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Saturday, February 29, 2020

Poet Carol Smallwood Interviews Indie Friendly Review Pioneer


This interview may be a first for this #TheNewBookReview blog. I try to be choosy about what appears here beyond book reviews. I have long been an adversary of #bookbigoty and any other kind of bigotry so this blog features any submission as long as it is family friendly and has the permission of the original reviewer to reprint it. But "extra" material--that is anything beyond these reviews must help readers, publishers, reviewers, authors and anyone else associated with the publishing industry in a pertinent way.  And, yep! I get to choose. A disclaimer here: Jim Cox has reviewed most if not all of my books--my self-published ones as well as my traditionally published ones--and included them in his newsletter.  And I, because I see the value of what he does, highly recommend Midwest Book Review in several of my HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers.  The interviewer, Carol Smallwood, is also a valued contributor of reviews to this blog. So, have fun.  Print or save some of the valuable resource material you are about to find here! (-:
The Carol Smallwood Interview Of Jim Cox 

Jim Cox is the founder of the the highly popular and comprehensive Midwest Book Review. Since 1976 it has  hosted 9 monthly book review magazines such as the Reviewer’s Bookwatch and Internet Bookwatch which are written by volunteer reviewers while the other related magazines are by Midwest Book Review principals and associates.

Smallwood: How did you become the Editor-in-Chief of The Midwest Book Review physically located in Wisconsin?

Jim Cox: In the summer of 1976 I was sitting in a Wednesday night meeting of the Madison Science Fiction Club in a State Street restaurant. The purpose of our weekly get-togethers was to socialize with like minded folk for whom fantasy and science fiction were something more than just another hobby.

Into that night's gathering came a good friend of mine by the name of Hank Luttrell. Hank was a mail order book dealer specializing in comics, mysteries, and science fiction - and whose ambition was to create his own bookstore (which he subsequently did and it's still in business here in Madison, Wisconsin, as 20th Century Books).

Hank came in with a copy of an expensive coffee-table sized book called "The Toynbee-Ikeda Dialogue," It was a compilation of correspondences over the years between the late British historian Arnold J. Toynbee and the Japanese philosophy/educator Isadeu Ikeda.

Hank knew that I was a history buff and well versed in the writings of Toynbee. He said to me: "How would you like to have this book for free?" I said to him: "Whose kneecaps do you want me to break?"

It turned out that all I had to do was read the book and then on Saturday go down to a new radio station that had just opened up in Madison a few weeks earlier. It was WORT-FM,  a non-commercial, counter-culture, community supported radio station of the leftish persuasion.

I was to go on a talk show with a fellow named John Ohliger and take three minutes to tell him (and his audience) what I thought of the book - and then I could keep it for myself!

I said to Hank: "Hand me the book and tell me where this radio thing is located."

The following Saturday morning I went down to the ugliest one-story cinder block building I had ever seen. I was introduced to this older gent who was some kind of liberal University of Wisconsin college professor. After John Ohliger made his introductory remarks I commenced to tell him (and his audience) about Toynbee, Ikeda, and this book of theirs.

I was still going strong when John reached over and gently tapped me on the arm and said he had to wrap things up; his thirty minute program was over. While John was signing off I sat there mentally upbraiding myself for the motor-mouth I had been and prepared to apologize profusely for hogging his whole show.

John had a stack of books by his elbow. After we were off the air and before I could launch into my abject grovel, he pushed that stack of books across the table to me and asked if I could look through these books and come back next week.

Thus my career as a book reviewer was born!

Three months later I was hosting that show ("The Madison Review of Books") myself. A couple of months later I had expanded it to one hour (thirty minutes was just way to short!); and a few months after that I had added a second one-hour book show that specialized on science fiction ("The Sci-Fi and Fantasy Hour with James Andrew Cox" - I think I was born with an ego as big as that program title!).

John Ohliger was a professor in the field of Adult Education and Life Long Learning. He was also an ardent social activist. He had been one of the key people to establish WORT-FM as a commercial free "talk show" radio forum for public issues. He started up "The Madison Review Of Books" as one of his experiments in adult education. He wanted to see what would happen if you put brand new books in the hands of ordinary folk - cab drivers, housewives, students, social workers, janitors, etc. - and then gave them a forum from which they could express their opinions and critiques to the community at large.

Back in the 70s, book reviewing (as it had been for pretty much the previous century) was largely an elitist operation of the New York/East Coast literati. John Ohliger (populist and leftist agitator that he was) wanted to break that stranglehold and see what would happen.

So John Ohliger started up his little radio show, got 15 of the major publishers to send him some books, and sent folks like Hank Luttrell out into the Madison community to recruit folks like me into sharing our views of what we were reading and what was being published.

I, along with a half-dozen others, banded together with John Ohliger and operated that little book review. I hosted the radio show and did most of the grunt work of publisher notification, book solicitation, and assigned reviewer follow-ups.

Then two years later, John Ohliger was working with still another group of citizens who wanted to insure a public access channel in the newly arriving television cable company (if I remember rightly it was Viking Media) that was then wiring up Madison. John talked me into going with him to endless meetings in small non-air-conditioned rooms over that sidewalk egg-frying Wisconsin summer. In the end, we were charted by the City of Madison and contracted with the cable company as the Madison Community Access Center - Cable Channel 4. The first show we taped was with a heart specialist doctor. The second show we taped was the television version of our little radio book review show.

I still remember that first television production. I hosted. We had one black/white television camera. We had one chair. We also had one guest. I introduced the book review program. Then a huge poster board sign was held by hand directly in front of the camera lens. I jumped up out of the one chair we had. Our guest sat down in it. Then I proceeded to interview him while standing next to the camera. When we were ready to wrap, the poster board sign went back up in front of the camera lens. The guest got up. I sat down. The poster board sign was whipped away. And I said farewell to the viewing audience.

The whole affair was the very definition of amateur - but we were all thrilled to enter this new medium of public access television and spread the word about books.

That show became "Bookwatch" and ran from 1978 to 2003 with me as its host. Our crew were always volunteers who donated their time for a sheer love of the cause. And the studio quality of our productions would match and occasionally surpass what PBS was doing.

Because of health problems slowing me down I finally had to retire after almost three decades from the television part of our Midwest Book Review operation in January 2003. But the show didn't disappear from the air for another 8 months or so. My producer/director had such a large backlog of old shows that he ran them in our regular Wednesday night time slot on WYOU-TV (which emerged in the early 1980s out of that original MCAC group) until finally the archives were exhausted.

In 1980 my job as a Developmental Disabilities Coordinator (a glorified kind of school social worker) for the Broadhead School District was terminated through lack of funding. Ronald Reagan had been elected president and one of the things he did in collusion with a conservative congress was to gut the money devoted to special education. Another program funding that was gutted had to do with Federal money for public library systems.

As a social worker I saw the writing on the wall for social services spending for the next few years. So I took my 30 hour a week "hobby" as a book reviewer and turned it into a full time profession. John Ohliger and I parted company over that. He was an altruist and a social reformer who felt that his little experiment should remain as band of local Madison community part-timers who were in it for the honor of it all. I wanted to go national, launch a library newsletter, expand out onto the internet, and be able to support myself.

I was primarily responsible for the necessary grunt work (read office work) that kept the wheels turning and the pump priming. Three weeks after I left his little book review operation it collapsed because no one wanted to take over the hard work of writing letters, sending out tear sheets, following-up review assignments, emptying the trash, manning the phone, etc.

It was sort of like the story of Henny Penny who easily found all manner of animal friends to eat her bread - but none to help her plant it, weed it, harvest the grain, prepare the dough, or even bake the loaf.

Everyone like the idea of free books (you got to keep the book you reviewed) but nobody wanted to do the day-to-day grind that insured there would be free books to hand out for review.

I borrowed $1000 from my father-in-law to buy letterhead stationary, a computer, and some postage - and never looked back.

Over the years John and I would come across one another. Madison is that kind of community. He was constantly involved in one or another group, issue, cause, or experiment. He hung out with the likes of Noam Chomsky and was always up for this or that demonstration or movement for social justice.

I always acknowledged my debt to John as my mentor and the man who made my subsequent career as a book reviewer and as the editor-in-chief of a multi-media book review operation possible.

The late John Ohliger (he died some years ago at the age of 77) was a dramatic and lasting influence on my life and career as a book reviewer and on the Midwest Book Review.

Smallwood: It was good to see that self-published authors are not turned away and you give priority consideration to small presses as well as the academic and that it is possible to have a book reviewed. There are so many resources on your web under Writing and Publishing. Also Reader Resources! Also a search option and site map for The Midwest Book Review. How do you keep up with all of these?

Jim Cox: What you see now on the Midwest Book Review is the cumulative work of more than 40 years. At the current age of 76 I work in my little office 3 to 4 hours a day, seven days a week. When I get an idea or write something that I think would be of value to authors, publishers, librarians, book publicists, and/or the general reading public I pass it along to my daughter (who is the web master and Managing Editor of our book review operation) to get it up on our web site. The same applies to discoveries I make out on the web, as well as items of interest and relevance that other people bring to my attention. So our web site is a constantly expanding repository of useful information and resources specific to the writing, publishing, and marketing of books.

Smallwood: Besides helping publishers and writers, please tell readers about how you make your reviews available to U.S. and Canadian libraries?

Jim Cox: We have two monthly contracts with companies that maintain book review databases for libraries and library systems.

One of them is the Gale Cengage Learning's 'Book Review Index'. Here are some links that describe and explain what that is:

The other one is CLCD Enterprise and has a book review database exclusive to children's books preschool through young adult, fiction and non-fiction. Here is a link to them:

In addition, we have library mailing lists for hundreds of community, academic, government, and corporate libraries for our monthly book review publications including the one specifically called "Library Bookwatch".

Smallwood: What seems the most heavily used links of all your resources offered on your web or the topics you get the most questions?

Jim Cox: The three most clicked on sections of our rather massive web site are:

Advice for Writers and Publishers (an archive of my 'how to' articles) found at:

Other Reviewers (a database I created of freelance book reviewers, book review publications, book review web sites and blogs) is at:

Jim Cox Report (my monthly column of advice, commentary, tips, tricks and techniques for marketing books) is at:

As for topics, I get asked about pretty much everything and anything that has to the publishing and marketing of books.

For example, just yesterday I got a phone call (asking me what she could do) from an author who used a POD (publish on demand) company who was apparently in continuous violation with respect to their contract.

The day before that I got a phone call asking about copyright law.

It's a rare week that goes by when someone doesn't email me or phone me with a question about some aspect of getting published or getting their books noticed in the highly competitive book business.

Smallwood: What resources do you have for the General Reading Public? Those interested in Children’s Books?

For the general reading public we archive all nine of our monthly book review publications on our website. Additionally, each of them can be directly subscribed to for free just by sending me an email asking to be signed up for one or more of them.

With specific reference to children's books, one of our nine monthly book review publications is the "Children's Bookwatch" for kids books, preschool through young adult, fiction and non-fiction. Here's a direct link to where they are archived on our web site:

Smallwood: Midwest Book Review has no advertising, banners. How does it manage? When I have submitted reviews, I’m informed when they are posted which is a great courtesy. Thank you for all you have done for writers! Do you have something new in the works for your amazing website?

Jim Cox: We are primarily funded by two annual foundation grants for the purpose of promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. That's why we accept no advertising or charge for the reviews of published (hardcover or paperback) books.

It's common place for us to receive more good books than we have the reviewer resources to handle them all. So for any book that passes our initial screening but ultimately fails to achieve a review assignment simply because of 'too many books, not enough reviewers' we have a kind of safety net option so that the book can at least be drawn to the attention of librarians, booksellers, and the general reading public subscribers. If that author or publisher has a review from anyone else, and if they obtain that reviewer's permission for us to do, so we will run that review in their behalf and under the reviewer's byline in our monthly book review publication "Reviewer's Bookwatch". There is no charge for this service.

We do have a $50 Reader Fee option for authors or publishers who want a review of a digital (Kindle) book, or a not yet published manuscript, galley, uncorrected proof, pdf file, or ARC (advanced reading copy). But under this option it should be noted that the reader fee goes directly to the authorized and assigned reviewer - not to the Midwest Book Review. What I get out of it for being the 'middle man' in getting the author and reviewer together is that if the author approves of the review then I get to run it in our own monthly book review publications.

As the editor-in-chief of a book review operation the very beginning of this little enterprise, I hit upon two strategies that have proven immensely successful over the decades.

The first was to give priority consideration to self-published and small press published authors because they were a part of the publishing industry that was deliberately neglected by the major book review publications back then – and to a large extent, even now.

The second was to always provide that author or publisher with a copy of the review and a cover letter informing them of all the places we had published or posted our review of their book - back then (and often still now) a practice not routinely done by the Publishers Weekly, library journals, or New York Times Review of Books of today.

So to leave your readers one last thought about the role and mission of the "Midwest Book Review" and its editor-in-chief: Our purpose and goal is to help writers to write better, publishers to publish more profitably, librarians to make more informed considerations for what they should add to their collections, and to bring to the attention of the general reading public worthwhile books that they might otherwise never know about.
Poet Carol Smallwood Interviews Indie Friendly Review Pioneer

 MORE ABOUT THE INTERVIEWER

Carol Smallwood, based in Michigan, is a prolific poet who also does freelance interviews . This one was originally published by The Bookends Review, an independent arts journal,  in November, 2019. Smallwood's recent book is Patterns: Moments in Time (WordTech Communications, 2019).

MORE ABOUT THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

In addition to running a juggernaut online book review site with resource pages galore, Jim cox also puts out a newsletter that primarily features his own reviews of books related to writing careers, everything from editing to publishing to marketing. He says, "All of the previous issues of the "Jim Cox Report" are archived on the Midwest Book Review website at www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/jimcox.htm. If you'd like to receive the "Jim Cox Report" directly (and for free), just send me an email asking to be signed up for it." You can reach him with your review queries (or requests for his newsletter) at mwbookrevw@aol.com. Other contact information is Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review, 278 Orchard Dr., Oregon, WI, 53575.  Several of his reviews have been featured on this blog, usually submitted by grateful independent authors (see the badge at the left or use the search function on the home page of this blog). 

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG 

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-
winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Special thank yous to Carolyn Wilhelm for the badges she makes for participants in this review blog. Tweet with her @wiseowlfactory and find many of her free teacher's aids to promote literacy at Pinterest. 

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

If Your Book is Begging For Reviews, Try This - Plus Hint #Twelve for Getting Them




"Anyone who is a member of Amazon Prime can download your e-book with Prime or Amazon's lending program with no cost to you or them. This only happens if you, the author of the book, have agreed to participate in the Amazon Select program."
How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically by Carolyn Howard-Johnson - Page 156
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Send us your review requests by following the format at https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/p/lois-w.html

We keep recycling your requests on a rotating basis.
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This is an "Authors Helping Authors" Project


So don't just ask, What's in it for me?

Also lend a helping hand to your fellow authors.




Select one book that interests you from the list below and contact that author.
Request a copy of that book in whatever form you prefer.
Write and post your Amazon review within 30 days.
Don't forget to sign your name, credentials and title(s) of books you have written at the end of your review.
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On a time crunch? Aren’t we all! Ask the author to suggest a specific portion of their book, (maybe 35-50 pages) for you to read to get its flavor. Honest, you don’t have to read the entire book to get a good feel for it. 

Ask the author to send you a few discussion questions to help target several key points in their book. (I have made it super easy for my readers by posting BOOK REVIEW DISCUSSION QUESTIONS at the end of each Tales2Inspire book.) 

Authors: Offer folks a FREE book in exchange for an honest review, or note Carolyn's suggestion above, for offering a free e-book via Amazon Prime.
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We now have a fabulous selection of books calling out for reviews. In the spirit of 'Authors Helping Authors', please select one of the them and contact that author to request a FREE copy to review.

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TITLE: SAND DANCER
NUMBER OF PAGES: 397
DESCRIPTION: In a desert kingdom where fire magic is a sin, a half-starved peasant girl must disguise herself as a nobleman’s son to find her father’s killer.
AUTHOR'S NAME: Trudie Skies
FORMAT: .epub or .mobi ebooks
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: YA, 14+
AMAZON URL: http://tiny.cc/mo55jz


TITLE: ARTIST ON CAMPAIGN
NUMBER OF PAGES: 380
DESCRIPTION: When lad-about-town artist Ralph Oughtred gets a commission to paint the Duke of Wellington’s generals, he thinks his dreams will come true – to be rich, or at least out of debt, and marry his mistress. But he hadn’t reckoned with the war, Spanish bandits, or the generals themselves. Literary, historical and funny, this is a stylish evocation of the history and manners of an era and an entertainment of the highest order.
AUTHOR'S NAME:  Caroline Miley
E-MAIL: cmiley22@gmail.com
FORMAT: paperback, Kindle, ebook.
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL:16 +
AMAZON URL: http://tiny.cc/odk9fz


TITLE: TABOO TECH
# OF PAGES: 284
DESCRIPTION: Lacie Leigh Collier, left on her own when her entire family disappears,  is joined by her AI companion, Embers. The two set off to find a star ship big enough to accommodate Embers... Well, it's a lot more complicated than that! There are ships, aliens, AIs, and danger...
AUTHOR'S NAME: Joy V. Smith
FORMAT: epub, mobi, pdf, and paperback
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: teens and adults
AMAZON URL: http://tiny.cc/r025jz


TITLE: JIFFY BODY, THE 10-MINUTE SYSTEM TO AVOID JOINT AND MUSCLE PAIN
NUMBER OF PAGES: 146
DESCRIPTION: Jiffy Body: The 10 Minute System to Avoid Joint and Muscle Pain is a must read for anyone who wants to avoid  or reduce aches, pains, stiffness and swelling. 
AUTHOR'S NAME: Bart Potter
E-MAIL: bartlettpo@gmail.com
FORMAT: Paperback
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: Adult
AMAZON URL: http://tiny.cc/55z5jz


TITLE: SAVE HIM
NUMBER OF PAGES: 355
DESCRIPTION:  Military scientist Rydel Scott has discovered time travel...he also believes he has been chosen to go back in time on a rogue mission to save Christ from the cross. 
AUTHOR'S NAME: William M. Hayes
FORMAT: PDF, Epub, 10-15 Paperbacks
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: 18+ Military, Sci-Fi, and/or Thriller Readers
AMAZON URL: https://amzn.to/2YXqLN2 OR click here


TITLE: SOLAR DIVIDENDS: How Solar Energy Can Generate a Basic Income for Everyone on Earth
NUMBER OF PAGES: 144
DESCRIPTION: puts forth a bold original plan for solving global poverty and global warming with a single program. In brief: we set up every person on the planet with a big section of solar panels, sell the electricity the panels generate, and deliver the money as solar dividends to the person as their basic income, for the rest of their life. The book provides compelling reasons and a detailed blueprint for this inspiring program.
AUTHOR'S NAME: Robert Stayton
FORMAT: paperback, PDF, Kindle, or Epub
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: Adult
AMAZON URL: http://tiny.cc/tt25jz


TITLE: FEATHERS IN HER HANDS
NUMBER OF PAGES: 269
DESCRIPTION:  The gods have touched you. Did you know?  – MADAME FATE
Well, if that were true, then Psyche was of the opinion the Gods needed to learn to keep their hands to themselves. All she wants is to finish her doctorate studies in Ancient History and score an Assistant Professorship at the University of Seattle, but when her friend Izzy begs her to pose for some photographs, and the media dubs her The New Aphrodite, Psyche’s life spirals out of control.
AUTHOR'S NAME: Lisa Fleming
FORMAT: PDF available 
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: This is a Contemporary Fantasy Romance Novel Target to 18 and above.
AMAZON URL: https://tinyurl.com/y4yupe7k


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Tales2inspire was a kernel of an idea I started in 2012. It has grown to proportions even I didn’t dare to envision. My innate curiosity about potentially fascinating human interest stories was the spark that ignited this idea, but it was the confused state of traditional publishing that propelled me forward. Tales2inspire delivers exactly what it promises as both an authors-helping-authors project and a contest. Winners get their stories published in print, e-book, and some even in video formats, with their names, headshot photos, and mini-autobiographies. Then I spread the word about the winners and their stories on my blog, my monthly newsletter, and on several select social networks. Free to enter, this competition is open to talented newbies and seasoned authors alike. 
Learn more about me and the Tales2Inspire project at: www.tales2Inspire.com
and get a FREE sampler filled with six published T2I stories at: www.tales2inspire.com/gift

Lois is also a regular contributor to this blog.



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        More About #TheNewBookReview Blog

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers . Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission form . 

Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page. And know that Carolyn Wilhelm, our IT expert, award-winning author, and veteran educator, makes an award image especially for those who volunteer to write reviews from Lois's review-request list and post them in the spirit of her "Authors Helping Authors"  project.

Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find Carolyn's also blogs at SharingwithWriters and The Frugal smart and Tuned-in Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing #amwriting

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Editor-in-Chief of Midwest Book Review Shares Book on Pitching

Title: Story Selling
Heather Hale
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
ISBN: 9781615932818
$26.95, PB, 220pp
Available on www.amazon.com

Reviewed by Jim Cox originally for his Midwest Book Review Newsletter

Synopsis: Pitching is an art form that brings together content and communication channels. Regardless of what you're pitching, the universally applicable principles of Where, When and to Whom always apply. But it's how you pitch that matters most -- and there are countless strategies that combine elements in different combinations.

"Story Selling: How to Develop, Market, and Pitch Your Film & TV Projects", Heather Hale details all of them, their construction and applications, in a fun and interactive way that inspires her readers to create memorable and saleable pitches in order to get their own projects made.

Critique: Expertly organized and presented, "Story Selling: How to Develop, Market, and Pitch Your Film; TV Projects" offers a wealth of practical and effective tips, tricks and techniques that aspiring writers can immediately begin using when pitching their projects for television and movie productions. While unreservedly recommended for professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Story Selling" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.47).

Editorial Note: Heather Hale is a film and television producer, director, screenwriter, teacher and consultant. She directed, produced and co-wrote the million-dollar thriller Absolute Killers (2011) which was marketed at Le Marche du Film and the American Film Market. She wrote the $5.5 million-dollar Lifetime Original Movie The Courage to Love and has over 60 hours of produced reality credits which have won Emmys, Ace, and Telly awards. Her How to Work the Film & TV Markets: A Guide for Content Creators was published by Focal Press/Routledge. She was the Independent Film and Television Alliance's Industry Liaison for the 2013 American Film Market (AFM) and had a four-year development deal with NBC Universal (through IFTA).

Editor-in-Chief of Midwest Book Review Shares Book on Pitching

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER, THIS BLOG, AND ITS BENEFITS FOR WRITERS

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everything from Amazon Vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.



Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Alex Asks Grandpa About the Olden Days: A 1940s Story, Review


Title Alex Asks Grandpa About the Olden Days: A 1940s Story
Author Gary L. Wilhelm

ISBN-10: 1729375286
ISBN-13: 978-1729375280
ASIN: B07ZZK89V1
Price $12.00 paperback, $4.99 Kindle
Page Count 67
Formats (PB, Kindle)

Remember life before apps, smartphones, and televisions? This grandpa does and tells Alex about it in this book, Alex Asks Grandpa About the Olden Days: A 1940s Story. Gary L. Wilhelm shares nonfiction information blended with story to help a grandchild understand life was fine before all the modern technology. 

Wilhelm remembers his life around the neighborhood where he lived with town Grandma and Grandpa. Town Grandma would borrow books to read to him from the library. The Lone Ranger, the Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew mysteries came alive as she read aloud. The phone was a party line and other people could listen in -- remember those days? There was no television, only a radio. Grandpa would listen to the latest installments of the Lone Ranger (without seeing any pictures). 

At the post office in the spring, chicks could be heard chirping. Farmers ordered chicks by mail. The town blacksmith would fix the bicycles of kids who needed help. Grandpa thought it was a very exciting life. 

Alex also wanted to know about life on the farm. Were there animals? Yes, there were, and Grandpa had some interesting experiences with some of them. Grandpa played in the hayloft. He watched the threshing machine at work when it was harvest time. Farm Grandma canned vegetables for him to eat. It was all another world that can be shared with your grandchild with this book. 





Carolyn Wilhelm, Wise Owl Factory
Carolyn Wilhelm is the author of The Wise Owl Factory site and blog. She has an MS in Gifted Education, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12, and has completed the KHT Montessori program. She makes mostly free resources for teachers and parents. Her children's books are available on Amazon.

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Book Review: Dragon Bone Soup, Anyone?

Title: Dragon Bone Soup
Edited by DW Brownlaw and P. C. Darkcliff
Publisher: Independently published 
Release date: December 9, 2019
Genre: Anthology Sci-Fi and Fantasy
ISBN-10: 1673703976
ISBN-13: 978-1673703979
Purchase on Amazon 

Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton originally for BookPleasures.com

When I reached the end of Dragon Bone Soup, I realized I had just finished my favorite short story anthology I have ever read. As a writer of sci-fi short stories myself, I knew I was going to have to up my game to compete with all these folks.  Especially regarding preciseness and word economy. 

I also realized trying to point out the highlights of the sixteen diverse fantasy and light science fiction stories would result in a very long book review. After all, writers from three continents take readers to dystopian futures  populated by dragons, witches, spirits, elves, trolls, and magicians. But no matter how non-human these beings might seem, every story explores the humanity of even the most exotic of characters. This includes the first-person narrative, "I, Dragon" by David Bowmore. 

 I would like to call special attention to the first two stories in the collection, "LA EMBRUJADX" by Carmen Baca  and "The Witch of Wickershaw" by Brandy Bonifas as they both hooked me into this collection straight-away. Other contributors include Steve Carr, P.C. Darkcliff, R.A. Goli, Shawn Klimek, Mark Kodama, Giuseppina Marino Leyland, Zhen Liu, Lynne Phillips, Sam M. Phillips, Daniel Craig Roche, Copper Rose, L.T. Waterson, and G. Allen Wilbanks.

For readers who like to know about the authors they experience, the editors added a section of interviews at the end of the book with each of the writers describing their craft. Some might think of this section as padding as each story is indeed short, most around 3,000 words or so. (The editors provide a word count for each story in their introductory notes. ) Well, if you're not that interested in all the biographies and writing approaches of the creators,  or maybe only interested in a few of the contributors,  the interviews are not essential reading. I wager, however, that most fellow writers will appreciate the opportunity to read sixteen windows into the creative process. For non-writers, you could think of the interviews  as icing on the cake, if you can imagine icing on bone soup.

If you like sci-fi or fantasy, you won't want to pass up this collection.  Perhaps not every entree will be your cuppa tea, to mix metaphors again, but there will certainly be enough offerings you'll consider special treats. 

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Dr. Wesley Britton is the author of The Beta Earth Chronicles, is a frequent reviewer for The New Book Review and BookPleasures.com . Learn more about him with these links: 






MORE ABOUT BLOGGER AND WAYS TO GET THE MOST FROM THIS BLOG


 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.


Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!


#TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Monday, February 10, 2020

Book Reviews Rock - Plus Hint #Eleven for Getting Them


BOOK REVIEWS ROCK, PLUS HINT # ELEVEN

Hint Number Eleven for Getting them


Carolyn Howard-Johnson's Hint # Eleven

(When asking for reviews)"Don't overlook staff members at bookstores where you have given presentations. A large percentage are avid readers, and many are fellow writers. Some do reviews for the store's newsletter. Your personal thank you to them should be a signed copy of your book."

Page 105: How to Get Great Book Reviews
________________________________________

One thing I know for sure . . .  Authors are a wonderful group of people, and by and large so willing to help one another. 

It's just that life has a way of keeping us all so busy. 

________________________________

 BRIGHT IDEA

SO HERE'S MY BRIGHT IDEA FOR SOLVING THIS PROBLEM:


 1. CHOOSE ONE BOOK  FROM THE LIST BELOW THAT INTERESTS YOU.
 2. ASK THAT AUTHOR TO SUGGEST JUST 50 PAGES TO GIVE YOU ITS FLAVOR.
 3. READ THOSE FEW PAGES.
 4. THEN WRITE YOUR AMAZON REVIEW, POSTING IT WITHIN 30 DAYS.

*** USE YOUR REVIEW TO HELP PROMOTE YOURSELF AS WELL. ***

HOW? 

JUST END IT WITH THE WORDS: AUTHOR OF (YOUR BOOK TITLE)  

________________________________________


TITLE: SOLAR DIVIDENDS: How Solar Energy Can Generate a Basic Income for Everyone on Earth
NUMBER OF PAGES: 144
DESCRIPTION: puts forth a bold original plan for solving global poverty and global warming with a single program. In brief: we set up every person on the planet with a big section of solar panels, sell the electricity the panels generate, and deliver the money as solar dividends to the person as their basic income, for the rest of their life. The book provides compelling reasons and a detailed blueprint for this inspiring program.
AUTHOR'S NAME: Robert Stayton
FORMAT: paperback, PDF, Kindle, or Epub
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: Adult

AMAZON URL: https://tinyurl.com/wlaeydr


                                          ________________________________________



TITLE: NOVEMBER TO JULY
NUMBER OF PAGES: 282
DESCRIPTION: Eleanor Simons has been serving as a nurse in the Great War. When the fighting stops, she faces bleak prospects. Her fiancĂ©, a fighter pilot, is dead. In Paris, where she now lives, a conference of delegates from around the globe is meeting to remake the maps of Europe, Asia and Africa. Their effort to create a peaceful world is doomed; but through it, Eleanor faces the challenge of shaping a better future for herself.
AUTHOR'S NAME: Marilyn Oser
FORMAT: PDF, E-BOOK, TRADE PAPERBACK 
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: adult 
AMAZON URL: https://tinyurl.com/tk5n62y


                                         ________________________________________


TITLE: ONCE UPON AND EVER AFTER

NUMBER OF PAGES: 15 ebook, 32 paperback

DESCRIPTION:  After years of training the prince is finally ready for his quest to rescue a princess.  But can h e find a princess who needs to be rescued and what happens if he can't?

AUTHOR'S NAME: Caroline L Thornton

E-MAIL: carolinelthornton@outlook.com

FORMAT:  Mobi

AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: Up to 8

AMAZON URL:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZG2WNXL


                                         ________________________________________




TITLE: NUMBER EIGHT CRISPY CHICKEN

NUMBER OF PAGES: 232

DESCRIPTION: Immigration minister, Peter Ruddick, is enroute to remote Pulcherrima, the site of his latest privately-run, fast-food chain-inspired detention centre. But chaos ensues when Peter misses his connecting flight and finds himself confined to Turgrael airport, without a lounge in sight. Stranded with nothing but crispy chicken burgers to eat and nobody but a bleeding-heart liberal for company, Peter’s misunderstandings of Turgistani language and culture 

AUTHOR'S NAME: Sarah Neofield

FORMAT: (PDF, E-BOOK)
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: Mainstream adult fiction
AMAZON URL: https://tinyurl.com/NumberEightCrispyChicken


                                         ________________________________________


TITLE: TALES2INSPIRE ~ THE OPAL COLLECTION
NUMBER OF PAGES: 125
DESCRIPTION:  A collection of 16 non-fiction short stories by contest winning authors participating in the 2019 Tales2Inspire® contest. The theme for this Opal Collection, Stronger Today Because, is portrayed in both words and original photographs reflecting the true experiences of these authors. 
AUTHOR'S NAME: Lois W. Stern
E-MAIL: tales2Inspire@optimum.net
FORMAT: 5 Paperbacks, PDF, Epub
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: Young adult and adult
AMAZON URL: http://tiny.cc/po1ahz

                                         ________________________________________


TITLE: I AM ME: Teen Artists and Writers Speak Out On Being Yourself 
NUMBER OF PAGES: 104 (a quick read)
DESCRIPTION: This book pairs award winning poetry and art to empower young teens to shake off the negative power of the media and peers to realize it is okay to be themselves.  This anthology is a fresh voice that lets teens know that you don’t have to achieve “perfection" to be “perfect.” Created from over 100,000 submissions of art and poetry.
AUTHOR'S NAME: Tom Worthen, Ph.D.
E-MAIL: tiffani@poeticpower.com
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL:   Teens – 12-18
AMAZON URL:  TinyURL.com/rhjdyt4


                                         ________________________________________


TITLE: WOULD YOU RATHER BE IN THE COFFIN THAN GIVE THE EULOGY? - how to take the terror out of public speaking: A PRACTICAL guide for all types of speeches
DESCRIPTION: Your career prospects may depend on your ability to speak in public. Authors, sports stars, actors and business people may also be asked to ‘give a talk’ about their success, which can be an intimidating prospect. This step-by-step guide gives you practical advice for giving many types of speeches, with examples that show you what to do, what not to do - and what can go hilariously wrong! (Some things are only learned by experience).
AUTHOR: jannev@mweb.co.za
FORMAT: (PDF, E-BOOK)
AGE/INTEREST LEVEL:  High school age and upwards

                                         ________________________________________

ABOUT YOUR TRUSTED BLOGGER, LOIS W. STERN

        Tales2inspire was a kernel of an idea I started in 2012. It has grown to proportions even I didn’t dare to envision. My innate curiosity about potentially fascinating human interest stories was the spark that ignited this idea, but it was the confused state of traditional publishing that propelled me forward. Tales2inspire delivers exactly what it promises as both an authors-helping-authors project and a contest. Winners get their stories published in print, e-book, and some even in video formats, with their names, headshot photos, and mini-autobiographies. Then I spread the word about the winners and their stories on my blog, my monthly newsletter, and on several select social networks. Free to enter, this competition is open to talented newbies and seasoned authors alike. 
Learn more about me and the Tales2Inspire project at: www.tales2Inspire.com
and get a FREE sampler filled with six published T2I stories at: www.tales2inspire.com/gift

Lois is also a regular contributor to this blog.


_______________________________


                       


MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing