Marcia Strykowksi shares some excellent thoughts on the length and utility of picture books. Read more below.
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The official Sarah & Katy gift basket
One of my favorite parts about Christmastime is gift shopping. So it’s no surprise one of my favorite parts of preparing for this weekend’s book launch party was assembling the gift basket I’ll be raffling off.
The basket’s theme is “Curling Up With a Sarah & Katy Book.” It includes:
- A signed copy of “Sarah & Katy and the Imagination Blankets,” plus an Imagination Blankets bookmark
- A signed copy of “Sarah & Katy and the Book of Blank,” plus a Book of Blank bookmark
- An exclusive imagination blanket
- “Jumbo” the frog*
- “Boomslang” the snake*
- A mug
- Hot chocolate packets
- Popcorn
With the first snow of the season forecasted for Saturday, a warm and cozy reading basket might be the perfect afternoon activity for the raffle winner.
This seems like an opportune moment to share a reminder: The “Sarah & Katy and the Book of Blank” launch party is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Prairie Creek Public Library in Dwight. The event is open to the public, so if you’re in the North-Central Illinois area, stop on by!
*Who are Jumbo and Boomslang? You’ll have to read “Sarah & Katy and the Book of Blank” to find out!
Judge’s review of ‘Sarah & Katy and the Imagination Blankets’
Back in February, I entered “Sarah & Katy and the Imagination Blankets” in the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.
I found out in mid-October that my book was not among the winning entries. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed, but I also know the self-publishing industry is filled with a lot of talent and stiff competition, so I took heart in that.
This week, I received commentary from the judge who reviewed my book. The entry fee was well worth the positive reinforcement and marketing suggestions offered by the judge. The comments are included below:
Books are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “needs improvement” and 5 meaning “outstanding”. This scale is strictly to provide a point of reference, it is not a cumulative score and does not reflect ranking.
- Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 5
- Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 5
- Production Quality and Cover Design: 5
- Plot and Story Appeal: 4
- Character Appeal and Development: 5
- Voice and Writing Style: 5
Judge’s Commentary:
Sarah and Katy and the Imagination Blankets is a delightful story that shows off Julie Stroebel Barichello’s writing chops. Young readers and their parents will be whisked away on an enjoyable journey with the characters in this book.
The story starts with action and dialogue that will instantly grab readers’ attention. The chapters are the perfect length to keep the pacing quick without losing some of the details. The plot follows a logical pattern but still provides the unexpected. Barichello uses a nice balance of dialogue and narrative to keep a smooth flow.
The quirky and fun front cover will draw attention of prospective readers. The back cover copy is intriguing and will surely compel people to open the book to check out the writing.
Barichello has excellent command of language, and she uses it to draw graphic word pictures. For example, when she describes how Sarah and Katy held the shovels at the beginning of chapter 9, readers will instantly have the image in their minds. This type of description is used skillfully throughout the book.
Marketing this book should be fun. Speaking at libraries and bookstores will draw quite a few people in, but I also think it would be great to add an interactive element to your website. Have fans describe how they’d use imagination blankets and encourage them to bring their friends on the journey with them. This would help grow your fan base in an entertaining way that won’t seem forced.
— Judge, 23rd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards
The books have arrived!
The first hundred copies of “Sarah & Katy and the Book of Blank” arrived on the doorstep yesterday afternoon. (With a week and a half to spare before the book launch next Saturday … phew!) The first copies will be available for sale and signing at Prairie Creek Public Library in Dwight on Saturday, Nov. 21.
Posted in Writing
Tagged children's books, children's literature, kid lit, Sarah & Katy and the Book of Blank, writing
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The Elsa stage of writing when we ‘let it go’
The final version of “Book of Blank” was uploaded to press last Saturday.
For weeks leading up to that day, I had a constant internal chant of, “Come on, let’s go. Come on, let’s go. Get it done. Get it done.” I couldn’t wait to send it off for printing.
But after I finished the final read-through and skimmed the layouts onscreen one last time, reluctance bloomed in my chest. I didn’t want to click the Attach File button in CreateSpace’s author dashboard. I didn’t want to click Upload. The final flood of nerves and second-guessing had burst its dam.
But after a year of work on the book, it was time to let go.
Even so, as much as I look forward to releasing a book, it never gets easier to let go once and for all to publish. There’s always a voice in my head that whispers, “Maybe I can do one more proof and polish a few more things.”
The first shipment of 100 books is supposed to arrive tomorrow. There’s a mix of eager anticipation to see the final product and anxiety in hoping everything turned out right.
NEW BOOKMARKS
The new bookmarks came in the mail this week. The excitement of seeing the new bookmarks settled the book release butterflies for a short while. With only 12 days left until the book launch party, everything is coming together.
Posted in Writing
Tagged independent publishing, indie author, self-publishing, writing
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Julie Stroebel Barichello | Author 