I've been having so much fun with my new twitter.com account arobins at http://twitter.com/arobins. There are so many great promotional 140 word ads displayed every day that help with promoting your books, networking your name, finding tools for your trade, and just plain fun links. I have made a word doc of links I have noticed and it is already six pages long. I want to refer back to these links when I have more time and post some of them on my website.
Today RIFWeb, Washington, D.C. http://www.rif.org/, left the following tweet that I promised to pass along to my friends:
Just created a meebo chat room: http://tinyurl.com/5hhw5a
Check out their tweet referring to RIF Chat where you can chat live with other RIF friends and fans from across the internet world. They suggest that you "use RIF Chat to share links, websites, ideas, stories, photos, and more!"
April Robins
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Writing for Charity
I have had the pleasure of becoming a FaceBook friend with Kate Jackson who is helping to promote a book, "A Home for Dixie", by fifteen year old Emma Jackson. I was privileged to be invited to view their event on the Today Show yesterday. One striking thing about this book, other than the maturity of the young author, is that the proceeds go to Aunt Mary's Dog House. If you follow the link to their website, you will find out all sorts of interesting information on adopting a pet like Dixie. Also, you can view the Today Show interview for yourself.
Below is a write-up that Kate has furnished us in regard to Emma’s new book. Check it out!
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Below is a write-up that Kate has furnished us in regard to Emma’s new book. Check it out!
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For as long as she could remember, Emma had wanted a dog. Instead, she got a fish, a hamster, and even a guinea pig. And although Emma loved all these pets, it was not the same as having a dog. Meanwhile, an abandoned puppy was brought to an animal rescue. And although this little puppy had a warm place to sleep and food to eat, she dreamed of having her very own family to love. Happily for both, Emma adopts this puppy and names her Dixie, and in each other they find the companionship they've been looking for. A Home for Dixie is their uplifting story, enhanced by adorable photography and bonus information on how to support your local animal shelter and even adopt a rescued dog of your own.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Standalone or Book Series
In one of my first conversations with my publisher, I was asked if my new book was a series. I hate to admit it, but I did not know how to answer his question. I said “No” not wanting to admit to my ignorance. Thankfully, that was the correct answer. According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, “A book series is a sequence of books with common characteristics, typically written by the same author, or marketed as a group by their publisher.” I currently have a book in the works that I want to make into a series, “Fisher Lives on a River.” It will be about the adventures of a band of wildlife friends.
However today, I would like to introduce you to one of my Christian Writer friends who has made an art out of the concept of a book series. Her name is Grace Brooks. Below is a copy of her write-up that she posted on one of our Yahoo Groups that she has allowed me to use. She calls it a sneak peek into her Asquinn Twins series.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin- You mean the story line for the entire series? Hummm, that will be a challenge but here
goes.
Obedia Asquinn is called by God to be a missionary. After being authorized by a local church in Wales, he is sent to the shores of Canada. He feels this is where God has sent him but doesn't know exactly where he will settle to teach and preach. He and his family head north from Toronto and find a beautiful spot called the Haliburton Highlands just a bit north of Toronto. Here he finds a place for his family to stay and starts teaching. Attendance grows and everything is looking fine for the local church until three priests arrive at Asquinns home one evening. They tell Pastor Asquinn they don't want him spreading his heresy in their district, help him and his family pack and boots them out.
Again the Asquinn family move north. Their next stop is Forest Lake. Pastor Asquinn knows immediately this is where God wants him to be. Ken, Pastor Asquinn's oldest son, meets his lifelong friend to be, Matt Turehue. The Pastor finds a house to buy, the family flourishes along with church attendance and a church is formed. But all isn't rosy as a distant cousin of the Aswquinn makes life miserable for the Asquinn family. Conrad Cameron thinks he is master of the area as he is High Priest of devil worshipers.
As the series continues, the children grow older. Ken and Matt are not so true in church attendance. Dependence on alcohol and tobacco replace their faith in God. But the girls, Sherry and Martha, go ahead and marry the boys as promised when they were ten and thirteen years old. The boys start getting lofty ideas. They change their focus from joining the Ontario provincial police to the more famed Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Time advances. Ken and Matt have graduated from RCMP academy and have been posted in different part of Saskatchewan. Neither one seems to be happy in spite of them starting to accumulate worldly wealth and recognition. Sherry leaves Ken. Ken walks away from his job and follows her back to Ontario. Before going to his wife, he stops off and resigns the RCMP and joins the Ontario provincial police. Sherry takes Ken back. Matt comes back to Ontario with his wife and two sons. They had left Forest Lake looking for greener pastures but found out when they returned the green pastures had been under their feet all the time.
And the time takes a great leap forward. The twins are now Caleb and Korah (Core) Asquinn, fifteen year old adopted twins of Eric Asquinn and June Asquinn. Eric is the third son of Pastor Asquinn. The adventures continue over the winter where the twin’s best friend, Larry Olson gets a job with SunDog kennels. This is a kennel where father/son raises pure bred Canadian Eskimo Dogs and Alaskan malamutes. Larry’s father abandoned the family, leaving the family with little money for food, clothing and a crowded, dirty house to live in. With what Monet Larry earns through racing over the winter, he buys a nice house for his mother, brothers and sisters to live in.
Over the summer holidays, the twins and their friends get involved with a poaching ring. Once while hiking along a forest trail they find an orphaned lynx kitten. Larry, being the animal lover takes the kitten home. But there are others also wanting the kitten.
More adventures when Conrad and his half brother, Malcolm show up in Forest lake again. Conrad takes the entire Olson family hostage and demands to get his daughter back. Previously his daughter had been taken away from him after he was sentenced to prison. Ken now police Superintendent is called back from his holidays to lead the situation. All comes to a peaceful settlement.
Ken's two oldest sons are grown up; both have followed in their father’s footsteps and become policemen. Murray, the oldest is content with his life and job, but the next in line, Kirk, is a bit rebellious. He falls in love with a girl staying with his cousins the Asquinn twins although his family and relatives warn him not to because the girl is the leader of a bad gang. Core also has fallen in love with Deliah. At the end of the story Core is hurt badly when he learns that she really was the gang leader.
A son was produced through Kirk's and Deliah's relationship. The mother died during the birth of the baby and Kirk looks after his son alone; that is until Annice Calder arrives in Forest Lake.
Kirk's and Annice's relationship flourishes; she even grows to love little Kirk. Then she finds out Kirk’s father is Police Superintendent and starts to feel inadequate. She flees from Forest Lake and Kirk and returns home. Kirk follows her and they get back together and marry.
The twins are now college age. They and their friends have an exciting summer when they get involved with the police. This is in a good way. The boys find a dog which is not a stray and with Lieutenant Barclay's assistance, take the dog all the way to his championship.
I've skimmed over the story line through the entire eleven books. Hope this gives you some idea of the storyline. I intend to write all this on the blog as the stories come out. Or would it be more attractive if I gave the whole world a sneak peek?
Grace
--------------------------------------------------------------
To learn more about this gifted writer and her book series, go to the following:
http://www.geocities.com/lgracebrooks
http://meettheasquinnfamily.blogspot.com
http://christianreadingcenter.blogspot.com
However today, I would like to introduce you to one of my Christian Writer friends who has made an art out of the concept of a book series. Her name is Grace Brooks. Below is a copy of her write-up that she posted on one of our Yahoo Groups that she has allowed me to use. She calls it a sneak peek into her Asquinn Twins series.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin- You mean the story line for the entire series? Hummm, that will be a challenge but here
goes.
Obedia Asquinn is called by God to be a missionary. After being authorized by a local church in Wales, he is sent to the shores of Canada. He feels this is where God has sent him but doesn't know exactly where he will settle to teach and preach. He and his family head north from Toronto and find a beautiful spot called the Haliburton Highlands just a bit north of Toronto. Here he finds a place for his family to stay and starts teaching. Attendance grows and everything is looking fine for the local church until three priests arrive at Asquinns home one evening. They tell Pastor Asquinn they don't want him spreading his heresy in their district, help him and his family pack and boots them out.
Again the Asquinn family move north. Their next stop is Forest Lake. Pastor Asquinn knows immediately this is where God wants him to be. Ken, Pastor Asquinn's oldest son, meets his lifelong friend to be, Matt Turehue. The Pastor finds a house to buy, the family flourishes along with church attendance and a church is formed. But all isn't rosy as a distant cousin of the Aswquinn makes life miserable for the Asquinn family. Conrad Cameron thinks he is master of the area as he is High Priest of devil worshipers.
As the series continues, the children grow older. Ken and Matt are not so true in church attendance. Dependence on alcohol and tobacco replace their faith in God. But the girls, Sherry and Martha, go ahead and marry the boys as promised when they were ten and thirteen years old. The boys start getting lofty ideas. They change their focus from joining the Ontario provincial police to the more famed Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Time advances. Ken and Matt have graduated from RCMP academy and have been posted in different part of Saskatchewan. Neither one seems to be happy in spite of them starting to accumulate worldly wealth and recognition. Sherry leaves Ken. Ken walks away from his job and follows her back to Ontario. Before going to his wife, he stops off and resigns the RCMP and joins the Ontario provincial police. Sherry takes Ken back. Matt comes back to Ontario with his wife and two sons. They had left Forest Lake looking for greener pastures but found out when they returned the green pastures had been under their feet all the time.
And the time takes a great leap forward. The twins are now Caleb and Korah (Core) Asquinn, fifteen year old adopted twins of Eric Asquinn and June Asquinn. Eric is the third son of Pastor Asquinn. The adventures continue over the winter where the twin’s best friend, Larry Olson gets a job with SunDog kennels. This is a kennel where father/son raises pure bred Canadian Eskimo Dogs and Alaskan malamutes. Larry’s father abandoned the family, leaving the family with little money for food, clothing and a crowded, dirty house to live in. With what Monet Larry earns through racing over the winter, he buys a nice house for his mother, brothers and sisters to live in.
Over the summer holidays, the twins and their friends get involved with a poaching ring. Once while hiking along a forest trail they find an orphaned lynx kitten. Larry, being the animal lover takes the kitten home. But there are others also wanting the kitten.
More adventures when Conrad and his half brother, Malcolm show up in Forest lake again. Conrad takes the entire Olson family hostage and demands to get his daughter back. Previously his daughter had been taken away from him after he was sentenced to prison. Ken now police Superintendent is called back from his holidays to lead the situation. All comes to a peaceful settlement.
Ken's two oldest sons are grown up; both have followed in their father’s footsteps and become policemen. Murray, the oldest is content with his life and job, but the next in line, Kirk, is a bit rebellious. He falls in love with a girl staying with his cousins the Asquinn twins although his family and relatives warn him not to because the girl is the leader of a bad gang. Core also has fallen in love with Deliah. At the end of the story Core is hurt badly when he learns that she really was the gang leader.
A son was produced through Kirk's and Deliah's relationship. The mother died during the birth of the baby and Kirk looks after his son alone; that is until Annice Calder arrives in Forest Lake.
Kirk's and Annice's relationship flourishes; she even grows to love little Kirk. Then she finds out Kirk’s father is Police Superintendent and starts to feel inadequate. She flees from Forest Lake and Kirk and returns home. Kirk follows her and they get back together and marry.
The twins are now college age. They and their friends have an exciting summer when they get involved with the police. This is in a good way. The boys find a dog which is not a stray and with Lieutenant Barclay's assistance, take the dog all the way to his championship.
I've skimmed over the story line through the entire eleven books. Hope this gives you some idea of the storyline. I intend to write all this on the blog as the stories come out. Or would it be more attractive if I gave the whole world a sneak peek?
Grace
--------------------------------------------------------------
To learn more about this gifted writer and her book series, go to the following:
http://www.geocities.com/lgracebrooks
http://meettheasquinnfamily.blogspot.com
http://christianreadingcenter.blogspot.com
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Choosing the Title for a Book
Last week in one of my Yahoo Groups, one after another member offered suggestions to a writer friend asking for help in choosing a title for her new book. Everyone’s suggestions were great. My friend thanked everyone and announced what she liked best of all the suggestions. This made me think once again about the titles of my books, what is wrong and what is right. What steps should I have taken? First I checked to make sure no other book had that title. I should have checked to see what results I would get from a major search engine. I would have found that “Lovely Little Lamb” brings up a porn site. I should have considered what key words are most used on an amazon.com search; “I’ll Tuck You in, Deer” is border line. It is too long but descriptive.
This leads into my guest author this week, Shari Lyle-Soffe. I love her unique name for her series, Rooter and Snuffles. Please read what she has to say about her new book.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April, thank you for inviting me to talk about my latest book in the Rooter and Snuffle series, "Trouble Finds Rooter and Snuffle".
As with the first two books, this book is made up of three complete stories about the mischievous raccoon brothers.
In the first story, Rooter the oldest brother finds a new friend, Twitcher Rabbit. Twitcher wants Rooter to like only him and Rooter is flattered. But is having only one friend a good thing?
In the second story, Snuffle is disappointed because of all the things he can't do very well. Then his brother and some friends teach him a valuable lesson.
In the third story, Rooter and Snuffle's game of pickup twigs is interrupted by the screams of a friend in trouble. At first the animals feel helpless. Then they realize together they can make a difference.
Events in the lives of Rooter and Snuffle are based on my childhood as the oldest of four children, and other children I have known.
Raccoons are a pleasant memory from my childhood and I hope children will enjoy reading about them as much as I enjoy writing about them.
Kevin Scott Collier's illustrations are delightful. Children always ask if I drew them. They love the colorful illustrations and so do I.
My publisher is Guardian Angel Publishing and they have done a wonderful job with the books. They are great to work with. All three books can be found at most online and brick and mortar book stores. http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Finds-Rooter-Snuffle-Lyle-Soffe/dp/1933090723/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210855639&sr=8-3
Children and parents alike can visit my webpage at http://www.rooterandsnuffle.blogspot.com
where they will find more information about Rooter and Snuffle and other characters from the books. There is wonderful information available there about raccoons. They will also find printable coloring pages and raccoon games to play.
I love animals and am donating part of my royalties from these books to Wildlife Images, a wildlife rehabilitation and education facility here in Oregon
Shari Lyle-Soffe
ROOTER AND SNUFFLE
BOOK LAUNCH "The Slippery Art of Book
Reviewing" http://www.sharilyle-soffe.com
This leads into my guest author this week, Shari Lyle-Soffe. I love her unique name for her series, Rooter and Snuffles. Please read what she has to say about her new book.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April, thank you for inviting me to talk about my latest book in the Rooter and Snuffle series, "Trouble Finds Rooter and Snuffle".
As with the first two books, this book is made up of three complete stories about the mischievous raccoon brothers.
In the first story, Rooter the oldest brother finds a new friend, Twitcher Rabbit. Twitcher wants Rooter to like only him and Rooter is flattered. But is having only one friend a good thing?
In the second story, Snuffle is disappointed because of all the things he can't do very well. Then his brother and some friends teach him a valuable lesson.
In the third story, Rooter and Snuffle's game of pickup twigs is interrupted by the screams of a friend in trouble. At first the animals feel helpless. Then they realize together they can make a difference.
Events in the lives of Rooter and Snuffle are based on my childhood as the oldest of four children, and other children I have known.
Raccoons are a pleasant memory from my childhood and I hope children will enjoy reading about them as much as I enjoy writing about them.
Kevin Scott Collier's illustrations are delightful. Children always ask if I drew them. They love the colorful illustrations and so do I.
My publisher is Guardian Angel Publishing and they have done a wonderful job with the books. They are great to work with. All three books can be found at most online and brick and mortar book stores. http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Finds-Rooter-Snuffle-Lyle-Soffe/dp/1933090723/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210855639&sr=8-3
Children and parents alike can visit my webpage at http://www.rooterandsnuffle.blogspot.com
where they will find more information about Rooter and Snuffle and other characters from the books. There is wonderful information available there about raccoons. They will also find printable coloring pages and raccoon games to play.
I love animals and am donating part of my royalties from these books to Wildlife Images, a wildlife rehabilitation and education facility here in Oregon
Shari Lyle-Soffe
ROOTER AND SNUFFLE
BOOK LAUNCH "The Slippery Art of Book
Reviewing" http://www.sharilyle-soffe.com
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Learning from the Experts
I just can’t over emphasize the importance of joining Yahoo groups. I truly love one in particular, Children’s Writers Today. They have so many concerned and active members, both newbie and seasoned writers. They are always willing to respond even to what might seem like a trivia post. They also initiate detailed analysis of issues related to the heart of writing for children. One seasoned writer in particular that I am so very proud to call my friend is Children’s Book Author Margot Finke. She has a new book out that I want everyone to learn about. She has furnished me with its write-up and a review that are listed below. Play close attention to the details Margot provides that make for a great book launch.
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April I am thrilled that you want to feature my new rhyming picture book, "Rattlesnake Jam," this week on your website.
My riot of a tale tells about dear old Gran and Pa, and their yen for rattlers. Pa catches 'em, but the problem is that Gran decides how they're cooked up - Gran wants jam, but Pa yearns for rattlesnake pie.
** The story works GREAT at getting those reluctant readers to enjoy a book.
This was a barrel of fun to write: I confess, I giggled all the way through it. And Kevin Scott Collier's illustrations make the characters jump off the page. Just what I would have drawn myself, if I had a fraction of Kevin's talent.
Guardian Angel Publishing published it with tender loving care, as they do all their books.
To launch "Rattlesnake Jam," I'm offering some fun things:
#1 - A writing competition. A free autographed copy goes to the person who e-mails me ( mfinke@verizon.net ) the best account of their encounter with a rattlesnake. So get cracking on those essays!!
#2 - Kids can visit Gran's Kitchen for yucky sounding rattler recipes.
Be careful now - you mom might faint!!!
#3 - Print out a fun rattlesnake puzzle, or a cool coloring sheet from my website's "Rattlesnake Jam" page.
#4 - Take my rattlesnake eating POLL - e-mail me if you've eaten rattler and what it was like.
These 4 fun things can be found where Gran, Pa, and their rattlers hang out:
http://mysite.verizon.net/mfinke/My%20Other%20Books.htm#other
And you can read two terrific reviews on my website:
http://mysite.verizon.net/mfinke/Rattlesnake%20Reviews.htm#review
Available in soft cover through Amazon, Target, GAP, and other outlets.
Autographed soft cover copies can be purchased on my website:
http://www.margotfinke.com
***************************
Rattlesnake Jam
by Margot E. Finke
Illustrations by Kevin Scott Collier
Guardian Angel Publishing - 12430 Tesson Ferry Road #186Saint Louis, MO 63128 USA
e-Book ISBN 13: 978-1-935137-24-5
Print ISBN 13: 978-1-935137-00-9
MAY 2008
Paperback, 28 pages, $10.95
Ages 4 & Up
Reviewed by Mayra Calvani
Rattlesnake Jam is a hilariously funny children’s picture book about an old couple who share an irresistible affection for rattlesnakes. There’s only one problem: While Pa would rather have the rattlesnakes turned into fritters or pie, old Gran prefers them turned into jam… disgustingly green, sweetened, gooey rattlesnake jam!
So no matter how cold the weather is, there goes brave Pa hunting after the snakes. And as he hunts them, he fantasizes about the various ways Gran could cook them—hot on a plate, fried, sliced on white rice, hmmm… But no way will his dreams ever become a reality, for as readers will learn “…snake cooked for Pa was not in Gran’s plan. She dreamed of them sweetened and made into jam.” Though Gran swears her special jam can cure colds, gout and wheeze, not to mention “troublesome knees”, everyone dislikes the taste of her ghastly creation. Will Gran ever stop? And what would happen to Pa, if she ever did?
Colliers’s colorful, wacky illustrations complement Finke’s humorous rhyme perfectly. Gran is grossly comical with her toothless grin, warts, bell pepper nose, and tough exterior. The reader will feel sorry for Pa, who seems completely under Gran’s control. The book has 28 pages in all, and each story page has an illustration with a short text at the bottom—a two or four line rhyme, like this one:
Drop in chunky slices, stir well with a spoon.
Add mysterious spices! Gran hummed a wild tune.
The way to Gran’s heart was through rattlers galore—
Making rattler jam bubble, ‘til it flowed on the floor.
The song-like cadence will be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. Snakes are reptiles that inspire both fear and fascination, especially in children, and it was clever of the author to use them as victims instead of villains in this book. This is a fine addition to Finke’s series of rhyming books about animals. Whimsical and amusing, Rattlesnake Jam is one of those books young children will beg their parents to read to them again and again.
***************************
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April I am thrilled that you want to feature my new rhyming picture book, "Rattlesnake Jam," this week on your website.
My riot of a tale tells about dear old Gran and Pa, and their yen for rattlers. Pa catches 'em, but the problem is that Gran decides how they're cooked up - Gran wants jam, but Pa yearns for rattlesnake pie.
** The story works GREAT at getting those reluctant readers to enjoy a book.
This was a barrel of fun to write: I confess, I giggled all the way through it. And Kevin Scott Collier's illustrations make the characters jump off the page. Just what I would have drawn myself, if I had a fraction of Kevin's talent.
Guardian Angel Publishing published it with tender loving care, as they do all their books.
To launch "Rattlesnake Jam," I'm offering some fun things:
#1 - A writing competition. A free autographed copy goes to the person who e-mails me ( mfinke@verizon.net ) the best account of their encounter with a rattlesnake. So get cracking on those essays!!
#2 - Kids can visit Gran's Kitchen for yucky sounding rattler recipes.
Be careful now - you mom might faint!!!
#3 - Print out a fun rattlesnake puzzle, or a cool coloring sheet from my website's "Rattlesnake Jam" page.
#4 - Take my rattlesnake eating POLL - e-mail me if you've eaten rattler and what it was like.
These 4 fun things can be found where Gran, Pa, and their rattlers hang out:
http://mysite.verizon.net/mfinke/My%20Other%20Books.htm#other
And you can read two terrific reviews on my website:
http://mysite.verizon.net/mfinke/Rattlesnake%20Reviews.htm#review
Available in soft cover through Amazon, Target, GAP, and other outlets.
Autographed soft cover copies can be purchased on my website:
http://www.margotfinke.com
***************************
Rattlesnake Jam
by Margot E. Finke
Illustrations by Kevin Scott Collier
Guardian Angel Publishing - 12430 Tesson Ferry Road #186Saint Louis, MO 63128 USA
e-Book ISBN 13: 978-1-935137-24-5
Print ISBN 13: 978-1-935137-00-9
MAY 2008
Paperback, 28 pages, $10.95
Ages 4 & Up
Reviewed by Mayra Calvani
Rattlesnake Jam is a hilariously funny children’s picture book about an old couple who share an irresistible affection for rattlesnakes. There’s only one problem: While Pa would rather have the rattlesnakes turned into fritters or pie, old Gran prefers them turned into jam… disgustingly green, sweetened, gooey rattlesnake jam!
So no matter how cold the weather is, there goes brave Pa hunting after the snakes. And as he hunts them, he fantasizes about the various ways Gran could cook them—hot on a plate, fried, sliced on white rice, hmmm… But no way will his dreams ever become a reality, for as readers will learn “…snake cooked for Pa was not in Gran’s plan. She dreamed of them sweetened and made into jam.” Though Gran swears her special jam can cure colds, gout and wheeze, not to mention “troublesome knees”, everyone dislikes the taste of her ghastly creation. Will Gran ever stop? And what would happen to Pa, if she ever did?
Colliers’s colorful, wacky illustrations complement Finke’s humorous rhyme perfectly. Gran is grossly comical with her toothless grin, warts, bell pepper nose, and tough exterior. The reader will feel sorry for Pa, who seems completely under Gran’s control. The book has 28 pages in all, and each story page has an illustration with a short text at the bottom—a two or four line rhyme, like this one:
Drop in chunky slices, stir well with a spoon.
Add mysterious spices! Gran hummed a wild tune.
The way to Gran’s heart was through rattlers galore—
Making rattler jam bubble, ‘til it flowed on the floor.
The song-like cadence will be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. Snakes are reptiles that inspire both fear and fascination, especially in children, and it was clever of the author to use them as victims instead of villains in this book. This is a fine addition to Finke’s series of rhyming books about animals. Whimsical and amusing, Rattlesnake Jam is one of those books young children will beg their parents to read to them again and again.
***************************
Friday, May 30, 2008
What Goes Around Comes Around
One of the pleasant surprises you will encounter in writing is the encouragement and promotion of one writer to another writer. After all, there are a lot of readers out there; and they need more than just your books. With all that in mind, please let me show you my author friend Mayra Calvani's book launch announcement:
June is 'Book Reviewing' month at Blogcritics Magazine!
To promote the release of The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing, co-author Mayra Calvani will be interviewing 15+ reviewers and review editors during the month of June. Learn all about the business of book reviewing and what's in the mind of some of the most popular reviewers on the internet today. Some of the guests will include: Alex Moore from ForeWord Magazine, James Cox from Midwest Book Review, Irene Watson from Reader Views, Andrea Sisco from Armchair Interviews, Magdalena Ball from The Compulsive Reader, Sharyn McGinty from In The Library Reviews, Lea Schizas from Muse Book Reviews, Linda Baldwin from Road to Romance, Hilary Williamson from Book Loons, Judy Clark from Mostly Fiction, and many others!
To see the complete lineup, visit: The Slippery Book Review Blog.
Between June 1st and June 30th, stop by Blogcritics and leave a comment under the reviewer interviews for a chance to win a Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tour (coordinated by book marketing guru Dorothy Thompson), OR, as an alternative to a non-author winner, a $50 B&N gift certificate!
June is 'Book Reviewing' month at Blogcritics Magazine!
To promote the release of The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing, co-author Mayra Calvani will be interviewing 15+ reviewers and review editors during the month of June. Learn all about the business of book reviewing and what's in the mind of some of the most popular reviewers on the internet today. Some of the guests will include: Alex Moore from ForeWord Magazine, James Cox from Midwest Book Review, Irene Watson from Reader Views, Andrea Sisco from Armchair Interviews, Magdalena Ball from The Compulsive Reader, Sharyn McGinty from In The Library Reviews, Lea Schizas from Muse Book Reviews, Linda Baldwin from Road to Romance, Hilary Williamson from Book Loons, Judy Clark from Mostly Fiction, and many others!
To see the complete lineup, visit: The Slippery Book Review Blog.
Between June 1st and June 30th, stop by Blogcritics and leave a comment under the reviewer interviews for a chance to win a Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tour (coordinated by book marketing guru Dorothy Thompson), OR, as an alternative to a non-author winner, a $50 B&N gift certificate!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Just Flew in and Wanted to Leave a Note
To all of my bird and human friends. I would love to know that you visited my new blog site. Please leave a comment or two.
April Robins
P.S. Also, you can go to my Robin Falls Contact Us link under my portrait and leave a Chirp.
April Robins
P.S. Also, you can go to my Robin Falls Contact Us link under my portrait and leave a Chirp.
What To Do When an Event Goes Bad
Recently, I was the storyteller at a charity event. It was a national event with hopes of hundreds of people showing up. First that did not happen. Mostly the attendance was made up of the vendors and their children. This leads to my role, I became the babysitter. Only two families visited the storytelling room that were not vendors; but the room was full most of the time with small, bored children. I left without selling one book after reading to children for three hours. My real goal of networking with the community did not happen, my name was misspelled on the advertisement flyer, and I did not even get a proper thank you from the parents I babysat for. I was down emotionally to say the least.
As a children's book author, there will be many times when an event will not be what you expected. Take stock of the situation and learn from it. Ask yourself, should I have attended the event to begin with? Was I the only Author there? Was I offered any compensation for my time and expenses? Did I fully understand my role? Would I do it again?
Now comes the part of what to do to lift your spirits when you are down from such an event. First, put the negative feelings in the past and don't dwell on them. Start thinking of more productive ways to spend your time in the future. Start the outline of another book, that will always cheer you up. Go to your on-line networking forum such as Facebook and send a gift to a friend. Read your e-mails which have stacked up from other author friends. Last but not least, remember the children that benefited from your time. After all, you are a children's book author.
Please enter your thoughts on this subject. They will be appreciated.
As a children's book author, there will be many times when an event will not be what you expected. Take stock of the situation and learn from it. Ask yourself, should I have attended the event to begin with? Was I the only Author there? Was I offered any compensation for my time and expenses? Did I fully understand my role? Would I do it again?
Now comes the part of what to do to lift your spirits when you are down from such an event. First, put the negative feelings in the past and don't dwell on them. Start thinking of more productive ways to spend your time in the future. Start the outline of another book, that will always cheer you up. Go to your on-line networking forum such as Facebook and send a gift to a friend. Read your e-mails which have stacked up from other author friends. Last but not least, remember the children that benefited from your time. After all, you are a children's book author.
Please enter your thoughts on this subject. They will be appreciated.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Finding an Illustrator for Your Book
OK, you have decided to write a children's picture book but you can't draw a straight line. How do you find an artist. First if you are publishing traditionally, you will not submit illustrations with your book. Most large publishing houses have certain artist that they use for their books. They don't even care to hear your suggestions. Your job is to simply supply the words.
For our conversation, we will look at self publishing, and you will need to provide the illustrations. This was my first real challenge. I had no idea how to start so I just had at it. First I asked every member of my family if they knew how to draw. My daughter did but was not interested in being involved with that aspect of the books. Second, I asked every artist with a sidewalk stand if they drew illustrations. I found a neat young man from New York at the state fair, but my daughter did not like his drawings. Third, I called the local art galleries and asked if anyone was interested. Fourth, I looked up the local colleges and asked their art department heads if any of their students might be interested. Fifth, I contacted a trade college specializing in art students who would post your job for students to bid on. Sixth, I joined Yahoo Groups for authors & illustrators and posted my needs.
After numerous failures I decided to pay for the in-house illustrations for "Where is My Bennie?" In-house illustrations are expensive, and I could not afford to do all my books this way. But it was a great learning experience. They take you through all the steps necessary to produce a book. You supply illustration notes for each page of illustrations, view and approve the pencil sketches, and then view and approve the finished product of colored illustrations.
Finally, I did a web search and accidentally came across a job placement service called guru.com. After weeks of getting nowhere, this service was so easy and how I found my artist. You register with http://www.guru.com/ as an employer. You place a job description with a price range. You wait for artist to bid on your job. You will probably have ten plus bids the first day. After viewing the portfolios of the artist bidding, you award a contract. Look at my books to see what wonderful work they produce.
By the way, I have really made it easy for you by supplying information on how to get in touch with my artist at my Meet the Author page http://www.robinfalls.com/meetauthors.html on my website.
For our conversation, we will look at self publishing, and you will need to provide the illustrations. This was my first real challenge. I had no idea how to start so I just had at it. First I asked every member of my family if they knew how to draw. My daughter did but was not interested in being involved with that aspect of the books. Second, I asked every artist with a sidewalk stand if they drew illustrations. I found a neat young man from New York at the state fair, but my daughter did not like his drawings. Third, I called the local art galleries and asked if anyone was interested. Fourth, I looked up the local colleges and asked their art department heads if any of their students might be interested. Fifth, I contacted a trade college specializing in art students who would post your job for students to bid on. Sixth, I joined Yahoo Groups for authors & illustrators and posted my needs.
After numerous failures I decided to pay for the in-house illustrations for "Where is My Bennie?" In-house illustrations are expensive, and I could not afford to do all my books this way. But it was a great learning experience. They take you through all the steps necessary to produce a book. You supply illustration notes for each page of illustrations, view and approve the pencil sketches, and then view and approve the finished product of colored illustrations.
Finally, I did a web search and accidentally came across a job placement service called guru.com. After weeks of getting nowhere, this service was so easy and how I found my artist. You register with http://www.guru.com/ as an employer. You place a job description with a price range. You wait for artist to bid on your job. You will probably have ten plus bids the first day. After viewing the portfolios of the artist bidding, you award a contract. Look at my books to see what wonderful work they produce.
By the way, I have really made it easy for you by supplying information on how to get in touch with my artist at my Meet the Author page http://www.robinfalls.com/meetauthors.html on my website.
Determining the Size of a Children's Picture Book
When I first started writing, I thought all children’s picture books had to have 16 written pages with 16 pages of illustrations. I read that somewhere, in fact, in more than one somewhere. I would work and work to divide my book into 16 even sized pages. That rule of thumb is not actually true.
My real problem was in cutting my words back to fit on only 16 pages. My co-writing daughters often asked if maybe we could be less wordy. I tried and cut down from 2000 words to 1500 words per book. I think the number of words in a children’s book is more important than you think. Too many words and the child will lose attention. Too few words and the child will feel shorted. All of our books, except Xlibris, are geared toward early readers to grade 3.6. They need around 1500 words. We are very proud of the acceptance we are getting in the schools and libraries for our books.
If you are self published, the cost of your book will increase as the number of pages increase. I would never recommend going over a 40 page children’s picture book. In fact, I will be slimming our books down to 32 to 36 pages in the future. You need to add 6 pages into your calculation for the following pages: title, copyright, dedication, page after the last page of the story, about the author, and a blank page at the end. This varies with publisher, but is a general good rule to follow. Just remember that the total number of pages needs to be divisible by 4.
So I would recommend that you have fun with your words, make them words that others will want to read over and over again, and check with your publisher to determine the price they will set for your book at various number of pages.
My real problem was in cutting my words back to fit on only 16 pages. My co-writing daughters often asked if maybe we could be less wordy. I tried and cut down from 2000 words to 1500 words per book. I think the number of words in a children’s book is more important than you think. Too many words and the child will lose attention. Too few words and the child will feel shorted. All of our books, except Xlibris, are geared toward early readers to grade 3.6. They need around 1500 words. We are very proud of the acceptance we are getting in the schools and libraries for our books.
If you are self published, the cost of your book will increase as the number of pages increase. I would never recommend going over a 40 page children’s picture book. In fact, I will be slimming our books down to 32 to 36 pages in the future. You need to add 6 pages into your calculation for the following pages: title, copyright, dedication, page after the last page of the story, about the author, and a blank page at the end. This varies with publisher, but is a general good rule to follow. Just remember that the total number of pages needs to be divisible by 4.
So I would recommend that you have fun with your words, make them words that others will want to read over and over again, and check with your publisher to determine the price they will set for your book at various number of pages.
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