Deana J. Driver's Blog, page 19
May 2, 2013
A Draw to Thank My Blog Readers!
Yahoo! Yippee! This little blog of mine that began in July 2011 has just surpassed 9,000 page views!
I have no idea if that is a puny number or not in the world of bloggers, but I'm going to celebrate anyway - by GIVING AWAY A BOOK!
No, WAIT! I'm going to GIVE AWAY TWO BOOKS!
Post a comment on this blog before May 15th and you will be entered into the draw to win one of these two great books published by DriverWorks Ink:
SuperMom and the Big Baby by Dave Driver
Illustrated by Guy Laird
Incorporating the amusing ramblings of his sleep-talking wife into the story, author Dave Driver has written a whimsical children’s book for all ages.
Easton is a ‘big’ little boy with a bit of a temper. One day, after a disagreement with his brother Cooper, a strange thing happens. Easton begins to grow … and grow … and GROW! As he bursts through the roof of the house and runs down the street to terrorize the neighbourhood, his worried family wonders how to get their Big Baby back … back to the house and back down to his ‘normal’ size again. Suddenly, it’s SuperMom to the rescue! In the end, only a mother’s love can save the day.
The phrases spoken by SuperMom in the book are phrases actually spoken by Dave Driver's wife while she was sleeping! A fun book for the whole family, but especially for children ages 2 to 9!
Never Leave Your Wingman: Dionne and Graham Warner's Story of Hope
by Deana J. Driver (that's me!)
Dionne Warner is a fun-loving seven-time cancer survivor who, along with her devoted humour-filled husband Graham, has danced into her weekly chemo treatments in Regina, Saskatchewan in costume – bringing laughter and hope to everyone she's met. When Dionne was diagnosed in 2001 with her third cancer, she told Graham (her then-fiancé) he did not have to marry her ... she would return home to Toronto, Ontario. An experienced pilot, Graham quickly replied, “You never leave your wingman.” Since then, they have battled her cancers head-on together, with humour, courage and a zest for life. This is an inspiring true story and a lesson in love.
So go ahead - post a comment below to enter your name to win one of these great books!
Good luck!
P.S. These two books would make great Mother's Day gifts, along with some of our other titles: The Little Coat and Letters to Jennifer in particular. See all our books at www.driverworks.ca
April 25, 2013
Another Day, Another Donut
I'm heading to the Pasqua Hospital in Regina, Saskatchewan this morning. Not because I'm sick, but because I'm meeting the inspiring eight-time cancer survivor Dionne Warner, the subject of my book
Never Leave Your Wingman
.
About once a month, Dionne and I sign books in the foyer of the hospital, just in front of the Gift Shop (which sells the book for us) and across the aisle from the Robin's Donut coffee shop. We meet all variety of wonderful people - including cancer survivors, their spouses and friends and family members, Allan Blair Cancer Centre staff, hospital staff, folks going to the hospital for health reasons or to visit... plus random strangers who quickly become friends.
It's always a fun time. It can't help but be fun when you're hanging out with Dionne Warner. She just makes EVERYTHING fun!
On one occasion, we were laughing so loud and so long as we signed books and visited with folks that two staff members from the Robin's Donuts shop came over to see what was going on.
So come by to say 'Hi' today. We're there from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
We won't buy you a donut, but we will give yo a hug. Hugs Are Free - and they don't go to your hips!
Here's Dionne and me - in February at a Pasqua Hospital gift shop signing
About once a month, Dionne and I sign books in the foyer of the hospital, just in front of the Gift Shop (which sells the book for us) and across the aisle from the Robin's Donut coffee shop. We meet all variety of wonderful people - including cancer survivors, their spouses and friends and family members, Allan Blair Cancer Centre staff, hospital staff, folks going to the hospital for health reasons or to visit... plus random strangers who quickly become friends.
It's always a fun time. It can't help but be fun when you're hanging out with Dionne Warner. She just makes EVERYTHING fun!
On one occasion, we were laughing so loud and so long as we signed books and visited with folks that two staff members from the Robin's Donuts shop came over to see what was going on.
So come by to say 'Hi' today. We're there from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
We won't buy you a donut, but we will give yo a hug. Hugs Are Free - and they don't go to your hips!
Here's Dionne and me - in February at a Pasqua Hospital gift shop signingApril 18, 2013
Unforgettable stories of unforgettable people
A journalist's job is to interview various people, tell the stories of those subjects and then forget about them - or at least set the thoughts of those subjects aside for a while - and move on to the next story.
But there are some people who are very difficult to forget.
These are the people who belong in books.
They are the Dionne Warners, Bob Elliotts, Walter D. Williams's and Colette Bourgonjes of the world.
They are the people who inspire, give others hope, continuously lend a hand and who deserve our attention and admiration.
We are proud to share the stories of some of these unique individuals - especially those named above. All of them are unsung Canadian heroes in their own right.
We invite you to purchase our books about these amazing people and, at your own pace, do as they did in the old days and:
"Read All About It!"
But there are some people who are very difficult to forget.
These are the people who belong in books.
They are the Dionne Warners, Bob Elliotts, Walter D. Williams's and Colette Bourgonjes of the world.
They are the people who inspire, give others hope, continuously lend a hand and who deserve our attention and admiration.
We are proud to share the stories of some of these unique individuals - especially those named above. All of them are unsung Canadian heroes in their own right.
We invite you to purchase our books about these amazing people and, at your own pace, do as they did in the old days and:
"Read All About It!"
April 10, 2013
Day of Pink - Anti-Bullying
Today is the Day of Pink - raising awareness about anti-bullying. I wore pink today while I worked on new and existing books projects and such...
But our youngest daughter Dani said it best. She is a school teacher, a humanitarian and a talented singer as well (especially when she is not fighting a spring cold).
We invite you to visit her blog post and see why we are so proud of her on this Day of Pink: http://theotherdani.blogspot.ca/2013/04/day-of-pink-anti-bullying-day.html
But our youngest daughter Dani said it best. She is a school teacher, a humanitarian and a talented singer as well (especially when she is not fighting a spring cold).
We invite you to visit her blog post and see why we are so proud of her on this Day of Pink: http://theotherdani.blogspot.ca/2013/04/day-of-pink-anti-bullying-day.html
April 2, 2013
Spring Brings New Book Ideas
For the purposes of this blog post, I am going to try to ignore the obvious contradictions between the weather outside...
(too much snow - and don't get me started on the worries about flooding!)
...and the calendar...
(where did March go already?)
...and concentrate instead on the concept that It's Spring!
For us, Spring means a new start outside as well as inside - with a major focus on new books for the coming year.
In the past couple of weeks, we have met three or four new aspiring authors who have asked many questions about self-publishing their books through DriverWorks Ink. A couple of these would-be authors have already given us samples of their manuscripts and asked for our advice and possible assistance in turning their work into quality books that we think you will be interested in reading. And if I say so myself, the bits I've read so far look very promising!
We're taking a couple of those manuscripts with us this weekend as we travel to North Battleford, SK for our next trade show. So if there is a lull at the Agri-Mex show (this Thursday & Friday, April 4 & 5, Noon - 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m), or just enough traffic to keep Al busy and me otherwise occupied, you might see me engrossed in the words on my laptop.
Feel free to bring us your book ideas, too. The more, the merrier - for all of our readers!
We hope to see you in the Battlefords this weekend. Take care!
(too much snow - and don't get me started on the worries about flooding!)
...and the calendar...
(where did March go already?)...and concentrate instead on the concept that It's Spring!
For us, Spring means a new start outside as well as inside - with a major focus on new books for the coming year.
In the past couple of weeks, we have met three or four new aspiring authors who have asked many questions about self-publishing their books through DriverWorks Ink. A couple of these would-be authors have already given us samples of their manuscripts and asked for our advice and possible assistance in turning their work into quality books that we think you will be interested in reading. And if I say so myself, the bits I've read so far look very promising!
We're taking a couple of those manuscripts with us this weekend as we travel to North Battleford, SK for our next trade show. So if there is a lull at the Agri-Mex show (this Thursday & Friday, April 4 & 5, Noon - 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m), or just enough traffic to keep Al busy and me otherwise occupied, you might see me engrossed in the words on my laptop.
Feel free to bring us your book ideas, too. The more, the merrier - for all of our readers!
We hope to see you in the Battlefords this weekend. Take care!
March 25, 2013
Six People Sit Down in Brandon...
Six people sit down for supper. Four are from Saskatchewan, one is from Manitoba and one lives in Ontario. They had not met each other before that night but were soon laughing and teasing as if they'd known each other for years.
Two are book publishers - that would be us. Two show off their race car that has a jet engine propelled by canola-based biodiesel fuel. The Manitoba man sells massage chairs. The Ontario women sells padded mattresses for horses.
What a unique combination of individuals - all of whom met at the 'Welcome Supper' provided for exhibitors and vendors at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon.
Not only can you meet great people at this six-day ag show and trade fair, but you can see so many fascinating things. Here are some of the sights I saw by the end of Day One:
We've arrived at our destination - Keystone Centre in Brandon, Manitoba. Signs announce the six-day fair.
This building caught our attention early.
It's Display Building No. 11 and part of a major restoration program.
We're all ready to go - in a roomy corner booth #3 in the UCT Pavillion. We have 15 Saskatchewan and Prairie books for sale (11 are true stories, 2 are Prairie humour and 2 are children's stories). We've also fielded questions already from a couple authors who are thinking of self-publishing their books. Come see us if you're planning on attending the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair this week. We'll be at our booth from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day this week. The show ends on Saturday, March 30.
Allow us to introduce you to our supper companions and newfound friends. Above is Kevin and Gwen Therres of Prairieland Motorsports of Humboldt, Saskatchewan - just a bit northwest of our home in Regina. Kevin is a mechanic. He and Gwen travel a lot to display their race car with a jet engine that sits RIGHT BESIDE THE DRIVER! Kevin tells us he has to wear five layers of clothing to ward off the heat from the engine that can go from 0 to 250 miles per hour in a quarter of a mile. Impressive.
This is Clayton Cracklen, CEO (Chief Euphoria Officer) of The Electrik Chair Ultimate Massage, from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Clay has quite a sense of humour (as you can tell from his job title) and he is spending his time at the fair inviting unsuspecting - and some even willing - customers to take a load off and check out the relief provided by the Ultimate Massage Chair. And no, you won't get an electric shock if you sit in the chair. It's a clever play on words - kind of like DriverWorks Ink.
And this young woman (doing her best impression of Vanna White from Wheel of Fortune) is Lisa Huber, the Kitchener, Ontario, resident who spends her days selling an exceptionally comfy mattress for horses. That's right - a mattress for horses! The Promat company has a mattress for cows, too, but that is for another show apparently. If you stop by Lisa's booth, you will be invited to not just step on the mattress, but to stand on it with both feet. That's the best way to feel the effect of the padding, which can lead to a happier and more productive horse, we're told. You learn something new every day. And here are some other sights from Day One:
Manitoba dairy cattle.
The University of Saskatchewan's Veterinary College offered the chance to learn about some animal parts. Visitors to the Fair can also see...
...chickens...
...sheep...
..a Percheron horse named Cooper...
...a Clydesdale, I think...
...baby chicks...
...a horse and buggy making its way into a show ring...
...animal pelts at the Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship booth...
...trucks and other pieces of machinery...
...saddles...
...and, of course, cowboy hats.
The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair officially kicked off in the Westman Centre (above and below).
So come say, 'Hi!' We'll see you there!
Two are book publishers - that would be us. Two show off their race car that has a jet engine propelled by canola-based biodiesel fuel. The Manitoba man sells massage chairs. The Ontario women sells padded mattresses for horses.
What a unique combination of individuals - all of whom met at the 'Welcome Supper' provided for exhibitors and vendors at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon.
Not only can you meet great people at this six-day ag show and trade fair, but you can see so many fascinating things. Here are some of the sights I saw by the end of Day One:
We've arrived at our destination - Keystone Centre in Brandon, Manitoba. Signs announce the six-day fair.
This building caught our attention early.
It's Display Building No. 11 and part of a major restoration program. 
We're all ready to go - in a roomy corner booth #3 in the UCT Pavillion. We have 15 Saskatchewan and Prairie books for sale (11 are true stories, 2 are Prairie humour and 2 are children's stories). We've also fielded questions already from a couple authors who are thinking of self-publishing their books. Come see us if you're planning on attending the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair this week. We'll be at our booth from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day this week. The show ends on Saturday, March 30.
Allow us to introduce you to our supper companions and newfound friends. Above is Kevin and Gwen Therres of Prairieland Motorsports of Humboldt, Saskatchewan - just a bit northwest of our home in Regina. Kevin is a mechanic. He and Gwen travel a lot to display their race car with a jet engine that sits RIGHT BESIDE THE DRIVER! Kevin tells us he has to wear five layers of clothing to ward off the heat from the engine that can go from 0 to 250 miles per hour in a quarter of a mile. Impressive.
This is Clayton Cracklen, CEO (Chief Euphoria Officer) of The Electrik Chair Ultimate Massage, from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Clay has quite a sense of humour (as you can tell from his job title) and he is spending his time at the fair inviting unsuspecting - and some even willing - customers to take a load off and check out the relief provided by the Ultimate Massage Chair. And no, you won't get an electric shock if you sit in the chair. It's a clever play on words - kind of like DriverWorks Ink. 
And this young woman (doing her best impression of Vanna White from Wheel of Fortune) is Lisa Huber, the Kitchener, Ontario, resident who spends her days selling an exceptionally comfy mattress for horses. That's right - a mattress for horses! The Promat company has a mattress for cows, too, but that is for another show apparently. If you stop by Lisa's booth, you will be invited to not just step on the mattress, but to stand on it with both feet. That's the best way to feel the effect of the padding, which can lead to a happier and more productive horse, we're told. You learn something new every day. And here are some other sights from Day One:
Manitoba dairy cattle. 
The University of Saskatchewan's Veterinary College offered the chance to learn about some animal parts. Visitors to the Fair can also see...
...chickens...
...sheep...
..a Percheron horse named Cooper...
...a Clydesdale, I think...
...baby chicks...
...a horse and buggy making its way into a show ring...
...animal pelts at the Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship booth...
...trucks and other pieces of machinery...
...saddles...
...and, of course, cowboy hats.
The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair officially kicked off in the Westman Centre (above and below). 
So come say, 'Hi!' We'll see you there! March 19, 2013
Pobody's Nerfect #3
Here's the third instalment of Pobody's Nerfect, my ongoing list of common typos and errors that we see in manuscripts and published works. Some of these errors are ones that I have made and continue to make - thus the Pobody's Nerfect title. The human brain is a stubborn creature of habit at times and we are all flawed, so we need to get over it and do our best to keep our errors at a minimum and our consistency in writing at a maximum.
Pay attention to the errors you routinely make. They are easier to spot and correct that way.
Since the stories I write and the books we publish are primarily for Canadian audiences, we use the Oxford Canadian Dictionary and Canadian Press Caps and Spelling as our resources. In general, we use the first version of a word shown in the dictionary. Thus, we use 'instalment' instead of the 'two-l' version 'installment' that is 'also' acceptable in the Oxford Canadian Dictionary.
So here we go with more common typos and errors:
- storey versus story. A house has two storeys. A book is a story.
- your versus you're. Your is the possessive, describing something that belongs to you. You're is the contraction of 'you are', with the apostrophe taking the place of the letter 'a' in you are. You're the writer of this sentence about your life.
- site versus sight. Site is a location - a place you visit physically or on the Internet. (With today's text messaging, Twitter and other methods aimed at shortening language, it is easy to make this mistake.) A sight has several meanings including the act of seeing or something you saw with your eyes. The site of the plane crash was a sight for my eyes.
- to versus too. Both words have several meanings, which does make their correct usage even more confusing. These are two examples: The preposition 'to' is used to express what is reached, as in, 'We are going from here to the school.' The adverb 'too' is often used to state 'to a greater extent than is desirable' or to state 'in addition, also' - as in, 'There are too many people going with you but I want to go, too.'
This brings up another common error which may be disputed by other editors and writers. I prefer that a comma be inserted before the word 'too'. Some editors think a comma is unnecessary. So why don't you choose your method, then see what your editor prefers?
And finally, my Pobody's Nerfect Correction of the Day.
One particular job title that seems to be popular in our region of the country - but is inaccurate - is that of 'Volunteer Coordinator'. This job title refers to the individual who coordinates the folks who volunteer for that organization. Since this is a full-time paid position (I have to look 'full-time' up in the dictionary every time I use it) and not a volunteer position, it would be more accurate - and I suggest more appealing to potential staff - to rename that job title as 'Coordinator of Volunteers'. What do you think?
So there you have it for now.
Happy writing and editing!
See Pobody's Nerfect and Pobody's Nerfect #2 posts.
Pay attention to the errors you routinely make. They are easier to spot and correct that way.
Since the stories I write and the books we publish are primarily for Canadian audiences, we use the Oxford Canadian Dictionary and Canadian Press Caps and Spelling as our resources. In general, we use the first version of a word shown in the dictionary. Thus, we use 'instalment' instead of the 'two-l' version 'installment' that is 'also' acceptable in the Oxford Canadian Dictionary.
So here we go with more common typos and errors:
- storey versus story. A house has two storeys. A book is a story.
- your versus you're. Your is the possessive, describing something that belongs to you. You're is the contraction of 'you are', with the apostrophe taking the place of the letter 'a' in you are. You're the writer of this sentence about your life.
- site versus sight. Site is a location - a place you visit physically or on the Internet. (With today's text messaging, Twitter and other methods aimed at shortening language, it is easy to make this mistake.) A sight has several meanings including the act of seeing or something you saw with your eyes. The site of the plane crash was a sight for my eyes.
- to versus too. Both words have several meanings, which does make their correct usage even more confusing. These are two examples: The preposition 'to' is used to express what is reached, as in, 'We are going from here to the school.' The adverb 'too' is often used to state 'to a greater extent than is desirable' or to state 'in addition, also' - as in, 'There are too many people going with you but I want to go, too.'
This brings up another common error which may be disputed by other editors and writers. I prefer that a comma be inserted before the word 'too'. Some editors think a comma is unnecessary. So why don't you choose your method, then see what your editor prefers?
And finally, my Pobody's Nerfect Correction of the Day.
One particular job title that seems to be popular in our region of the country - but is inaccurate - is that of 'Volunteer Coordinator'. This job title refers to the individual who coordinates the folks who volunteer for that organization. Since this is a full-time paid position (I have to look 'full-time' up in the dictionary every time I use it) and not a volunteer position, it would be more accurate - and I suggest more appealing to potential staff - to rename that job title as 'Coordinator of Volunteers'. What do you think?
So there you have it for now.
Happy writing and editing!
See Pobody's Nerfect and Pobody's Nerfect #2 posts.
March 13, 2013
Q & A About Self-Publishing
At a recent workshop on self-publishing, I spoke about the steps involved in publishing a book and our services in helping authors to self-publish their manuscripts. The audience was attentive and anxious to learn more about the process. They asked numerous questions related to their own particular projects and to self-publishing in general. Here's a selection of their questions and my answers:
Q - What does it cost?A - In general, it costs from $5,000 to $10,000 to self-publish a book. The cost varies depending on the length of the book, the amount of editing and layout required, the number of images included, whether printing colour or only black and white, and the number of copies printed.
Q - Do I need an ISBN?A - Yes. Each individual book needs its own International Standard Book Number. In Canada, you can obtain an ISBN for free from Library and Archives Canada.
Q - How do I create a bar code?A - The printer can create a bar code for your book at the printing stage, based on your ISBN.
Q - How much should I charge for my book?A - We advise authors to visit a book store and look at books similar to theirs for ideas on size and pricing.
Q - What about copyright? Do I need a copyright certificate?A - Anyone who writes a book in Canada is automatically protected by copyright, but copyright certificates can be purchased from the Canadian Intellectual Property Act.
Q - What does it cost?A - In general, it costs from $5,000 to $10,000 to self-publish a book. The cost varies depending on the length of the book, the amount of editing and layout required, the number of images included, whether printing colour or only black and white, and the number of copies printed.
Q - Do I need an ISBN?A - Yes. Each individual book needs its own International Standard Book Number. In Canada, you can obtain an ISBN for free from Library and Archives Canada.
Q - How do I create a bar code?A - The printer can create a bar code for your book at the printing stage, based on your ISBN.
Q - How much should I charge for my book?A - We advise authors to visit a book store and look at books similar to theirs for ideas on size and pricing.
Q - What about copyright? Do I need a copyright certificate?A - Anyone who writes a book in Canada is automatically protected by copyright, but copyright certificates can be purchased from the Canadian Intellectual Property Act.
March 5, 2013
Trade Shows, Here We Come!
One of the most rewarding venues we have found to introduce our Prairie books to potential readers is through trade shows. Since 2009, we have set up our booth at numerous shows in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and met hundreds of avid readers, many of whom have become loyal, repeat customers. We have also met would-be authors at these shows and worked with them to improve their manuscripts and get them ready for publication.
Here are some snapshots of recent trade shows as well as a list of where we'll be in the next few weeks.
North Battleford Agri-Mex - 2012
Nipawin Lions show 2012
Outdoors on the main street of Mortlach, Saskatchewan, for their annual Saskatoon Berry Festival 2012
The overall view of Fall Into Christmas 2012 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan
We laugh - routinely and often - with the folks who stop at our booth.
Enough said.
(This funny sign was at one of the Swift Current booths across from us.)
We're ready to go at the 2012 Scattered Seeds show, in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
We love telling people about our books.
Here is where you can find us over the next few months: Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 17 : What Women Want Regina trade show, Conexus Arts Centre, Regina SK. DriverWorks Ink booth is one level up from the open-area Show Stage. Friday, March 15, 4 pm-10 pm; Saturday, March 16, 11 am - 10 pm; Sunday, March 17, 11 am - 5 pm. Author Deana Driver will sign her Never Leave Your Wingman, The Sailor and the Christmas Trees and Just A Bunch of Farmers books throughout the show. Author Alan Buick will sign The Little Coat books from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 17. Come to our DriverWorks Ink booth and check out our wonderful books! For every 2 books you purchase, we will give you a third book of our choice for free!
Thursday, March 21 : 2 p.m., Selo Gardens, Regina SK, Author/editor/publisher Deana Driver will talk about her writing and publishing and read from her books Never Leave Your Wingman and The Sailor and the Christmas Trees.
Monday, March 25 to Saturday, March 30 : Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, Brandon MB. Author/publisher Deana Driver and publisher Al Driver will sign and sell our Prairie books at the DriverWorks Ink booth in the UCT Pavilion. We will especially focus on The Sailor and the Christmas Trees, the inspiring story from Brandon's own John Hanlon.
Thursday, April 4 to Saturday, April 6 : Agri-Mex Farm, Trade & Home Show, North Battleford Exhibition Park, Agriplex & Agrivilla Buildings, North Battleford, SK. Thursday & Friday, April 4 & 5, Noon - 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Look for our DriverWorks Ink booth and help us donate to worthy charities through your purchases!
Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21 : Nipawin Lions Trade Fair, Evergreen Centre, Nipawin SK. Friday, April 19, 4 p.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, April 21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Look for our DriverWorks Ink booth #3 in the Auditorium and check out our great Prairie stories!
We hope to see you there!
Here are some snapshots of recent trade shows as well as a list of where we'll be in the next few weeks.
North Battleford Agri-Mex - 2012
Nipawin Lions show 2012
Outdoors on the main street of Mortlach, Saskatchewan, for their annual Saskatoon Berry Festival 2012
The overall view of Fall Into Christmas 2012 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan
We laugh - routinely and often - with the folks who stop at our booth.
Enough said. (This funny sign was at one of the Swift Current booths across from us.)
We're ready to go at the 2012 Scattered Seeds show, in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
We love telling people about our books.Here is where you can find us over the next few months: Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 17 : What Women Want Regina trade show, Conexus Arts Centre, Regina SK. DriverWorks Ink booth is one level up from the open-area Show Stage. Friday, March 15, 4 pm-10 pm; Saturday, March 16, 11 am - 10 pm; Sunday, March 17, 11 am - 5 pm. Author Deana Driver will sign her Never Leave Your Wingman, The Sailor and the Christmas Trees and Just A Bunch of Farmers books throughout the show. Author Alan Buick will sign The Little Coat books from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 17. Come to our DriverWorks Ink booth and check out our wonderful books! For every 2 books you purchase, we will give you a third book of our choice for free!
Thursday, March 21 : 2 p.m., Selo Gardens, Regina SK, Author/editor/publisher Deana Driver will talk about her writing and publishing and read from her books Never Leave Your Wingman and The Sailor and the Christmas Trees.
Monday, March 25 to Saturday, March 30 : Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, Brandon MB. Author/publisher Deana Driver and publisher Al Driver will sign and sell our Prairie books at the DriverWorks Ink booth in the UCT Pavilion. We will especially focus on The Sailor and the Christmas Trees, the inspiring story from Brandon's own John Hanlon.
Thursday, April 4 to Saturday, April 6 : Agri-Mex Farm, Trade & Home Show, North Battleford Exhibition Park, Agriplex & Agrivilla Buildings, North Battleford, SK. Thursday & Friday, April 4 & 5, Noon - 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Look for our DriverWorks Ink booth and help us donate to worthy charities through your purchases!
Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21 : Nipawin Lions Trade Fair, Evergreen Centre, Nipawin SK. Friday, April 19, 4 p.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, April 21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Look for our DriverWorks Ink booth #3 in the Auditorium and check out our great Prairie stories!
We hope to see you there!
February 26, 2013
What do we look for in a manuscript?
We are often asked by would-be authors to look at their written work and give them advice on how to improve it to make it publishable. So here are the Top Three components we look for in a manuscript when considering its potential for it to be published by DriverWorks Ink publishing:
1. Unique story line: What is it that makes the story you want to publish unique from all other stories out there? If you’re writing a memoir or autobiography, what it is about your experiences that are different from those of other people in a fascinating way that would make others want to read your book? The same question needs to be answered for any other type of book. Is it the location of the story, the story line or the uniqueness of the main character(s) or something else? While each person does have his or her own unique story to tell, it is true that some stories are far more interesting and publishable than others. If you aren't sure of the uniqueness of your story, we can help. Contact us for some advice on your work.
2. Great writing: You might think this is a component that we would not need to mention, but we do receive requests from people who have a potentially good story but no idea of how to write it as an engaging manuscript. Again, we can help. We can suggest ways to beef up your writing and improve your story. For example, if it's a biography or memoir, we often suggest the chronological approach to telling the story. It's surprising how many would-be authors aren't aware of that method. We can also assist with the writing process as well along with our usual jobs of editing, layout etc.
3. Marketability: Just because it's a story that you love, that doesn't mean it's a story that will sell. That is one of the hardest parts of the book publishing business since there is no definitive way to be certain that a book is going to sell well. Publishers use a variety of tools including market research, experience, calculated guesses and gut instinct - in various combinations, depending on the book. Sometimes we know a book will do well. Sometimes we take a chance and we are rewarded with readers' responses to a title. As an author, do your own research for the greatest chance of success for your book. Search for a publisher who works with the same types of books as your story. For example, we specialize in non-fiction and have also published humour and children's stories, so we have particular knowledge of those markets. Go to book stores and look at other books that are similar to the one you want to have published. Look at how the subject is presented. If there are already 10 books like the one you are wanting to publish, go back to Point 1 and reconsider.
So the bottom line is that not every manuscript makes a good book - but if you consult with industry professionals near the beginning of the process and are open to accepting advice and making changes, you have a better chance of success as an author.
Good luck with your writing!
