems to be more than fifty percent influenced by hate—by evil—it is up to us to talk about and write about the good, ethical and moral things of life. Our children need to know—must know—their futures are bright.” This television news celebrity was speaking to my small group of writers and sharing some amazing (really miraculous) things that have happened in her life—demonstrating just how much power she/we have in the words we choose to “broadcast.”

At the next writers’ workshop each of us still felt her passionate message and agreed that no matter what project we were developing, somewhere—some way—we would include something to inspire our readers. So it is today that I’ve selected two books to demonstrate inspired writing. The first is a recently published children’s book and the second is a classic novel that bridges the juvenile/young adult/adult categories.

Melissa Brown just released her book, COUNTRY ZOO: Gretchen the Runt, in Februarycountry zoo melissa brown this year. A baby giraffe has just been born and joined the other giraffe’s in their outdoor enclosure. She’s been named Gretchen and it’s quite obvious that she’s smaller than normal. She can’t reach the tastiest leaves to eat or play games that the big animals play. She doesn’t like being small at all! In time, she grows bigger and new adjustments must be made.

There are wonderfully insightful comparisons made in this story to help children understand a few of the complexities life gives us all—when we are different. You will appreciate the humor and heartwarming compassion used to teach children (and parents) to value themselves and appreciate the special person(s) we are.

I predict this little picture book will become a favorite “keepsake” story in every home because: (1st) it is so well written and, (2nd) because it inspires parents and children in tandem. Thank you, Melissa Brown, for giving future writers such an excellent example and for donating a portion of your royalties to The Pacer Center to prevent bullying of children and teens.

My classic novel example is SHOELESS JOE (1982) by W. P. Kinsella, a Canadian author who inspired Readers with “…his own brand of magic realism, comic sense, sentimental and sometimes edgy” writing style” (V. Sayers, Professor of English, Notre Dame).

  • As a writer, I immediately loved two things about this novel. First, the author named the main character after himself—well, the last name, anyway. Second, the author writes in his own search for writing support and inspiration as the main character goes in search of the reclusive (real) writer J. D. Salinger. (Today we can “talk” with most of our favorite author’s via websites, Facebook messaging, etc.) BIG point to remember: if you must give someone’s real name in your book(s), be sure you have their written and signed permission.
  • Then I learned that Kinsella wrote his first draft while attending a writers’ workshop in Iowa! WOW! What a great environment! If you’ve ever been to a week or weekend retreat with other writers you already know how inspiring that dynamic energy can be.
  • In 1989 this book became a movie—FIELD OF DREAMS. The screenplay was tweaked a bit here and there, but the basic story is all there. And, they changed the “reclusive” author’s name to Terence Mann who delivered this great quote: “I want them to start thinking for themselves!” (Isn’t that what we want for all our children—to think clearly enough for themselves that they will not fall prey to those who would lead them into trouble?)

May all your writing adventures be inspired, my friends, and when you’ve come to THE END of the story, GET IT PUBLISHED. Let’s make this world a better place for our children! ⚓︎

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.

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

Conversations: 5/19/2017

WRITE YOUR CHILDREN’S BOOK TO TEACH!

Teaching is IN my DNA. I also believe it is in the DNA of every author. Last week I wrote about developing messages of encouragement in our Children’s books utilizing themes that, while reinforcing good qualities, also teach our young readers “how-to” cultivate habits that will benefit them throughout their whole lives. It is my premise today that Teaching and Encouraging need to be synonymous purposes at the core of our children’s books. The inquiring minds of our children need to be exposed to only the best of content and quality writing techniques.

So it is that first, I’ll offer a couple of websites to writers who will take their writing gift seriously enough and go the extra mile to research what is currently perceived as the best quality of Children’s, Juvenile and Young Adult books on the market. The following Parent’s websites, are created to “clue us in” to what our children find on bookshelves and online bookstores today.

http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/guides-to-reading/parent-guide-to-book-genres-fantasy Here I found an excellent combination of classic and current book titles as well an several well-thought-out discussion points that will help me discuss stories with my grandchildren. It also leads to other parts of the Scholastic site for further research.

https://www.commonsensemedia.org This site offers “practical tips for parents of exceptional readers” to help parents (and teachers—and writers) find age-appropriate books to challenge and engage the “thinking” reader.

THEN we have the book: The New York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children. The 3rd revised edition was released in 2000, and the 4th should be coming out any time now. However, the information available in this one is well worth having at your fingertips because it is organized in six sections according to reading level: Wordless, Picture, Story, Early Reading, Middle Reading, and Young Adult.

IF you’re writing in the Juvenile/Young Adult genres, you already know that the task of creating a quality story—that sells—is a challenge. Today’s youth appreciate very different worlds from the adventures of western lawmen or the deep jungle exploits of Tarzan or the daring explorations of sci-fi heroes like John Carter. Here are a few threads that connect past writing successes with current Reader-expectations:

  • Hidden Treasure: The intrigue of unknown wealth continue to draw the attention of Readers.
  • Surprise Discoveries: Whether the surprise comes in the form of dragons, or elves or giants, young readers will come back for more.
  • Family and Friends: Juvenile and young adult readers are trying to figure out how these relationships work. Give them excellent examples.
  • Develop REAL characters in REAL situations—even if the world they’re living in is a fantasy planet. This will give your Readers the opportunity to “step into the pages” of the story and (again) figure things out (maybe in their real lives) for themselves.

RESEARCH AND REMEMBER WHO ARE READERS ARE. We’re writing for our neighbor’s grandchildren who spend a lot of time in virtual words (online or purchased video games) where the “action” is extremely fast-paced and almost anything can (does) happen. However, these same children are also going to school and studying fractions. The stories we write for them can (should) help them balance their lives and prepare them for adulthood. ⚓︎

children's picture books
Children reading a book sitting on the roof of the house. Boy and girl reading by the light of a flashlight at night.

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.

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

Conversations: 5/12/2017

WRITE YOUR CHILDREN’S BOOK TO ENCOURAGE!

Today I’d like to bring in concepts about THEME within the genre of Children’s Books.

LITTLE BLUE TRUCK by Alice Schertle was my youngest grandson’s favorite books since he could crawl to his box of books and select one. The writing of it and the illustrations (by Jill McElmurry) follow the pattern of Keep it simple, Keep it focused, Keep it moving to a Tee. It was first published in 2008 and listed in the genres of “ages 4-8” and “baby, pre-school.” THE THEME centers on being a good friend. Sometimes being a friend is easy and fun. Sometimes it’s not. Willingness to try being a friend is always a good thing to do and often helps make new friends. Every time I read this Little Blue Truck adventure to my grandson, I (me—the adult) am encouraged to work on my own friendship skills and behaviors. Yes, indeed, this book will forever be part of my library!

SO…what was/is your favorite children’s book? When I ask writers this question many reply with titles like Bambi, and Dumbo, and Lassie, with words that come out sounding like they are cuddling with a Teddy Bear. They are remembering the Little Golden Book Classics now being passed forward to their grandchildren—each story encouraging Readers to be a good friend, help the helpless, be willing to ask for help, and always come home.

These authors wrote a positive message into their stories while opening the world a bit wider for young Readers—demonstrating good ways to respect people who are different that “us,” how to appreciate the world (from backyard to forest) and how to handle the death of loved ones. STORY combined with beautiful, eye-appealing illustrations can deliver these theme messages while nurturing and encouraging every Reader—whatever their age or “season” of life.

Recently I was introduced to a new children’s book titled: COUNTRY ZOO by Melissa Lcountry zoo melissa brown. Brown. It is 24 pages of an encouraging story about Gretchen the Giraffe. (Who doesn’t love giraffes?) The book is listed in the genre of Juvenile Fiction which places it in the middle school to young adult category. However, I will definitely be reading it to my kindergartener. The THEME: Bullying.

You see, Gretchen was born small—and called the “runt.” Being small is a natural challenge because she can’t reach the sweetest leaves to eat or play the games the bigger giraffe’s play. As she grows, she becomes bigger than the others and faces a whole new set of problems. What happens to Gretchen?  Sorry, you’ll have to read the book for yourselves.  I will tell you, though, that you’ll fall in love with Gretchen—AND—when you review the Keep it simple, Keep it focused, Keep it moving pattern of her story you’ll have an excellent outline sample to help you develop your own story(s).

Takeaway for today: WRITE YOUR CHILDREN’S STORY THE WAY IT NEEDS TO BE TOLD and the genre category of Readers/age group will find it! The old saying that “I wish I had a nickel for” every time I’ve re-read a children’s book and found encouraging words to soothe my spirit, is often repeated in my writing workshops. Recently I added these basic themes to my list of future books to write: Encourage children to Play; to Respect others; to Listen; to Talk about their feelings; to Be a Good Example everywhere, especially at school; to Thank God every night, for everything.

If any of these topic/themes resonate with you—GO FOR IT! Write that book! Get is Published! And send me a copy! ⚓︎

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.