A Beginning Reader for St. Patrick’s Day

I’ve been practicing creating picture books. I’m an artist, but I haven’t done illustrations before. My first effort went live just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s called “A Pot of Gold” and it’s for the earliest readers.

Most early readers are created in-house, so publishers and agents aren’t interested in them. Kids love them, though, and there aren’t many St. Patrick’s Day books, so I decided to do the illustrations and post it to Kindle.

I learned so much in the process. I am now a master of the pen tool in Photoshop. I’ve also learned how to use Perspective Warp and Object Select.

I found out what the formats mean on Kindle and discovered free Google Fonts.

If you have a young reader in your house, take a look at “A Pot of Gold.”

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A Market for Novellas

A market for novellas and shorter nonfiction works at Amazon Singles. Read about it at the Authors Guild site.

Amazon’s Kindle Singles a Win for Readers, Authors | The Authors Guild.

Changing Times: Important Business Information for Writers

Important business and contract information for every writer. Be sure to read the discussion, too. Then, do some research before signing a contract.

Writer Unboxed » 5 Industry Trends Requiring Every Writer’s Attention.

The Lowdown on Do It Yourself Publishing

Here is a terrific rundown on self-publishing, for those who are considering it. (I’m not, but I know people who are.) It includes both pros and cons. The title calls it “Indie Publishing,” but it has nothing to do with indie bookstores or the traditional smaller presses that are sometimes called “Independent Publishers.”

Click below:

IndieReCon: The Honest Inside Scoop or the Pros and Cons of Indie Publishing by Jessie Harrell.

Using Styles in Microsoft Word

Okay, the site I am recommending here is about self-publishing, which I do not recommend, but this is an excellent article about some advanced features of Word.

Getting Started With Microsoft Word Styles for Book Layout — The Book Designer.

Don’t Publish That Book! – Forbes

If you’ve finished your NaNoWriMo novel and are tempted to self-publish now, here’s some food for thought from people who know.

Don’t Publish That Book! – Forbes.

Poetry in the Digital Age: an Essay from Prairie Schooner

Notes on poetry in the digital age from the site of venerable literary journal.

Oxcart | Prairie Schooner.

AllAtOnce

Here’s a loosening up guide I wrote for artists. With a little imagination, its principles apply to writers too. Its purpose is to give creators permission to access original material by temporarily suspending judgment.

A spiritual teacher once advised students to “work, but let go of the results.”

The free online guide will help you understand what this means. Click on the link. Each set of exercises is short, but they might help you find the work you are to do that nobody else can do–work that is not “like” someone else’s. Sound scary? It is, sort of, but you will astonish yourself.

AllAtOnce.

The Changing Role of Publishers in the Digital Age

Publishing is changing. It is much easier and less expensive now for an author to reach out to the audience directly. The problem is that it is easy for everyone to do this.

If you have a website, you know that enticing people to view it can be a problem when millions of other sites clamor for attention. The same is true now for “books.” I put the term in quotation marks because so many publications are just as virtual as sites.

Here’s a well-thought-out essay about the situation from an industry professional. If you are thinking about publishing your work, it’s worth a read.

The Future of the Author-Publisher Relationship – Jane Friedman.

What E-books Cannot Do

I love my e-readers, but they can’t do everything. The printed page is still the best place for some works. Read about one of them.

Put Down Your E-Reader: This Book Is Better In Print : NPR.