Book Giveaway!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Escape From the Crooked Tree

by Jason Whiteley

Giveaway ends June 07, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

The Best Illustrated Children's Book This Year

is Escape From the Crooked Tree! OK, maybe not, but we like to think we have a shot. There is a lot going on at Tales From the Tacklebox.  So, lets get to a reader question and then an update.

Question: Is tackle box one word or two words?

Answer: Excellent observation. Tackle box, most often, is two words.  However, in Tales From the Tacklebox, I have put them together. I wanted a word that sounded like children say it, breathelessly and aggressively.  So we have the Tacklebox.  In the Hydrilla Clump (our second book), you may also learn that the Tacklebox has a first name... 

A couple key dates:

June 7, 2012 - Escape From the Crooked Tree should be on Amazon and ready for delivery.  You can pre-order today at http://www.tackleboxtales.com to ensure you are on of the first to receive a copy. 

June 14, 2012 - Our campaign to fund the Hydrilla Clump and the Bigmouth Popper will end.  We have lots of cool prizes (you can have your name in the front of the book), so visit us at Kickstarter and have a look.

The Newsletter.  Click here  to see our latest newsletter and update. You can subscribe in the upper left-hand corner, so please join up. 

Thats all for now, but check back soon to learn more. 

Should I Self-Publish

To self-publish or not, that is the question of many aspiring writers.  If you are like me, you probably spent more than a few hours reading everyone's opinions on the pros and cons of self-publishing.  It is a risk/reward calculation, but here are a few myths about traditional publishing to consider (from my own experience):

1. A traditional publisher will help me market.  False.  Most publishers are putting out titles at a rapid clip, they will shotgun blast your book and a review copy blurb to the top 200 newspapers and what comes from that is really all you will get.   You may get a few extras (posters, flyers, etc), but nothing you can't make on Zazzle for 20 bucks.

2. I will get more reviews with a traditional publisher. False.  Reviews are a function of contact, and as we said above the publisher does not help you there.  You help yourself by finding outlets and blogs who review your type of book and are interested in a review copy.  Blogs are content needy, if you package a pre-written interview and a review copy of your book, you will find interest and that interest may generate sales.  You are the best-positioned to sell your product to reviewers.


3. My potentially audience will find me easier.  False.  When is the last time you searched for a book by publisher.  People search by subject (and we can talk more about optimizing that later), but your ability to be seen and to stand out depends on the quality of your writing, a reasonable presence on the web, and word of mouth.  In this business, personal recommendations are absolute gold.

So, what to do.... If you think that you can take a risk financially (and we will talk budget next Monday), and if you have a story that you like, then I say self-publish.  If you are avoiding self-publishing because you think traditional is better, then you are cheating yourself out of a chance to tell your story.

How long is an illustrated children's book

How long is an illustrated children's book?  I asked the question at a recent weekend gathering where the parents of children aged 2-7 took turns watching an impromptu game of wiffleball that started in the front yard.

"Twenty minutes or less" remarked one of my friends.

"Anything my kid can read on her own" said another.

The children's literature experts have metrics galore, based on print costs and attention spans, but here are the facts: books today are getting shorter and it is a disservice to our children.

When I wrote Escape From the Crooked Tree, I just wrote.   As we prepared to self-publish, I began to doubt the wisdom of my "devil may care" attitude.  Yes, children love Escape From the Crooked Tree, and it is the perfect bridge book between a picture book and an early reader at 2,500 words and 36 illustrations over 46 pages - but I needed back-up.

Hello, Olive!  On Kickstarter, where I am raising funds for the second book in the Tales From the Tacklebox series, I received a donation from Kirk Werner, author of the Olive the Woolly Bugger.  Kirk and I share an interest and approach to children's writing, and I was thrilled to read that we also agree on the length of children's books.

The fact is there is no template.  A good book is a good book.  So, don't keep yourself constrained by large publishers and their formulaic approach to children.  Venture into the independents (and the outdoors, while you are at it).

Self-Publishing an Illustrated Children's Book

Hello and welcome,

Are you considering writing a children's book?  Are you thinking about self-publishing? Maybe funding?  Well, I want to share my thoughts on this process with you as my first self-published book comes to print.  I say my first self-published book, because I went the traditional route for my memoir on my tour of duty in Iraq, entitled Father of Money: Buying Peace in Baghdad.  However, when I sat down to write the Tales From the Tacklebox, I just wanted more control over the process.  These are, after all, stories from my childhood (albeit told from the perspective of the fishing lures).  That decision has cost me a lot of sleep, but I am happy that I made it.  Over the next three weeks, I will post a series of short articles that cover the basics of the process and my rationale for making the decisions that I did.  Meanwhile, I urge you to take a look at how I am attempting to keep my project moving forward, by clicking on the video below.  Thanks for your interest, and we will see you next Monday!