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Posts in category Children’s books

Predators and Editors Readers Poll 1st Place Winner

Jan23
2012
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Walking Through Walls I’m thrilled to announce that Walking Through Walls, published by 4RV Publishing, won first place in the Predators and Editors Readers Poll. And, I want to thank everyone who voted for it!

There were a number of other 4RV books that placed in the top ten, and 4RV placed 6th in the Publisher’s category. Congratulations to all the Top 10 winners, from 4RV and other publishing houses.

What’s funny is that this year there isn’t a winning image or emblem for the winners to proudly display, so I’ll just post the link to the children’s books winning page:

http://critters.org/predpoll/final_tally_novelchildrens.ht

There’s also a marketing tip in this: contests matter.

If you have a favorite book, see if there is a contest you can enter it in. This helps the author and creates visibility for other readers who may enjoy the book.

Thanks again to all who helped me win, and congratulations to all who won!

~~~~~~~~~~
Karen Cioffi
Award Winning Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance Writer, Editor, Marketer

Posted in children's author, Children's books

Walking Through Walls Nominated in Predators and Editors Readers Poll

Jan01
2012
Leave a Comment Written by admin

Walking Through WallsI’m thrilled about this nomination for Walking Through Walls, but it means I need votes. So, I’d appreciate your help.

For those who aren’t familiar with Walking Through Walls, it’s a children’s middle grade fantasy adventure and you can find out more about through the Reviews Page on the right sidebar.

So, if you’re so inclined, I’d appreciate your vote:
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelchildrens.shtml

Just scroll down till you see Walking Through Walls. Vote for my book and they’ll send you a confirmation email – you’ll need to click on the link for it to take.

And, Please share this post!

Thanks so much,

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Other 4RV Nominations are:

Science Fiction – Time Pullers by Horton Deakins
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelsf.shtml

Print Book and e Publishing ( yes, both) – 4RV Publishing
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/ebookpublisher.shtml

Posted in Children's books - Tagged adventure story, book contest, children's book, children's fantasy, middle grade book, Predators and Editors Readers Poll, Walking Through Walls

Writing a Fiction Story: Walking Through Walls Backstory

Dec20
2011
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It’s always interesting how writers find ideas when writing a fiction story. Some may simply come up with an idea, others may see something that triggers a story, and sometimes a story is handed to a writer.

I had never thought of rewriting a folktale until being given a rough outline of an ancient Chinese tale, Taoist Master of the Lao Mountain. This was the inception of Walking Through Walls.

It was June of 2008, and I belonged to a writing critique group along with a Chinese nonfiction writer who had a basic outline of an ancient Chinese tale that he wanted to pass along to a fiction writer. Since writing a fiction story wasn’t his cup of tea, he gave me the outline.

After reading the outline, I loved the lessons it could bring to children. Folktales come from all over the world and usually provide morale messages geared toward doing right, rather than wrong. These tales are a wonderful way to teach children through an engaging and entertaining story.

Since the tale, as with many ancient tales, involved an adult as the protagonist the first step needed was to rewrite it for today’s children’s market, meaning it needed a child protagonist. Wanting to stay as close to the original tale, I used some of its flavor, descriptions, and names. That’s how the main character’s name, Wang, was chosen. Along with keeping the story’s flavor, I wanted it to be engaging for today’s child, so I came up with new characters, the dragon, enhanced storyline and plot, and so on.

Having an outline to guide me was a great help; it offered a general direction, like an arrow pointing North. So, as I began to rewrite the tale it was able to take on a life of its own, while still heading North. And, to ensure the story kept its flavor, I made sure to include bits of the original story to keep it as close to the tale’s outline as possible.

Working on the story, I knew it needed to take place in ancient China, so decided to use the 16th century as the backdrop for the story. To add an element of realism to the story, I researched ancient China, including foods, flowers, dwellings, and clothing. I also contacted the Chinese writer who gave me the outline for some additional cultural information.

I worked on the story for well over a year, revising it, having it critiqued numerous times, revising it some more, and even had it professionally edited by Lea Schizas before beginning to send it out for submissions. Fortunately for me, the timing coincided with the 2009 Muse Online Writers Conference and I signed up to have a pitch with 4RV Publishing. As nervous as I was, the pitch went well and the manuscript was accepted. For the next year, it was more revisions, tweaking, additional elements to the story, and editing to make the middle-grade, fantasy adventure, Walking Through Walls, better than before.

Then, the story was ready for a cover illustration. Aidana WillowRaven was assigned to my book and although the dragon in the story was described as “a shimmering golden dragon,” Aidana ‘felt’ the flavor of the story pointed to a more oriental type dragon. We went back and forth a bit about the dragon’s size and shape, but Aidana’s vision of what the dragon should look like was perfect.

Now, the description of the ‘golden dragon’ in the story needed to be corrected. So, I changed the text to read, “Suddenly a magnificent dragon with shimmering red and silver scales appeared.” Done. The description of the dragon and the cover matched; we were ready to move forward.

Next came the interior design formatting, which includes the text. After blocking the text it was determined another six pages was needed to make the spine wide enough. So, I had to come up with more content. As the story was complete, to fill the page count I came up with an Author’s Note page, four pages of Reading Comprehension, an Activities Page, and after more research eight pages of information on the Ming Dynasty time period and the Chinese dragon.

Finally, Walking Through Walls became available for sale in August 2011.

Writing a fiction story from its inception to publication can take many paths; this is the path Walking Through Walls took.

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Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance Writer, Editor

Check out Karen’s Books Page:
http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/karens-books.html

Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
http://KarenCioffi.com
http://WritersOnTheMove.com
DKV Writing 4 U

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kcioffiventrice
GooglePlus: https://plus.google.com/107054879622971281466/posts

Posted in children's author, Children's books, Writing for Children - Tagged ancient Chinese tale, children's book, children's writer, fantasy, folktale, midde grade, Walking Through Walls, writing for children

Walking Through Walls Book Tour

Nov01
2011
3 Comments Written by admin

 Well, Walking Through Walls is now on its second virtual book tour, but this time I’m not doing it on my own, I’m going with World of Ink Tours.

AND, THE TOUR BEGINS TODAY!

You might be wondering why I’m having another virtual tour for Walking Through Walls, and the answer is two-fold:

1. I have tremendous belief in my middle-grade fantasy adventure story, Walking Through Walls, and want to bring it to new readers, and I’m also promoting my first book, DAY’S END LULLABY.

***

Day’s End Lullaby is a soothing, lyrical, and rhyming children’s bedtime picture book with the sheet music to the lullaby included in the back of the book. To learn more about Day’s End Lullaby and read some great reviews, and even a singing video review, go to:
http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

To learn more about Walking Through Walls and read some great reviews, and check out a couple of interior illustrations, go to: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

2. These books are great holiday gifts and wanted to share them with readers.

NOW ON TO THTE SCHEDULE FOR THE ‘WORLD OF INK’ KAREN CIOFFI BOOK TOUR:

November 1st
Families Matter Blog – Interview
http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com

November 2nd
World of Ink Network – Spotlight/Guest Post
http://worldofinknetwork.blogspot.com

November 3rd
American Chronicle – Interview/Spotlight
http://www.americanchronicle.com/

November 4th
The Writing Mama – Interview
http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com

November 6th
Utah Children’s Writer Blog – Guest Post: Tips for Writing eBooks http://utahchildrenswriters.blogspot.com/

November 7th
The Maggie Project – Guest Post: Writing in Rhyme
http://www.themaggieproject.blogspot.com

November 8th
Writing to the Hearts of Children- Spotlight
http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com

November 9th
MomnBaby Network – Spotlight
http://momnbaby.com/blogs

November 10th
Roth’s Inspiring Books & Products – Interview
http://rothsinspiringbooksandproducts.wordpress.com

November 11th
Families Matter Blog – Book Review: Walking Through Walls http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com

November 13th
MomnBaby Network – Book Review: Day’s End Lullaby
http://momnbaby.com/blogs

November 15th
The Crypto-Capers Review – Day’s End Lullaby
http://thecryptocapersseries.blogspot.com

November 16th
BlogCritics: Mom Prefers – Author Spotlight
http://blogcritics.org/culture/feature/mom-prefers/

November 17th
Roth’s Inspiring Books & Products – Book Review: Walking Through Walls
http://rothsinspiringbooksandproducts.wordpress.com

November 18th
Families Matter Blog – Book Review: Day’s End Lullaby
http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com

November 21st
BiblioReads.com – Book Review & Giveaway
http://BiblioReads.blogspot.com

BlogCritics-Book Review: Walking Through Walls
http://blogcritics.org/books/

BTR’s World of Ink Network: Stories for Children show.
Live Radio Interview at 2pm EST
at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork
or call in to listen or ask questions (714) 242-5259.
You can also listen on demand after the show airs!

November 22nd
Stories for Children Magazine FG Interview
http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/pastfeaturedguests.aspx

November 23rd
The Writing Mama – Guest Post: Back story of Walking Through Walls http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com

November 27th
Roth’s Inspiring Books & Products – Book Review: Day’s End Lullaby http://rothsinspiringbooksandproducts.wordpress.com

November 28th
Strands of Thought – Interview
http://kaistrand.blogspot.com/

YOU CAN CHECK OUT MY SITES AND LINKS AT:

Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing

http://KarenCioffi.com

http://WritersOnTheMove.com

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kcioffiventrice
GooglePlus: https://plus.google.com/107054879622971281466/posts

 

Posted in Book Marketing, children's author, Children's books, Writing for Children - Tagged bedtime story, children's book, children's writer, Day's End Lullaby, middle grade fantasy adventure, virtual book tour, Walking Through Walls, writing for children

Karen Cioffi, Children’s Author

Nov01
2011
Leave a Comment Written by admin

CHANGES IN THE WIND FOR THIS SITE!

It’s close to the end of the year, and I’ve decided to straighten my writing path so it’s actually leading to my major writing goals.

What does this mean?

Well, for starters I changed the name of my site; it’s now Karen Cioffi, Children’s Author to reflect my primary writing goal.

Since I had two sites that focused on writing and marketing, this site is now my children’s author site, where I will provide updates to my children’s writing endeavors.

For ongoing writing and marketing information, and information about my writing services go to: http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com

This site change is going to be a bit tricky since I have hundreds of articles floating around in cyberspace referencing this site as ‘writing and marketing,’ but down the road is what matters and eventually this site will be known exclusively as my children’s author site.

Along with articles leading back here, some of the non-children’s writing/books pages will have to remain because of those aforementioned articles in cyberspace.

Along with the name change and content change, I’ll be looking for a more appropriate WordPress theme, a theme that will reflect children’s books.

While this post is more of an announcement rather than an informational article, there are a few tips to glean from it:

1. Always think carefully about creating a website and choosing its name.

2. Keep a constant eye on your writing goals to make sure you’re are staying on your writing goals path – this will help you reach your desired objectives.

3. If you find yourself straying off your writing goals path, stop, evaluate your course, and get back on track.

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Children’s Writing and Books

Writing Books for Children: Submissions to Contract to Book Promotion to Writing Career Part1
Writing Books for Children: Submissions to Contract to Book Promotion to Writing Career Part2
Walking Through Walls, Reviewed by Margo Dill

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time,

Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance Writer

Karen Books Page:
http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/p/karens-books.html

http://KarenCioffi.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
http://WritersOnTheMove.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kcioffiventrice
GooglePlus: https://plus.google.com/107054879622971281466/posts

Posted in children's author, Children's books, Writing for Children - Tagged children's author, children's books, children's writer

Writing Books for Children – Submissions to Contract to Book Promotion to Writing Career

Sep30
2011
1 Comment Written by admin

Writing Books for Children – Submissions to Contract to Book Promotion to Writing Career

The foundation of writing books for children, or any genre for that matter, is to learn the craft of writing. In regard to being a children’s author you will need to learn the specific rules and tricks to create appropriate stories with age-appropriate words and storylines.

Once you have taken the time to hone your craft and have critiqued, revised, and edited your manuscript to a polished state, it’s on to the next phases of the traditional children’s writing path: submissions, promotion, and a writing career.

1. Writing Books for Children – Submissions

Before you think about submitting your work anywhere, be sure you’ve completed the necessary steps to learn the craft of writing. You’re manuscript needs to be as polished as you can possibly get it.

Submissions can fall into two categories: those to publishers and those to agents. In regard to submitting to agents, in a Spring 2011 webinar presented by Writer’s Digest, agent Mary Kole advised to “research agents.” This means to find out what type of agent they are in regard to the genre they work with and the agent platform they provide: do they coddle their authors, do they crack the whip, are they aggressive, passive, involved, or complacent. Know what you’re getting into before querying an agent, and especially before signing a contract.

Here are a couple of sites you can visit to learn about agents:

http://agentquery.com
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/

The same advice works for submitting to publishers also; research publishers before submitting to them. Know which genres of children’s books they handle and the type of storylines they’re looking for.

Whether submitting to a publisher or an agent, always follow the guidelines and always personalize the query. There may be times the guidelines do not provide the name of the editor to send the query to, but if you can find that information, use it.

According to Mary Kole, it’s also important to know how to pitch your story. This entails finding the story’s hook. Agents and publishers also want to know what the book’s selling points will be and what successful books it’s similar to. In addition, they will expect to be told what your marketing strategy will be. It’s a good idea to create an online presence and platform before you begin submissions; let the agents and publishers know you will actively market your book.

Along with the story’s hook, you need to convey: who your main character is and what he/she is about; the action that drives the story; the main character’s obstacle, and if the main character doesn’t overcome the obstacle, what’s at stake.

When writing books for children, Ms. Kole recommends reading “the back of published books” to see how they briefly and effectively convey the essence of the story. This will give you an idea of how to create your own synopsis.

When querying, keep your pitch short and professional, and keep your bio brief and relevant. You will need to grab the editor or agent and make them want to read your manuscript.

Writing Books for Children: Four tools you can use to help find a publisher or agent:

•    Writers Market: Where and How to Sell What You Write
•    Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market: Over 700 listings for book publisher’s, magazines, agents, art reps, and more
•    Guide to Literary Agents: Where and How to Find the Right Agents to Represent Your Work
•    WritersMarket.com: Online resource to help you sell what you write

Stop by next week for Part 2 of Writing Books for Children – Submission to Contract to Book Promotion to Career.

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Related Articles:

Children’s Writing: The Traditional Publishing Path
Is Your Manuscript Ready for Submissions?
Rewriting a Folktale

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PLEASE SHARE THIS ARTICLE, and SIGN-UP FOR MY FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, A Writer’s World. You’ll get two e-books if you do!

And to be sure you don’t miss any posts here, simply subscribe to my blog (RSS feed).

If you’d like to check out my books, go to Karen’s Books Page:
http://www.karencioffi.com/karen-cioffis-books-and-e-books/

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time,

Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance Writer

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kcioffiventrice

Posted in Children's books, Writing, Writing for Children - Tagged book submissions, children's writer, publishing children's books, Writing, writing books for children, writing for children

Writing Books for Children – Submissions to Contract to Promotion to Writing Career Part2

Sep30
2011
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Writing Books for Children – Submissions to Contract to Promotion to Writing Career Part2

In the last post we covered the ‘submissions’ aspect of writing books for children, now we’ll go on to the next 3 steps: the contract, book promotion, and a writing career.

2. Writing Books for Children: The Book Contract  

If you do your writing books for children homework, you’re manuscript will eventually find a home. Don’t let initial rejections, if you receive them, deter you. A published writer may not be the best writer, but she is definitely a writer who perseveres.

Read your contract carefully, if you don’t understand something, ask for an explanation.

After you sign a contract, you’ll be ‘put in queue’ and at some point begin editing with the publisher’s editor. From start to actual release, the publishing process can take one to two years.

3. Writing Books for Children: Book Promotion

Next on the writing books for children agenda is book promotion. A couple of months prior to your book’s release, you should begin promotion to help with book sales. This will involve creating an author website and platform – your will need to create visibility for you and your book.

After your book’s release, you will want to take part in virtual book tours, do blogtalk radio guest spots, school visits, and all the other standard book promotion strategies. You can take this on yourself, or you can hire a book promotion service or publicist.

You can check out these articles for book promotion tips:

Book Promotion: The Foundation
Book Promotion: Creating an Informational Funnel
Book Promotion: 20 Strategies that will Broaden Your Reach – Part 1
Book Promotion: 20 Strategies that will Broaden Your Reach – Part 2

4. Writing Books for Children: A Writing Career

Now, you’ve got your book and you’re promoting it like crazy (this is an ongoing process). The next and final step is to repeat the process. You don’t want to be a one-hit wonder, so hopefully you’ve been writing other stories. If not, get started now. On average, an author writes a book every one to two years.

Along with keeping the momentum goings with writing books for children, having published books opens other writing opportunities, such as speaking engagements, conducting workshops and/or teleseminars, and coaching. There are a number of marketers who say your ‘book’ is your business card or your calling card; it conveys what you’re capable of and establishes you as an expert in your field or niche. Take advantage of these additional avenues of visibility and income.

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PLEASE SHARE THIS ARTICLE, and SIGN-UP FOR MY FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, A Writer’s World. You’ll get two e-books if you do!

And to be sure you don’t miss any posts here, simply subscribe to my blog (RSS feed).

If you’d like to check out my books, go to Karen’s Books Page:
http://www.karencioffi.com/karen-cioffis-books-and-e-books/

~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time,

Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance Writer

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook: http://facebook.com/kcioffiventrice

Posted in Children's books, Writing, Writing for Children - Tagged a children's writing career, book marketing, book promotion, get a children's book contract, publishing children's books, writing books for children, writing for children

Children’s Writing: the Traditional Publishing Path

Sep24
2011
1 Comment Written by admin

Children’s books fall into one of three categories: picture books, middle grade, and young adult. To become published within the children’s writing arena, in any of these genres, you need to take the necessary steps to achieve success whether aiming at traditional publishing or self-publishing.

In regard to traditional publishing, there are four steps needed to become a traditionally published author; the first step is writing.

Actually writing, and all that it entails, is the basis of becoming a published author or writer, whether writing books, articles, becoming a ghostwriter, or copywriter. Within that first writing step, there are four subcategories.

Children’s Writing: Four Traditional Publishing Steps

1. Writing and Reading

The first step for a successful writing career is to write. But, in addition to writing, the new writer will need to learn the craft of writing, along with the particular tricks of writing for children. Children’s writing is more complicated than other forms of writing. The reason is because you’re dealing with children.

Rules, such as age-appropriate words, age-appropriate topics, age-appropriate comprehension, storylines and formatting are all features that need to be tackled when writing for children.

Within the first step rung, aside from reading books and magazines on the craft of writing, you will need to read, read, and read in the genre you want to write.

Pay special attention to recently published books and their publishers. What works in these books? What type of style is the author using? What topics/storylines are publisher’s publishing?

Dissect these books, and you might even write or type them word-for-word to get a feel for writing that works. This is a trick that writers new to copywriting use – you can trick your brain into knowing the right way to write for a particular genre or field. Well, not so much trick your brain as teach it by copying effective writing. Just remember, this is for the learning process only – you cannot use someone else’s work, that’s plagiarism.

2. Critiques

The next step, number two, is to become part of a critique group and have your work critiqued. Critiquing is a two-way street; you will critique the work of other member of the critique group and they will critique yours. But, there are advantages to critiquing other writers’ works – you begin to see errors quickly and notice what’s being done right. This all helps you hone your craft.

3. Revise and Edit

Step three on the writing rung is to revise your manuscript according to your own self-editing and critiques from others. It’s also recommended to put the story away for a couple of weeks and then revisit it. You’ll see a number of areas that may need revising that you hadn’t noticed before.

There are also some self-editing steps you can take to help the process; you can check out:

Ten Tips Checklist for Self-Editing (Part 1)
Ten Tips checklist for Self-Editing (Part 2)

Final stages of Self-Editing Part 1
Final Stages of Self-Editing Part 2

4. Take it to a Professional

It would also be advisable if you budget for a professional editing of your manuscript before you begin submissions. No matter how careful you and your critique partners are, a working editor will pick up things you missed.

Once you have a polished manuscript, the next three steps in a writing career are: submissions, a contract and sales, and a writing career.

It’s important to mention that these four steps should be taken whether you are going the traditional publishing route or you’re going to self-publish. Just because you may be by-passing the publisher’s gatekeepers, who protect the integrity and quality of the work they accept, your manuscript should be the best possible, a quality product.

Self-publishing is not an excuse to cut corners, rush a book, or create a substandard product. Remember that your book is a reflection of you and your writing ability.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Related Articles:

Is Your Manuscript Ready for Submission?
Freelance Editors – Should You Hire One?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE SHARE THIS ARTICLE, and SIGN-UP FOR MY FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, A Writer’s World. You’ll get two e-books if you do!

And to be sure you don’t miss any posts here, simply subscribe to my blog (RSS feed).

If you’d like to check out my books, go to Karen’s Books Page:
http://www.karencioffi.com/karen-cioffis-books-and-e-books/

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ghostwriting and Editing for Businesses and Marketers
Do you need an e-book or white paper to offer for instruction, platform visibility, or a gift? Do you need blog, article, white paper, or other form of content visibility for your business? We’re professional and experienced with keywords and SEO. So, please stop by and check us out. Go to: http://DKVWriting4U.com

~~~~~~~~~~~
Until next time,

Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance Writer

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kcioffiventrice

Posted in Children's books, Writing, Writing for Children - Tagged children's book, craft of writing, manuscript revisions, publishing children's books, Writing, writing children's books, writing for children

The Wait is Over, Your Book is Finally Available for Sale

Jul29
2011
Leave a Comment Written by admin

It’s a long road, as most authors can probably tell you, from first starting your story to the day it’s actually available for sale. A road filled with writing, outlines, revisions, critiquing, self-editing, some doubts and frustration (maybe a lot of doubts and frustration), more revisions, critiquing, and editing, and so on.

That road can take you one to two years to travel, but then . . . you reach your destination . . . your goal. All your doubts, impatience, and frustration disappears. Your book is now available for sale at retailers and bookstores! Now you can relax and take a breather before you start on your next book.

Uh, but, wait a minute. You thought writing the book and having to be patient through the submissions and publishing journey was tough? Well, roll up your sleeves and dig in, because now comes the hard part – selling your book.

Okay, all this is a lead-up to my big announcement: Walking Through Walls is now available for sale. :)

Amazon doesn’t have the book’s cover on the sales page yet, but click on the blank image – I uploaded the cover to it. Hopefully, they’ll get the cover up in 4-8 weeks.

Get your copy today at:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE

You can also order Walking Through Walls today at:
4RV Publishing Catalog

And don’t forget to get out the Walking Through Walls YouTube Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/90aJO5qHHWc

For those who haven’t heard of Walking Through Walls, it is a middle grade fantasy adventure based on an ancient Chinese tale. You can read a number of reviews, check out a couple of interior illustrations, and find out more about my book at: http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

And, for anyone who has read Walking Through Walls it’d be greatly appreciated if you’d write a review, however small or large, and post it to Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing . . .whichever and where ever you have the time to go to.
For those who have already written a review, please post it to any or all of the sites mentioned above!

Reviews are a powerful selling tool.

I take the time to post my reviews to the usual places, and I always make them long enough to post to the article directories, particularly EzineArticles.

This strategy produces a couple of benefits:

1. The author gets free effective promotion to a broader audience.
2. The reviewer gets the satisfaction of helping out a fellow author, plus increased visibility from the review posting sites and article directories. And, remember, you never know who will end up reading your work online, whether a review, an article, an e-book, or other content.

And, please go to the Walking Through Walls page on AMAZON and CLICK on the LIKE button. Then down just a bit down and on the right hand side, you’ll find a Tweet Button and Facebook Button – if you click on both that’ll add more sparks to the promotion fire!

For those of you who haven’t read the book yet, but intend to, after you’ve read it, if you liked it, PLEASE write a brief review and post it to any or all of the places I mentioned above.

Any and all help in bringing visibility to Walking Through Walls will be greatly appreciated.

Please Tweet, Facebook, and Google+ this post!

Thanks!

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If you haven’t yet, be sure to sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter, A Writers World, and get TWO FREE eBooks on writing and/or marketing:

The Self-Publisher’s Guide, 4th Edition
The Blogger’s Checklist
(The books offered may change periodically)

In fact, check out the sidebar for two free gifts just for stopping by!

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Until next time,

Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Editor for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Day’s End Lullaby (Children’s bedtime story)
http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

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Posted in Children's books, Marketing, Writing for Children - Tagged 4RV Publishing, ancient Chinese tale, book promotion, children's book, folktale, Karen Cioffi, middle grade fantasy adventure, Walking Though Walls

Horatio Humble Beats the Big “D”

Jul11
2011
Leave a Comment Written by admin

Since this site is about writing and marketing, I occasionally post book reviews since they’re a very important part of promoting a book. Today I have one on a wonderful picture book by Margot Finke.

Title: Horatio Humble Beats the Big “D”
Author: Margot Finke
Illustrator: Ellen Gurak
ISBN: 13: 978-1-61633-101-6
eBook ISBN: 13: 978-1-61633-102-3
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing

Horatio Humble Beats the Big “D” is a children’s rhyming picture book that tackles dyslexia. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, dyslexia, according to the Mayo Clinic, “is an impairment in your brain’s ability to translate written images received from your eyes into meaningful language.” And, it is the most common learning disability in children.

Margot Finke, in her usual insightful and playful way, shows the academic and emotional affects that dyslexia carries with it. Horatio, like all children with dyslexia, wants to read like his peers, but just can’t. “He wanted to read and dive into books, to snuggle in bed, reading stuff about crooks. But something was wonky within his poor head, so words in his books stayed a mystery instead.”

The author captures the emotional impact a child feels when he can’t read like others, which leads to: the need for special resources, tutoring, low self-esteem, and even anxiety. “Special class is for nitwits,” he whined to his Mom. “Every one of my friends will think that I’m dumb!”

With vivid full page illustrations Finke brings Horatio through the process of “special class” and shows the outcome that can be attained with proper instruction. “Words came unscrambled and flowed smooth and clear. “Hey, I’m reading books!” He yelled with a cheer.”

I’ve mentioned it before, and I’ll do so again, I’m a fan of Margot Finke’s work. She has a unique talent for approaching topics that children can use help with, such as moving away from familiar surroundings and friends, as in her book Ruthie and the Hippo’s Fat Behind, and now with dyslexia. What’s wonderful about Finke’s books is she addresses these issues with lighthearted rhyming fun.

Horatio Humble Beats the Big “D” is a book every parent of a child who is struggling to read should get. It’s important for children to know they’re not alone in their struggles, and that dyslexia is a problem that CAN be overcome.

Included at the end of the story is a resource page that provides information on dyslexia and also offers links to pertinent articles, along with book suggestions. Listed in the information is the advice that encourages parents of children who have or are suspect of having dyslexia to let their children know it is not a sign of a lack of intelligence. These children should be told that actors/celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Orlando Bloom, Oprah Winfrey and Magic Johnson overcame dyslexia, as did Bill Gates and Albert Einstein.

According to statistics, one in five students (around 20% of the population) has a language based learning disability. And, less than one-third of the children with reading disabilities receive school services to help with their disability.

Reading Horatio Humble Beats the Big “D” with your dyslexic child is a valuable strategy to help with your child’s self-esteem and motivation.

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Other Reviews You May Find of Interest:

The Lucky Baseball
Ruthie and Hippo’s Fat Behind
Walking Through Walls

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Until next time,

Karen Cioffi
Author, Ghostwriter, Freelance writer, and
Acquisitions Editor Intern for 4RV Publishing

Member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Walking Through Walls (MG fantasy book)

http://walkingthroughwalls-kcioffi.blogspot.com

Day’s End Lullaby (Children’s bedtime story)

http://daysendlullaby.blogspot.com

http://KarenCioffi.com
http://DKVWriting4U.com
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenCV
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Posted in Book Review, Children's books, Writing - Tagged book review, children's book, dyslexia, margot finke, rhyming picture book
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