Archive for Childrens Books

Tips for Self Publishing with Jelly Bean

Do you have a book to publish?

Do you want to self publish your book?

How to Self Publish with Jelly Bean

Know Your Product
Your book is a product  and you are hoping to find buyers for it, just like any other product. But to make sure it is the best it can be  you need to know exactly what it is; are you sci-fi? Non-fiction? What is your book about? Is it a quirky encyclopaedia of the world’s weirdest garden sheds? Or a poetry collection focusing on the struggles of motherhood? Think about the objectives of your book. Knowing your product enables you to make it the best it can be in all aspects; marketing strategy, promotion, finding niche markets, editing, cover design etc.

Where
Before publishing  think about how and where you are going to sell your book. Do you want to approach retailers and bookshops or is your book just something small you want to keep for yourself? Either or, this will dictate the kind of services you require from Jelly Bean Self Publishing. For example, if you want to try and get your books into stores and libraries you will need as ISBN. These kind of thing will all shape what kind of book and deal you want to arrange with us. As a result, we recommend putting some forethought into how you’re going to sell.

Who
Think about who will read your book. If it’s a children’s book  the answer is obvious. The steps to capturing your readers might involve going to school’s to do readings or organising a reading event for children and parents in the area. Jelly Bean Self Publishing author Molly Arbuthnott reached out to schools in the UK and ended up getting orders of her book Oscar the Ferry Cat through her reaching out! So hitting the right market is really important and can really help improve your book’s success in terms of moving copies. See here for more information about Molly’s story…

How
How will you sell? Marketing. Marketing is how you will sell. People need to know your book is out there, and they aren’t going to find you   you need to find them. Here at Jelly Bean Self Publishing we do offer small marketing support, but a lot of it lies on the author’s shoulders to self promote if you want your book to do the best it can.

Attending literary events (or events to do with what your book is about) and doing readings, getting on to social media, interacting with readers and writers who follow you online, entering yourself into competitions  all of these are ways to self promote that cost little-to-nothing. If your book has a niche  make yourself known in these circles. If your book is niche – this can be both an advantage or disadvantage. You might have lots of people in the waiting for a book like yours or your niche might not exist out there  so be aware of either or and do some research if you can.

We recommend thinking of marketing as a little business; overseeing the practicalities of what will bring sales in is so important in ensuring your book’s success.

Jelly Bean Self Publishing Black Friday Deal

 

Black Friday. Lots of Deals. Free Books.

Do you have a book that you want to publish?

Why not send your book to Jelly Bean Self-Publishing?

A great way to get your book off your computer and into the world, and with 10% off this Black Friday why wait?

Just send your manuscript to submissions@jellybeanselfpublishing.co.uk with the words ‘strawberry pencil’ as the subject to receive 10% off and we will be in touch.

Valid from 14th November to 28th November 2018.

RUN PHILIPPA RUN!

Since the London Marathon started in 1981, thousands of competitors have taken part. Going for a run is as much about your mind forcing your body out the door as it is about physical fitness. Overcoming these psychological barriers can make a difference between finishing the event or not.

Philippa Cates is no stranger to the mental and physical challenges of running, and has written a book about this wonderfully exhausting pastime. The Marathon celebrates this fantastic achievement, but also highlights in a comedic way the potential pitfalls of taking part. 
 
Philippa feels that runners can become very single-minded during their training, even turning down social events because “I’ve got a long run in the morning.” But sometimes temptation can get in the way. She says: “A couple of years ago, I was given one of the comedy grown-up I-Spy books and I thought that I could apply this humour to marathon running. So, while I was training for the Virgin London Marathon in 2017, and struggling to keep myself going, I thought: what if a runner was presented with a number of temptations along the way. How would they overcome them?”
 
Philippa was emboldened to continue when she misplaced her MP3 player. She continues: “I was bereft! Often music can be a lifeline to a marathon runner, so for a while I felt like a boat without a paddle, and then I realised that the silence was a golden opportunity. That’s when I started drafting The Marathon in my head.” 
 
The Marathon is a cheeky, but family-friendly satirical short rhyming story accompanied by playful illustrations from the hugely talented artist come Jack Sparrow impersonator, Terry Cooper. The story follows our hero, Runner, as he takes on the gruelling business of training for and running a marathon. Not a natural athlete, and with a weakness for cake and socialising, Runner faces many distractions along the way. But will he complete his challenge? 
 
The book has been endorsed by Leanne Davies, founder of Run Mummy Run. She says: “This book is great fun! It is what training for a marathon is really like. The Marathon strikes a chord with the Run Mummy Run community.”
Echoing the spirit of some of the most popular twenty-first century children’s picture books, this satirical spoof book is a clever hybrid between adult and children’s book, and you don’t need to be a runner to enjoy it. It’s a fun book for all the family with a slight anarchic twist.
 
The Marathon is available to purchase now at https://philippa-cates.my-online.store/ or via Philippa’s website at www.philippacates.com.

 

Health Benefits of Reading

Here at Jelly Bean Self-Publishing, we want to start a reading revolution. Here are just a few reasons to put down your phone, turn off the TV, and for a few hours an evening enjoy an actual book…

In the modern world, where much of our interaction with words takes place on screens (mobile phones, tablets, computers, etc.), it is certainly worth reiterating the health and lifestyle benefits of reading a good book.

Not that reading off a screen is so bad – after all, it’s led you here! But it is estimated we spend up to a whopping ten hours (!) staring at screens every day.

  • Reading brings to life neural pathways in the brain. This in turn leads to the creation of new memories, and as such creates new synapses that strengthen our brains. So basically, reading is like taking your brain to the gym!
  • Reading can reduce anxiety and alleviate stress. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, reading offers us the magic of escapism. It frees our minds, which in turn lightens the pressures of day-to-day life.
  • Reading asks you to consider abstract concepts, developing critical thinking skills.
  • Has a friend ever bolstered you to participate in an activity you were apprehensive about? It has been proven that readers who admire a fictional character’s courage to partake in physical challenges that scare them (g. riding a horse, climbing a mountain, sailing a boat, etc.), are themselves better able to muster the bravery to try new activities in their own life.
  • It goes without saying that reading improves your vocabulary and communicative ability. If anyone’s going to impress their peers with a quick-witted remark, it’s an avid reader.
  • Reading gives us a sense of self-accomplishment, boosting self-esteem.
  • If you’re the sort of person to fall for fictional characters (aren’t we all?), then studies show you are a more empathetic person for it. In imagining life from another’s perspective, you yourself become a more caring, understanding person (go you!).
  • Reading a book in bed helps you sleep better. Conversely, the glare of a TV screen or a smart-phone makes it more difficult to drop off.

Do you know of any positive impacts of reading we’ve missed? If so, please feel free to get in touch. Thanks for reading, and keep up the good work!

 

  

Happy Birthday, Roald Dahl!

It’s Roald Dahl’s birthday, and given that this year it falls on a Thursday, here’s a #TBT for you:Jelly Bean’s favourite Roald Dahl books, circa two years ago!
 
Shaun’s favourite: The Magic Finger 

 

We’ve got all the Roald Dahl books in our house – my girls love them! The Magic Finger really caught my imagination when I was younger, I just thought it was quite strange. It’s the Roald Dahl book that people don’t talk about as much, and I really like the juxtaposition of the characters and how the ducks and the people swap roles. 

 

My favourite part is when they wake up and the Gregg family first realise that they’ve swapped places; they’ve turned into tiny people with wings and the ducks have grown to people size and they have arms instead!

Favourite quote:

“Don’t shoot! Please don’t shoot!”
“Why not?” said one of the ducks. “You are always shooting at us.”
“Oh, but that’s not the same! Said Mr. Gregg. “We are allowed to shoot ducks.”
“Who allows you?”asked the duck.
“We allow each other,” said Mr. Gregg.
“Very nice,” said the duck.” And now we are going to allow each other to shoot you.”

 Will’s favourite: George’s Marvellous Medicine 

I think George’s Marvellous Medicine was my favourite as a kid, purely because I remember reading it so many times. I loved that it was all about wanting to one-up the grown-ups! I think my favourite part was when George blew up his nan!

Favourite quote: 

“Lalalalalalalala I have nothing to say!”

(Either that or: “Never grow up – always grow down.”)

 
 
 
Hayley’s favourite: The Twits

 

The Twits is definitely my favourite Roald Dahl book. I really liked the illustrations by Quentin Blake, I remember a really gross one of the beard with all food in it!

I love that the characters were always playing tricks on one another and that they were really badly behaved – and I went to see a show of the book when I was little.

Favourite quote: 

“A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”


Lauren’s favourite: The BFG 
 

I loved The BFG, the book and the animated film; I’m a bit nervous about the remake! I liked that the main character Sophie was a bit lonely until she meets the BFG, and they sort of find eachother even though they’re both sort of left out in their own worlds. And the snozzcumbers, I liked them too.

My favourite part is when the BFG takes Sophie to the room full of the dream jars, and I always like the idea of “witching hour” which I fully believed in as a child!

Favourite quote: 

“Two rights don’t equal a left”

… and one from our author Jane Cohen who popped in to say hi!
 
 
 
 
Jane’s favourite: The Witches
 
Roald Dahl is one of my absolute favourites! I loved The Witches; the magic in it, the way the girl moves in the picture into different positions and grows old in the photograph, and I loved that the witches all owned sweet shops to entice the children.
 
Favourite quote: 

“Witches of England you’re a disgrace!” (and then she brings her potion out!)

 
We’ve also been obsessively browsing the internet for all things Roald Dahl, and here are a few of our favourite facts about the Llandaff-born author:
 
  • His first children’s book is usually considered to be James and the Giant Peach, but actually it is The Gremlins, based on WW2 RAF folklore. The Gremlins was written when Dahl was stationed in Washington in 1942. Dahl already has a career as a WW2 fighter pilot, having flown planes in North Africa. The Gremlins takes place in southern England during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The made-up “gremlins” were commonly given the blame by the RAF personnel when anything went wrong throughout the Second World War, as Eileen Younghusband will well know.
  • Roald Dahl actually co-wrote the screenplay for the children’s classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, based on the novel of the same name by Bond writer Ian Fleming. He was, in fact, the creative mind behind the chilling and villainous character The Child Snatcher (who terrifies the best of us to this day… even if we are too old for bedtime stories!), as the character didn’t appear in the original novel. Thanks, Roald Dahl… 
    Sorry for the nightmares…
     
  • The Fantastic Mr Fox was, at least partly, inspired by a tree that sat outside Roald Dahl’s house in Great Missenden. He used to call it the “witching tree” and tell his children stories about the family of foxes who lived inside it.
What was your favourite Roald Dahl book? Tweet us and tell us your favourites at @Candy_Jar!

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Top Tips for Submissions!

If you’re thinking about submitting some work to us, we’d love to hear from you, but you might like to have a look at these guides for sending your work to us.  Read More →