Judged by the Cover
Creating cover art is a specialization in the book world. It is NOT my specialty. There are trends to track, colors to express emotion, and fonts that convey meaning. Some authors start with a distinct idea of what they want on their cover. It’s their book, after all. In the traditional publishing world, the author […]
Stories are a Gift
A book is always a great gift. One with special meaning resonates with the receiver because thought was put into it. My daughter gave me a wonderful gift. I love dragons (hence Blue Dragon Publishing). But because I love reading about them, I felt any story I came up with has already been done. I […]
Picture Books
Picture books are tougher to write than you think. Things to Consider The words have to be simple enough to fit the age group, but interesting enough to catch the parents’ eye. Rhyming is good for children because of the sing-song tone which is comforting to them. But it can’t be annoying because the parents […]
Proof Copy Checklist
After your book has gone through the editing process but before final printing, you should receive a printed copy of your book. The proof copy may or may not be bound. This is a great time to read your book yet another time and look for any typos or words that aren’t quite right. Hopefully […]
Editing
I know it’s frustrating to hear that you need an editor. Then, to add insult to injury, not even your schoolteacher father or mother should edit your work. Why? You are too close to the story. You may try to argue that your parents are particularly hard on you when giving feedback. It’s great that […]
8 Ways to Promote Your Book
8 Ways to Promote Your Book Marketing is hard, especially if it isn’t your specialty or passion. But here are eight things you can do to promote your book that you don’t need a marketing expert to pull off. Social Media Reviews If you are on Instagram or Facebook, try to find reviewers who enjoy […]
Exercise Your Creative Muscle
Ready to exercise your creative muscle? Are you looking for ways to give more depth to your writing? Get involved. Meeting new people enhances your ability to build interesting characters. Merged traits from multiple people into one character. Have fun with it. What is their quirk? What does their voice sound like? Sit alone at […]
What is a backstory and why is it important?
Many authors are excited to get into the nuts and bolts of the story and often skip this very important step. I would argue it’s more important sometimes than others. If you are writing a nonfiction, backstory doesn’t really come into play. If you are writing a series, keeping track of your characters’ traits from […]
Give Back
April is volunteer appreciation month. As authors, we often take ideas from real life and our community. It’s important to remember to give back to that community. There are so many ways to get involved and explore your many interests. Just think, it may turn into a giving circle where you give, and the ideas […]
Do we really need a book about that?
I was at a book signing with Blue Dragon author Amy Voltaire where she was signing her book, My Name is Erin, and My Mom’s an Addict. A parent stopped by the booth and made a face upon seeing the title. “Do you really think you need to bring that subject into the schools?” she […]