Category Archives: childrens books

Words and Images Haunt

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“It is not a bad thing that children should occasionally, and politely, put parents in their place.”  ~Colette, My Mother’s House, 1922 

Yesterday I met with a client at the Bud Werner Library in Steamboat Springs, CO. www.steamboatlibrary.org .  As I sat in the library café waiting for my client to arrive, I began to leaf through Book Page. There was an article in it on how to raise readers. As I browsed the article, I began to laugh out loud!  One of the tips was some thing like  “when reading a book to a child, don’t necessarily keep to the script. Feel free to use editorial control.” 

How, may I ask, “Can a parent get away with that?” I never could! I was caught in the act, every time!  My son would scold me, as if I was raiding the refrigerator, taking out all the good stuff, in the middle of the night. 

“No, Mom, that is not right! That is not how the story goes!” he would say. Even as a little toddler, he could sense every time I strayed from the storyline, skipped a page or two, or ad-libbed just a wee bit. He knew when my words did not exactly match the pictures. Could this be the reason he has become a film editor and filmmaker? Now he is fulfilling his need for perfection – making sure the story told in pictures, matches the script! 

So, what is the point of the blog? One of the very best ways to raise a reader is to be a reader. But, caution, parents – even when you think your kids aren’t watching they are. Take heed, children notice and remember parent’s independent words and deeds as well as lessons learned from books. 

To read the full article on How to Raise a Reader, stop by your local library. Pick up a complimentary May issue of Book Page.  Most libraries have the publication available for their patrons or go on-line to www.bookpage.com.

 By the way, Happy Mother’s Day to Moms everywhere!

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Learning New Systems and Methods

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“You just don’t luck into things as much as you’d like to think you do. You build step by step…” ~ Barbara Bush

 Yesterday’s blog about the Library of Congress, the keeper of all things published, in Washington, DC brought to mind how things have changed in libraries since the days of wooden card catalog boxes. Ever since index cards were replaced with the On-Line Public Access Catalog (OPAC) new search methods have been developed for identifying publications people are seeking to find. 

 It is essential that  independent publishers can found through the On-Line Public Access catalog. http://bit.ly/pug0x. In order to be a successful independent book seller, there are four user tasks that must be incorporated into e-marketing your book. Potential buyers must be able to identify, find, select and obtain your book or other published media. Without understanding and utilizing the tools that are used in today’s computer cataloging systems, it is difficult for your publication to be visible among all the rest. 

Marketing over the internet is more complex than just having a website presence. Becoming visible as an author through e-marketing is as important as bringing visibility to the publication itself. Publicity and marketing of both product and “supplier” will greatly increase your publication’s chances of being found and sold! 

If you do not understand the strategies behind selling and marketing your publication over the internet, seek help. Contact a company that specializes in e-marketing for independent publishers.

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Archives and Architecture

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“We all work with one infinite power.” ~ from the book  The Secret 

One of the most magnificent of all museum buildings in America is often over-looked by tourists visiting the Nation’s Capital of Washington, DC. Many walk right by one of the most interesting Federal Buildings, not knowing what they are missing. The real secret attraction is the architecture inside! Fulfilling the need to know what else is in it, lies just inside the walls of the building. The magnificent structure  houses the Library of Congress. Add this Federal Building to your “must see list” of sites to visit next time you are in the surrounds of Washington, DC. 

The structure  is so large  that  it can contain 147 million volumes of cataloged books, music, newspapers, pamphlets, films, technical reports/journals, textbooks, artwork and other published material. It is a library so enormous that it takes up three buildings, all connected by underground passageways. The museum houses publications on an amazing maze of 838 miles of shelving.  

Not only does the Library contain volumes of books, film and sheet music, it is the “bank”for copyright protection and copyright registration, and it is home to the United States Copyright Office. 

The Library of Congress also includes a motion picture and television reading room, the Mary Pickford Theatre which hosts free screenings of contemporary and classic movies and TV shows.

In recent years, a whole different class of publications have been added to the cataloging system at the Library of Congress. A small but growing collection of archived books is now available on the internet through a library initiative called American Memories. Now, some very frail volumes of books, audio visual materials, manuscripts and maps dating back as far as 1400 have been digitized. For more information on the Library of Congress, please visit http://1.usa.gov/mhUZy2.

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Nurturing Talent and Creativity

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 “There is one thing one has to have: either a soul that is cheerful by nature, or a soul  made cheerful by work, love, art and knowledge.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche 

Today is National Teachers Day! No matter what field of education a teacher has chosen to enter into, the vocation requires skill in motivating and communicating, a nurturing spirit and knowledge and expertise in a specific field. 

For those who have chosen to be educators in the art and humanities fields there may, perhaps, be a different set of skills that are necessary to effectively fulfill the duties as an art teacher and mentor.

  1. Understanding relationship between nature and creativity.
  2. Kindle independent thinking.
  3. Encouraging students to use their imagination.
  4. Teaching that each new day provides new opportunities for creation
  5. Interpreting and communicating feelings, thoughts and ideas into art.
  6. Using all senses to find inspiration
  7. Exploring new possibilities
  8. Sharing how art brings light and understanding to the world.
  9. Nurturing talent and passions.
  10. Joyful expression of individuality 

National Teachers Day was put into place in 1953 by a proclamation of the 81st Congress. To read more on this national day of celebration of educators, please visit http://bit.ly/jLEw8D. 

People are increasingly becoming more aware of what art brings to our lives – mental and emotional stimulation, conceptual ideas, reflection, hope and freedom to look at things from a different point of view. Happy Teachers Day to all educators around the country and around the world.

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Ergo! Readers Reign Supreme!

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“Consider the postage stamp:  its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.”  ~Josh Billings

When I began this blog site, All Things Fulfilling, I had arbitrarily set a goal of reaching 10,000 readers. Guess what? Yesterday I hit the mark! What a fulfilling day this is!

 I knew before starting this blogsite  there were folks searching for  specialists in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers. I was also well aware that writers, artists, filmmakers, musicians, educators, professionals and other “creative types” were becoming ever more interested in the industry called “independent publishing or non-traditional publishing.” But, I really was not sure how this blog site would be received. The result has been very gratifying!

I owe a huge Thank You to every reader of All Things Fulfilling. Each of one of you make blogging worthwhile. Whether you live in Steamboat Springs, Colorado or reside somewhere else around the globe, we are essentially one big community of people who believe in the power of independent thoughts, words and views. 

 I’ve enjoyed the journey of reaching 10,000 readers. I appreciate the comments and  discussions I have had with a community of people who share the same interests as I do. There will be more exciting news from All Things Fulfilling in the coming months so stay tuned!

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Filling My Basket

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“From heav’nly thoughts all true delight doth spring.” ~ Thomas Campion 
 
As you will remember from yesterday’s blog, I was bound and determined to go find spring. But there was no need – spring came and found me! 
 
Yesterday, as I took my daily lunchtime walk, I was drawn to a rock along the shoreline of  the Yampa River. I decided to sit and stay awhile. The river flowed loudly and briskly by, waters high from the snowmelt, cascading down from the upper elevations of the Rocky Mountains. As I sat, I began to drift slowly and deeply into my own thoughts of our upcoming Easter reunion with our son. Guess what happened? I was roused by “quack, quack…quack, quack, quack!” Two little mallard ducks floated nearby. Climbing out of the river to greet me, I watched the little ducklings waddle, and peck at the ground looking for earthworms. I thought “these two little ducks have come to give me a message –  be patient, spring is on the way.” 

Often we search only for outward signs of spring – changes in the weather and landscape.  But, in the stillness and silence of a moment, we realize that an awakening of spirit comes from within. We need to listen. Feelings of rejuvenation and renewal can come in unexpected ways and during unanticipated times. 

I am going to take a break from the blogging world. I will return after Easter. I am going to take time to discover subtle changes in my own spirit. I will say goodbye to winter, for once and for all, and allow spring to enter and settle within my soul. I will be spending time with my loved ones making more memories as a family and piling our baskets high with All Things Fulfilling. I will keep you posted as to how my spring unfolds.

 Happy Easter to You! May you find re-birth and renewal in your life,  in your own special way!

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Patiently Waiting for Bowker

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“All human wisdom is summed up in two words – wait and hope.”  ~ Alexandre Dumas Pere 

The April 15th income tax filing deadline has come and gone. But last Friday, income tax was not at all what I was pre-occupied with. Rather it was publishing statistics that were at the top of my list. I am wondering – is the non-traditional publishing industry still continuing to grow? 

Typically, after the first quarter of the New Year, www.Bowker.com, the storehouse for all bibliographical information, releases its report on the health of the publishing industry for the previous year. On Friday I researched on-line to see whether the 2010 statistics had yet been made available. I can not find them. But I am hopeful that when the truth is known, it will be as positive as for the year 2010 as it was the year before. 

When the 2009 reports were made known in April 2010, I was astonished to learn that despite our country’s economic downturn, the independent publishing industry (non-traditional publishing) had grown at an aggressive rate – up 181% between 2008 and 2009. However, traditional publishing remained flat. 

I am going to cut www.Bowker.com some slack and be patient. After all, just because they released their figures last year by the 15th of April, does not mean I should expect it again this year. It is not even the end of the first quarter yet! 

Perhaps I am justified in thinking optimistically. In business, bad news usually arrives on Fridays. I am going to take the fact that statistics were not published on Friday the 15th, as a positive sign.  What is that terribly over-used expression? “Good things come to those who wait?”

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Sometimes No is Okay!

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The more information kids have about things that are going on in the world, the better decisions they will make.”~ Deborah Ellis 

This week, April 10 -16, is the annual celebration of the young child. The purpose of the week is to bring the public’s attention on the needs of young children and it is sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). 

There is a book that focuses on educating very young children about the appropriateness of sometimes saying NO! Author Julie K. Federico, a counselor with her Master’s degree from Indiana University, shares her book with young children to educate them that “Some Parts are NOT for Sharing.” Julie believes that the early years are the best years for teaching kids about  personal boundaries to prevent incidents of child abuse. 

This book’s message, endorsed by Kathryn Wells, MD a pediatrician with Denver Health,  is conveyed through age-appropriate language and through illustrations of colorful fish.  “Some Parts are NOT for Sharing” has been made available in Spanish too!  

Parents, April is also National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Practice pro-active parenting by sharing this book with your young child. For more information on this book, geared for children under 4 years of age, please visit www.juliefederico.com. The author is so dedicated to the urgency of educating about child abuse, she shares the book on-line.

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Steeped in Easter Tradition

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“Easter tells us that life is to be interpreted not simply in terms of things but in terms of ideals.” ~ Charles M. Crowe

It is only two weeks away from Easter. The other day I walked into the drugstore, and just seeing Easter candy lined up on shelves, set off a fulfilling range of nostalgic Easter memories harkening back to my childhood days of growing up in the mid-Atlantic part of the United States. 

Before Easter, on Palm Sunday weekend, my grandmother would take my two brothers, my twin sister and me shopping for new Easter outfits to wear to church. She would deck us out from head to toe with new spring dress-up clothes for Easter morn – including Easter bonnet, of course. Back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, people really “dressed” when they went to church! Easter was the one Sunday of the year that my grandparents would come to our church, the church my Dad built, and not their own. http://www.mpchurch.org/. They wanted to see their four grandkids all decked out in our new Easter finest. After church, we all went back to our house for a big Easter mid-day dinner (in the dining room- of course.) The icing of the day was the Easter bunny cake that my Mom made for us, each year, covered with fresh grated coconut for it’s fur. We always looked forward to a repeat the next Easter. Traditions reigned in our house! 

There is one more fulfilling memory that is ever so clear in my mind of my childhood days of going to church and Sunday School. Having grown up in Maryland, where dogwood trees were plentiful, we learned about the symbolism of the dogwood tree, and it’s blossoms likeness to Jesus dying on the cross. The four petals of the flower form and represent the cross, the brown stains at the tips represent the blood of Jesus and at the center of the blossom, there is a likeness of the thorny crown. I wonder if this story of Easter is still taught to children in Sunday Schools in this day? 

These memories evoke some of the most beautiful times in my childhood. If there was one wish that I could make for our world today, it would be a return to the wholesome basics of life –strong families, deep faith, truly meaningful friendships and businesses built by families together,  lasting generations deep. 

There is a store, steeped in family tradition, where all kinds of things golden and olden can be re-discovered. Track down nostalgic merchandise from your treasure trove of beautiful memories from your childhood, by visiting www.vermontcountrystore.com.

Puzzle Pieces in Place

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“Writing is mentally stimulating; it’s like a puzzle that makes you think all the time.”
~Stephanie Zimbalist 

I like to put together jigsaw puzzles, and until I get every last piece into place, I can not rest. When that final part has been put into place, what a fulfilling feeling that is! 

A few weekends ago, I spoke with authors and independent publishers who were visiting exhibit booths at the Colorado Independent Publishers Association “College” www.cipabooks.com. The visitors attending the trade industry event were looking for all the missing puzzle pieces to complete their publishing project. They were in various stages of the process. 

Some had begun to envision their writing project but had yet to put a single piece into place. They knew that gaining insight into the entire process, prior to beginning the task, was a wise thing to do. 

Others had completed the writing process, and were looking for the next puzzle piece to put into place. They were searching for folks who could add “spit and polish” to their rough draft.

Many had every part of the puzzle in place, except the final. They had come to learn more about how to sell and effectively market their finished product. Like most non-traditional publishers they were seeking information on selling books, film and music over the internet. E-marketing is an essential puzzle piece that fits well into the independent publishing game. 

Understanding how the last piece of the puzzle, “the internet marketing part” is the connector in the over-all picture of e-commerce is so important. This marketing piece, seldom well-understood,  has added a whole new dimension to selling over the world-wide-web. 

If you have never had experience in fitting this piece of the puzzle into your company’s marketing plans, help is available.  Start by locating a company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers. It is essential that all the internet marketing  pieces are put into place  correctly so that your potential buyers can find just what they are looking for.This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.