Theodore Jerome Cohen's Blog, page 13
February 14, 2017
Setting Key Words and Categories for Your Books
Setting the key words and categories for your books on Kindle Direct, CreateSpace, and Amazon.com is absolutely vital to ensuring you are found by your target audience.
Take my illustrated storybook Pepe Builds a Nest, for example. On the surface, it's about a penguin (Otto) who bullies a smaller penguin (Pepe) by stealing the stones Pepe is gathering for his nest. In the end, they become friends (with a little peer pressure applied on Otto by Pepe's friends). So, in one respect, the book is about Nature/Animals/Birds. On the other hand, it's really more about Friendship/Bullies. The latter categories figured larger in my decision regarding which categories to emphasize (at least for now). The decision was made by looking at other popular children's books of the same genre and observing how they were categorized on Amazon.com.
Scanning the rankings of books in the same genre as yours and noting the categories in which the books are listed can be vital in helping you slot your books in this highly competitive marketplace.
Take my illustrated storybook Pepe Builds a Nest, for example. On the surface, it's about a penguin (Otto) who bullies a smaller penguin (Pepe) by stealing the stones Pepe is gathering for his nest. In the end, they become friends (with a little peer pressure applied on Otto by Pepe's friends). So, in one respect, the book is about Nature/Animals/Birds. On the other hand, it's really more about Friendship/Bullies. The latter categories figured larger in my decision regarding which categories to emphasize (at least for now). The decision was made by looking at other popular children's books of the same genre and observing how they were categorized on Amazon.com.
Scanning the rankings of books in the same genre as yours and noting the categories in which the books are listed can be vital in helping you slot your books in this highly competitive marketplace.
February 8, 2017
New YouTube Video Review of "Pepe Builds a Nest"
Everybody knows that authors live or die by their reviews. So it was even more exciting when I received a review from a seven-year-old on my illustrated children's storybook Pepe Builds a Nest...not just any review, but a VIDEO review that incorporated an art project. See for yourself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxYow...
The ones at the end are, Pepe, Otto, Clyde and Claire.
https://www.theodore-cohen-novels.com...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxYow...
The ones at the end are, Pepe, Otto, Clyde and Claire.
https://www.theodore-cohen-novels.com...
January 30, 2017
Second New Illustrated Children's Storybook Now Available
Just a short note to announce the release of the SECOND book in my Stories for the Early Years series: Rufus Finds a Home.
It's not often one book inspires another; this book is the exception (at least in my experience). Here, a reviewer's son, who insisted she read Pepe Builds a Nest (Book 1 in my Stories for the Early Years series) before he went to sleep each night, asked for a story about "Rufus." Upon my asking who Rufus was, the response, simply, was: "He's a dog." Well, the boy's request was a tall order, indeed. There must me a million books out there (okay, perhaps tens of thousands) about dogs for young readers, so crafting something unique was a challenge. But then I recalled my daughter's adoption of a shelter dog. How did he get there? What was his backstory? We will never know. But in the case of Rufus, we know his aging owner, Charlie, is losing his memory and, no longer able to care for poor Rufus, much less himself, must move in with his daughter. What will happen to Rufus? Who will take care of him? And will Charlie and Rufus find happiness in the end? I think young readers--and those who read this story to them--will approve of the beautiful and touching story that unfolds in Rufus Finds a Home.
It's not often one book inspires another; this book is the exception (at least in my experience). Here, a reviewer's son, who insisted she read Pepe Builds a Nest (Book 1 in my Stories for the Early Years series) before he went to sleep each night, asked for a story about "Rufus." Upon my asking who Rufus was, the response, simply, was: "He's a dog." Well, the boy's request was a tall order, indeed. There must me a million books out there (okay, perhaps tens of thousands) about dogs for young readers, so crafting something unique was a challenge. But then I recalled my daughter's adoption of a shelter dog. How did he get there? What was his backstory? We will never know. But in the case of Rufus, we know his aging owner, Charlie, is losing his memory and, no longer able to care for poor Rufus, much less himself, must move in with his daughter. What will happen to Rufus? Who will take care of him? And will Charlie and Rufus find happiness in the end? I think young readers--and those who read this story to them--will approve of the beautiful and touching story that unfolds in Rufus Finds a Home.
January 24, 2017
An Illustrated Children's Storybook in a week (okay, maybe two)...
I can't tell you the number of women (sorry men...so far, none has indicated an interest) who, over the years, said they would love to write a children's book but simply didn't have the skills to illustrate one, much less publish the book they have in mind. I found the challenge daunting, as well, until late last year, during the holidays, when the idea struck me that instead of using an illustrator, I could use royalty-free art and digitally manipulate the material to achieve any effect I wanted.
I already knew the story I wanted to tell. It had to do with making correct decisions and standing up to bullies. My focus was on readers in the 1st and 2nd grades. Inspiration came from my experiences in Antarctica some 55 years earlier, when, on breaks in the field, I used to watch penguins stealing stones from one another to use in their own nests. Since you asked, the book is entitled Pepe Builds a Nest.
But the focus of this little discussion is to tell you how the book came together so quickly.
I write intuitively...which is to say, whether a novel or a children's book, I simply dive in and start writing. In the case of "Pepe," I started illustrating first. The key, basically, was to search my favorite royalty-free photo Website--Big Stock Photo--for pictures of penguins (and there were literally thousands to sift through!) that I could use to tell a story.
https://www.bigstockphoto.com/
Now, arguably, there are 17 different species of penguins, so it took some doing to assemble a good set of pictures in which the birds looked similar. However, I knew that with the help of Photoshop (and my daughter, in some cases), I could turn an Rockhopper into a Gentoo. Ditto an Adelie! From there, I decided to digitally alter the pictures so that they resembled colored pencil drawings:
http://funny.pho.to/color_pencil_draw...
The resulting pencil "drawings" had a bit of a dark edge to one side, but cropping with Photoshop took care of that problem.
After I had my illustrations, I laid them down on the EVEN pages (left-hand side) of an 8.5 x 8.5 book template and put the text on the right-hand side. (I used MS Word to create the book. BTW, I put some Wingdings on page 1 so that the first illustration appeared on p. 2. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.) For the font, I use Segoe Print 18 pt (though you could use Century Schoolbook Normal, if you wanted something more conventional). I decided to use verse as my way of conveying the message because it would be more interest and have a lyrical quality. The text came together in one day. Here's an example (though the font is fixed by this forum's protocols):
Pepe, the penguin, a bright lad of one,
looked up to the sky and welcomed the sun.
The long night was over, no time to rest.
It was time to rejoice and build his first nest.
From there, I had my wife, two daughters, two former elementary school educators, and my editor review the manuscript, with the admonition I need their input in three days. (My wife accuses me of asking why I haven't received something before having even asked her for it!). Being between Christmas and New Years, all met my target date. Then, the manuscript was modified and the first proofs rolled out of CreateSpace two days later. One more iteration to catch those nasty little errors that always seem to crop up, and the book went live on January 6, 2017. It's here on my Website:
https://www.theodore-cohen-novels.com...
One possible hitch you may run into is creating the pdf cover art for your book. Having done this multiple times for my novels, I've gotten it down to a science. But this is the one area you may need some help from CreateSpace or someone you know familiar with creating the needed cover art to spec. Not having to worry about a spine does help somewhat (just ad 0.1 inch to the width, given your book probably will be about 50 pages in length). And don't forget to leave room on the back cover for the ISBN barcode in the lower right-hand corner. BTW, I let CreateSpace provide the ISBN and chose extended distribution.
The book has received five 5-STAR Readers' Favorite reviews, the Pacific Book Review STAR Award, and very positive words from Feathered Quill Book Review (among other reviews).
Developing the Kindle edition took less than an hour. Using the new Kindle Direct Publishing platform, it was just a matter of dropping some of the front material, placing each text module above its associated illustration on a single page, and uploading the Word document. In less than a minute, the Kindle edition was ready for proofing on-line using three simulated eReaders. It could not be easier. And if you want to update your cover and/or text, just upload the new version. Approvals come within 24 hours. The same can be said of updating text and covers on CreateSpace.
I know the first-timer will have questions--and I'd be happy to answer those I can--but once you get into the swing of writing and illustrating children's books in this way, it could open a whole new world of writing to those who felt frustrated by what they thought were their limitations. The availability of royalty-free art at reasonable prices, together with the options available on-line for creating special effects, has the potential for turning all of us into "illustrators" of our own books. In the process, we may just discover new talents that have lain dormant for decades.
Ted
PS My youngest granddaughter will be reading "Pepe" to 20 kindergarten and first graders today as a special project on "cooperation and working together" for credit in one of her high school classes. The elementary school teacher with whom she is working was "blown away" (to quote my granddaughter) by "Pepe."
I already knew the story I wanted to tell. It had to do with making correct decisions and standing up to bullies. My focus was on readers in the 1st and 2nd grades. Inspiration came from my experiences in Antarctica some 55 years earlier, when, on breaks in the field, I used to watch penguins stealing stones from one another to use in their own nests. Since you asked, the book is entitled Pepe Builds a Nest.
But the focus of this little discussion is to tell you how the book came together so quickly.
I write intuitively...which is to say, whether a novel or a children's book, I simply dive in and start writing. In the case of "Pepe," I started illustrating first. The key, basically, was to search my favorite royalty-free photo Website--Big Stock Photo--for pictures of penguins (and there were literally thousands to sift through!) that I could use to tell a story.
https://www.bigstockphoto.com/
Now, arguably, there are 17 different species of penguins, so it took some doing to assemble a good set of pictures in which the birds looked similar. However, I knew that with the help of Photoshop (and my daughter, in some cases), I could turn an Rockhopper into a Gentoo. Ditto an Adelie! From there, I decided to digitally alter the pictures so that they resembled colored pencil drawings:
http://funny.pho.to/color_pencil_draw...
The resulting pencil "drawings" had a bit of a dark edge to one side, but cropping with Photoshop took care of that problem.
After I had my illustrations, I laid them down on the EVEN pages (left-hand side) of an 8.5 x 8.5 book template and put the text on the right-hand side. (I used MS Word to create the book. BTW, I put some Wingdings on page 1 so that the first illustration appeared on p. 2. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.) For the font, I use Segoe Print 18 pt (though you could use Century Schoolbook Normal, if you wanted something more conventional). I decided to use verse as my way of conveying the message because it would be more interest and have a lyrical quality. The text came together in one day. Here's an example (though the font is fixed by this forum's protocols):
Pepe, the penguin, a bright lad of one,
looked up to the sky and welcomed the sun.
The long night was over, no time to rest.
It was time to rejoice and build his first nest.
From there, I had my wife, two daughters, two former elementary school educators, and my editor review the manuscript, with the admonition I need their input in three days. (My wife accuses me of asking why I haven't received something before having even asked her for it!). Being between Christmas and New Years, all met my target date. Then, the manuscript was modified and the first proofs rolled out of CreateSpace two days later. One more iteration to catch those nasty little errors that always seem to crop up, and the book went live on January 6, 2017. It's here on my Website:
https://www.theodore-cohen-novels.com...
One possible hitch you may run into is creating the pdf cover art for your book. Having done this multiple times for my novels, I've gotten it down to a science. But this is the one area you may need some help from CreateSpace or someone you know familiar with creating the needed cover art to spec. Not having to worry about a spine does help somewhat (just ad 0.1 inch to the width, given your book probably will be about 50 pages in length). And don't forget to leave room on the back cover for the ISBN barcode in the lower right-hand corner. BTW, I let CreateSpace provide the ISBN and chose extended distribution.
The book has received five 5-STAR Readers' Favorite reviews, the Pacific Book Review STAR Award, and very positive words from Feathered Quill Book Review (among other reviews).
Developing the Kindle edition took less than an hour. Using the new Kindle Direct Publishing platform, it was just a matter of dropping some of the front material, placing each text module above its associated illustration on a single page, and uploading the Word document. In less than a minute, the Kindle edition was ready for proofing on-line using three simulated eReaders. It could not be easier. And if you want to update your cover and/or text, just upload the new version. Approvals come within 24 hours. The same can be said of updating text and covers on CreateSpace.
I know the first-timer will have questions--and I'd be happy to answer those I can--but once you get into the swing of writing and illustrating children's books in this way, it could open a whole new world of writing to those who felt frustrated by what they thought were their limitations. The availability of royalty-free art at reasonable prices, together with the options available on-line for creating special effects, has the potential for turning all of us into "illustrators" of our own books. In the process, we may just discover new talents that have lain dormant for decades.
Ted
PS My youngest granddaughter will be reading "Pepe" to 20 kindergarten and first graders today as a special project on "cooperation and working together" for credit in one of her high school classes. The elementary school teacher with whom she is working was "blown away" (to quote my granddaughter) by "Pepe."
January 6, 2017
New Illustrated Children's Book Now Available
Just a short note to celebrate the release of my new illustrated storybook for children, Pepe Builds a Nest.
This is a wonderful story about making the right choices and dealing with bullies!
Pepe, the penguin, needs to build a nest for Miss Amber and him. But Otto, the bully, keeps stealing his stones. See how Pepe and others solve the problem, finally bringing Pepe and Otto together as friends.
The Kindle edition can be found at:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAQ9IDZ
The paperback edition is here:
https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/b...
Enjoy!
This is a wonderful story about making the right choices and dealing with bullies!
Pepe, the penguin, needs to build a nest for Miss Amber and him. But Otto, the bully, keeps stealing his stones. See how Pepe and others solve the problem, finally bringing Pepe and Otto together as friends.
The Kindle edition can be found at:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAQ9IDZ
The paperback edition is here:
https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/b...
Enjoy!
November 25, 2016
New Book of Short Stories Now Available for Pre-Order
The Kindle edition of The Road Less Taken , Book 2, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. You can find information on the book at:
https://www.theodore-cohen-novels.com...
and
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSO1LND
To get a taste of what awaits you in this new collection of unusual stories, take a look at this example:
https://www.theodore-cohen-novels.com...
https://www.theodore-cohen-novels.com...
and
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSO1LND
To get a taste of what awaits you in this new collection of unusual stories, take a look at this example:
https://www.theodore-cohen-novels.com...
May 30, 2016
Speaking engagement in August, 2016
I'll be speaking at the old Victorian library that is home to the Historic Langhorne Association, W. Maple and Hill Avenues, Langhorne, PA, on August 9th at 7:30 p.m., ET. Titled "It's a Mystery!", join me as I share how I'm able to mix fiction with reality in ways even my family and friends haven't been able to unravel!
April 3, 2016
Interview in the LANGHORNE (PA) LEDGER
Just a short note to mention the interview with me conducted by Ms. Gina Vitolo-Stevens that was published in the Langhorne (PA) Ledger on March 29, 2016.
Among other things, I'm especially proud of the work Ms. Vitolo-Stevens cited that I'm doing with the Neshaminy (Bucks County, PA) High School 9th grade classes, where I've already given 11 sessions on mystery writing. Importantly, the mystery/thriller The Hypnotist, which I wrote under the pen name "Alyssa Devine" was selected by that school to replace Witness for the Prosecution in the school's Core Genre (Mystery) Reading Program.
Among other things, I'm especially proud of the work Ms. Vitolo-Stevens cited that I'm doing with the Neshaminy (Bucks County, PA) High School 9th grade classes, where I've already given 11 sessions on mystery writing. Importantly, the mystery/thriller The Hypnotist, which I wrote under the pen name "Alyssa Devine" was selected by that school to replace Witness for the Prosecution in the school's Core Genre (Mystery) Reading Program.
March 11, 2016
Special Edition of The Hypnotist Featured in University of Wisconsin-Madison Publication
The Special Edition of the YA mystery/thriller The Hypnotist (which is a paperback edition for readers with dyslexia) was featured in the "Diversions" column of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Spring 2016 edition of On Wisconsin. Regular Kindle and paperback editions of the book also are available. The novel is a mystery thriller written under the name "Alyssa Devine," the pen name I use for Young Adult (YA) novels.
For more information on the novel, including information on all three editions (Kindle, Regular, and Special), see:
http://alyssadevinenovels.com/thehypn...
For more information on the novel, including information on all three editions (Kindle, Regular, and Special), see:
http://alyssadevinenovels.com/thehypn...
February 18, 2016
Kindle Upgrade May Provide You With OpenDyslexic Typeface
Yesterday (February 17, 2016) we received notice that my wife’s Kindle Fire software needed updating. So, we plugged it in and let it run according to the manufacturer’s instructions so that the updated software could be downloaded to the device.
In looking through some details regarding the upgrades on Amazon’s Website, I chanced to see that for the Kindle Voyage, for example, the software updates now provided the OpenDyslexic typeface as a new option. (see the text below).
Whether or not this option is available on other devices I don’t know…users would have to check their specific Kindles following the update to determine if this option has been enabled. But at the least, Amazon has “heard” the dyslexic community’s cry for help…and responded! Thank you, Amazon!!!
Theodore Jerome Cohen
Kindle Voyage (7th Generation) Software Updates
The latest software version for Kindle Voyage (7th Generation) is 5.7.2.1. This update automatically downloads and installs on your Kindle Voyage when connected wirelessly; however, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.
The software update includes general improvements and the following new features:
• A new Home screen layout, which features access to your recent books, your Reading List on Goodreads, and personalized recommendations from the Kindle Store.
• A new Book Recommendations feature that allows you to choose your favorite genres and rate books you've already enjoyed to see a list of recommended titles.
• A new Quick Actions menu that allows you to quickly turn on Airplane Mode, sync your Kindle, manage your light settings, and more.
• OpenDyslexic font, an open source font that some dyslexic readers may prefer.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custome...
Original e-mail received by T. Cohen on Wednesday, February 17, 2016, from Amazon:
Your Kindle Keyboard (3rd Generation) requires an important software update to continue downloading e-books and using Kindle services.
This important update applies to Kindle e-readers released prior to 2014. Visit our Help page for a complete list of impacted devices.
To receive the update, follow these steps:
• Plug your Kindle in to charge during the update.
• Connect to Wi-Fi.
• From the Home screen of your Kindle, select Menu or tap the Menu icon. Then choose Sync and Check for Items.
• Leave your Kindle connected to both power and Wi-Fi overnight, or until the update is complete.
The software update will download and install automatically, even if your device is asleep. Your device may restart multiple times during the update process. You will get a final confirmation letter on your device when the update is complete, which can be found in your Kindle Library.
If you do not update the device software by March 22, 2016, you will no longer be able to access Kindle services or get the update via Wi-Fi. To resume access, you will need to manually update the software on your Kindle. Please visit our Help page for more details on how to update manually.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I no longer have or use my Kindle e-reader?
If you no longer have or use your Kindle e-reader, deregister it from your account today.
First, go to www.amazon.com/mycd and log into your Amazon account. Click on the Your Devices tab and select the Kindle e-reader you want to deregister. Click Deregister.
How do I connect to Wi-Fi?
You can find out more about connecting to Wi-Fi on our Help page.
How can I get help updating my Kindle e-reader?
For more information, visit our Help page.
Thank you for reading with Kindle, and be sure to connect your device to Wi-Fi regularly to receive all future software updates.
Sincerely,
The Amazon Kindle Team
© 2016 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Amazon, the Amazon logo, Kindle, and Prime are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Amazon.com, 410 Terry Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109-5210.
In looking through some details regarding the upgrades on Amazon’s Website, I chanced to see that for the Kindle Voyage, for example, the software updates now provided the OpenDyslexic typeface as a new option. (see the text below).
Whether or not this option is available on other devices I don’t know…users would have to check their specific Kindles following the update to determine if this option has been enabled. But at the least, Amazon has “heard” the dyslexic community’s cry for help…and responded! Thank you, Amazon!!!
Theodore Jerome Cohen
Kindle Voyage (7th Generation) Software Updates
The latest software version for Kindle Voyage (7th Generation) is 5.7.2.1. This update automatically downloads and installs on your Kindle Voyage when connected wirelessly; however, you can also manually download the software and transfer the update to your device via USB cable.
The software update includes general improvements and the following new features:
• A new Home screen layout, which features access to your recent books, your Reading List on Goodreads, and personalized recommendations from the Kindle Store.
• A new Book Recommendations feature that allows you to choose your favorite genres and rate books you've already enjoyed to see a list of recommended titles.
• A new Quick Actions menu that allows you to quickly turn on Airplane Mode, sync your Kindle, manage your light settings, and more.
• OpenDyslexic font, an open source font that some dyslexic readers may prefer.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custome...
Original e-mail received by T. Cohen on Wednesday, February 17, 2016, from Amazon:
Your Kindle Keyboard (3rd Generation) requires an important software update to continue downloading e-books and using Kindle services.
This important update applies to Kindle e-readers released prior to 2014. Visit our Help page for a complete list of impacted devices.
To receive the update, follow these steps:
• Plug your Kindle in to charge during the update.
• Connect to Wi-Fi.
• From the Home screen of your Kindle, select Menu or tap the Menu icon. Then choose Sync and Check for Items.
• Leave your Kindle connected to both power and Wi-Fi overnight, or until the update is complete.
The software update will download and install automatically, even if your device is asleep. Your device may restart multiple times during the update process. You will get a final confirmation letter on your device when the update is complete, which can be found in your Kindle Library.
If you do not update the device software by March 22, 2016, you will no longer be able to access Kindle services or get the update via Wi-Fi. To resume access, you will need to manually update the software on your Kindle. Please visit our Help page for more details on how to update manually.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I no longer have or use my Kindle e-reader?
If you no longer have or use your Kindle e-reader, deregister it from your account today.
First, go to www.amazon.com/mycd and log into your Amazon account. Click on the Your Devices tab and select the Kindle e-reader you want to deregister. Click Deregister.
How do I connect to Wi-Fi?
You can find out more about connecting to Wi-Fi on our Help page.
How can I get help updating my Kindle e-reader?
For more information, visit our Help page.
Thank you for reading with Kindle, and be sure to connect your device to Wi-Fi regularly to receive all future software updates.
Sincerely,
The Amazon Kindle Team
© 2016 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Amazon, the Amazon logo, Kindle, and Prime are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Amazon.com, 410 Terry Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109-5210.
