My advice to writers is don’t dwell on the bestseller lists. Write your best books, hire professional editors, get your book professionally formatted, hire quality illustrators, work hard to get reviews, and gain knowledge in keywords and advertising with Amazon. You’ll get to be a best seller through sheer hard work.
So you’re asking, what does a children’s book writer (me) know about screenplays and scripts for television or radio? Until a few months ago, absolutely nothing. Forward a few months, and I find myself representing a screenplay writer, who has also published many books. I know many facets of the publishing, editing, and promoting industry of writing, so how hard could this be?
Well, editing the writer’s 1st screenplay had me baffled as an editor. Why are so many words in capital letters that aren’t technically capital letter words, and why are so many things in parentheses? According to the author, the capital letters are to emphasize the tone for the actor/narrator to use; the words in parentheses are to inform the technical crew of what needs to be done.
A script (or screenplay) is the written content for a visual story such as a play, television show or movie. While scripts often contain information for performers and crew, such as stage directions and production notes, they primarily focus on the dialogue between characters in the story.
The purpose of writing the script a certain way is to help actors know what to say to portray specific characters correctly—hence the capital letters to portray intensity. The script also includes cues for the stagehands to know when special effects are needed.
What type of media requires a script? Television, films, radio, documentaries, plays, and even video games. All these types of scripts have different word count specifications to fit their needs. So check out specific requirements for each type of screenplay before submitting it to contests, agents, etc.
Want to know more about the writer I’m representing who has created an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Sci-fi script for television entitled Gardens, Grove, and Mechanical Trees.
Original artwork cover copywriter G. Mitchell Baker.
Gardens, Groves, and Mechanical Trees
Screenplay reviews for Gardens, Groves, and Mechanical Trees:
Dog-Eared Reviews May 2023 I loved it and did not want it to end. Brilliant job.
Literary Titan, April 2023 Its engaging format, consisting of dialogue and narration, is both informative and intellectually stimulating.
Keywords are a valuable tool to get on an Amazon’s bestseller list. Doing a relevant keyword search for your book takes a few steps to accomplish and it will be worth it in the long run of your book sales.
Do a keyword search ‘Incognito Mode’. In Google Chrome, right-click on the Google Chrome icon and a list should appear. Click on ‘New Incognito Mode’. Type in ‘Amazon.com’ in the search bar (or whatever Amazon site you want to search in). Then start typing words you think would be a good fit for your book–the top 5 – 10 words/phrases that come up on the lists below the word you have entered are good keywords as that list pertains to what people are searching for. You can also add phrases to the keyword search, such as: fantasy for kids; fantasy books for children, kid’s fantasy, etc. This is a long and somewhat painful process, but the reason you’ll want to search ‘Incognito Mode’ is because if you search on your regular browser your own search history will be included, which isn’t accurate as to what other people are searching for. Note: Other browsers, such as Firefox, will have ‘New Private Window’ instead of ‘Incognito Mode’ listed, but I have found Google Chrome to be the best for private browsing mode.
Search the book descriptions of the top 10 – 20 books you’ve found in relevant categories on Amazon and you’ll probably find that many of these books have some of the same keywords in their book descriptions–you’ll want to take note of those keywords, especially if the book is doing well in a category.
You’ll want to find at least 10 – 15 great and excellent keywords to ad to your own book description.
If you want to advertise on Amazon (by manually adding keywords) and need to find those valuable keywords, follow the above procedures and a few more steps to your search by doing the following:
Find good keywords by searching for books and authors on Amazon that are writing in your genre/categories and performing well; add those titles and author names that are showing up in the top 20 books in relevant categories.
Search for up to 1000 keywords (which is the maximum Amazon allows in advertising campaigns) instead of just 10 – 15 words that you would use for your book description and, of course, those 10 – 15 words you found should be included in your advertising campaign.
Review and update keywords in your campaign every 6 months or so–take out non-performing keywords and add new keywords from your new keyword search.
Note: Updating a current campaign’s keywords is better than starting a new campaign because the current campaign will keep track of well-performing keywords. ***********
I have been running Amazon Ads for my bestselling book for about a year and a half, and the ad has been running at the 1000 keyword max for the last six months. Recently, after searching for some new keywords that might perform better than the 200 or so keywords (out of the 1000 maximum keywords running in the ad) getting no hits I was perplexed on how to take out keywords that weren’t performing well and add new keywords that may perform better. Amazon doesn’t give a straightforward answer to this problem on their advertising help page. In case anyone else is having this problem, this is Amazon’s answer I received after I wrote to them about the issue: Once your ad is live, you can edit the budget, cost-per-click, duration (the end date for a running campaign, or the start date for not started campaign), and keywords (Sponsored Products only) To edit your campaign settings: 1. Sign in to your Amazon Advertising account at advertising.amazon.com with your KDP credentials. 2. Select the campaign you want to edit by clicking on the name. 3. Click the “Targeting” tab and click on the keywords checkboxes you want to delete and then click Archive to delete the keyword. 4. Click Add Keyword 5. Click “Save”
I hope this article helps you with the mystery of keywords.
From 18th Century France to 20th Century San Francisco, the Promise of the Rose Crystal both empowered and mystified Grace Moreau and her daughter Rose Wyndham.
They fought for women’s rights, suffered prejudice and conspiracy theorists, and blazed their way through a male-dominated world to define their own roles in society. Through it all they poignantly resisted romantic desire, for if they fell in love the power of the Rose Crystal would be impotent and they – and their lovers – would die.
A romantic adventure spanning 250 years, B. Roman’s ‘The Immortal Rose Wyndham’ is a story where the power of music, and the belief in a purpose greater than oneself, provide the mystery and magic that creates miracles.
What I Thought:
The Immortal Rose Wyndham: The Beginning (The Moon Singer Book 4) by B. Roman is a historical fantasy following several generations of strong women who gain extremely long lives to accomplish good for themselves and others as long as they possess and honour the sacred magic of The Rose Crystal Pendant and until they pass the crystal on to a descendant. But possessing The Rose Crystal has its consequences–the women must sacrifice marriage, even as they find romance that cannot be pursued during the time period of 18th Century France to 20th Century San Francisco.
The writing is completely delightful, bursting with strong characters, vivid settings, and sound historical research.
A wonderful novel that shares so many intense emotions with the reader. Highly recommended!
About the Author B. Roman:
Please visit my publisher author page for a closer look at my inspiration for writing and a personal glimpse into each book:
Recently I had the privilege to listen to Robert Sullivan‘s CD Welcome Sarcasm (produced and arranged by A Seabreeze Sound Production) and to give an honest review.
I loved it! I found the music soulful with an 80s kind of rock vibe that got me grooving and swaying to the music. The CD has 5 songs and Robert’s talented voice and guitar skills (along with all the acoustics, drums, and percussions by band members) do all the songs a great justice. Highly recommended.
Available on Amazon music, spotify, youtube, and many other sites.
Join award-winning children’s book author Barbara Ann Mojica’s Little Miss HISTORY as she reveals the mysteries of Monticello, Home of Thomas Jefferson, her newest release. Discover the hidden treasures of Thomas Jefferson’s home, the author of The Declaration of Independence. An agriculturalist, philosopher, scientist, architect, patriot, and president, Jefferson’s complex role in history teaches today’s Americans why, “If you don’t know your history, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
What I thought:
Barbara Ann Mojica’s Little Miss History series is exceptional! I’ve read and reviewed most of her books in this series and I loved them all. This book (as well as all the books in the series) is well written, entertaining, and educational. The illustrations match the writing perfectly, and the overall look of the book is very professional. Adults as well as children will love this book and all the books in the series. I was given a free copy pdf for an honest review.
About the Author:
Barbara Ann Mojica, M.A. S.A.S., S.D.A is a historian and retired educator. Her education career spans more than forty years serving as a teacher, special educator, principal, and school district administrator. Barbara writes monthly historical articles for the Columbia Insider under the banner “Passages.” Using the whimsical Little Miss History character to narrate her book series, Barbara hopes to educate, entertain and inspire children to learn about historical people and places. Little Miss History’s antics make reading nonfiction a fun-filled adventure for all ages. She firmly believes, “If you don’t know your history, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The Little Miss HISTORY book series has garnered more than two dozen awards including B.R.A.G. Medallions, International Book Excellence Awards, International Readers’ Favorite Awards, Eric Hoffer, and Independent Author Network Awards
Publisher : Independently published (Oct. 24 2022)
Language : English
Paperback : 32 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8359896238
About the Book:
When his father, the King, demands that the Prince be a “Royal Trumpet”, the unhappy boy brings doom and gloom to the kingdom until a mystical maiden guides him to finding his own unique music.
Barbara Roman’s ‘The Prince Who Was A Piccolo’ teaches children about self-esteem, asserting independence, attitudes, and being comfortable with their own identity. They will also learn about different musical instruments and the influence of music on our lives and emotions. There are mystical qualities in the story as it metaphorically touches on meditation, intuition, and spiritual guidance.
Beautifully illustrated by Vladimir Cebu, this book is a rich learning experience for children, as they learn about music instruments, and ways to express their emotions.
What I Thought:
The Prince Who Was a Piccolo is a wonderful story with the subtle underlying moral value for children to believe in themself and strive for their own talents in life, whatever those talents may be. I fell in love with the prince and his brave attitude to not give up searching for his own musical talent, even though his musical talent may not please his father the king. The story is so well written that I believe this book will become a classic in children’s literature. The artwork is fantastic. This story is one of the most creative stories I’ve read in children’s literature in several years. Kudos to the author!
About the Author:
As Barbara Roman, I am the author of the children’s books, “Alicia and the Light Bulb People in Star Factory 13” and “Hubert in Heaven – a hi-tech angel gets his wings.”
Penguin Young Readers; Reissue edition (January 19, 2004) Language
English Paperback : 32 pages
ISBN-10 : 9780448434087
ISBN-13 : 978-0448434087
Reading age : 6 – 7 years
Grade level : 1 – 2
About The Book:
“Look, Spot. Look, Puff. Look and see. See Sally and Tim.”
Penguin Young Readers unite the best authors, illustrators, and brands from the Penguin Young Readers Group under one umbrella to engage all levels of early readers, from emergent all the way to fluent. With an easy numbered leveling system and the Guided Reading leveling system, these books allow educators, parents, and kids to quickly find the perfect book for any developing reader.
ASIN : 0448434113 Publisher
Penguin (January 19, 2004) Language
English Paperback : 32 pages
ISBN-10 : 9780448434117
ISBN-13 : 978-0448434117
Reading age : 6 – 7 years
Grade level : 1 – 2
About The Book:
“Look, Jane, ” said Dick. “Here is something funny. Can you guess what it is?”
Penguin Young Readers unite the best authors, illustrators, and brands from the Penguin Young Readers Group under one umbrella to engage all levels of early readers, from emergent all the way to fluent. With an easy numbered leveling system and the Guided Reading leveling system, these books allow educators, parents, and kids to quickly find the perfect book for any developing reader.
What I Thought:
Recently, I ordered these two Dick and Jane books out of nostalgia. I grew up learning to read in elementary school with these books. They were the best then, and are still the best. The vocabulary increases with the age level of the books. The lessons in the books are of quality for any child, then or now. These books have an innocent, honest writing style that will never go out of style. Highly recommended for new readers.
Dick and Jane are the two main characters created by Zerna Sharp for a series of basal readers written by William S. Gray to teach children to read. The characters first appeared in the Elson-Gray Readers in 1930 and continued in a subsequent series of books through the final version in 1965. These readers were used in classrooms in the United States and in other English-speaking countries for nearly four decades, reaching the height of their popularity in the 1950s, when 80 percent of first-grade students in the United States used them. Although the Dick and Jane series of primers continued to be sold until 1973 and remained in use in some classrooms throughout the 1970s, they were replaced with other reading texts by the 1980s and gradually disappeared from school curricula. The Dick and Jane series were known for their simple narrative text and watercolor illustrations. Despite the criticisms of the stereotypical content that depicted white, middle-class Americans and the whole-word (look-say) method of teaching reading on which these readers are based, the characters of “Dick”, “Jane”, and their younger sister, “Sally”, became household words. The Dick and Jane primers have also become icons of mid-century American culture and collectors’ items.
WHY DOES INDEPENDENCE HALL NATIONAL PARK INSPIRE FREEDOM-LOVING PEOPLE EVERYWHERE?
YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK TO GET THE ANSWERS.
Visit the birthplace of the United States
Learn about the history of Independence Hall·
How was the federal Constitution created?
What is the Declaration of Independence?
How did women, slaves, and workers view it?
How did the revolutionaries survive against a great world power?
Witness George Washington’s sleeping tent and military headquarters·
How did the Revolution tear apart the colonies?
What kind of nation did it create?
Find out why abolitionists, suffragettes, and freedom-loving people embraced the Liberty Bell·
What is the significance of Christ Church Burial Ground?
What I Thought
The Little Miss History series is fantastic! Barbara Ann Mojica’s latest edition takes us to Independence Hall and the Museum of the American Revolution to teach us about the founding of the U.S. government. The illustrations and photographs combinations, along with precise writing and an amazing character in Little Miss History herself, make the adventures super fun. I love everything about this book and the entirety of this multi-award-winning series! Highly recommended.
Give students the targeted, skill-building practice they need with these standards-based books! Each workbook includes more than 40 ready-to-reproduce practice pages. Easy-to-follow directions and fun exercises motivate students to work on their own. Every activity in each book is correlated to state standards. For use with Grade 5.
What I Thought
I admit I am a grammar nerd, and I have written a grammar book for middle grades. Coming across grammar books for the younger audience is always a delight since there aren’t enough out there. This book is definitely a useful review of grammar for beginners, although, I wish the lessons had more content within the lessons. Overall, a good book to instill the basics of grammar.
About the Author
Scholastic Inc. is a global publishing and education company whose mission is to encourage the intellectual and personal growth of all children, beginning with literacy.
An Interview with Gary Roen, author of several books, magazine articles, short stories, and poetry. Gary is also a prestigious syndicated book critic, among many other talents. Read Gary’s full bio after the interview.
Interviewed by Diane Mae Robinson, multi-award-winning children/teen author.
Diane: Hi Gary, and welcome. We recent met through a mutual author friend, and it is a pleasure to be able to ask you some questions about your diverse genres in writing and your interesting career.
Gary: Hi Diane. Thank you for interviewing me.
Diane: I recently read your science fiction book of short stories entitled Journey. The book begins with several stories about Slotski Bear; this character touched my heart in a big way. Although Slotski Bear is scary and evil looking, Slotski is a good-hearted fellow with special abilities to help people. Where did you get the idea for the character of Slotski Bear?
Gary: He came to me in two different ways. I worked in market research in malls of Central Florida. One morning I found the hideous teddy bear in a trash can. I retrieved him out of it then placed him in the seating area of a fountain we had there. I watched the children and studied their reaction. Most were very afraid of him crying or screaming with their parents. Others thought they would knock him down. Later I was out at a place having an evening meal when the idea came to me so I dashed home. To sum it all up in the first story Slotski Bear you have the explanation with the description of teddy bears and how we love them but there was nothing redeeming about this one. But there actually is. Taking it further we all have merit in this world, we just have to find for ourselves what that may be.
Diane: In Journey there are also many other short stories. Of these other short stories, do you have a favorite that was the most fun to write?
Gary: No, I don’t because I love writing them but ones like The Vivisection is one because I wrote it in the mode of a Twilight Zone idea and am so please when readers tell me has the feel of Twilight Zone. In Ryan’s Passing I toyed with what happens after we die. That story is also a tie in to the prologue of Slotski’s World. I won’t say how.
Diane: Tell us about your other science fiction book Slotski’s World. Is this where Slotski Bear adventures start?
Gary: Sort of but I don’t want to give anything away. I will only say there are more fun stories with Slotski as a main character or as a cameo character. In this one called Traces he has a role to play but I wanted to tell an intriguing tale of what happened. Here is the lead in “Stacey and Myron Beagle loved their residence in Christmas, Florida, until one day when they returned from shopping in Titusville to find it completely gone”. There is really such a place and it is a fun reason I placed the home there that is revealed later.
Diane: In your long career as a writer, you have written short stories, poetry, and magazine articles. What kind of writing do you enjoy the most and why?
Gary: I love it all but have to say I have learned my craft from all of it including going back to The University of Central Florida. Often known as UCF or You Can’t Finish but I am living proof You Can Finish. As to the poetry it helps because with the genre you learn every word is important and you have to grab the reader. In the short stories it’s the same but also, I am an author who read all types of authors growing up. Donald E. Westlake, Ian Fleming, John D. McDonald, Nick Carter for science fiction, Richard Matheson, Fredrick Brown, Harlan Ellison, Arthur Clarke, and Isaac Asimo. I learned from them growing up and took the knowledge further in my own works of short fiction. Also, I loved reading them just because I would be treated to excellent stories.
Diane: As a syndicated book critic, what are some of the best and worst things you liked and disliked about books you reviewed?
Gary: I have all kinds of books coming my way from publishers, P.R. firms and authors in the mail or that I meet at events. I also have been much more aware of some things they do in their work that I do not in mine. A title from a new author to me, was a great story with interesting characters and situations but was so tedious to read because she overused certain words in a paragraph more that 7 times. For instance, she said car when you could describe the model, call it an auto, a vehicle instead of the single one of car. That is a good thing as I conduct an exercise with other writers to make them more aware to tighten their works. The bad things are authors who have no patience as it is sometimes a lengthy process to get the review published. They forget that I read all the books I review, then write my appraisal. Or they will send me emails or other forms of social media wondering when it will be reviewed. Most of the time that is a sure-fire way to have me not do anything at all. To them you the critic are out there only for them and no one else, and that we who do write our options of the works in question have no outside lives like they do.
Diane: Tell us about your two poetry books The Forgotten Father: Coping With Grief and Look at Me World?
Gary: They are both about me. Look at Me World was my thoughts and observations on my life and the world when I was 19 to 25. The Forgotten Father Coping With Grief is later of my having to deal as a father with the death of my son. What I found is that many fathers are treated the same way when there is a death of a child no matter the age or circumstances. All the concern is for the mother not the father. Both books are writing in a poetic style that many have referred as E. E. Cummings. I wrote them in a free verse style with no punctuation or capitalization but there is a flow to it with the way I placed it on the page.
Diane: You’ve had a long and interesting career as a writer, book reviewer, market researcher, book publicist, agent, and book salesman. What jobs did you enjoy the most and why?
Gary: I have to laugh and I know this may be frustrating for your readers but I have loved it all as I have learned from every part of it. Examples are Slotski would not exist as it was a day in market research that prompted me to write the first story, as a critic I have been able to be on radio programs as a contributor and review on the air as well as write for publications like Midwestbookrevew.com for so many years. As author and anything else in the publishing realm I have been on panel discussions talking about a wide range of subjects and as a moderator because of my radio background of a host and co host as well. To me it’s all fun and I still learn in many ways. People think that education only comes from being in school or college but I am always gaining something from every thing I do.
Diane: Do you have any writing projects on the go now? If so, what are they?
Gary: Yes I have more short fiction written but just waiting to pull together into another collection while I have been watching in the safety of my own home the unfolding chaos of the Coronavirus that blends over to stories I want to tell but have not started yet that are based in some way on what we are seeing today. A lot of my fiction comes from things I know about, have heard of, or seen on TV, read in the papers or online. I am also reading more books to critique, while still enjoying it all. I also like to hear from readers as they can contact me on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin, as well as check out my Amazon author page https://www.amazon.com/Gary-S.-Roen/e/B07GRCKX8K%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Diane: Thank you so much, Gary. I look forward to reading more of your work.
Gary: Diane thanks again for having me and I hope others will take away from our conversation something to help them in their quest to be whatever they want in life.
Gary Roen’s Bio:
Gary S. Roen, is the author of two collections of science fiction. Slotski’s World, and Journey (Legacy Book Publishing) as well as co-author of “Cats, Cats, and More Cats (Royal Fireworks Press)
He is the author of two books of poetry. The Forgotten Father Coping With Grief (Taylor and Seal Publishing) and Look at Me World (Chateau Publishing). His work has been included in the short story collection; Computer Legends Lies and Lores (Ageless Press) and online magazines including, Anotherealm, and Mercury Sky. He is also the author of a satirical play entitled “Vamp.
Roen is also a nationally syndicated book critic/writer, consultant who has been writing close to 45 years. His syndicated reviews have appeared in hundreds of daily, weekly, and monthly, publications that currently include Midwest Book Review, The Beachside Resident, Orlando Advocate, St. Cloud in the News, Osceola News-Gazette, Bivouac Magazine, and Arrhythmic Souls
His articles have run in; Living Well and Live Wisely, bUnike Magazine, The Beach Side Resident, Strange New Worlds, Crime Book Digest, Eleven Magazine, Backstage Pass, and West Orlando News.
Over the many years of his career Roen has been a book salesman, as well as a publicist, for several publishing houses. He has been an agent working with authors and publishers in the true-crime field.
He has been a regular on-air contributor to many different types of radio and TV shows throughout the United States.
For a number of years, he worked for numerous companies in the field of market research, in Central Florida, as an independent contractor. This gave him many diverse experiences, that have often found their way into much of his fictional stories.
Publisher: Legacy Book Publishing; First edition (June 1, 2017) Language: English
ISBN-10: 193795207X
ISBN-13: 978-1937952075
Book Description
A syndicated book critic now turns his attention on a new endeavor, the short story, by writing his own science fiction collection. Some are as short as 66 words, which is a true test of an author’s ability to tell in so few words. There are seven adventures of the scary stuffed bear named Slotski, who has rare abilities. This compilation contains other slices of life in the near future: technology gone amuck, a smart phone that is smarter than it should be, a radio broadcast that isn’t all it sounds, a cat that has a message for humanity, and a woman who doesn’t want to just make money in a research study, are among some of the intriguing stories you’ll find in Journey.
My Review
Gary Roen’s book Journey is a creative and intriguing read! In this collection of diverse short stories, the reader will experience a remarkable journey through the author’s insightful, witty, unique, and cringeworthy stories.
The book starts with several short stories about a captivating character named Slotski Bear–a disembodied soul possessing a creepy-looking stuffed bear (a bear you can’t help but love) who guides and helps certain people in need. The author’s other short stories in this book have spell-binding characters, as various as they come, venturing into peculiar situations with unexpected results.
Journey is full of twists and tangles that will keep the reader wanting more. Highly recommended.
N.B. Some short stories have adult content.
About the Author
Gary S. Roen, author, nationally syndicated book critic/writer, consultant has been writing close to 45 years. He is the author of “Journey, A Collection of Science Fiction Short Stories” Legacy Book Publishing, “Slotski’s World” another collection of sf short stories and “The Forgotten Father” a book of poetry from Taylor and Seal Publishing, and the co-author of “Cats Cats and More Cats Royal Fireworks Press Roen is the author of two books of poetry, “Look at Me World,” Chateau Publishing, “Made By Man” Nest Egg Publications; his poems have also been published in numerous small magazines. He has published in short story collections like Computer Legends Lies and Lores Ageless Press, Anotherealm SF magazine, and Mercury Sky online. He is also the author of a satirical play entitled “Vamp His syndicated reviews have appeared in hundreds of daily, weekly newspapers and other periodicals that currently include Midwest Book Review, West Orlando News, Sodo News, Orlando Advocate, St. Cloud In the News, Osceola News-Gazette, Bivouac Magazine, Arrhythmic Souls and Beach Side Reader Brevard County Florida.
Readers of all ages love fantasy, but kids are especially likely to get hooked on this fantastic genre, where imagination runs wild, magic is real, and the world is inhabited by strange and beautiful creatures. The ten captivating books listed here allow young readers to escape to new worlds, where they can experience amazing adventures. https://wiki.ezvid.com/m/10-captivating-fantasy-books-for-young-readers-J7iRlnKs8VQYg
A great way to start is to get a bookshelf
for your child’s room. If they have access to their own collection of
books, it’ll be easy for them to read at their own pace. And if they’re
looking at the shelf everyday, reading will always be on their mind.
It’s also important to give your kids a comfortable place to sit. This
can be anything from a rocking chair to a couch to a dedicated reading nook.
If they have a space that’s just for them, it makes reading time all
the more special. As they grow, your young ones will start to read more
challenging books with words they don’t know. Encourage them to look up
unfamiliar terms in the dictionary
so they can expand their vocabulary. Finally, if you’re having trouble
getting your kid interested in books in the first place, try bridging
the gap between visual media and literature with graphic novels.
What is Fantasy?
In Depth
No genre can capture the imagination quite like fantasy,
where readers are invited to envision impossible worlds, daring heroes,
and strange creatures living in the land of myth and legend. There’s a
reason why so many speculative stories spellbind young readers with
their tales of misfits, outcasts, and kids with untapped stores of
tremendous bravery.
For young readers on the lookout for adventure, here, in no
particular order, are some stunningly imaginative books that will bring
out the magic in everyday life.
In the #1 spot is “Charis: Journey to Pandora’s Jar” by Nicole Y.
Walters. Charis has been waiting all her life for a chance to show her
stuff. Now, it’s up to the hyper-imaginative thirteen-year-old to save
the world by visiting Pandora’s Jar, the place where demons and kind
spirits dwell. The catch? She’s only got five days to release the spirit
of Hope from the jar before mankind is officially doomed forever. With
the help of a few trusty deities and her best friend Gabe, Charis has to
summon up all her courage to set things right.
She’s only got five days to release the spirit of Hope from the jar before mankind is officially doomed forever.
At #2, we have Diane Mae Robinson’s “Sir Princess Petra.” Even
Princesses get bored of being pampered sometimes. In this series,
nine-year-old Petra decides that she wants to become a knight. But even
though she’s got courage and cunning to spare, knighthood comes with its
own set of pressures and obstacles, like having to silence a dragon and
visit the spooky Forest of Doom. If she can overcome a few kooky
quests, she’ll find her true place in the kingdom.
At #3 is “The Hob and the Deerman” by Pat Walsh. Crowfield Abbey is
a peculiar place. It’s a portal, of sorts, between the world we know
and the Otherworld, a place where demons, boggarts, and all kinds of
creatures freely roam. When Walter, a “hob” spirit, returns to find
everything in disarray, he knows he needs to take action to help put all
the troubled spirits in the abbey to rest. But it will take a lot of
help, and a lot of courage, to cross paths with the Deerman of the
forest and live to tell the tale.
At #4 is Tomi Ungerer’s “Fog Island.” No one ever returns from Fog
Island. It’s a place shrouded in mystery, a place that Finn and Cara
have been warned against visiting. But when the two siblings disobey
their father and head for the far-off island, they’re in for more than
they bargained for. Is the ancient place just a pile of ruins? Or is
there a deeper mystery lurking, something that only the mercurial Fog
Man can unlock?
But when the two siblings disobey their father and head for the far-off island, they’re in for more than they bargained for.
For #5 we have “There May Be a Castle” by Piers Torday.
Eleven-year-old Mouse knows he shouldn’t have survived the car crash
when he was thrown from the vehicle during a Christmas Eve drive to his
grandparents’ house. He woke totally fine, but in a world he barely
recognized. With the help of a magical sheep and a sardonic talking
horse, he’ll need to find his way to the castle if he wants to regain
entry to his own life. That is, if this place everyone speaks of is more
than the stuff of legend.
Coming in at #6 is Clayton Smith’s “Mabel Gray and the Wizard Who
Swallowed the Sun.” The people of Brightsbane have had a rough time ever
since the eternal night started. After a wizard took away the daytime
from the land, he decided he needed to come back to steal a book of
magic spells that holds the key to the township’s total destruction.
Luckily, a spirited orphan named Mabel is going to set things right.
If she can summon up the courage to deal with a series of
fantastical creatures and hair-raising quests, she might find a way to
break her hometown’s terrible curse forever.
If she can summon up the courage to deal with a series of
fantastical creatures and hair-raising quests, she might find a way to
break her hometown’s terrible curse forever.
At #7 is Heather Mackey’s “Dreamwood.” Runaway Lucy has a fair
amount of experience with supernatural forces. Her father is an expert
on the subject, and she’s on a quest to find him and bring him back so
she doesn’t have to go to that dreadful boarding school anymore. The
problem is, her father isn’t where she thought he’d be. Could it be that
the enchanted forest of Dreamwood proved too powerful a match for him?
There’s only one way to find out: by heading into the heart of the
living grove, no matter the consequences.
Coming in at #8 is “The Secret Life of Daisy Fitzjohn” by Tania
Unsworth. Some might call Daisy’s life unusual: her best friends are a
talking rat and a ghost, and she lives in an old estate that’s slowly
falling apart. When her mother leaves on a strange expedition and
doesn’t return, Daisy knows she can’t hide within the walls of
Brightwood Hall any longer. She’ll have to do what it takes to save her
home and keep her family together, with only the help of her eclectic
sidekicks to guide her.
At #9 we find Pseudonymous Bosch’s “Bad Magic.” Clay knows there’s
no such thing as magic. He’s seen a million sleight-of-hand shows and he
knows they’re just tricks. That said, there are a few things happening
at Earth Ranch that he can’t explain. Clay was supposed to be sent to
the rehabilitation camp to be “scared straight.” But there’s more at
work here than a few obstacle courses and hikes. For one thing, he’s
having conversations with llamas.
For one thing, he’s having conversations with llamas.
For another, he may or may not have just seen a ghost. If there’s
magic on Earth Ranch, Clay needs to make sure it’s not the deadly kind.
If he can make it off the volcanic island without causing an explosion,
he’ll count himself lucky.
Finally, at #10, is “The Mad Wolf’s Daughter” by Diane Magras. When Drest’s family of male warriors is taken captive, she finds herself in a unique position. All her life, her father and brothers took care of her. Now, she’s got to free her kin with the help of a witch, a soft-spoken knight, and her own fierce courage. With a mysterious bandit out to get her and her sense of independence growing by the day, Drest will find herself taking chances, slaying personal demons, and doing things she never dreamed herself capable of.
Keywords are a valuable tool to get on an Amazon’s bestseller list.
Doing a relevant keyword search for you book takes a few steps to accomplish and it will be worth it in the long run of your book sales.
Do a keyword search ‘Incognito Mode’. In Google Chrome, right click on the Google Chrome icon and a list should appear. Click on ‘New Incognito Mode’. Type in ‘Amazon.com’ in the search bar (or whatever Amazon site you want to search in). Then start typing words you think would be a good fit for your book–the top 5 – 10 words/phrases that come up on the lists below the word you have entered are good keywords as that list pertains to what people are searching for. You can also add phrases to the keyword search, such as: fantasy for kids; fantasy books for children, kid’s fantasy, etc. This is a long and somewhat painful process, but the reason you’ll want to search ‘Incognito Mode’ is because if you search on your regular browser you own search history will be included, which isn’t accurate as to what other people are searching for. Note: Other browsers, such as Firefox, will have ‘New Private Window’ instead of ‘Incognito Mode’ listed, but I have found Google Chrome to be the best for private browsing mode.
Search the book descriptions of the top 10 – 20 books you’ve found in relevant categories on Amazon and you’ll probably find that many of these books have some of the same keywords in their book descriptions–you’ll want to take note of those keywords, especially if the book is doing well in a category.
You’ll want to find at least 10 – 15 great and excellent keywords to ad to your own book description.
If you want to advertise on Amazon (by manually adding keywords) and need to find those valuable keywords, follow the above procedures and a few more steps to your search by doing the following:
Find good keywords by searching for books and authors on Amazon that are writing in your genre/categories and performing well; add those titles and author names that are showing up in the top 20 books in a relevant categories.
Search for up to 1000 keywords (which is the maximum Amazon allows in advertising campaigns) instead of just 10 – 15 words that you would use for your book description and, of course, those 10 – 15 words you found should be included in your advertising campaign.
Review and update keywords in your campaign every 6 months or so–take out non-performing keywords and add new keywords from your new keyword search.
Note: Updating a current campaign’s keywords is better than starting a new campaign because the current campaign will keep track of well-performing keywords.
***********
I have been running Amazon Ads for my bestselling book for about a year and a half, and the ad has been running at the 1000 keyword max for the last six months.
Recently, after searching for some new keywords that might perform better than the 200 or so keywords (out of the 1000 maximum keywords running in the ad) getting no hits I was perplexed on how to take out keywords that weren’t performing well and add new keywords that may perform better. Amazon doesn’t give a straight forward answer to this problem on their advertising help page.
In case anyone else is having this problem, this is Amazon’s answer I received after I wrote to them about the issue:
Once your ad is live, you can edit budget, cost-per-click, duration (the end date for a running campaign, or the start date for not started campaign) and keywords (Sponsored Products only)
To edit your campaign settings:
1. Sign in to your Amazon Advertising account at advertising.amazon.com with your KDP credentials.
2. Select the campaign you want to edit by clicking on the name.
3. Click the “Targeting” tab and click on the keywords check boxes you want to delete and then click Archive to delete the keyword.
4. Click Add Keyword
5. Click “Save”
I hope this article helps you with the mystery of keywords.
Sir
Princess Petra has already proven she is a kind and noble knight. This,
however, does not please the king and queen—they want her to behave
like a princess and forget this silly knight nonsense of hers!
But when
the king writes a new rule in the royal rule book that requires her to
attend Talent School and acquire a princess talent certificate or suffer
the spell of the royal magician, Petra, reluctantly, agrees to go. But
who could have guessed what Sir Princess Petra’s Talent would be?
Most people who enjoy reading do so because of their love for stories, real or imagined. It is indeed rare to find a person who loves reading who also delights in breaking sentences down into their grammatical parts. Fortunately for young knights and princesses, author Diane Mae Robinson has addressed the subject of grammar in a way that will help kids (and even adults) enjoy the topic. Imagine studying syntax in the context of fire-breathing dragons, ogres and the like. In Robinson’s The Dragon Grammar Book readers are introduced to terminology before diving into meatier topics such as dangling prepositions in this enchanting book which ends with dragon grammar skill tests to help youngsters assess what they’ve learned. Recommended for home and school libraries, The Dragon Grammar Book has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval. LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval https://clcreviews.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-dragon-grammar-book-earns-literary.html
The Dragon Grammar Book – Grammar for Kids, Dragons, and the Whole Kingdom wins two top gold awards, Gold medal in Chapter Books/Middles Grades and Lumen Award for Literary Excellence: http://www.clcawards.org/2018_Award_Winning_Books.html
Literary Classics Top Honors Gold Book Awards honoring excellence in literature for children and young adults Literary Classics Lumen Book Awards honoring excellence in literature for children and young adults
2018 Four-Time Gold Medal Winning Book in Children’s Education. Finally!
An easy-to-understand English grammar book with fun grammar lessons for
middle grades and up. An excellent education reference for classroom
and homeschool grammar lessons.
The Dragon Grammar Book
is the perfect grammar study guide to help readers learn the rules of
grammar and improve language art skills with ease and enjoyment. From multi-award-winning children’s fantasy author, Diane Mae Robinson, The Dragon Grammar Book
provides a fun and engaging approach to learning English grammar
through easy-to-follow lessons, humorous example sentences, and chapter
quizzes to conquer all those tricky grammar rules.
Easy-To-Understand Lessons organized to gradually build on the basic grammar rules toward an intermediate level.
Engaging ExamplesSentences explain each grammar rule through a humorous and creative writing style.
An Expansive Resource
of grammar terminology, confusing words, punctuation rules, types of
sentences and proper structure, parts of speech, verb agreement, and
more.
Quizzes with Answer Keys reinforce each lesson before proceeding to the next lesson.
Featuring the zany fantasy characters in the author’s international-award-winning The Pen Pieyu Adventures series, The Dragon Grammar Book is sure to be enjoyed by kids, teens, young adults, and the whole kingdom.
“Oriented toward pragmatic, real-world usage, The Dragon Grammar Book is a great resource for kids, their teachers, and anyone else who’d like to know more about language and how to use it. Most highly recommended.”–Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite. 2018 Book Excellence Awards, 1st Place Winner, Education & Academics. 2018 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards, Gold Winner, Children-Education. 2018 Literary Classics International Book Awards, Gold Winner, Educational Books. 2018 Lumen Award for Literary Excellence.
