Books – Page 39 – Jean's Writing

How to join in the holiday rush

Published on November 19, 2015June 7, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell9 Comments

I’d love to have a little of that holiday rush head my way.

Now don’t shoot the messenger. I know Thanksgiving comes first and I share your frustration with all the decorations flooding the stores earlier and earlier every year.

snowman holidays

However, thinking about when and how should we market our books take a lot of planning.

A big thank you goes to Nicholas C. Rossis for sending me the link to the article by Taylor at Written Word Media.

If you are wondering when to start, to click on the following link.

Holiday Book Marketing: An Author’s Guide to Black Friday and Beyond

These are great tips on when and how you might want to focus marketing your book.

Are you going to release, or market your book on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

To discount or not to discount?

These are important questions and Taylor gives us the answer.

So what are your plans? Or have you given it much thought?

Share your thoughts in the comments section. Please follow me at @jeancogdell on Twitter and jean.cogdell on Facebook!

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Do you want paper or electronic?

Published on November 18, 2015November 16, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell10 Comments

Remember the question, “Paper or plastic?”

What does this have to do with reading and writing?

Because I don’t believe hardback or paperback books are going the way of the dinosaurs.

I’ve two daughters, two son-in-laws, and five grandchildren. Although, they each have e-readers everyone of them prefers paper books to ebooks. They like the feel of a book. They all enjoy browsing the library stacks and bookstore shelves.

They even enjoy online shopping for books. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy the postman delivering a package to their door.

On occasion they do download an ebook, usually when they are in a hurry or traveling.

Me, I love my Kindle! I read more and faster on my e-reader. But I have to admit there is something profoundly personal about words on paper.

After the following article Darcy Pattison, I’m convinced more than ever that paperback books will last a very long time.

Think that as authors we need to make our books available in both.

I don’t foresee, in the immediate future, the demise of either medium.

EBooks for Kids? New Study Says Maybe Not By Darcy Pattison

What do you think? Which do you prefer? Which do your kids like best?

Let me know in the comments section. And follow me @jeancogdell on Twitter and jean.cogdell on Facebook!

Please don’t forget, pay it forward with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

PS:

Please check out my new children’s book Tryouts for Ben.

The waiting is over! He’s here!

Published on November 13, 2015November 12, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell16 Comments

Friday the 13th has always been a lucky day for our family, so I’m thrilled to announce Tryouts for Ben is now available at Amazon.com today!

Yes, Ben made it even with all my jumbling, fumbling and amateurish attempts to bring him into this world.

Whew! It feels as though I’ve just birthed a baby elephant instead of a book.

For some, writing and self-publishing a book, of any size, in paper and e-format is easy. They share instructions on how to self-publish in 3 easy steps or maybe 10. I read article after article, followed steps 1 through infinity and more times than not, ended up with a scrambled mess.

But I eventually got to the end. Even if I traveled terrain as rough as the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Seems as if I go about every project the hard way.

However, today is not for whiners. It’s a day of celebration!!

Small though Ben may be, he’s my first and I’m one proud mama.

Please hop over to Amazon and check out my little man.

To get your copy, click on this image….

Now that I’ve conquered Amazon and Createspace I’m off to try my hand at Ingram-Spark.

A big thank you to everyone who helped me achieve this goal.

And a giant thanks for all the encouragement from my blogging community.

Without all of you, I don’t know if I would’ve preserved.

I hope some of you will read about Ben and share it with the young readers in your family.

After you read Tryouts for Ben, please leave a review on Amazon. (Hopefully a kind review.) Book reviews are so important and much appreciated.

Next, a big book! LOL

Leave me a comment and look for me @jeancogdell on Twitter and jean.cogdell on Facebook!

And don’t forget, pay it forward with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Need a good read for the weekend?

Published on November 12, 2015November 11, 2015 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

Well, I’ve got two for you!

First up, I received an advance copy of this book and boy am I glad.

The Knowing by Ninie Hammon is a hold on to your seat, gripping story that will give you nightmares.

She is the author of one of my all time favorite books, The Memorie Closet. Her new release The Knowing is just as amazing. Can’t wait for the next one.

Page one and I was hooked! Ripped from the headlines, this book is every parents nightmare, Shooter on campus of elementary school. The impact of the shooting on the characters will give any reader pause. Lives are changed as everyone searches for answers.

I’m not a big believer in angels or demons and so I rarely read books on the subject. But, I could not put down The Knowing. The writing and her ability to weave a remarkable story, kept me reading. Move over Stephen King there’s a new bestseller in town.

Congrats! To Ninie Hammon, she hit this one out of the park.

My next recommendation is-

Take Off Your Pants – Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker.

If you are like me, you’ve more “how to” books than you’ll ever read. But this is one you must add to your library. She makes planning your book simple.

Don’t like to outline? No problem.

Prefer to write by the seat of your pants? No problem.

This book gives a plan for combining the best of both writers.

Plus, Ms. Hawker explains “character arc” in terms even a kid can understand. For the first time ever, I “got it.”

This book changed my entire thought process on mapping out a book.

If you’ve had trouble with outlines and characters, I recommend you read Take off Your Pants!

So there you have it, two books for your weekend reading pleasure.

Leave a comment and tell me what you think, read any good books lately? And please join me @jeancogdell on Twitter and jean.cogdell on Facebook!
Don’t forget, pay it forward with a click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

PS:

Coming soon! My children’s book Tryouts for Ben!