What to Do When Your Best Book Isn’t Your Bestelling
As Jonathan Swift’s life drew to a close and dementia set in, he would crawl into bed, read his favorite book and say, “My God, I was brilliant once.”
Which book was that?
If you said Gulliver’s Travels, that’s understandable.
If you said A Modest Proposal, I wouldn’t blame you.
But nope, it was his first book…
Cover Reveal: A Vote for Jesus (Political Satire)
A Vote for Jesus, a political satire that savagely attacks our corrupt and ridiculous campaigns, is now available for pre-order.
So, what’s the book about? It’s a satire in the classic sense. Jesus Christ, a poor, unknown carpenter from Bethlehem, PA…
WRITING IN QUARANTINE IS HARDER THAN IT SOUNDS
Need a little motivation to write during this forced down time? Read on.
Does this sound like you? “I’m stuck at home for two weeks! I’ll get my novel done in no time!”
Then, in true procrastinating form, you discover that Netflix is calling, cat videos are amusing, and the news is overwhelming,
Or, from a practical standpoint…
Cover Reveal: Dad Jokes for Kids
This is my third joke book for Sterling Children’s Books, and it may just have the cutest cover of all. But then how can you go wrong with kids and … Continue reading
Book Birthday: Just for Kicks! Just Released
Just for Kicks!: 600 Knock-Out Jokes, Puns and Riddles About Sports hits the shelves today! Kids love jokes. Kids love sports. Just for Kicks offers completely original sports jokes for … Continue reading
Creating the Perfect Book Dedication
Should your book’s dedication be personal, professional, or commercial?
New authors often think dedicating a book is easy, and for that first book it usually is. You dedicate it to “My loving wife” or “My devoted husband.” After all, you want to keep peace in the house. No reason to start a fight over a few poorly chosen words, right?
Of course, you might also dedicate your book to your children, particularly if it’s a children’s book, or a dear parent or grandparent. Perhaps a mentor, teacher, professor. Perhaps a fellow author, or your editor. Maybe your inspiration for the book. Maybe even a celebrity.
Suddenly, your list of possibilities gets very long, particularly if you’re working on a series, or this is your tenth book and you’ve run out of spouses, children, and close family members who should get that big thank you.
So, how you decide who gets your cherished book dedication?
Official Cover Reveal for My Next Children’s Book
Want to know what goes into making a good cover? Then check out the final cover for my new kids’ book because I think the marketing and artistic teams at Sterling Children’s Books nailed it. To find out why, keep reading.
A RECOMMENDATION FOR FREELANCERS
Need help freelancing? It’s rare that I recommend a book that I edit, even when I know it’s good. The last thing I want is to foist a copy on … Continue reading
Finding Your Book in a Foreign Language
It’s always fun to find your book translated into a language you don’t speak, even a little bit. Leaping Lemmings has been translated into German (my great-grandparents were fluent) and … Continue reading
How to Keep Your Story Moving
Would you like to keep your story from getting bogged down?
Famed linguist and literary critic Kenneth Burke once wrote that “Action equals motivation plus momentum.”
It’s a simple and accurate quote about plotting a story as you’ll ever see. And the good news is that it doesn’t just apply to action stories and thrillers, but all fiction writing, no matter what the genre.
John Briggs Books 