Writers and authors in the book industry know for a fact that self-publishing entails more effort and most of the time requires costs to be shouldered.
In this practice, publishers are not in any way paying authors for their work. Instead, authors make their own efforts to have the satisfaction of seeing their books hit the bookstores. Start to write a book today!
- “Send inspiring and beautiful e-cards to all your friends, family members and loved ones again, suitable for various occasions!!!”
- “FREE rare book for you – CAN change your life!” (use the form on the site to gain free access, this book has received raving reviews from readers all the world over, including readers from korea, australia, usa, canada, asia, japan, hong kong and more!)
Let’s face it: some kids just don’t like to read. Increasingly, parents, teachers, librarians, and editors are looking for books that will appeal to reluctant readers.
Are you bored over the weekends? You can start writing a great children’s book! If you can work at least three of the elements listed below into your book, it will have a good chance of being loved by all kids, even those to whom reading is a chore.
1. Humor. Making kids laugh is essential to building a pleasant association with reading. But you need to understand what tickles kids’ funny bones at different ages. The humor in picture books is broad and very visual.
Easy readers (and some picture books for ages 6 and up) begin to introduce verbal humor: wordplay, puns, double meanings. As kids move into the chapter book arena they can handle jokes that need a setup and a payoff that’s played out over several scenes.
Dialogue, how characters react to each other, or the situation in which a character finds himself may be innately humorous.
2. Well-Defined Characters. Many kids want to identify strongly with the characters in their books; for reluctant readers, this is essential. It doesn’t matter what the character looks like on the outside (be it space alien, a clown or a talking frog), on the inside this character needs to embody the perspective of the reader.
This means the character is dealing with issues the reader might face, or seeing the world in a childlike way. Book characters must have multidimensional personalities with strengths and weaknesses in order for the reader to care about them and want to stick with them for the entire story.
In nonfiction such as biographies, authors who find an element of their subject’s life that is relevant to the target audience have a better chance of reaching reluctant readers.
3. Fast-Paced Plot. Kids who love to read don’t mind a story that takes a few chapters to unfold, but reluctant readers don’t have that much patience.
The action needs to start in the first paragraph, and by the end of the first chapter the reader should know quite a bit about the main character and have a good idea about the conflict or problem that character will face. Subplots are fine for chapter books and up, but too many will get in the way of the forward movement of story. Keep the pages turning.
4. Concise chapters. Ideally, each chapter should contain one clear event (or one specific point in nonfiction), and have an arc of its own (a beginning, middle and end). This makes reading even one chapter a satisfying experience.
Chapters that end on a high note in the action will make the reader want to see what happens next. Episodic novels (where each chapter stands alone as a short story) are also good bets for reluctant readers.
5. Kid Relevance. This applies to the themes and ideas that form the basis for plots or how an author approaches a nonfiction topic. These ideas should be relevant, meaningful, and applicable to the reader’s life.
Instead of conveying a lesson your adult perspective tells you the reader needs to know, try using the reader’s frame of reference as a starting point. Write to your audience, not at them. And remember, books can be just for fun.
6. Suitable Text. Depending on the age and ability of the reader, the text needs to be challenging but not overwhelming. Strive to write your story as clearly as you can, using active sentences and concrete nouns and verbs.
When writing for a broad age range of reluctant readers (8-12, for example), make the vocabulary accessible to the younger end, but the interest level appealing to kids on the older end of the spectrum.
7. Unique Presentation. Reluctant readers often choose nonfiction over fiction because it speaks to their personal interests. Finding a new or unusual slant to your topic helps keep that interest alive. Humor doesn’t hurt either.
It’s Disgusting and We Ate It! True Food Facts from Around the World by James Solheim appeals to middle graders’ love of the gross while sneaking in some history on the side.
8. Visual Appeal. Authors generally don’t have much say in a book’s design, but author/ illustrators might. Larger typeface, the generous use of white space, and illustrations that elaborate upon the text all help break up the string of words and make the book less intimidating to read.
You get the COMPLETE 15 audio lessons from this app! This whole app will instruct you how to become a published author and CHANGE your life! If you’re reading this it’s because you have a desire to write your own book – to become a recognized expert in your subject matter… and make some extra money in the process.
It’s useful to learn one more language! This is a comprehensive Chinese learning course that is designed to give you full understanding of the Chinese language.
The program has been created by Lin Ping and it can be very helpful to anyone who has an interest in learning about the Chinese culture or is going to be interacting with people from a Chinese community. The program is divided into 5 components.
Rocket Chinese Premium Interactive Audio Course is made up of 31 tracks with an average over 25 minutes in length. These tracks give you all the information that you need to know in order to interact with Chinese speaking people. Not only do you get the audio tracks, you also get the transcripts of the conversations.
Component 2: Rocket Chinese Premium Grammar & Culture Lessons
This part of the program includes 31 lessons, taking you on an adventure from a beginner to a fluent Chinese speaker. You get information on saying the appropriate things at the appropriate times and instructions on written Chinese, which is not as difficult as you might think.
You’ll also get clear instructions on how to interpret Chinese symbols.
Component 3: MegaVocab
MegaVocab is a world building game that has over 1000 words to help you build a solid Chinese vocabulary and 20 topics. The software is presented in Pinyin, which is the system used to represent the sounds of Mandarin Chinese. MegaVocab also comes in a version that allows you to play using the characters that make-up classical Chinese writing. The MegaVocab Creator lets you include extra words and picture of your own.
Component 4: MegaAudio Software Learning Game
MegaAudio allows you to recognize over 1000 words used in the Chinese language. You will be able to understand the entire dialogue before long. You can also display the correct answers in Chinese characters.
Component 5: Chinese Learner’s Forum and Rocket Languages Support
You can ask your questions through email or the Members Only Chinese Learner’s Forum with Rocket Chinese Premium. The questions will be answered by experts, fellow Chinese learners and native speakers.
With the Download Version of this package, you will get instant access to the online Members Area, where you can download the complete package and if you order the Hardcopy Version, the course will be mailed to you in a 20-CD set within 10-15 working days. There is also a 60 day money back guarantee in case you don’t find it the course useful.
This cool site condenses dictionary and thesaurus content from both print and online! If you love words, check out words for the day at this cool site!
“Rocket Japanese Premium” learning program is a great resource of learning the Japanese language and it will prove useful whether you are going to visit Japan or interested in the Japanese language for other reasons. The program has been put together by Sayaka Matsuura. Here is a description of the program.
Component 1:
- Learn to Speak Confidently, Naturally, and Fluently with your 31-lesson Interactive Audio Course
- The 31 tracks in the Rocket Japanese Premium Interactive Audio Course will enable you to become a confident and natural speaker. The tracks average over 20 minutes in length each, so you get over 12 hours of audio lessons that you can listen to any time you like. They cover everything that you need to know to become an active member of the Japanese community. – You learn things like introducing yourself to moving about in public transportation and much more. More Sample Tracks
Along with the lessons you also get the transcripts of the conversations in rōmaji, Japanese characters (Hiragana and Katakana), and English translation to make the learning process more convenient.
Component 2:
- Rocket Japanese Premium Grammar and Culture Lessons
This component includes 31 illustrated Grammar and Culture Lessons which are available in the Rocket Japanese Learning Lounge (This is where you will find your course material). The course includes examples and tips that teach you how to say the right words at the right time. It also has instructions on learning written Japanese.
Component 3:
- MegaVocab Software Learning Game
- The MegaVoca software allows you to build your vocabulary with the help of over 1000 words. There are 20 topics in this program. MegaVocab also has a tool called the MegaVocab Creator, which lets you add pictures and words.
Component 4:
- MegaAudio Software Learning Game
- Most people find it hard to interpret spoken langauage.With the MegaAudio game you can learn to recognize over 1000 words in an very short duration.
Component 5:
- MegaHiragana Software Learning Game
- MegaHiragana has been designed for students looking to get a good understanding of written Japanese. In Japanese, Hiragana character is used for representing the sounds that make up the Japanese language, and is the core of the Japanese writing system. With MegaHiragana students get introduced to the hiragana character set in a way that makes recognition and memorization an easy process.
Component 6:
- Japanese Learner’s Forum and Rocket Languages Support
- With Rocket premium you have the option to send an email or post a message on the ‘Members Only’ Japanese Learner’s Forum, where you will get an answer from a team Japanese teachers, native speakers, and other people who are learning Japanese just like you.
This program will enable you to become a confident speaker and good writer of Japanese language. The whole package comes with a 60 day money back guarantee.
Mockingjay is the final novel in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The first two novels in the trilogy, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, introduced the young protagonist Katniss Everdeen and her world.
The series is set in a post apocalyptic America, which has become the nation of Panem. The Capitol lies at the center of Panem, surrounded by thirteen poor districts, where people like Katniss have to struggle to survive.
Every year, a boy and a girl are selected from each district to compete in the Hunger Games. These Games are a televised fight to the death in which the last remaining contestant, and the district in which they live, is rewarded. The Games were originally devised as a punishment for a rebellion against the Capitol, but they have become popular entertainment.
Katniss is a sixteen year old girl who has had a difficult life, living in one of Panem’s poorest districts, district twelve. Her father was killed in a mining accident, and her mother was left depressed and unable to care for her children. Katniss took on the responsibility of caring for herself and her younger sister, Prim.
When Prim is chosen to compete in the 74th Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Her determination and the skills that she learned in her struggle to find food for her family would prove to be helpful when she entered the Games, although she lacks the ability to understand and sympathize with the emotions of others.
In the first novel of the series, Katniss works together with the boy who has also been selected from her district and they both manage to survive the Games, after threatening to commit suicide rather than try to kill each other.
This angers the Capitol and inspires rebellion in many of the people living in the surrounding districts. During the second novel, Katniss and Peeta are forced to return to compete again in the Games.
The contestants do not comply with the Capitol’s plans, however. Katniss, Peeta and a number of other contestants manage to destroy the arena and escape. At the end of this book, Katniss and a number of the other contestants make their way to district thirteen, an area that many believe does not exist. Peeta, however, has been captured by the Capitol and district 12 has been destroyed.
Mockingjay, the third and final novel in the series will resolve the story of Katniss and the rebellion. The mockingjay has become a symbol of the rebellion against the Capitol, because of the mockingjay pin worn by Katniss, but the future is still uncertain and Katniss will have to do more than just fight if she wants the rebellion to succeed. She will have to lead.
Suzanne Collins has created an action packed work of science fiction with a compelling cast of characters. These books are ideal for young reader of approximately 12 years and upwards, but they also have a large adult following.
The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest!
The Millennium trilogy consists of three books by Stieg Larsson. The first in the series is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, followed by The Girl Who Played with Fire, and finally The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.
All three Stieg Larsson novels center on the intriguing figure of Lisbeth Salander.
Lisbeth is a brilliant computer hacker and mathematical genius. She has a photographic memory and can break into any computer system, but she has asocial tendencies and may have Asperger syndrome.
Lisbeth is a strong willed young woman who wears piercings and tattoos. Her troubled past plays a major part in the Millennium trilogy. Lisbeth has been described as being somewhat like a grown-up version of the popular children’s book character, Pippi Longstocking.
In the first novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, struggling journalist Mikael Blomkvist is offered a chance to resurrect his career. However, if he wants to take up this offer he must first spend a year researching the disappearance of a young heiress, Harriet Vanger.
The problem is that Harriet vanished almost forty years ago. Blomkvist enlists the help of a mysterious investigator, Lisbeth Salander, in order to unravel the case. As they explore the disappearance of Harriet Vanger, Lisbeth and Mikael uncover the corruption at the heart of the Vanger family.
Girl Who Played With Fire
The second novel, The Girl Who Played with Fire, reveals more about Lisbeth’s own past as she and Mikael set out to investigate a new mystery. This time, the unlikely pair are on the trail of the killer of freelance journalist Dag Svensson and his girlfriend and criminologist, Mia Johannsson. Click here to check out this book!
The couple were shot as Svensson prepared to publish an article they had been working on that would have exposed the sex trafficking business in Sweden. Salander’s fingerprints are found on the murder weapon, and she and Mikael must struggle to clear her name.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
In the final novel of the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, the series comes to an explosive end, with Lisbeth Salander forced to confront and destroy the demons of her past, and to rely on Mikael Blomkvist in order to do so. Click here to check out the Book!
It is impossible to reveal more of the plot without destroying the power of the twists and turns it contains, but this is a fitting finale to the story of Lisbeth Salander and it will not disappoint fans of the Stieg Larsson novels.
Stieg Larsson was a political activist and journalist from Sweden whose novels were unpublished when he died at the age of 50, in 2004. Larsson had written all three novels in the Millennium trilogy before attempting to find a publisher, but he died before he could see the books published.
The Stieg Larsson novels are exciting thrillers with some of the crime genre’s most unique and intriguing characters, but they are also a scathing commentary on Swedish society.
If you want to know how to write poetry, the first thing you have to do is write some.
It doesn’t matter how it turns out. Your own mistakes will become your teachers. Your own writing will motivate you to greater creativity. Now, once you start the process, how do you improve it?
Here are three tips.
1. Use nouns and verbs more than adjectives. Which is stronger: “She was as beautiful as a flower…” or “Roses wilted in shame as she passed by…”? “He looked at the depressing clouds…” or “He watched as dark clouds moved in, covering his sky…”?
2. Don’t tell the reader how to feel. Let the words elicit the emotions directly, without explaining. “The tragedy touched them all,” is more touching to the reader as “Men and women, doctor and workman… thirteen people looked upon the scene… with tears in their eyes.”
3. Use dramatic and emotional words. Not all words are equal in their ability to “grab” a reader or elicit emotion. “Fell,” “take,” and “love,” will probably be weaker than “plunged,” “siezed,” and “worship.”
Look at the following lines, written two ways. The second way applies the three rules above. (From the poem “Gratitude.”)
1.
The mountains and lakes were beautiful
I looked at them, heard them and smelled them
And I felt in awe
2.
Mountains stand against the sky
My little lake at their feet
And in the middle of this creation
Which I see with my eyes
Hear with my ears
Smell and taste…
Words fail, as they should
I hope you agree that the second version is better. Again, if you want to know how to write poetry, you have to start writing.
Use these and other rules to help you, but remember that all rules in poetry need to be broken at times. Read your poems aloud to yourself and others as a final “test.”
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