Month: June 2016

You might think that self-publishing a book is beyond your skill level, but guess what? It’s not. At all.

Building your book sounds like a daunting task, but today’s software makes it fun and simple.

Bookemon.com offers incredibly easy and affordable methods to produce a quality book that looks like it came straight from a bookstore. It makes book-building simple, fun and affordable, whether you’re adding text, photos, or documents. You can even try your hand at creating your book for free, with no obligation to buy. Truly, your book building possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

How Does Bookemon Do It?

Bookemon’s free digital software allows you to use a combination of documents, photos, and text all in one printable book. It is so easy and intuitive (if you can download and click, you can do this!) that anyone can create a book with professional looking results.

Book Building Basics

Bookemon’s All-Purpose Online Book Creator lets you create your own books using any combination of Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Photos, text, and graphics, so you can easily turn your writings, blogs, drawings, images, documents and variety of content into professional quality books in print.

How it works:

• Your written content (whether it is a novel, comic book, cookbook, or children’s story) should be saved as a Word document, PDF, PowerPoint file, jpg photo, text, or graphic program.
• Now it is time to get building. Log onto the Bookemon website and creating a free account.
• Next, choose a “blank template” to create your book in. This will assist you in laying out the pages.
• Once your template is ready, you simply upload your Word, PDF document, PowerPoint- whatever method you saved the content, and it will be added into the book exactly as you have created it. For example, your title header and the page numbers you have on those pages will appear exactly as they are in your document.
• A great advantage of using the Bookemon software is that you can use multiple documents in creating your book. For example, you can design a cover and upload it as a pdf file for the cover page, you can use another document with the main content for the rest of the book pages, etc. So if you want to create special pages- spaced throughout the book, like maybe a cookbook with photo pages of mom or your grandma who created those recipes, you can do it. Here are the steps:

1. On the bottom of the builder, there are page thumbnails. The very first one on the left is the Front Cover and the last page is the Back Cover. Click on the Front or Back Cover page.
2. Under the document library on the left panel, click on the Open folder icon of the document with the page you want to use.
3. Click to select the page in the document to replace the current Front Cover page.

• You can follow the procedure above to replace other pages in the book besides the front and back covers. This feature allows you to move content to the exact page you want it to appear.
• To add photos to your book pages, you first click on the “Upload” function in the book making program to upload all the photos. Once uploaded, each photo will appear as an icon in a “Photo Library”. To use, simply drag the photos from your photo library onto the page or into an image box here you want them to appear.
• Finally, you can really adjust and customize the pages by choosing a special font from the menu of options, or add some pizazz to your pages by adding from a collection of program clip art.

 

Self-publish your own children’s book with ease, using Bookemon software. it is free to try and simple to use.

What kind of books can you make? Any kind! You can make a photobook that tells a story, a custom book for your child, your own cookbook, or publish a memoir. If you have always dreamed of being a writer and believe you have an amazing story to share, start writing! The publishing part will be fun!

This site provides everything you need (even if you are creatively challenged) to build and publish a beautiful book. With no obligation to buy, there is zero risk in getting started.

Being a kid is something everyone remembers. First bike ride, learning to tie your shoes, or taking a family vacation are all nostalgic moments. One memory that may stick in your mind is the first book that made you laugh. Have you ever wanted to write your own funny take that will become someone else’s memory? Here are some tips to writing a funny story that will go on in time:

A good chuckle leaves a lasting impression.

1.) What do you remember?

Story time for children is a wonderful time for everyone. It helps to build a bond between parent and child and also enhances brain activity and mental development. There are millions of children’s books to read from at story time, but there is one that has never been heard or read yet. That’s because it hasn’t been written yet. Don’t hesitate and don’t be discouraged to put the pen to paper and start the next great story. With some imagination and a bit of direction, the next children’s book can be written. Here are 5 tips for writing a children’s book:

1.) Designate focus

Children’s books are all different and directed to particular age groups and sometimes genders. It’s important to designate the age group you want the book to focus towards. Is the book going to be directed toward girls or boys? Will it be a princess story or a tale of a basketball star? Some books include coloring pages and activities (C&A), so it needs to be considered if those will be added. Most children’s books are for audiences that don’t read well or read at all. The length of the book should stay under 1,000 words for fluidity and avoid unnecessary details.

2.) Research and read

There are many books at the library or book store that offer tips on writing and the publishing process. Bookemon.com offers a lot of help in the printing process and self-publishing. While you are spending time at the library, get to know the person in charge. They usually have knowledge of workshops and writing groups that improve writing skills and story development. Writing groups allow for open exchange of ideas and general knowledge. Always take advantage of resources and learn from fellow authors.

3.) Story, plot, and characters

Reverting back to your childhood is a great way to develop a plot for a story. What stories did you enjoy? Imagination is important, but always remember that a story needs to make sense. Create a hero or central character with a problem they must overcome either externally or internally. Every great story needs an opposing force such as a “baddie” or moral dilemma. Keep in mind that the good guy should always prevail. An awesome thing about children’s stories; magic is a legitimate solution to problems.

4.) Illustrations and artwork

Children’s books are mostly picture books or C&A. Depending on the age group, story line, and characters, the illustrations help set the tone of the book. Also, when writing shorter books with few words, illustrations help to fill in the story. Colorful, fun, animal pictures have more effect than black and white sketches or photography. Be sure to find an illustrator who conveys the story through their art as you want it to be seen. And, as with any project, there are going to be changes, so find an artist who is flexible.

5.) Read aloud

Story time is entertaining and reading aloud adds excitement, attitude and emotion. Children’s books often rhyme, but it isn’t mandatory. It’s important to have steady rhythm and cadence. Even syllables and sentence length make the book easier to read. The rhythm should also reflect what is happening in the story. For example, when there is an altercation between forces, the cadence should be quick and staccato. Whereas, a doggy napping with a kitty calls for a slow and calming rhythm. While writing and when finished, reading the story aloud helps to find the best rhythm and cadence.

These tips are to help you get your idea out of your brain and onto paper. Writing a great story for a child to explore is not as easy as it seems, but it’s worth the work. The next step of a great children’s book is getting it to the kids that want to read it. Bookemon is an online company for amateur authors that want their books to be read. Bookemon helps with the printing process and is a great company to get started with. So, when you finish writing that book, give ’em a try.

Suzan St Maur is the founder of HowToWriteBetter.net where she and some of the world’s top writing experts share articles and tutorials no writing professionally for any purpose.

Suzan enjoys consulting, writing, editing for and coaching clients as well as running her other business interests, writing her own books, blogs and articles, plus giving blogging workshops, radio interviews, etc., on how to make your writing more successful.

We recently checked in with her to get her advice on self-publishing. Here’s what she had to say:

You are quite a prolific author on a variety of topics. How do you decide what you’re going to write about?

I write about writing, across many genres. Needless to say I can’t write as an expert on everything so on my website I have guest contributors and columnists who share their expertise on topics like writing fiction, writing for job search, academic writing for students, etc., which complement my own writing which focuses on business, marketing, online content and general promotional activities.

On a more personal level I love writing humor and have had a few joke books published, one of which has been, on and off, an Amazon No. 1 category best seller for 14 years.

How has the self-publishing industry changed since you started your career?

It has emerged from the doldrums of “vanity publishing” to being a very viable business model for many authors worldwide, including me.

What are the advantages of self-publishing?

Freedom to make your own decisions on titles, formats, cover design, etc., which often are badly restricted by conventional trade publishers who are likely to have much less knowledge of marketing and promotion than authors like me.

If you play your cards right you can gain a much higher return on price per unit sold by self-publishing than you can with the conventional publishers.

What are the drawbacks?

Probably a less advantageous distribution element, especially if you write self-help and business books connected to your business. However that’s not so much of a problem if you get out there and promote your books yourself, and if you do speaking engagements on your topic you are likely to sell hard copies of your book in quite satisfactory numbers “back of room.”

To make a go of it, however, you do need to be good at promotion online and offline and need to invest some time and money into that.

What should writers look out for when seeking out reliable self-publishing tools like Bookemon?

They should look out for the scammers, of which there are thousands and thousands. I help other authors sometimes, as a coach, and am horrified at the stories I’m told about the cowboys out there taking advantage of wannabee authors … especially fiction authors. Not much has changed since the bad old days of vanity publishing.

What are the biggest lessons you’ve had to learn about the publishing process?

With traditional trade publishers:

They have very little ability in terms of marketing and publicity, unless you are likely to be a million seller in which case they draft in people who – at last – know what they’re doing.

I work in marketing and across all my books published by trade publishers (about 20) I have despaired at their naive lack of professionalism in marketing techniques.

That’s why I self-published my last book and intend to do the same with the next few.

With so-called self-publishing services:

Varied. There are some who are worthy of respect as they are honest but equally there are some who capitalize on wannabee authors’ – particularly fiction authors’ – desire to see their beloved works in print and are willing to be scalped stupid for the privilege.

What’s one writing tip you find yourself repeating over and over again?

Write as your audience speaks and in business, write only about what benefits there are here for you, the reader, i.e. what’s in it for you?

Start creating your book on Bookemon

Kids have amazing imaginations, but sometimes getting started with a writing assignment can be challenging. There is something about facing a blank page that seems to drain the creativity right of the classroom. Students often need a few inspirational or brainstorming ideas to get their writing efforts moving again in the right direction.

With a little inspiration, your students can expand and improve their creative writing skills.

But where do you begin? As an educator, you can teach them the mechanics of good writing, but creativity and choosing a topic is actually harder to cultivate. Want more detailed and articulate writing assignments from your students? Want their creative writing to blossom? First you must plant some seeds.

Brainstorming as a Cultivating Tool

Brainstorming is defined as, “A technique used to solve problems and encourage creativity in which members of a group share their ideas about a subject.” In other words, a perfect way to generate ideas for writing assignments in the classroom.

When faced with an assignment, students often lack one clear idea to focus on. They either can think of nothing to write about, or they have too many, unrelated ideas on their list. The solution?

One answer is to hold a brainstorming session, essentially a student activity designed to gather ideas that spark a more focused, creative direction for their writing. Get it started by asking students a few key questions about the assignment and how they envision it. If their story were to be turned into their own published book, what would the inside jacket cover say about the story?

According to an article on Eduguide.org, an inspirational starting point is to simply ask about the setting of your students’ stories. What would be a good setting or location? Have your students describe their favorite place on earth. Keep prompting students for full detail, including how the place makes them feel when they are there, what it looks like, what sounds they hear, and even what it smells like. This encourages those fine details. Keep asking for more specifics like:

• Who is the main character or focus of the story? What do they look like? What do they sound like?

• What is the time period of the story? Ask students to pick a date somewhere far in the future or past, and then pretend that they are in that time and describe what their day is like. What is school like in this time period? What is on the front page of the newspaper?

• Ask what is the message, challenge, or problem is that the story will share with its readers? How will it be solved?

Encourage students to share by setting up a group brainstorming session.

Here is how:

• Try having students brainstorm alone, then with a partner or a group setting. This demonstrates the benefit of listening to other people’s ideas and how it can help spark their own creativity.

• Set an expectation that students will come up with a set number of responses in a set amount of time to the basic questions.

• Encourage all ideas, even crazy ones, to be included.

• Collect all ideas for each group, then organize them into any obvious categories or by connections. One creative way to do this is to use a dry erase board and markers, write ideas on the board with colorful markers and then draw lines to connect the related ideas.

Students excel at writing when their imaginations and creativity are sparked, and getting started is often the biggest challenge. By posing questions that get them brainstorming, gathering ideas, and finding their focus, you provide the tools needed for them to begin writing with confidence.

Being a kid is something everyone remembers. First bike ride, learning to tie your shoes, or taking a family vacation are all nostalgic moments. One memory that may stick in your mind is the first story that made you laugh. Have you ever wanted to write your own funny take that will become someone else’s memory? Here are some tips to writing a funny story that will go on in time:

A good chuckle leaves a lasting impression.

1.) What do you remember?

Story time for children is a wonderful time for everyone. It helps to build a bond between parent and child and also enhances brain activity and mental development. There are millions of children’s books to read from at story time, but there is one that has never been heard or read yet. That’s because it hasn’t been written yet. Don’t hesitate and don’t be discouraged to put the pen to paper and start the next great story. With some imagination and a bit of direction, the next children’s book can be written. Here are 5 tips for writing a children’s book:

1.) Designate focus

Children’s books are all different and directed to particular age groups and sometimes genders. It’s important to designate the age group you want the book to focus towards. Is the book going to be directed toward girls or boys? Will it be a princess story or a tale of a basketball star? Some books include coloring pages and activities (C&A), so it needs to be considered if those will be added. Most children’s books are for audiences that don’t read well or read at all. The length of the book should stay under 1,000 words for fluidity and avoid unnecessary details.

2.) Research and read

There are many books at the library or book store that offer tips on writing and the publishing process. Bookemon.com offers a lot of help in the printing process and self-publishing. While you are spending time at the library, get to know the person in charge. They usually have knowledge of workshops and writing groups that improve writing skills and story development. Writing groups allow for open exchange of ideas and general knowledge. Always take advantage of resources and learn from fellow authors.

3.) Story, plot, and characters

Reverting back to your childhood is a great way to develop a plot for a story. What stories did you enjoy? Imagination is important, but always remember that a story needs to make sense. Create a hero or central character with a problem they must overcome either externally or internally. Every great story needs an opposing force such as a “baddie” or moral dilemma. Keep in mind that the good guy should always prevail. An awesome thing about children’s stories; magic is a legitimate solution to problems.

4.) Illustrations and artwork

Children’s books are mostly picture books or C&A. Depending on the age group, story line, and characters, the illustrations help set the tone of the book. Also, when writing shorter books with few words, illustrations help to fill in the story. Colorful, fun, animal pictures have more effect than black and white sketches or photography. Be sure to find an illustrator who conveys the story through their art as you want it to be seen. And, as with any project, there are going to be changes, so find an artist who is flexible.

5.) Read aloud

Story time is entertaining and reading aloud adds excitement, attitude and emotion. Children’s books often rhyme, but it isn’t mandatory. It’s important to have steady rhythm and cadence. Even syllables and sentence length make the book easier to read. The rhythm should also reflect what is happening in the story. For example, when there is an altercation between forces, the cadence should be quick and staccato. Whereas, a doggy napping with a kitty calls for a slow and calming rhythm. While writing and when finished, reading the story aloud helps to find the best rhythm and cadence.

These tips are to help you get your idea out of your brain and onto paper. Writing a great story for a child to explore is not as easy as it seems, but it’s worth the work. The next step of a great children’s book is getting it to the kids that want to read it. Bookemon is an online company for amateur authors that want their books to be read. Bookemon helps with the printing process and is a great company to get started with. So, when you finish writing that book, give ’em a try.