Let's Celebrate the Springtime video up on YouTube

 Hello all and Happy Spring!   Ok, it's been spring for a minute now but I'm just getting a video up on YouTube with me reading my book.  It's like a mini storytime.  When I post videos here from YouTube, they put them in this odd square frame.  If it's bad below, just follow this link:   Let's Celebrate the Springtime storytime

Five Rascally Raccoons read by me on YouTube

 

I uploaded a little storytime of me reading Five Rascally Raccoons.  Enjoy!

Banging my Head Against the Wall

 

I took the week off - it is spring break so I figured I could relax and spend some time with my kids and maybe get some work done regarding my books.   Not writing new books, but work on the marketing aspect.   I can't do it.  I've tried.  I've been banging my head against a wall so much it is numb and void of any ideas.

I worked on the A+ Content that Amazon offers, and maybe it will help, but how?   See!  I'm starting to question myself.  I just feel like I have tried so many different things, that I am not sure what the next step should be.

While I was scanning the net for ideas, I ran across Schuler Books self-publishing information.  I gave it a once over since I'd love to publish with someone who can get my books into catalogs that booksellers and libraries use for purchasing.  But quite frankly, it is a bit more costly than I can afford.   With that said, I did find another option offered by Schuler, their Consignment Program.  This could be something.

I read through the information and it sounds like a fairly straight forward deal.  I don't have a great number of any one of my books at the moment, so I am going to have to order some and then approach the bookstore.   If they aren't interested, there are others around here.  Maybe that's my next step - approaching bookstores.  The thought makes my stomach flip!

Updating my A+ Content

 I have been working on updating my A+ Content on Amazon.  I have no idea how Amazon came up with that name, but it isn't very informative.  A+ Content includes the graphics, charts, and information on your Amazon item detail page.  You know when you're looking at a clothing item on Amazon and down below there are images showing people wearing the item or size charts or company info?  All of that is A+ Content.

The addition of the content is supposed to help increase sales because people can read more about the book(s) you're selling.  The image here is something I created for all of my counting books.  I tried to succinctly explain why counting books are important.  I want my images 

    1.  Informative

    2. Short

Personally when shopping on Amazon, I cannot stand the long detail pages, so I try to keep mine short.  I hope that if people want to find more info, they will go to my author page or blog.   Maybe not be the case, but that is what I am planning on when I create my content.  Speaking of which, I get the most out of my Canva subscription and create my images there.

Do you use A+ Content?  What sort of information do you include?  

My first event of the year

 

On Sunday, March 17th, I had my first event of 2024.  Because the Easter Bunny was going to be there, I bought a little game (the inflatable rabbit, which is a ring toss) and if the person got a ring on an ear then they could pick an Easter egg filled with candy.  I bought the eggs prefilled so I didn't worry about contamination of any kind.  I guess unless the candy came bad?!   I do worry about food item giveaways, but it all went well.

I also had my standard bookmarks and buttons to give away.  Some new ones featuring my new books.  The raccoons were popular!

For a first event of the year, it went pretty well, but I was a bit disappointed in the organizer.  There wasn't a huge variety of vendors and the vendors that were similar were near each other, also there didn't appear to be much in the way of advertising  - there were a few people that mentioned they hadn't known anything about it until "a friend mentioned it".   Of course, you aren't going to reach everyone, but the crowd was very small.  There wasn't anyone to speak of  most of the morning, which really didn't surprise me since it was a Sunday morning, i.e church time.   We did have some in the afternoon, but again, never very crowded at all.

It was a good event to get my feet wet again and I am anxiously awaiting my next event!  It's Friday, April 12th at an author event in Durand.  It should be fun!

The problem with vendor events

 

My first event of the year is coming up in one week and I'm a nervous wreck.  This particular event planner hasn't been very communicative.  Like nothing.  I did the application form, paid my fee received the automatic form confirmations and then crickets.    

Last week I reached out.  Yes, that's a bit late I know, but I have this huge problem of not wanting to bother anyone, so last week I messaged via the Facebook page and sent a form message through their website.  They responded to my comment on Facebook that they would be sending a map at the end of the week.  It's now Sunday and nothing.  Crickets loudly chirping in my ears.

I waited until yesterday and posted a general message in a Facebook vendor group if anyone else has registered and asked if they had heard anything.  Well, I am not the only one.  That's only slightly comforting.    I guess this is the risk you take.  So much can be faked online nowadays.  I do believe they are a real group, but they are awful at event planning.  Communication is key.  Fingers crossed next Sunday goes well.  It just stinks to start off the year this way.

Grandpa's book

The book that started it all Charles Franklin Chamberlain : Drawn to France , that is what has been on my mind lately.   I think it is a combination of the time of year and the pressures of helping to prep an art exhibit.

Charles Franklin Chamberlain was my dad's father.  He passed twenty years or so before I was even a twinkle in my parents' eyes. Though we never met, I felt I knew him, as well as all of my other relatives gone before my arrival in this world.  My family has always been big on keeping the spirit alive.  Knowing your roots - if you know where you have come from, your foundation is strong for moving forward in life.

When my aunt was alive I worked with her on getting the stories together about her parents.  In between she also had me diving into family mysteries which I was able to solve thanks to advancements in access to genealogical materials, but I digress.  Aunt Joyce helped me through those years as much as I helped her.  It was during the time my mother was ill and Joycie saved me from drowning in a pit of despair.  

In those early days I used Shutterfly to print copies of the book and boy was that expensive.   At the same time, I had met Ed Bentley who was helping me organize and save my grandpa's art.  When with my aunt's ok, we started selling paintings to earn money to conserve paintings (and never ending cycle!) new owners wanted the book about my grandpa.  I hadn't seen that as a possibility and felt awful having people spend $60 to get a printed one, so then I began the task of getting the book into an easier to print format.  (as well as add in the letters he exchanged with his mother as well as some artist friends while in Paris, Europe and around the US).

Aunt Joyce passed.  My mom passed.  And I was a bit lost in this sea of art and family history.

My niece Taylor published  a book via Amazon KDP as part of a university project named Beautiful Blue.  I loved the book and immediately sought Tay's guidance in possibly getting my book ready to publish through Amazon.  I had looked into it, but it felt so overwhelming!   Tay suggested TikTok videos and she wasn't wrong.   The videos were very helpful and soon I was publishing my first book as a test and then my grandpa's book. 

I found that publishing the children's books was such a fun diversion, I kept with it.  It brought me joy and still does.  I needed this outlet to help balance life.  To this day, the books still bring me joy.

But now I need to spend brain cells working on grandpa's art exhibit next year.  I'm diving back into the family history and it's scary and daunting and bringing back so many memories... I hope I can manage them now. 

If you're curious about his art, the book is available in some libraries, at Amazon and you can also just google his name!  There's a lot of images online!
 

Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog

I guess all the world loves hot dogs!  Ok, perhaps not all the world, but quite a few people.  

For the last few months, Five Little Hot Dogs has outsold all of my other titles. And 5 people enjoyed it enough to give it five-stars!  It is a fun book with a really bad joke and darn cute hot dogs, what what is the allure?   If I knew, I'd bottle it up and dab a few drops on my latest titles: Five Rascally Raccoons and Let's Celebrate the Springtime. Those are cute and clever books too!  LOL  

Actually, looking at that book is making me rather hungry for a good chili dog.  YUM!  Maybe just a plain one with ketchup.   oh, I need to go make dinner!

Check out Five Little Hot Dogs on Amazon!  And maybe later, a few of my other titles too!
 

Upcoming Events

 

Coming up in the next few months you will have a few chances to come see me at author events and craft fairs!    Fairs are fun - I mean, where else can you buy awesome, one-of-a-kind creations and freeze-dried candy?  Here is the current list, though it may change:

March 17    Spring Blossoms and Bunny Frolics Comstock Inn, Owosso, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

April 12        Cabin Fever Author Event, Durand Union Station, 3-7 p.m.

April 20        Potterville Spring Market, Potterville Elementary School, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

May 18        Northville District Library author event, 2-4 p.m. (not yet confirmed)