Hi friend!
This month has been both a whirlwind and a rollercoaster. The beginning of the month, Josh and I were supposed to go on a trip to celebrate our 17th anniversary, but the day before we left, I got sick. We tried to pivot to a different trip which would have been more relaxing, but even that was too much and we had to cancel and go home.
The next week I launched my Storm Trucks Kickstarter. The launch went awesomely well, and I got almost half my goal in the first couple of days, but since then I’ve been inching along and that has been hard. For those of you unfamiliar with Kickstarter, it’s a way to crowd-fund your idea or creation. You set a goal for fundraising the cost of manufacturing your product, and then if you reach your goal, you manufacture and send out your product to backers. If you don’t reach your goal, no one is charged any money. Since I’m still not at my goal, I can’t guarantee I’ll reach it… so if you have been waiting, I would encourage you not to wait any more.
With my launch there has been a lot of my time and effort spent with advertising, social media, posting, asking for reviews and endorsements, etc. It’s been a very busy month in that regard. I’ve also had kids home sick from school and other school activities.
I got to read my book to my son’s first grade class! That was so fun and the kids loved it.
I have learned through this process that I enjoy trying new things, seeing what is possible, and learning and growing in my skills and abilities. What I have struggled with is asking people to support me and feeling like a marketing company. I’d rather be making something creative than sending out advertisements, but you have to do both if you want your book to be out in the world and finding readers.
One of my critique partners read an advance copy to her daughter. After, she said, “It’s great to read aloud, lots of lovely, lively words and sounds. After reading this book with my 3-year-old, she went straight to play with her trucks, getting them to carry around cloud dust!”
That’s why I write. To encourage kids and parents to snuggle together and read, and to ignite children’s imaginations… building up families with books!
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and could say, “I used everything you gave me.”
Updates:
I’ve released a whole series on Picture Book Publishing on YouTube this month. I walk through my whole process from idea, writing, illustrating, to publishing.
- Getting a Great Story Idea
- How to Write a Picture Book
- Editing Your Picture Book
- How to Paginate Your Picture Book
- Thumbnailing Your Picture Book
- Picture Book Dummy Creation
- Mastering the Query: How to Pitch Your Picture Book to Literary Agents
- Why I Chose to Self-Publish My Picture Book | The Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing
- Children’s Book Publishing Guide: Big 5, Small Press, Hybrid, & Self-Publishing Explained
- How I Funded My Self-Published Book | Kickstarter Tips & Self-Publishing Secrets
- Illustrating a Picture Book: How to Go from Dummy to Finished Product
I also have done some Friday at noon live streams:
Books:
Picture Book
Aaron Slater: Illustrator
Written by Andrea Beaty
Illustrated by David Roberts
Aaron Slater loves listening to stories and dreams of one day writing them himself. But when it comes to reading, the letters just look like squiggles to him, and it soon becomes clear he struggles more than his peers. When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can’t get a single word down. He is sure his dream of being a storyteller is out of reach . . . until inspiration strikes, and Aaron finds a way to spin a tale in a way that is uniquely his.
My Take: This book is amazing and I couldn’t get through it without tears. Aaron loves stories but when the time comes for him to read, he can’t. He’s dyslexic, and I was blown away by his courage to try to tell stories his own way and also by his teacher’s compassion and understanding. This is a wonderful book and I HIGHLY recommend it.
Middle Grade:
Written by Jennifer Sneed
A retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Wild Swans set in Oklahoma in 1925.
Eleven-year-old Cora, a woefully unladylike and impetuous oil baron’s daughter, can think of nothing but avoiding the dreaded Boston Academy for Admirable Young Ladies. The sudden demand that she become a fine young lady has set her carefree life off-kilter. But her plans to prevent it are interrupted when a fortune-hunting medium with a knack for potions cons her way into her father’s life. Cora unmasks the woman, but it makes no difference. After a whirlwind wedding, the medium turns Cora’s six brothers into hawks and Cora escapes through the mansion’s secret tunnels.
My Take: A sweet story about a girl learning about hard work and growing up as she fights the evil spells of a witch. Based on the Wild Swans fairy tale, and set in Oklahoma, this is a unique and interesting story. I would recommend this for 5-7th graders.
Young Adult:
Written by Marie Lu
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
My Take: I read this whole series this month: Legend, Prodigy, Champion, and Rebel. They are all fast-paced, with great characters and plot twists. I also enjoyed the different dystopian countries created: a military dictatorship, a corporate-run state, and a gamified society. It made me think about possible futures while cherishing the freedom and hope of our American Dream. Worth reading. I would note, these are all highly violent.
Until next time,
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