Vacation
Hiking with llamas
Of course, "mental vacations" are another matter for some writers, including me. So, during the week I proofread a middle-grade novel I am planning to submit. I also spent time jotting down ideas for other projects and planning marketing strategies for current books. It was a great time.
Prepping
It's a great today as I prepare for a workshop session I'll be presenting tomorrow for the Eugene Emerald Reading Council. The topic: nonfiction, something near and dear to my heart. Nonfiction is a topic more and more teachers are paying attention to now, which is a very good thing since most of what we write in our lives is nonfiction. When was the last time you wrote a piece of fiction? Uhh, it's been awhile, right?
This does not mean that we shouldn't be instructing kids how to write stories. Using your imagination to create stories is very important, too. But, fiction should not (in my humble opinion) be the primary emphasis of a writing program. Or, a reading program for that matter.
If you want handouts for the session, you'll find them in the Workshops tab at the top of my home page of the website. They will only be available for a limited time, so get 'em while they're hot! I'd also direct you to the Emerald Empire Reading Council's website that appears on my Blogroll (on the right). They have many useful resources as well.
Welcome Amazon
And here's a warm welcome to blog readers from the Amazon Author Page site. I have recently set up this page to share the work I have done, and the work I am doing. The latest is a picture book biography of America's most famous toymaker: A.C. Gilbert. The book is titled The Magic of A.C. Gilbert and is an e-book version, my very first ever. This version comes as a result of my association with eReadia, a very cool company that's offering e-books as well as innovative tech support for both teachers and writers. Check out their site at www.eReadia.com. Thanks, Will (the Prez), for your vision and your support.
Another e-book will soon be available on the Amazon site, too. Stay tuned...
First days
First days of school are mystical. A few are memorable. The most memorable one for me was not my own but my son’s. Tyler’s first day of kindergarten was a landmark: our first child going off to public school for the first time. Excitement, anxiety, and hope for the future filled the air at our house.
After the obligatory photos that would become a family tradition (Tyler with Mom, Tyler with Dad, Tyler with the dog), I drove Tyler the two miles to school. We talked easily on the drive, about the fun he would have and about the games we would play when school was over.
The school was buzzing with cars and busses and parents and kids. Tyler and I walked hand-in-hand to his classroom. He looked around, wide-eyed at the activity. As we neared his classroom our pace slowed. When we were about 10 feet away from the door, Tyler dropped to his knees on the ground and pulled me with him.
“Whatsa’ matter, Tyler?” I whispered in his ear.
“I’m a little scared,” a small voice replied.
I let that sink in.
“Me, too,” I told him.
We stayed frozen a while then Tyler turned to face me. His blue eyes glistened as he wrapped his arms around me. Then he stood up straight, walked past the parents that hovered outside the classroom door, and into into his new world.
What "First Day" stands out for you?
Where Ya Been?
I haven't been far. Actually I've been right here at the sight, but working on setting up an online class. You'll see it on my homepage tab bar. Just roll your mouse over the tab and you'll see the class name. You can click on the class name and get to the entry of the class, which will only be available to people who register for the class. This class focuses on the six traits of writing and how to integrate them into classrooms to help kids improve their writing. The class is aimed at teachers of grades through eight, and will be offered through Portland State University starting winter term. Hope I can get it all ready by then!
The Battle of Gettysburg
What do authors do when they're not writing books? They write other things, in this case a web album about the battle of Gettysburg. I had been to the battlefield as a kid on my eighth grade class trip in 1965. Forty-five years later I returned with a more "seasoned" interest. I developed this album as a way to make a personal connection to the place and the event. Check it out and feel free to use with your classes, or to partially satisfy your curiosity about one of the Civil War's most important battles.
Here's the link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/areswhy/Gettysburg?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCP683KP06drCYg&feat=directlink
Publishing #3
Self-publishing may be for you if:
You have a book that HAS to be published, no matter what.
You want total control of the final product.
Your book will have a clearly defined market that can easily be reached.
Self-publishing in not for you if:
You don't have the financial resources to pay for the project (i.e. illustrations, design/layout, editing, printing).
You are not detail-oriented (since you will be responsible for overseeing the project).
You do not want to take the time and energy to market your book.
Believe me, self-publishing is risky. You put up all the money to complete the book, then spend the next few years trying to make your money back, and maybe even a profit, by selling the books. If money is not an issue, you can just give the books away and all is well. Your ideas, stories, and/or information is out there. If, on the other hand, you need or want to make money on the book, you can do it if you work hard and have a bit of luck.You can also have someone else distribute your books (although that takes away a chunk of the money that would otherwise be going to you).
An example: A few years back, I wrote a children's book about the Lewis & Clark expedition. It was an interactive book in that kids completed drawings and colored in the book as well as wrote the answers to questions. Publishers did not show much interest due to the interactive nature of the book. I had a defined market (8 to 11 year olds) and the topic was timely since it was during the lead-up to the bicentennial. So, I self-published. I worked really hard, driving the Lewis & Clark Trail, stopping at bookstores and museums along the way. Those places ordered, two or three, maybe five at one time, but it was slow going. And then I got lucky. The state's National Guard decided to develop a Lewis & Clark program and present it to schools. They wanted to hand out my books to their student audiences. Bingo! They ordered 2,000 books, which required another print run which I was more than happy to do since the books were presold.
There are many other self-publishing stories, both inspiring and frightening. The key is to have an awareness of what you're getting into...before you get into it.
Next time...working with a publisher.
Nonfiction Toolbox update
Ahhh...those lazy, hazy days of summer. NOT! There is no haze here (it's clear as crystal) and no laze, either. There is much work to be done. I'm not composing these days, but tightening and readying. Barry Lane and I have been working on The Nonfiction Toolbox for the past century...er...four years and it's soon-to-be-published. It's a book of nonfiction reading and writing lessons grouped by grade levels. I've been working on tightening up some of the entries (= editing and revising) as well as connecting the lessons to the six traits of effective writing. that way, if a teacher is looking for a lesson to support the trait of Organization, she can look one up in the index rather than having to page through the book and figure out which lesson will support that trait skill. Making the trait connections is not difficult, just tedious given that there are nearly 150 lessons n the book. There will also be a bibliography of nonfiction picture books that connect to the traits. These can be used as mentor texts by teachers. Our plan is to update the listing of books overtime, and to do it on the Discover Writing website. Clever, huh?
Summer!
Summer has arrived, and with it, rain. This should come as no surprise, this being Oregon and all. Yes, we've have some beautiful, warm sunny days. This particular day happens to be a reminder of the long, squishy-damp winters we have here. A perfect day to stay inside and write!
This wonderful day finds me happily working away in my writing office. I'm fine-tuning a couple of e-books that will be put up soon on eReadia (www.ereadia.com/publishing), getting out specs for artwork on an educational activity book I'm working on, and doing some groundwork on an update for my Game Day book that's 10+ years old. You know, getting a licensing agreement with Major league Baseball, things like that.
While I'm not actually doing writing per-se (well, right now I am), I'm doing a lot of writing-related tasks. Do I count these things as writing? Absolutely not! But each of them is necessary nonetheless. After recently completing my picture book bio of Yogi Berra, now I'm trying to find it a publishing home. I scour my contacts file as well as my publisher catalogs, notes, and market surveys done by various groups. Right now I have seven different publishers targeted. Now I need to go onliine to make sure the info is current (hopefully their websites are updated), then start sending things out. And yes, I have a query letter all ready. Yes, I'll send the complete manuscript when asked for, and yes, I'll send it to more than one publisher (and tell them what I'm doing) unless they specifically forbid it, in which case I'll wait and send to them later.
Enough talk; it's time for action!
Happy June!
And a very happy June it is! Although rain and clouds dominate the Oregon skies, there is good in the air. My sixtieth birthday is creeping closer (the 9th) and I'm given to a bit of reflection. Having once said, "I can't ever imagine myself being thirty years old," in a week I'll be double that! How curious. I am absolutely amazed at how the time has passed so quickly. I can still remember sitting in high school wishing for time to go faster, wishing for my driver's license, wishing to go off to college, wishing for my own car. Fortunately, my wishing disease healed over time, and so I've chosen to make my adult life about "doing" rather than "wishing." Oh, there's been a lot of dreaming, but that's what often powers the "doing." I am grateful for the friends, family, and colleagues who continue to touch my life as the journey continues.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention another June happening. I'll be retiring at the end of the month. I have been working in education since graduating college in 1973. I've worked as a classroom teacher in grades 2 through 8 as well as a language arts staff development specialist and grant director. I'm pleased I chose the route of education, and I leave proud of the work I've done.
I won't be going far, though. I'll continue to do consulting work with schools around writing. I'll keep doing author visits, too. And make no mistake about it, I'll be writing as well. All the projects I've put "on hold" for past ___ years, I'll be pulling out of the files, evaluating them, and choosing to develop the ones in which I'm most interested. This will be hard. But, who said writing was supposed to be easy!