#Kids and Finance

How the heck to you get your kids started on understanding money, finance and what it all means and then how do you do this without it being boring, scary and worse still....having them completely disinterested?

Experts say children learn money habits from watching their parents, so parents need to start teaching their children early on.  While many do try to teach their kids about money,  there are many students who need that training from their schools as well as from the home front. 

Teaching kids financial literacy pays off in the long run. It is a known fact that teens who receive personal finance education not only manage their money better and have less debt, but they also achieve higher net worth between the ages of 30-49.

So what's out there to help our kids out.  If you google Amazon and other book related websites, there are many great books that can help your kids into teenage years.  Finding the right book for your kid/teenager though is the secret here, you need to know how best they learn in order to find the right book.

I did stumble across one awesome book that really caught my eye, it was called "Money $ense for Kids" by Hollis Page Harman.  This book is for ages 8 - 108 and can be found on Amazon.  This author uses kids' bikes as a metaphor to help children visualize the difference between risk and investments.  Definitely one to take a look at.

Again, from our perspective at Ink Tree Ltd., it's about knowing what is new and current, what needs to be covered that hasn't already, knowing your audience, finding what's out there in your genre if you have already chosen one, knowing your competition and most important - knowing your subject really well and making it interesting and fun that whatever age group you are targeting.  

Before you even put pen to paper, with just the thought of what your book is going to be about in your head  - "Research" is the most important thing you will ever do.  Going into the bookstores and on to places like Amazon, internet searching etc. finding out just what is out there -  this is the groundwork that will make you a better author and make your book the very best it can be.

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#GoodWriting

To continue on Debbie's train of thought from yesterday - the importance of making your book one that sells for decades - there is no substitute for good writing.

This morning I went to the library to brouse through the discarded book section in hopes of finding some good books to add to my grandkids' library in Nana and Papa's playroom. I found some fabulous childrens' books (story time happens every time that the grandchildren come over to visit), but I did not find one decent adult book.

There were many bestsellers on the shelves, and while the writing style of some of them is decent (even if they are formula writers), they are seldom great. Great books are timeless. We can enjoy Huckleberry Finn, Alice in Wonderland and Anne of Green Gables even as adults but is the latest popular crime novel likely to withstand the test of time? Not likely. It's just the flavor of the month. It sells, and hey, there is nothing wrong with that, but it's really not a case of great writing and unlikely to make it to English 101 at any university.

I guess that it all depends on your goals. If you plan to sell thousands of books and are content with that, go for it but if you want to sell thousands of books and keep selling books for generations, put some effort into the writing. Strive for excellence. The writing process will be lengthy. You will need numerous readers before the book is ever published. It is very important that what you write is actually what you meant to say. You simply cannot edit your own work so you need numerous other points of view that will give you interpretations of your writing. It's amazing how your own brain will fill in the missing gaps even when you are not aware of the deficiencies, but when other people repeat back to you their interpretation of your written words you might be amazed at the miscommunications.

Anyway, be the very best that you can be because once your words are in print, there is no changing them. They are out there, potentially for all time.

Now, the grandkids are here so I'm off to choose a great book to read to them.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#Why Bedtime Stories Time Important to Children

I was reading an article in a newspaper yesterday which made a great deal of sense and had me doing my "Aha" thing.  The story was on how important it is to read bedtime stories with your child - but it's even bigger than that.  When you have that end of the day ritual of quiet time to read that favorite story, it also gives a child the confidence and the opportunity to also open up to you as a parent!

It's a wonderful time to cuddle up together and explore some of the best stories around.  Even though in this day and age children's books are one of the biggest genres out there, and yes there are some wonderful and exciting titles in all age groups, please don't forget to read your child the classic books of days gone by.

Bring out some of your old books (if you have kept them), Heidi, Black Beauty, Oliver Twist (kids version) and my absolute favorite books of all time "Enid Blyton's - Secret Seven and Five series"....these wonderful and exciting books are the very reason that today I love to read.

I totally agreed with the author of the article I was reading yesterday when she said "I am convinced that reading aloud increases my sons' vocabulary".   Ever since my daughter was a tiny little girl, sitting on her "potty" we always surrounded her with books to read while this "business was taken care of" and throughout her childhood she always had a book in hand, and especially the bedtime tradition with both myself and her Dad was a constant.  I can remember a good friend saying to me once, when she was around 3 years old, "What does this kid read...the Websters Dictionary"?  He couldn't believe just how well she spoke and the words she used and the fact she understood them, so yes I completely agree that reading aloud really does help a child with their vocabulary.

What I always found while reading with my daughter and I still do today is how sad I am when a really good story is finished - which brings me to my next point, isn't this exactly what every author wants the reader to feel about their book??  There is nothing more satisfying than knowing that you have left your reader wanting more.

Two of the biggest pieces of advice we always give at Ink Tree Ltd.,are: 

• Know your audience and why you are writing for them
• Do your homework and research at the bookstores - know your competition and what is out there

At the end of the day you want "your passion" to become a passion for your reader and one more piece of advice... never ever forget those wonderful books from our childhood and the classics - take a good long look at these stories and ask yourself the question "Why were they so successful", this could be a good recipe for success for yourself.

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#Finding the Right Book Title

I am totally amazed sometimes that any author can come up with a new or exciting title!  Just walking around Chapters or any bookstore for that matter and seeing the thousands and thousands of books it hard to think that anyone can come up with something new, original or just appropriate for their book!!

There are many, many important things that need to be researched, brainstormed and covered in this big process called "publishing a book" and every single thing is just as important as the other.  Whether it's finding something new and different to write about, getting your book professionally edited, someone to design your book cover, etc. etc. it's a process that takes a great deal of time but done properly can be the difference between success and failure, and the right "book title" is very high on this list. 

So, how do you find the right "book title" for your masterpiece?  As we tell most people who come to us at Ink Tree Ltd.,(and we cover in our "Ultimate Book Marketing Kit") it's always good to find something even just a little bit different than has been covered before, one of the things we recommend at Ink Tree Ltd. is go and spend time in the bookstores, check out all the sections, see what other authors are coming up with and especially spend a lot of time in the section where "your book" will be placed.  Think outside the box and find a hook, something newsworthy, a play on words, humorous, google Amazon and see what other titles are out there in your genre, but you definitely need something eye catching!

Like I said, when you walk around a bookstore and see the thousands of books out there, it's so important to get the attention of the consumer and make them want to pick up your book, check out the content and walk over to the cash register and take your book home.  The competition is fierce...it's a jungle out there and we call it a "bookstore"!!!!

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#SecondhandBookstores

What do you do on the first gorgeous Saturday of the year??  Go for a drive, get out of dodge and leave the housework for another day!

My husband and I ended up in Bragg Creek...yes, for ice cream and to poke around.  With ice cream in hand we stumbled upon an awesome little bookstore, filled with secondhand books.  The first thing I noticed was the smell....yes, I am sure some of you think I'm nuts, but there is a distinct smell of books that have owner history and have been "around the block" so as to speak.

What was most rewarding to me was seeing my husband on his knees sorting through some very, very old children's books that he remembered owning and sharing with his brother as a kid.  Black Beauty, Heidi, The Call of the Wild and several other wonderful titles.

This set of books were "two stories in one" and hardcover (gotta love those old hard covered books).  After looking at one cover page and flipping through the story, you could turn the book over and then flip it up and there would be another cover page and story - each story would meet in the middle! From a publishers standpoint, great idea and cost effective, from the buyer standpoint a great value...two books for the price of one!!

I loved watching my husband take a walk down memory lane, opening the books, flipping through the pages, remembering the titles and stories and actually recounting how he and his brother felt about these books and how much he and his brother loved them.  I asked him if he wanted to buy them...he thought for quite a long time but decided not to.

I realized that these bookstores are a wonderful trip down memory lane - by simply seeing and picking up a title of a book we owned and read can transport us back to a time in our life, flooding us with memories of family times, friendships, holidays we had taken and the books we read on a beach, people we shared these books with and the wonderful stories we never forgot. 

Thank goodness for these wonderful places and perhaps that's why so many of us actually keep certain books, it's because they are not just about the books but also about the memories, the moments, the people and the times in our life -  that simply by seeing the book, picking it up and flipping through it will take us back to that time and moment in our life.

As much as electronic books are our future and have a place....nothing will ever replace these bookstores and those wonderful books on our shelves - or as a friend of mine once said "spending time with an old friend".

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#ContactMedia/FindMedia

Did you know that there is a shortcut to finding journalists?

Contacting media can be a very difficult, time consuming and sometimes expensive endeavour. It is still be necessary to use the traditional route of purchasing media lists with the names and contact information of editors and producers, but the internet has created a new channel of communication.

It is now possible to use Twitter and Facebook, although Facebook is the hands-down winner in this competition. Twitter had about 300 million followers but Facebook has 800 million users. Do the math.

All you have to do is search "journalists" on the home page. How easy is that? You will immediately find many journalists and all of those journalists are looking for stories.

Your job is to do their work for them. Before you contact anyone, have a great news releasse and a professional-looking media kit ready to go. It is also a good idea to create some segment sheets that inspire stories that can be written about you and your book. Media professionals are very busy so the easier you make editing and producing for them, the more likely it is that they will choose your ideas over the multitudes of others that are presented to them on a daily basis.

See our "Ultimate Book Marketing Kit" for templates on creating news releases, media kits and segment sheets.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#SellYourBook'sForeignRights

It's that time of year again - time to alert people to register their books for foreign rights sales. The Frankfurt Book Fair, the biggest in the world, takes place in October so submissions have to be in by late Spring.

We are excited to affiliate with a new agent this year. He offers superior service for a very reasonable price. Let us know ASAP if you are interested.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#YourPublishingBusiness - TakeCharge

As I have repeatedly stressed, publishing is a business. Business owners who want to be successful have to be business-minded, which involves knowing their business inside-out. Every company president has to know all aspects of the function of that business.

The business of publishing is not excluded from the rule, yet repeatedly I hear this: "I don't have time to promote my book(s) so I just want someone else to do it for me."

How can any business thrive if the owner wants other people to operate that company when the owner does not even understand his/her own business? How will the owner know if his/her business is even being operated as well as can be expected without knowledge of its basic operations?

There is a real danger in saying that you want to start a business but you want nothing to do with the operation of that business. Every ship needs a captain and there is only captain per ship. If you, the publisher, abdicate control of your business the business will follow the charted course of the person in charge. Your vision will have very little relevance to the outcome.

As a self publisher, you devote tremendous amounts of time and energy on the creation of a book(s). The book is your "baby" yet you want no part in the raising of that baby. Why bother writing the book in the first place?

So what is your best option? Education and a hands-on approach. Learn all that you can about publishing, set up and work on your publishing company yourself and make it grow. As you build your company you can add assistants who support your efforts and eventually take over many of your duties. Grow your business intelligently.

Here is to your success.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#BarcodesforBooks

Every book that is available in the retail market requires a bar code. Ideally, the bar code format for publishing is the Bookland EAN (European Article Number) symbol because it includes the book's ISBN (International Standard Book Number), and it reads the book's price. Retailers access valuable information from the bar code, and it helps them with inventory tracking.

The bar code includes your book's ISBN number preceded by 978 which indicates that the item is a book or a book related item. The last digits of the bar code indicate the country of origin of the item and the price. There is no getting around it - if you want to sell books you need to have them bar coded.

My advice is that you find a printer who is familiar with printing books and have them generate the bar code as part of their service. Why stress yourself needlessly? Leave it to the professionals.

However, you will need to provide the ISBN number to the printer. In some countries, such as Canada, the government provides ISBNs free of charge but you must apply. In other countries, such as the United States, you are required to purchase your ISBN. The service is provided by R.R. Bowker, but there are alternative companies so do your research, a.k.a. an internet search.

Having the ISBN (which you can obtain or purchase in blocks of numbers) and the bar code added correctly to your book's back cover will remove one road block to being accepted in the retail world. It's a small effort for a good result.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#WriteaNewsRelease

I have just been through a lengthy exercise with a lovely client on the writing of her news release. It was a challenge but she eventually "got it". Best of all, she was willing to accept criticism, comments and advice.

The first challenge for me was in getting her focused. Her news release, initially, was so vague that it was obvious to me that media persons would not even take the time to read beyond the headline, which was what we clearly advise is the world's worse news headline: "Author writes new book."

Next we had to address the issue of the wordiness of the document. The author felt that she had pared it down as much as was absolutely possible. Needless to say, I was able to do plenty of slashing and burning. My job is to get down to the basics of what the writer is trying to say which is usually about half of what has been written.

On we went to the next challenge: make the benefits of the book clear in a few bulleted points. Media persons receive countless news releases every day. They want, in a few seconds, to scan and pick up the core of the matter.

Finally, we had to express the author's story in a clear manner. Editors and producers are looking for a story that will capture the attention of their audiences. They don't care if you have just written, in your opinion, the world's greatest book. The point is, will their viewers or readers care? Your job is to make them care.

So, the news release is written. That isn't to say that it will be the only version that she needs to create. No book or other product is successful after one attempt. Marketing, including publicity, are constant necessities for publishers.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com

#BooksCreateConversation

While driving in my car, listening to talk radio as I am inclined to do, I heard an interview with an author. It was a most interesting conversation even though I do not have a deep interest in the subject matter.

What mattered is that I was drawn into the chat because the author made it relevant to me and my life. She used examples of lifestyles and how her topic impacted each lifestyle differently. I learned some things that can help me. That's what every media person and every audience member wants to know: "What's in it for me?"

The author being interviewed created a relevant scenario which, I guarantee, sold books. Other authors need to take note of her strategy: make your book's information resonate with a wide range of lifestyles and show people how they can benefit from what you have to say. That's what makes media  personalities want to interview you. The editor or the host of a show wants to reach as wide an audience as possible so your job is to create that scenario.

It's tricky so you need to know your subject matter inside out and you need to make it current and relevant for the audience.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com
www.publishacookbook.com