Back to School with 4RV Publishing

 

From letters A to Z, 

furry faces are here to see. 

Living in cages and ponds

or feathered friends in a tree, 

explore a zoo of exciting animals

from land, air, and sea. 

ABCs from the Bible helps children learn the alphabet using examples tied to the Bible. The author's words and the artist's illustrations bring the ABCs to life. The back pages give more information for adults to share with their youngsters.

The teacher’s idea for celebrating the 100th day of school excites everyone. While the other students share their ideas for 100 unique things, Freckle Face Fred doesn’t. Join the celebration to discover what Fred finds unique.

Have you ever seen anything besides rain, hail, or snow fall from the sky? When the Sky Falls, Duck takes you on a trip to all kinds of places and shows you unusual things that have fallen from the sky and explains why.

Concepcion loves TV, but she has to sit close to see the screen. She holds her books close to her face to read. Her teacher seats her in the front row to copy her spelling words from the blackboard. When she gets a chance to look through her Papa's glasses, she decides that must be the answer. She wants to get glasses so she can see better. But first her eyes need to be tested, a new experience to be faced."

Eleven-year-old Kate Taylor dreams of being the star of her basketball team, Angels. When Kate's tooth is knocked out at one of the games, and her mother, who is also her coach, says she can't play until the tooth the dentist replants heals, Kate's dreams are in jeopardy. Add Emily, the new girl at school who claims she's the best, and Kate faces a challenge to prove that she is the star. ​

Will Kate succeed? Or will Emily ruin Kate's plans?

To purchase these and other titles from 4RV Publishing, please visit our online catalog at http://www.4rvpublishing.com/full-book-cover-catalog.html 

Marketing Plan for Holiday Season Book Selling

 

Vivian's post about attending book fairs, festivals, and craft shows reminded me that fall is coming, and before we know it, the holidays will be here. It is estimated that one in four books is sold during the holiday season. 

Have you started your holiday season marketing plan? If not, here are some ideas to get you started. 

• Make sure all your book descriptions are current 
• Update your author bio
• Verify links to purchase your books are operational (broken links disappoint potential readers)
• Schedule your social media posts in weekly or monthly blocks
• Plan emails to your readers with giveaways for their loyal readership
• Check your local paper for selling opportunities like craft fairs 
• Prepare a budget for paid advertising
• Order your book supply for events early so that you have them in time 
• Create or order promotional materials for events ahead of time

Making sure you have a plan and ordering books and supplies early will help you have a successful holiday book selling season.  

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

Book Fairs, Festivals, Craft Shows

 

    Authors face a difficult task AFTER they finish a book and it's published. What could that be, you say? Promoting and selling those books. Yes, authors are expected to promote and help sell their books even if they go through a traditional publisher. So, how does one do that? Book fairs, festivals, and craft shows offer an opportunity for authors to sell books and pocket more of the profit.

    Where does a writer find a fair, festival or show? Look around the community, ask people, talk to other authors for suggestions. In my small community, several towns near by have harvest festivals each fall. The one in the town closest to me offers spaces at reasonable prices. The last year I attended, even with not nice weather, I sold quite a large number of books. Plus, I met people who wanted to know how to find my books and how to know when a new one came out. I had currents sales and possible future ones.

    One thing I discovered, having a booth at a festival that doesn't feature books and authors or at a craft show bring in more sales than having a book at a book festival or any event with more than four or five authors. With a large number of authors selling books at the same place and time, customers often go to the authors they know or whose names are familiar. Therefore, customers are overwhelmed with the large number of offerings.

    One author I know goes to some event almost every weekend, and he no longer has to work another job. He sells hundreds to thousands of dollars in books each event. It can be done.

    Authors who have their books at a festival, fair, or show need to remember to interact with the attendees. No, I don't mean waylay them and try to twist their arms to buy. First, be friendly. Ask people passing by what they like to read. When they tell their interests, guide them to books you have that meet one of their interests. If you don't have a genre they prefer, tell them just a bit about what you write and tell them where they might find what they prefer. You may not sell one of your books, but you will impress someone who may tell someone about your books. If nothing else, they will be amazed at your honesty.

    Promoting and selling your books may not be among your favorite things to do. You may hate marketing, but to be successful, you must. If James Patterson, as famous as he is, must promote his books, those of us not in the same lofty sales bracket must do much more than he does. Therefore, we need to find opportunities. Books fairs, festivals, and craft shows can be what works for you.

   

                                                                Vivian Zabel
                                                                Author, editor, publisher
                                                                VivianZabel.website

       

Summer Reading with 4RV Publishing

One of the recommended ways to stop the summer slide--a loss of learning gains during the summer months--is for your child to read at least 20 minutes a day. Here are some reading suggestions from the 4RV Publishing Bookstore. 

Simon thinks his skin is bo-rrring. Simon doesn't like boring. So, he “tries on” different skins, and to his surprise, each comes with its own challenge. Simon soon makes a pleasant discovery about his own skin.

Irma wanted a puppy, a pet she could take on walks, not a few stupid guppies. Fish don't do anything, except roll over on their backs if they die. Sometimes, though, a girl has to make the most of what she has. Now, what can Irma do with three guppies besides stare at them as they stare at her.

A young duck, who enjoys things like riding waves, can become quite lonely. Louie didn’t have any friends except two cousins, who didn’t like to ride waves. When Mr. and Mrs. Goose’s grandson, Gus, comes to live with them, Louie promises Mrs. Goose that he will be Gus’ friend. But, can Louie finally have a friend, one who doesn’t think he’s odd because he is different? Can being different be all right?

From letters

A to Z, 

furry faces are here to see.

Living in cages and ponds

or feathered friends in a tree,

explore a zoo of exciting animals

from land, air, and sea.

No one called her anything but Dog, but she had food, water, and a warm place. She got to go for rides with the wind blowing in her face. She had a boy who played with her. She was happy.

One day, the man said, “Come on, Dog, let’s go for a ride.”

She ran and jumped through the open door onto the back seat. She thought maybe they would go to the dog park. How exciting.

When the car stopped, the man got out and opened the door. “Get out, Dog.”

She jumped out and sat waiting, but he told her to stay and climbed back into the car and drove away. 

She barked and ran after the car.

The car drove too fast for her to catch.

She sat and waited. No one came back. She grew hungry and cold and afraid. What could she do? Why didn’t her people want her anymore? What would happen to her?

Eleven-year-old Kate Taylor dreams of being the star of her basketball team, Angels. When Kate's tooth is knocked out at one of the games, and her mother, who is also her coach, says she can't play until the tooth the dentist replants heals, Kate's dreams are in jeopardy. Add Emily, the new girl at school who claims she's the best, and Kate faces a challenge to prove that she is the star. ​

Will Kate succeed? Or will Emily ruin Kate's plans?

To learn more about these and other books by 4RV Publishing , please visit us online at http://www.4rvpublishing.com

Congratulations to 4RV Publishing's President Vivian Zabel for Cupid Awards Win!

 

Please join us in congratulating Vivian Zabel, President of 4RV Publishing, on her recent Cupid Awards win! The Cupid Awards are overseen by the Oklahoma Romance Writers Guild. Zabel's unpublished short story, "And the Winner is..." took the top honor in the Non-romance with Strong Romantic Plot category. 

To learn more about Vivian and her books, please visit her website at http://www.vivianzabel.website or her author page on the 4RV Publishing website at http://www.4rvpublishing.com/vivian-zabel.html

Writing Superpowers - Foreshadowing & Eliminating Inconsistencies

 

Today, we wrap up our conversation about writing superpowers. Let's discuss ways to keep readers engaged when characters act out of character and how eliminating inconsistencies in a manuscript creates a better story.  

Have you ever been fully into a book when suddenly your main character does something you would never expect? Does it make you sit up and say, "What just happened? They would never do that!" 

Why do readers feel taken aback when a character acts "out of character?" 

First, readers feel a connection with the main character. They invest time and energy in getting to know that character's thoughts, actions, and motivations. The connection breaks when the character acts in a way they don't expect. An interruption in an established pattern can lead readers to feel betrayed. 

Second, unexpected behavior can seem random if it's not properly foreshadowed. 

Foreshadowing provides a hint of what is coming. Whether it be direct foreshadowing that openly suggests a problem or plot twist, or indirect foreshadowing that drops clues that lead to a revelation for the reader, recommended rules are that foreshadowing be relevant to the plot, subtle so that it creates anticipation or suspense, and properly timed so the reveal is satisfying to readers. 

For eliminating inconsistencies, type out character worksheets and a brief or detailed outline. The spelling of characters' names and their physical descriptions can be as hard to keep track of over a 250+ page novel as the sequence of events from beginning to end. Draw a simple map to remember where each building in your fictional town is located (especially important if you're planning a series). 

How did you enjoy traveling through these writing superpowers? Is there another topic you would like us to cover? Just for fun, are you a plotter or a panster? 

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

Writing Superpowers - Point of View

 

Today, we continue our conversation about writing superpowers. I'm a huge fan of deep point of view. As a reader, I like to get inside my character's heads and figure out why they act the way they do. That's why it's easy for me to find unintended point of view shifts in manuscripts I edit.

What is point of view?

As Merriam-Webster defines it, point of view determines who is telling the story and what the narrator's relationship is to the characters in the story. The most common points of view are: first person, second person, third person limited, and third person omniscient. Let's look at each of these. 

First Person - narrator is a person in the story

Since the narrator is a character in the story, the reader experiences the events that unfold from their point of view. This creates a close and immediate connection between narrator and reader. It is, however, limited to what the narrator sees, and their descriptions can be tainted by their mood, experiences, and opinions. This point of view also lends itself to exposition and summarization instead of fully developed scenes.

Example: Phlegm rattles in my throat. Each breath claws at my chest, burdened by the weight of my ragged coughs. Beads of sweat trace fiery trails down my cheeks, as if the scorching prairie sun lives inside me. I can’t stop now. John needs the money tomorrow.

Second Person - narrator is speaking directly to the reader 

Second person point of view allows the reader to become a character in the story. Just like first person, second person creates a close connection between narrator and reader. Where they differ is in first person, the reader experiences the story through the narrator's eyes, but in second person, the reader experiences the story through their own eyes. 

The challenge with this point of view is that the writer must create a character any reader can relate to or see themselves as being. Though it can create a close connection between narrator and reader, sometimes, it is more distancing to the reader. 

Example: Phlegm rattles in your throat. Each breath claws at your chest, burdened by the weight of your ragged coughs. Beads of sweat trace fiery trails down your cheeks, as if the scorching prairie sun lives inside you. You can’t stop now, you think. John needs the money tomorrow.

Third Person Limited - narrator tells the story from a single character's point of view

In third person limited, the reader is told a story from a single character's point of view. All the narrator knows are the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist. The story develops around this main character. It can be more distancing to the reader, who is limited to the experiences of this one character. 

Example: Phlegm rattled in his throat. Each breath clawed at his chest, burdened by the weight of his ragged coughs. Beads of sweat traced fiery trails down his cheeks, as if the scorching prairie sun lived inside him. I can’t stop now, he thought. John needs the money tomorrow. 

Third Person Omniscient - narrator knows everything

In third person omniscient, the narrator can share the entire story without the bias of a single character's point of view. They can have their own voice and can share details they know that the characters might not be aware of. While this point of view offers flexibility to the writer, it can distance the reader. And, hopping from character to character can create confusion. 

Example: Phlegm rattled in his throat. Each breath clawed at his chest, burdened by the weight of his ragged coughs. Beads of sweat traced fiery trails down his cheeks, as if the scorching prairie sun lived inside him. He couldn't stop now. John needed the money tomorrow.  

What is your favorite point of view to read and to write? What are your biggest struggles with writing from your chosen point of view?

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three adult children. Visit Cheryl's website at https://ccmalandrinos.com or her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com