Partial Proceeds of all Bonnie Lee Books support the National Wildlife Federation. This great organization works to protect the worlds most at-risk animals and habitats. We support this organization and their campaign to stop the attack on wildlife.
Join us in stopping the attack on wildlife by purchasing a Bonnie Lee Book today. Your purchase will help educate a child about wildlife as well as be a donation o the National Wildlife Federation.
Why do you love the National Wildlife Federation? Please share your stories with us in our comment section below.
Showing posts with label children's books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children's books. Show all posts
Friday, November 4, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
How to Pick a Children's Book Illustrator
Illustration in your children’s book can make or break your chances of getting published. Right now, the market is flooded with illustrators, some good, some bad, some horrible. Do you know how to pick an illustrator and how to decipher between the good and the bad? Read on to learn about what I look for in illustrators:
1) Find someone you can work with. What I mean by this is, find some that you can have a successful, professional relationship with. They may be the best illustrator in town, but if they are overbearing, too opinionated, arrogant, or non-collaborative, they will not work out. You will be meeting with this person often, giving feedback and trying to make the best illustrations for your children’s book. You want to make sure that your relationship with them will be successful and not tumultuous.
2) Get an experienced children’s book illustrator. Too many children’s books authors make the mistake of going to a friend who occasionally draws or is a graphic designer for an unrelated field. Though these friends are very talented, they don’t understand the field of children’s book illustrations: what captivates kid’s attention, what illustrations will complement your writing, how to create characters that you can brand. It may be tempting to give a friend a gig or a chance at publicity, however then don’t expect to see large successes with your book.
3) It’s not all about them, and it’s not all about you. This should truly be a partnership. This is a risk for the illustrator just as much as it is for you. Listen to them, hear their feedback, and make sure that you can actually work with each other. Refer to #1 if you feel that they’re starting to feel that they aren’t listening to your concerns or making it all about them.
I hope these tips provide some insight to the extremely competitive world of choosing a children’s book illustrator. Lastly, I’d like to recommend illustrator Erin Taylor who created the illustrations for http://www.bonnieleebooks.com/html/popular_children_s_books___mom.html. She was extremely creative, professional, and fun to work with! Here is her website with contact information: http://erintaylorillustrator.com/ If you have additional suggestions or recommendations of great children’s book illustrators, please add them to the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
1) Find someone you can work with. What I mean by this is, find some that you can have a successful, professional relationship with. They may be the best illustrator in town, but if they are overbearing, too opinionated, arrogant, or non-collaborative, they will not work out. You will be meeting with this person often, giving feedback and trying to make the best illustrations for your children’s book. You want to make sure that your relationship with them will be successful and not tumultuous.
2) Get an experienced children’s book illustrator. Too many children’s books authors make the mistake of going to a friend who occasionally draws or is a graphic designer for an unrelated field. Though these friends are very talented, they don’t understand the field of children’s book illustrations: what captivates kid’s attention, what illustrations will complement your writing, how to create characters that you can brand. It may be tempting to give a friend a gig or a chance at publicity, however then don’t expect to see large successes with your book.
3) It’s not all about them, and it’s not all about you. This should truly be a partnership. This is a risk for the illustrator just as much as it is for you. Listen to them, hear their feedback, and make sure that you can actually work with each other. Refer to #1 if you feel that they’re starting to feel that they aren’t listening to your concerns or making it all about them.
I hope these tips provide some insight to the extremely competitive world of choosing a children’s book illustrator. Lastly, I’d like to recommend illustrator Erin Taylor who created the illustrations for http://www.bonnieleebooks.com/html/popular_children_s_books___mom.html. She was extremely creative, professional, and fun to work with! Here is her website with contact information: http://erintaylorillustrator.com/ If you have additional suggestions or recommendations of great children’s book illustrators, please add them to the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Friday, October 28, 2011
How To Write a Great Children's Book Review
Right now we’re running an amazing promotion where if you write an Amazon review on Go Go Sadie, Bonnie Lee Books will send you a FREE Go Go Sadie magnet! In honor of this great promotion, I wanted to share my own tips for writing the perfect children’s book review.
How to write a book review:
1) Make sure to include the books title, author, ISBN, price, copyright info, and genre. Though this information may seem basic, you’d be surprised how many book reviews lack this essential information.
2) Offer a brief summary of the content but be sure not to reveal any major plot twists or story endings. For most children’s books, you should be able to summarize the story in two sentences or less.
3) For children’s books, it’s important to comment on the illustrations. Were they exciting? Colorful? Boring? How did they support they story? Illustrations make up a large part of children’s books so it’s important to acknowledge how they supported the story.
4) Include your opinion. Did you like the story? If so, why or why not? Would you recommend this children’s book to others? What reservations would you have in recommending it? Sometimes it’s helpful to take notes while you are reading in order to pinpoint your thoughts and opinions on the story.
5) Lastly, be sure to include any other relevant information. Do book proceeds benefit a nonprofit or promote a certain cause? Where can this book be purchased? Does the author have a website? For Bonnie Lee Books, you can download free coloring book pages online. This information would be helpful to a parent or teacher that is looking to read a book that has a corresponding activity.
What tips do you have for those looking to write book reviews on children’s books? Please share your tips below in the comment section!
How to write a book review:
1) Make sure to include the books title, author, ISBN, price, copyright info, and genre. Though this information may seem basic, you’d be surprised how many book reviews lack this essential information.
2) Offer a brief summary of the content but be sure not to reveal any major plot twists or story endings. For most children’s books, you should be able to summarize the story in two sentences or less.
3) For children’s books, it’s important to comment on the illustrations. Were they exciting? Colorful? Boring? How did they support they story? Illustrations make up a large part of children’s books so it’s important to acknowledge how they supported the story.
4) Include your opinion. Did you like the story? If so, why or why not? Would you recommend this children’s book to others? What reservations would you have in recommending it? Sometimes it’s helpful to take notes while you are reading in order to pinpoint your thoughts and opinions on the story.
5) Lastly, be sure to include any other relevant information. Do book proceeds benefit a nonprofit or promote a certain cause? Where can this book be purchased? Does the author have a website? For Bonnie Lee Books, you can download free coloring book pages online. This information would be helpful to a parent or teacher that is looking to read a book that has a corresponding activity.
What tips do you have for those looking to write book reviews on children’s books? Please share your tips below in the comment section!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Books that Fight Hunger
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the number of households that did not have sufficient food raised by 30% from 2007-2010. The recession has cause 12 million more people to go hungry. Are you doing everything you can to help these individuals?
In times of economic crisis, organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank are more necessary than ever. The Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties in California is “one of the largest food banks in the nation, providing food to an average of nearly one quarter of a million people each month.” They help connect families, seniors, and children to healthy food sources and resources in their counties. In addition to having a food pantry, they also offer programs such as Brown Bag which provides meals to low-income seniors, Partners in Need which provides food to low-income volunteers at the organization, and Produce Mobile which distributes fruits and vegetables to communities with limited access to fresh markets.
Partial proceeds of my children’s books (Bonita the Fruit Bat Counts to Ten, Momo Come Home, and Go Go Sadie) benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank. Do your part today by purchasing a Bonnie Lee book and visiting the Second Harvest Food Bank to drop off a canned food donation. To learn more about Second Harvest Food Banks, visit there website: www.shfb.org.
In times of economic crisis, organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank are more necessary than ever. The Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties in California is “one of the largest food banks in the nation, providing food to an average of nearly one quarter of a million people each month.” They help connect families, seniors, and children to healthy food sources and resources in their counties. In addition to having a food pantry, they also offer programs such as Brown Bag which provides meals to low-income seniors, Partners in Need which provides food to low-income volunteers at the organization, and Produce Mobile which distributes fruits and vegetables to communities with limited access to fresh markets.
Partial proceeds of my children’s books (Bonita the Fruit Bat Counts to Ten, Momo Come Home, and Go Go Sadie) benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank. Do your part today by purchasing a Bonnie Lee book and visiting the Second Harvest Food Bank to drop off a canned food donation. To learn more about Second Harvest Food Banks, visit there website: www.shfb.org.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Educate Children about Wildlife
I’m sure by now you’ve all heard about the horrible tragedy that occurred in Ohio. An Ohio man who owned exotic animals released them into his community before killing himself. These animals were then hunted and killed by local authorities to prevent any harm to the surrounding communities. In light of this tragedy and in memoriam for these animals, it’s even more important to educate children about wildlife, their habitats, and how to best preserve their well-being.
Bonnie Lee Books help work to educate children about wild animals and their habitats in an effort to create a better informed society. Wild animals are not pets and they need to be treated with respect and caution.
Remember, partial proceeds from my books benefit the National Wildlife Federation. Help teach a young child about exotic animals and habitats AND donate to the National Wildlife Federation by purchasing a Bonnie Lee Book today.
I want to hear from you. How do you make sure your children respect nature?
Bonnie Lee Books help work to educate children about wild animals and their habitats in an effort to create a better informed society. Wild animals are not pets and they need to be treated with respect and caution.
Remember, partial proceeds from my books benefit the National Wildlife Federation. Help teach a young child about exotic animals and habitats AND donate to the National Wildlife Federation by purchasing a Bonnie Lee Book today.
I want to hear from you. How do you make sure your children respect nature?
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Donate Book Proceeds to Nonprofits
As a children’s book author, I tend to meet fellow authors and book lovers at conferences or online in discussion forums. I continually become surprised when meeting an author who, not only isn’t affiliated with a nonprofit but also doesn’t donate proceeds of their books to nonprofit organizations.
As authors we’re expected to fit the romanticized stereotype of soulful intellectuals who deeply empathize with their readers. We’re not corporations, we’re better. We’re humans conveying meaningful stories that work to emotionally connect the reader to the world around them. Whether an author pens a horror thriller, children’s book, or a nonfiction book of recipes- they are still supplying the reader with knowledge and a better understanding of the world they live in. It only makes sense taht we would use this emotional reach to further connect with organizations that serve the most at-risk populations.
If you’re an author who rejects the aforementioned stereotype and instead writes only for book sales, keep reading. By donating proceeds of your book sales to nonprofits you can reap additional benefits. Consumers feel better about purchasing books when they know their money supports the author and an organization. They’re also less likely to purchase your book used online but instead buy it brand new and direct. Lastly, you can partner with the organization to receive additional press. By forming a partnership with a nonprofit, they will advertise your book on their media platforms (website, Facebook & Twitter) as well as encourage their networks to support your authorship.
The benefits are plentiful and so are the organizations in need. Be a good author; donate today.
To purchase one of Bonnie Lee books (proceeds to the National Wildlife Federation & Second Harvest Food Bank) visit www.bonnieleebooks.com.
As authors we’re expected to fit the romanticized stereotype of soulful intellectuals who deeply empathize with their readers. We’re not corporations, we’re better. We’re humans conveying meaningful stories that work to emotionally connect the reader to the world around them. Whether an author pens a horror thriller, children’s book, or a nonfiction book of recipes- they are still supplying the reader with knowledge and a better understanding of the world they live in. It only makes sense taht we would use this emotional reach to further connect with organizations that serve the most at-risk populations.
If you’re an author who rejects the aforementioned stereotype and instead writes only for book sales, keep reading. By donating proceeds of your book sales to nonprofits you can reap additional benefits. Consumers feel better about purchasing books when they know their money supports the author and an organization. They’re also less likely to purchase your book used online but instead buy it brand new and direct. Lastly, you can partner with the organization to receive additional press. By forming a partnership with a nonprofit, they will advertise your book on their media platforms (website, Facebook & Twitter) as well as encourage their networks to support your authorship.
The benefits are plentiful and so are the organizations in need. Be a good author; donate today.
To purchase one of Bonnie Lee books (proceeds to the National Wildlife Federation & Second Harvest Food Bank) visit www.bonnieleebooks.com.
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