Meet Aviva Gittle, Self-Pub Author with a Mission!

 

The world is full of writers, from devoted list-makers to poets and short stories to novels and beyond. For as many writers there are, it’s not too far fetched to claim that there are as many purposes behind the writing. Personally speaking, I write because it helps me organize my thoughts…I just happen to think in a story format.

Once the decision is made to take writing from sketching little stories and poems for our own enjoyment to the next level – that elusive publication. With Self publishing making waves in the industry, these stories are sometimes mistaken (sometimes not) as lesser in quality. As such, self-published authors have come together as a community in several different formats and in online forums. Aviva Gittle is one such author with a heart for helping other self-published authors.

Aviva is my next featured author. Along with amazing stories for children, Aviva has a talent for working with others to bring stories to life and to help other authors share their work. It’s this kind of writer that makes me smile with admiration! It is my great pleasure to introduce you to Aviva Gittle:

Q: Your website is amazing. From what I can see, you have a talent and desire to work with other writers, promoting their work. What was the inspiration for your website and how has it enhanced your writing life?

Aviva: First, thank you for the kind words. My website is a mix of self-promotion, how-to articles for writers and a platform for, mainly, self-publishers. I want to transition to less interviews and more articles. I have much to share about the process of self-publishing. My website (www.GoToGittle.com) is really an experiment in marketing. Often I forget that I’m supposed to be marketing my books and not creating an online magazine. Which isn’t a bad idea, but then I’d have to market the magazine, too! I could call it, “Aviva.” How’s that for self-promotion?

Q: I found six books listed on Amazon: Moon Jump, In Nana’s Arms, Bagel Boy, Kitten and Butterfly, Mort the Fly, Snack Attack. Share a little with us about the origin of these stories.

Aviva: In Nana’s Arms is a poem to my first grandchild, Louis. I was holding him with one arm while he slept and wrote a rough draft on my iPhone with the other hand. Bagel Boy, and you’re going to love this, is based on a story idea from my ex-husband. Moon Jump and Snack Attack! I wrote with my writing partner, Mark Megson. An amazing young man whose website I stumbled upon last year. (http://www.readingjuice.co.uk/) There I found dozens of story ideas. I asked him to partner with me. Our writing styles mesh so well, I can’t always remember who wrote which parts of a story. Mort the Fly I wrote in 2005; it was the impetus to my becoming a self-publisher. (Because I prefer to do things my own way even when I don’t know what the heck I’m doing.) Kitten & Butterfly is part of the Kitten and Friends series. I wrote all 7 stories in a couple of months. But, it took a year to get the first story published. I’ve got a cute book trailer for it that I’m very proud of.

Q: What is your writing process/schedule?

Aviva: I’m not a schedule person. A former burnt out IT project manager; I yanked my watch off my wrist September 16, 2004, got in my car and drove away from my corporate life. I’m a writer for a reason. LOL! Something has to inspire me to sit my butt down and write. Kitten and Friends was inspired by an illustration of a kitten and butterfly I saw in an artist’s portfolio. I would jot down ideas for other creatures Kitten could make friends with. I was in a manically productive phase that has yet to be repeated. (Bummer, man.) I have ideas for stories all over the place. In notebooks, on my computer, iPad, iPhone. I even have photos of paper scraps with ideas scrawled on them. Like my brain, my writing process is very scattered. Fortunately, through years of college and work experience, I have learned to write very quickly. So, when I can finally sit still, I get a lot done.

Q: Going back a time, what inspired you to begin writing?

Aviva: Preteen angst. I wrote my first song at age 7. I don’t remember the words, but it was a sad love song. At age 11 I started writing poetry. I’ve been battling depression for as long as I can remember. And writers know that anger, sadness and love are the great motivating emotions. It’s great when you’ve got all three storming around your head at once. LOL! I wrote my first children’s story in 1995 at a very low point in my life. It was called Chloe and the Belly Beast. It was about dealing with fear. I went as far as hiring an illustrator last year with the intent of self-publishing it. When the initial sketches came back from the artist, I knew it was way too dark to be a children’s story. I then tried to make it a tween novel. To date, I just haven’t found a way to make it work. That’s when you put it on the back burner and move on. I did make a fun greeting card with one of the sketches.

Q: What lesson in writing has been the most difficult but the most effective? (For example, early in my writing career, I realized that the novel I was writing was in need of a major overhaul. Overwhelmed by how much that would take, I decided the best (and yet most painful) solution was to delete it all and start over. Best move of my life. Well, I married a great guy, but that has little to do with writing 🙂

Aviva: You need to hire an editor. It’s the first thing I talk about in my Birth of a Children’s Book column (about my experiences as a self-publisher). 
 You should listen to others, but not blindly follow their advice. If you find yourself reacting strongly to feedback, set it aside and go back to it in a few days. Once you put your ego aside, you open yourself up to some great opportunities to make your stories better. Like, a lot better than you can do all alone. Unless you just want to sit in your room and read all your stories to yourself.

The best decision I made was to partner with Mark Megson. I think of myself as a loner, but working with Mark has improved my writing and my production. In addition to Moon Jump and Snack Attack! (technically I’m the senior editor on that, but we really wrote it together), we wrote Mary’s Magic Word which will be published later this year. We are also working on a tween sci-fi novel, Quentin and the Quantum Quilt. Your feedback on the first very short chapters is greatly needed and appreciated: http://goo.gl/VQhSMD (It’s posted on Wattpad.com; real easy to leave comments and vote.)

Q:  When you walk into a bookstore or library, what is the first section you browse?

Aviva: I haven’t walked into a bookstore in a very long time! When I browse Amazon.com, it’s usually for children’s books. Either I’m trying to find self-published children’s book to review or I’m looking to buy children’s books for my grandchildren.

Q: Describe the perfect birthday. Why? Because it’s fun 🙂

Aviva: The perfect birthday would have me surrounded by my grandchildren playing “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”, “Musical Chairs” and other birthday games of my youth. Oh, and a piñata stuffed with individually-wrapped pieces of fudge. I love fudge. My grandson, Louis, would strike the winning blow and I would stand underneath the poor, battered, paper Mache creature with a giant bowl.

Q: Imagine you are the keynote speaker at a writing conference. The audience includes 500 writers at various stages in their writing, with a plethora of experiences. What would the final statement of your address to them be?

Aviva: Life is a balance. You can’t just write for yourself and you can’t just write for others. Okay, you can do whatever the heck you want. But, one will leave you lonely and the other will suck the joy out of your writing life.

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Credits:
Moon Jump illustrations by Carlos Brito

 

Kitten & Butterfly illustrations by Tekla Huzár

My links:

Buy or borrow an Aviva Gittle Publishing book: amazon.com/author/avivagittle
Website: http://gotogittle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aviva-Gittle-Publishing/262156237258544
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AvivaGittle
Wattpad: http://goo.gl/VQhSMD
Submission guidelines for The Gittle List 2014: Top 10 Self-published Children’s Picture Books: http://gotogittle.com/the-gittle-list-2014-guidelines/

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6 Steps to a Successful Author Visit

 

Author Visits, Guest Speaking, and School visits are the bread and butter of an up-and-coming author’s income. While your royalty payment per book might peak at 17%, what you make on the speaking circuit is all yours. It’s not just good for income, it’s a great way to share your message, share your writing, and network with like-minded people.

The days of BICAW (Butt in chair and writing) need to be tempered with SIFOP (standing in front of people). Okay, enough of the acronyms 🙂 Lol. Sorry. Below is a list of steps to consider to focus your thoughts in preparation for a presentation of a school visit.

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Now that the books are on the shelf… what’s next?

 

STEP ONE:
Narrow your target audience and purpose. You’ve written something, and maybe it’s published, maybe not. Either way, you have something to share with others. Or do you? Here are a few questions to consider before you take your show on the road:

1. Who is the intended reader for your book?
2. Write down the message that you can share with them. Is it in a church, a school, a business?
3. What other messages are out there that are similar to yours?
4. How is your message unique?
5. Are you an expert in your field?

In my case, the intended readership for my books are Christian families looking for stories that aren’t filled with vampires or zombies. Yeah, there are those of us who love a good story that doesn’t involve the un-dead.

My message deals with sharing stories – the premise for Unforgettable Roads. For elementary students, I offer writing workshops that parallel Frog’s Winter Walk. I also share a presentation that is a humorous look at stories, how they grew from campfire mythology to the 3-D spectacles we pay $15-$20 for at the theater.

I also talk with parents about reading with their children, how to bring books into the spotlight. This is my area of expertise as my Master’s Degree is in Education with an emphasis on reading instruction. These are my tools, not my story. I use these tools to bring my published (and soon to be published) stories to new readers.

 

STEP TWO:
Prepare your presentations. Obvious step, huh? This step needs to be solid before you move to step four – looking for places to speak.

• Outline your thoughts. Then write out everything you think you’ll say. You won’t use it all, but you will benefit greatly from organizing it all onto paper.
• Decide if you are in need of props, a power point presentation, etc. Know your limits or skills with technology. Stay within your comfort zone, but also work toward improving your abilities with technology, or going without.
• With a recorder, practice your presentation with your notes and then without. Practice does make perfect…or at least better.
• Once you have your presentation smooth (and it won’t be the same twice – which is what you want. It leads to a more natural approach) video tape yourself. Watch for ticks, frequent phrases, anything that makes you cringe.

On your website, narrow down your presentation to one sentence and three bullet points. Why? Summarizing the overall idea in one sentence is the flashing banner that potential schools and organizations look for in a guest speaker. The three bullet points are just a sampling of what they will receive. We all like free samples…use them.

 

STEP THREE:

Determine your price. Oh, how I despise this part. It’s extremely difficult for me to put a price on something I absolutely love doing. However, the grocery store has no problem marking up foods and my kids have no plans to starting eating less, so I need to charge what I’m worth.

Don’t take this step lightly. Do a google search of local authors, go to a local author event and find out what people charge. The prices will be all over the board. The second and third questions will help narrow down a comparable price for you: 1) How many speaking engagements do other authors do in a year? 2) How many years have they presented professionally?

 

AN IDEA! If someone charges $1000/day to be in an elementary school giving back-to-back assemblies to school children and have five years experience, he can charge that. If you want to start small, say a few classrooms at a time, consider a barter while you’re getting your feet wet – if you can sell a certain number of books prior to the speaking engagement, you’ll speak for free. If that sales quota isn’t met prior to your date, then the organization meets the difference. Anything above that, and you can consider a small donation back to them.

Note: There is much debate over how much new speakers should charge. Offering to speak for free might cause the organization to think you are not worth anything. Just be honest – let them know you are new at the speaking, but your expertise is solid. You are trying to launch a new aspect of your business and in exchange for the early practice and networking, you are willing to exchange cost for time.

I did do this and I have no regrets. I had fun, learned a great deal about speaking, asked for comments, reviews and recommendations. I decided I would do three school visits at no cost before charging a set rate. I do not include my speaking fees on my speaker flyer. Instead, I include a note that states that I consider each proposal separately and create a quote based on the list below.

• What to consider in your pricing rubric:
  Milage/ Travel Time
  Time spent in preparation
  Time spent in presenting

 

STEP FOUR:
Once you’ve established your message, it’s time to start talking to managers, librarians, teachers, business owners…anyone who has a group of people who would be interested in your insight. Prepare a speaker information sheet. Keep it simple, colorful, include cover art from your books, or a picture of you speaking at an event, or simply a professional head shot from your back cover.

Your speaker sheet is fun to put together. No, really! Think of it as a one page picture book about you. Be creative. Include your expertise, intended audience, photos, contact information, and links to your website. (If you don’t have any of these, I highly recommend you put it together. As a public speaker, you are now considered a business. Where do people go to check on the quality of a business? Yep. Websites.)

This is the time to play the ‘Who You Know’ card. Talk to friends, co-workers, fellow parishioners, and provide them with the information you’ve put together. Couple that with a free speaking offer, and you are certain to get a bite.

A Success Story:
I offered an Author Visit to an Elementary School and three books as an auction item for a church fundraiser. A mom won it, her child’s first grade teacher eagerly contacted me, and I presented a short writing workshop to three first grade classrooms. I learned how to use some of the new technology that is common place in schools but new to me. I met almost 80 children, and had a wonderful morning.

While I was in town, I attended a breakfast event at that church and met up with my former kindergarten teacher. She still volunteers at the school and helps arrange Author Visits.

Right place + right time + who I know = networking.

I didn’t, sadly, have any business cards left, so I came across as being unprofessional. I did order 1000 more cards the very next day. That will not happen to me again.

 

STEP FIVE:
What will you need for your presentation?

Aside from your notes, props, computer and books, you should also consider the following:

• A bottle of water
• Hot tea to soothe your throat
• Snacks or a lunch if you are working a full day
• Table cloth and possibly flowers, bookmarks, business cards if you will have a vendor table. If you don’t have a table, bring the bookmarks, business cards and speaker flyers with you in a nice looking folder. Be prepared to meet your next connection and it will happen.
• A camera to have visual documentation that you were really there 😉
• A digital recorder. Record your presentation for two reasons: One, to hear it again and make notes on weak areas, and Two, to use sound bytes on your website. Those free samples again. (True story – I’ve brought my recorder every time and have either forgot to use it or it didn’t record clearly, which is why my website is missing this feature. On my list is to purchase a microphone I can wear so I will remember to turn it on and hopefully have a usable piece. See? I’m learning.)

 

STEP SIX:
Ask for a review.

Provide the teacher, leader, or the CEO with a short comment and review sheet. Ask them to either fill it out right after your presentation or provide a stamped and addressed envelope so they can return it to you. This will provide you with immediate feedback and quotes that you can use on your website and marketing sheets (be sure to ask permission first).

• A few quick questions to ask:
  Did this presentation meet your expectations?
  What is one thing I said or shared that you enjoyed?
  Is there anything I can add to my presentation to improve it?

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I hope these six steps help you as you prepare or revamp how you are doing your presentations. This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you have more suggestions or a personal success or dum-dum story to share, please do!

Jessica

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Writing Exercises that Aren’t Heavy on Writing

Becoming a writer is just that – a becoming. Like our 18th birthdays when we become an adult, we know that despite the fact that we are legally recognized as an adult, we are too young to drink and we don’t know anything about what it means to be an adult. It takes years of being of age and feeling the pride, the sting, the work that is required to truly become an adult. Despite all the years of practice, some people never become adults.

Writing is the same. We slowly grow into a writer by studying the craft, learning from successful writers, and practice.

Loads and loads of practice.

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We write short stories, try our hand at poetry, launch into a novel. We stumble, fall, are rejected and hopefully, we try again.

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Just as infants first roll over, then crawl, stand, and the finally walk, learning the craft of writing (or any craft) is the same. Start by watching others, reading the works of authors who have successfully published again and again. Make this first activity a goal:

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Make a list of book you want to read this year. How many books can you read in a month?

Put the list into alphabetical order (or in order according to publication dates).

Start today.

Keep notes on what you read, reflect on why the stories are wonderful

(or not, and you scratch your head wondering why that dribble was published and not your own work?

…this comment based on personal experience 🙂

In between reading, and working your other job, making meals, and finding time to exercise, you should find time to write. I suggest this next exercise with a little hesitation:

For a week, track how many words you write.

At the end of the week, reflect about what you did on the days when your word count was excellent.

What did you do on the days you didn’t write much at all?

Remember you are human and there are people in your life who need you.

This is the basic principle of NaNoWriMo.com. National Novel Writing Month (November for Novelist) is a month-long challenge that provides daily inspiration and motivation to write as much as possible – the goal being a 50,000 words. There are both benefits and drawbacks to this.

Benefit – this is a BICAW (butt in chair and write) challenge. It breaks through some of life’s distractions and focuses efforts into one thing – get the words on paper.

Drawback – The result of BICAW stories is more of a ‘diamond in the rough’ than a polished gem.

If you want to challenge yourself to write a much as possible in one day, one week, or one month, I highly recommend you invest the time beforehand to prepare your story as much as possible. Outline, brainstorm, collect snippets of ideas to have by your side before your BICAW adventure.

The purpose of this challenge is for you to go into writing prepared, but to also keep track of what prevents you from writing. It’s more of an exercise in scheduling and lifestyle; an intentional examination of what works and what doesn’t.

Find the balance to be a present human being and a prolific writer. Yeah…good luck 🙂

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Take a break from the story you are working on and work on the query letter to an agent or publisher.

(For help with query letters, spend some time reading www.queryshark.com )

I discovered a hidden benefit when I work on a query letter – it sharpens my purpose in writing that particular story. Every story need a purpose, a lesson, theme, moral, statement – whatever you wish – but it must be there. Many books on the shelves have less than desirable purposes and morals. That is up to you to decide if you are writing a social justice statement (i.e. To Kill a Mockingbird), a tale of to-die-for teenage lust (Twilight), or expressing Christian values (anything by C.S. Lewis, but particularly The Chronicles of Narnia).

When a story starts to fall flat or when I just need a break from writing, I switch gears to work on the query or the synopsis. It’s a nice break from writing scenes, it keeps me focused on the story, and quite often leads to a story break-through.

If there was a common, and yet thin, connection between these three exercises, it’s that writing does not always include writing. Reading, thinking and, people watching. Seek balance, seek mentors, seek to be successful. Oh, and don’t forget to exercise confidence!

 

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Meet Julie Krantz – a Teenage Superhero Mastermind!

There is something incredible about writing a book. Not only do I spend time reading and researching, writing and rewriting, there is the moment when the book is finished and I expect a ticker-tape parade. Every time I’ve finished a manuscript, there has been no trumpet blare, no pat on the back, and I am always alone. Writing is a solitary activity – for the most part.

That’s why I’m enjoying these interviews so much! I can offer a virtual celebration of work well done, an Internet pat on the back, and we can come together, however briefly, as members of the writing world.

I’m thrilled to introduce you to Julie Krantz, fellow writer, mother of four, and author of several books geared toward our world’s youth. I feel like I’ve meet a kindred sprit! We have much in common. Julie shares her story, her writing, and her experiences with us. Enjoy! You are going to love her!

What inspired you to begin writing?

Oh, boy, that’s hard to pinpoint. I’ve always loved to read—as a teenager and an adult. And I guess that’s what inspired me to write—admiring those fictional worlds created by the amazing writers I read as a youth—Madeline L’Engle (especially A Wrinkle in Time), Carolyn Keene (yes—Nancy Drew’s author!), JD Salinger (everything he wrote, not just Catcher in the Rye), among others—and wanting to create some of my own.

 

I loved reading as kid, I think, because I grew up in a small town on the Delaware River in South Jersey. We didn’t have a library in Palmyra, so I’d ride my bike to the Riverton library. I loved going in that tiny yellow Victorian house and heading for the children’s room—followed by forays into adult fiction, poetry and reference books. (Remember when we had to go to the library to research stuff? Wow—that seems so antiquated now!) I also loved stopping in the ‘Sharon Shop’ with my girlfriends for ice-cream sodas on the way home.

 

What keeps you motivated?

 

I’m not sure how or why or what, but I am motivated—and hope to stay that way! I guess it’s got something to do with loving to read, wanting to write my own stories, and being fascinated by human nature, especially characters I met in fiction. Some of my favorites were, for instance, were Pip and Ms. Havisham in Great Expectations, Jerusha Abbott in Daddy Long-Legs, and Francie in and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. And, of course, Holden Caulfield and Franny and Zooey and the rest of the Glass family.

 

Can you share a favorite quote or a mantra that you might have posted near your workspace?

 

Oh, boy, this is embarrassing. I don’t have anything posted near my workspace because my workspace is in a nice, cozy recliner next to big windows overlooking piney woods and a rushing creek.

I did recently come across a quote I admire, though. It’s by fellow-North Carolinian Daniel Wallace, the author of Big Fish:

 

“I wouldn’t advertise my experience as one I’d want anyone else to have – to write for 14 years before you publish a book. That’s absurd perseverance. If your son or daughter were working on something for 10 years, wouldn’t you say, ‘Maybe it’s time to work on something else’? But “perseverance really is an outgrowth of passion and desire. … I knew I could succeed at something else. But [that] wasn’t important for me…. I would rather fail at this than succeed at [anything] else.”

 

I guess this pretty much sums up how I feel about writing, too.

 

 

In terms of marketing, what have been some of your more successful efforts?

 

Hahaha—now that’s a funny question! I’d say I’ve spent the better part of the past two years trying everything and anything I could (within reason and on a zero to none budget) to market my books—only to meet with great—shall I say—un-success? But it’s been fun. Now I know about how to leverage categories and keywords on Amazon, how to use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and WordPress. Sad thing is, there’s something new to learn everyday. So I hope my efforts pay off at least a little soon so I can get back to writing!

 

Did you make a business plan for yourself and your writing?

 

The only thing I’ve ever made a business plan for was a kitchenware store a neighbor and I were thinking about opening in New York. I thought I did a pretty good job, even though we never opened the store—my neighbor wanted 51% share of the company without making any sort of monetary contribution at all. Hmmm. Maybe it wasn’t such a good plan after all.

 

As far as writing, I’m not a very business-oriented person (as you can probably tell from the above scheme), but I do have to thank my husband for supporting me in all my writing efforts. I keep telling him they will pay off someday….

 

Tell us about  your book, Stella Bellarosa: Tales of an Aspiring Teenage Superhero.

 

Ah, now that’s my favorite question! Stella Bellarosa (that was the original title. I added ‘Tales of an Aspiring Teenage Superhero’ to increase its discoverability on Amazon. Keywords, remember….) is about two teenage girls who get caught returning a stolen wallet (which is already kind of a silly thing—one of them didn’t even steal it) then decide to run away to midtown Manhattan rather than tell their parents they’ve been suspended for 3 days (they devise a story to tell to cover-up their suspension/disappearance). The novel is set in the 1960’s, which was totally fun for me to write about—as were Stella and Pin Pin’s adventures in midtown.

 

I guess you could say the story came to me for a few reasons—like Stella and Pin Pin, I went to Catholic School and had vivid (sometimes silly, sometimes scary) recollections of the discipline code as well as the nuns and priests and religious rules in general. Secondly, I wanted to explore certain issues I’d encountered as a teenager—isolation, alienation, uncertainty-of-being-loved, etc.—as well as other things I knew were (and still are) important to kids today, like prejudice and immigration and poverty.

 

If I had to sum up what I want readers to walk away thinking about, I guess I’d say it’s mainly about familial love and acceptance, as well as love from other sources—like friends and friends’ families. And it’s about doing what you believe in even if it’s not always the ‘right’ thing to do, as is, sadly, sometimes the case. I also want kids to laugh—at Stella, at me, at life—really laugh, because I think that’s the best way to handle tough situations.

 

Your stories have appeared in various publications, including an early version of YOSHI’S YUCCA, in Spider Magazine. What kind of prep work did you do before writing and submitting to Spider?

 

Well, nothing for that submission in particular, but I did spend lots of years writing other stuff before Yoshi’s Yucca. I also spent lots of time before (and mostly after) Yoshi’s Yucca reading books about writing, reading and studying all the great fiction I could, and taking all sorts of courses and workshops—online and at graduate school. Oh, and getting rejected. Yes, lots of time getting rejected.

 

How has your family impacted your writing? With four children, I’m sure they always inspire ideas.

 

Oh, my family has impacted my writing in huge ways. The kids were fun to raise and I think that’s why I started writing for children. I love little kids—who they are, what they do, how they think. I’m a little like Holden Caulfield that way—wanting to catch them and keep them like that before they leap into the affected fields of adulthood.

But my family-of-origin has played a big part in my writing, too. I remember Pat Conroy talking about Prince of Tides, I think, and saying something about all writers coming from interesting—read ‘dysfunctional’—families. I don’t believe mine wasn’t as dysfunctional as his, exactly. But let’s just say—they were ‘interesting.’

After two of my maiden aunts died without anybody in the family knowing, I decided to dedicate all my books ‘to my family—on both sides of the river,’ by which I mean those who lived east and west of the Delaware.

 

Are you published through a publishing house or have you taken the role on yourself to self-publish?

 

I came to self-publishing reluctantly, though I have to say I’m a real proponent of it now. And I don’t think it’s sour grapes. I’ve always been a bit of a rebel, renegade, iconoclast, whatever-you-call-it (like many folks who grew up in the ’60’s), and have enjoyed seeing traditional publishers get shaken-up. I don’t dislike them, per se, I’m just glad e-publishing has leveled the playing field a bit by opening publishing up to the non-celebs and non-paranormal-dystopian-romance-writers.

 

What is one writing tool that you believe is a must have?

 

Wow, I have to think about this. I guess the first thing that comes to mind is the computer (especially the laptop, since I umm-errr write in a recliner). I also love my i-Pad, though I don’t use it for writing. I’ve written a bunch of children’s poetry and picture books, and, new to illustration, I’ve been having lots of fun drawing pictures on my i-Pad. I’m not sure they’re fun for people to look at, but they’re fun for me to draw. I know it goes against conventional wisdom to illustrate your books if you’re not a trained illustrator/artist, but I don’t care. I love doing it and think it’s good for me. Plus—who else would illustrate my books for free? Natalie Goldberg’s got a new book out on this very subject, I believe.

 

Julie, thank you for sharing your writing and your life with us! To learn more:

Visit Julie’s blog @  juliekrantz.wordpress.com/

Follow her on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/juliekrantzbooks

Visit her Amazon Author page: www.amazon.com/Julie-Krantz/e/B00996YNZ4

 Julie has more than Stella Bellarosa: Tales of a Teenage Superhero. Her other books include:

Isabel Plum: Ichthyologist

Tip & Oliver: BFFs

Stella Bellarosa: Tales of an Aspiring Teenage Superhero

Forthcoming this summer on Amazon is

Yogabets: An Acrobatic Alphabet

 

A message to the reader: If you are an Indie Author or are published by a Small Publishing House and would like to be considered for an interview, click on the picture below…

Do you have a published book? Click on this pic to read about an opportunity to receive and share in a marketing group.

 

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