Tag: children’s book

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

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 11/15/13

I love the concept of self-publishing!  Since I’ve been connected with my publishing staff, I’ve learned a lot and have been encouraged as if I was their only client.  Then, when mentioning my hope to branch out into children’s book writing, their genuine excitement renewed my enthusiasm and gave me the needed-nudge to move forward.  I felt sure that my stories are good, and a few other folks think so, too.  Then came possibly the best advice I’ve had so far, “When you talk with our illustrators, talk visually.”

I’ve known for a long time—and practiced—writing with visual/descriptive language is important.  It is important for me that my readers are given the best opportunity to see the scene as clearly as I have imagined it.  However, I’m not the best verbal communicator.  Talking with an illustrator whose creative language is art has become quite a challenge.  How can I be specific enough so that an artist understands my version of a “joyful expression”?  How will I share my vision of my character’s constant “happiness,” even after a scary event?  How many levels of the visual concept of “subdued color” are there?

So recently, I’ve gone to the internet bookstores for more examples.  I’ve looked at the covers and first pages of dozens of children’s books and when I come across something that speaks to what I’m hoping to develop, I’m writing out my descriptions of what I see “illustrated.”  I am also making note of the book title and author to share with my illustrator.  Some of the thoughts repeated in my descriptive sentences are eyes are a focal point for main expressions; basic shapes and sizes are comparable to reality; solid colors are better for younger eyes; and, similar to the words on a written page, blank space is necessary.

I’ve also decided to consult with the person who will be my self-publishing marketing assistant for this project, as well as a friend who is a marketing director in the corporate world.  So far, two excellent suggestions have been made: 1) Think Like a Mother.  2) Research Early Childhood Learning.  When the mother is shopping, will she imagine herself reading this book to her child?  Will it “teach” something of value—something that most mom’s want their child to appreciate?  Can the parents point out basic colors and shapes?  Are the characters realistic enough for a child to begin associating the picture book image with the real thing?

Discovering all these levels of needed development for my “simple, fun” children’s story has surprised me.  But I am not discouraged.  In fact, I’m more excited about this project than ever because now I feel I’ll be able to give my grandchildren something even more valuable—something that might survive even to the next generation.

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

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 11/08/13

Now that I’m actually working on my children’s book series I’m looking forward to developing the writer/illustrator partnership. My self-publishing family relationship has continued to flourish and they’ve been very supportive in giving me the information that is necessary to select “the” illustrator for my project. Now I continue my search.

What I’m discovering is that, like writers, there are many illustrators out there. I really thought I could have narrowed my list of potential collaborators to a much shorter list by now. That is not my reality at the moment. Actually, my list seems to be growing! Our world is, indeed, blessed by many extremely gifted artists/illustrators. However, through this search process, I’ve realized that I need to define my expectations and my vision in as specific detail as possible. I’ll share what I’ve come up with so far—for my personal project—hoping that some of these concepts will be useful to others.

1. The first series of stories will focus on toddlers whose minds are ready to absorb a great amount of information. However, this being a fact, my vision is to communicate one storyline from start to finish.
2. I do not want busy illustrations—ones that have a lot of characters on a page or a lot of background clutter.
3. My main character is discovering the world around him one thing at a time—so the focal point on each page will help the toddler do the same.
4. Although my main characters are not “human,” they will personify many human qualities and attitudes—so their “expressions” are important to me.
5. It is essential that my critter characters be illustrated as close to their natural appearance as possible.
6. A natural/nature environment will also be illustrated but must be kept simple.
7. There will also be the occasional human interaction. These people will look more like real people than cartoon characters.
8. LAST THOUGHT: I’m leaning more toward pencil-drawings with very minimal color shading. I want the children to SEE the basic shapes of the characters—the basic “true” colors—so that they can identify them in the world around them.

There it is—my next steps in creatively developing these books. When I did my walk-through of our local bookstore, I became even more aware of the competition on the shelves. The big-name publishers have big-name illustrators on staff. However, with much pleasure, I found several self-published children’s books that were marvelously illustrated and definitely caught my eye. As I keep my writing focus on positive, instructive, value-building storylines, so too will I continue to seek out the illustrator/collaborator to enjoy this journey with me.

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

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 11/01/13

There is a “little” secret in my house—a little book writing secret. I have always enjoyed the Winnie the Poo children’s series and actually dream about writing a collection of children’s books. Of course, not being a Big Name in the publishing world, I have already made the decision to self-publish—and selected the self-publishing press I will work with—because I want to see my grandchildren and great-grandchildren hold my books in their hands.

The stories are buzzing in my head! I’ve written the manuscript for the first one that will be published in board-book form. At least five “adventures” are planned in that series. The main characters will then graduate to the 3-5-year-old storybooks and eventually the 5-8 year-old more finely developed tales.

Now…I face the question of who will be the illustrator. Selecting and hiring a person to complete this whole series is a major priority. Here is the criteria I’ve developed so far:

1) First “the research.”

  • I’ll talk with my self-publishing consultant and get a name or two from them with website information so I can see their work. Having already done my research for the best self-publisher for my project, I am confident they will recommend an illustrator who can get my job done with excellence.
  • Also, with so much information on the Internet, I’ll look there. The established organizations—such as the Society of Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators and www.childrensillustrators.com— are good places to see a wide variety of styles.
  • And because I love bookstores, I’ll take a stroll through a children’s aisle or two looking at the finished products, making a list of any illustrators who seem to have the same vision I’m creating.

2)  Next comes “the conversation.”

  • I’m hoping to meet artists in person, but if not possible, a lengthy conversation (or two or three) will help me discern whether this person shares the visual concepts I’m “seeing”—the ability to complement the way I write.
  • Do they have experience in “maturing” characters from toddler stages through eight years old?
  • I will ask them to “show me” with samples of mood and emotion changes of how they “see” my main character.
  • Finally, I will ask if they believe they can sustain the lengthy commitment for the complete project series I’m developing

3) Money

By this time, my list of artists should be a short one, and I will talk “money.” I have a great respect for the creative genius found in the artwork of illustrators. Their conceptual input is very important to the process of finishing a quality book. So I expect the cost to be established by the current illustration market. This means approximately $150 per full-page illustration. If the revisions and detail work is more extensive, the cost will go up. However, I must be aware that no matter how marvelous my “little” stories are, the excellence of the artwork will either make or break the final product.

I do have one final criterion. My books are developed as a labor of love for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. So I expect to receive delivery of the illustration master files. Once these characters are created—once they come alive in these stories—they belong on the pages of my books and nowhere else. Integrity-motivated illustrators already offer these files in their “project close-out” process.

So it is that the work of a writer goes along—more ideas than we sometimes know what to do with! Join me in self-publishing and giving the reading public more visually inspiring pages to turn!

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.
Jodee Speaks, Uncategorized

What Self-Publishing Children’s Authors Need to Know About Hiring an Illustrator

 

For children’s authors, a great illustrator is essential to self-publishing a wonderful book. In children’s stories, the pictures are not only enjoyable to look at, they also help tell the story. Because an illustrator is so important to the success of your book, you need to make sure you hire a talented, trustworthy artist.

Thanks to the internet, it is easy to find an illustrator. If you simply google the term “children’s book illustrators”, you will probably get plenty of results for qualified artists. However, self-publishing authors need to be cautious when hiring third-party illustrators. Here is what you need to know.

  • Some third-party illustrators require you to share a portion of your royalties. This creates ongoing cost instead of a one-time fee for their services.
  • You need to know what the trim size of your book is prior to the illustrator beginning work.
  • The illustrator needs to know specifications about bleed and gutters for the
    self-publisher being used.
  • You should arrange for the illustrator to provide high-resolution image files, not just
    hardcopies.
  • Be sure to get a written contract.

If this sounds like a headache, there is an easier way. Instead of hiring a third-party illustrator, you could hire an illustrator through your self-publishing company. To learn more about hiring an illustrator your self-publishing company, contact a representative at your publishing company.

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 25 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps, publishing consultants and marketing professionals; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams and on assisting authors with marketing and promoting their book once published. 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.
Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self-Publishing Week in Review: 10/01/13

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.

James Lloyd on self-publishing: ‘We have to rely on word of mouth’

Successful self-publishing children’s book author James Lloyd shares his self publishing experience, including what it is like to work with an illustrator. Anyone considering self-publishing a children’s book should read this article.

Self-Publishing – Publishing SOLO Releases Dictionary of Self-Publishing Terms

To clear up confusion in the digital book publishing industry PUBLISHING SOLO has recently announced, “The Dictionary of Publishing Terms,” available at their website. Also available on October 1, 2013 will be a small complimentary e-book Dictionary of Publishing Terms–designed as a primer to help those interested in publishing their own book get a good start.

Northwood, N.D., husband, wife self-publish first novels

When husband and wife Lorinda and Guy Donovan quit their jobs in the film industry and moved from Los Angeles to Northwood, N.D., the couple longed to do something creative again. In this article, the couple shares their self-publishing story.

If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

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.