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Top Ten Favorite Reads From 2015
There were so many good books that I read in 2015 (not all of them were published in 2015). Sometimes, I like to tackle classics, sometimes young adult or even middle school, and, of course, I have a backlog of adult novels that I can never quite get through. Needless to say, it was hard to pick just ten, but here goes (in no particular order):
1) The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins – a great who-dun-it with a lot of twists and turns.
2) The Martian: A Novel by Andy Weir – a botanist struggles to survive on Mars when he is left behind by his fellow astronauts. What can I say, I am a scientific nerd at heart.
3) Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death and hope in a Mumbai undercity by Katherine Boo – a tragic and eye opening look at life in the slums.
4) The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – a story of bravery during the Holocaust.
5) Into the Forest by Jean Hegland – two teenager girls living alone in a remote region of Northern California in post-apocalyptic times.
6) All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr – a blind girl navigates the world during the tumultuous times of World War II.
7) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor – a middle school novel suitable for adults about racism in Mississippi during the Great Depression.
8) Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian – Emily Shepard, a homeless teen, tries to recover from the aftermath of a nuclear explosion caused by her drunken father.
9) The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty – a letter reveals a horrible secret that threatens to destroy not only a marriage but the relationships of many people in a small town.
10) The Rosie Project: A Novel by Graeme Simsion – a socially inept, Don Tillman, decides the only way to find a wife, is to use the scientific method. Humorous and uplifting with a bit of mystery to boot.
Self-Publishing Tips from Smashword’s Jim Azevedo
1. In one paragraph, summarize the services of Smashwords.
Smashwords provides free ebook publishing and distribution services for self-published authors. When you click “Publish” at the Smashwords site, you’ll be asked to upload your original document as either an epub file or a Microsoft Word .doc file (we recommend a Word .doc file). Once your book is uploaded, it’s converted into every important ebook file type (e.g. mobi, epub, pdf, etc.) and then checked for any formatting errors. This process takes about 5 minutes, after which your book is available for immediate sale and sampling at Smashwords.com. If no formatting errors are detected, the book is ready for distribution through our global retail network–including Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, Oyster and more–as well as to libraries through our partnerships with OverDrive and Baker & Taylor. I should point out that Smashwords is free to join, free to publish, free to distribute, and the ebook conversion is also free. Authors can also make unlimited changes to their books at no charge. Smashwords only makes money if our authors’ books sell. We take a 10% commission, and the author earns 60-80% of their ebook’s list price as their royalty.
2. Besides writing a super awesome book, what is the most important thing a self-published author can do to promote their books?
Besides writing a super-awesome book, the most important thing an author can do to promote their books is to make their books as findable as possible. To make your books as findable as possible, distribute all of your books to all the places where readers go to find books. This means a reader should be able to find your books at any of the major online ebook retailers, subscription services and at libraries. On your website, blog or favorite social media platform, if you’re only providing a link to one retail store, you’re missing out on all the readers who prefer to shop elsewhere. So, don’t just link to one store where your book is for sale–link to all of them. Make your books as accessible and affordable as possible. Remember, within every ebook you have the opportunity to promote your other titles, link to your website, etc. Think of every book that you write and every hyperlink that you provide as paths that lead the reader back to you, the author, and to your other books.
3. What is the most important “lessons learned” that Smashwords has discovered since it started in 2008?
I’ll answer this from a Smashwords business perspective first, which I believe also applies to the business of being an author. The most important lesson learned is that everything is changing all the time. You can ill afford to rest on your laurels or stop innovating or stop learning. In the same vein, you also can’t afford to be paralyzed by fear, so don’t be afraid to experiment with your style or your marketing, and don’t be afraid to fail. From an author perspective, the most important lesson I’ve learned is that finding time to write must be your number one priority. This isn’t just my advice, but advice culled from dozens of bestselling authors I’ve either met or who I’ve had the pleasure to hear speak at conferences.
4. You trained to public speak through Toastmasters, what other advice would you give to writers faced with giving talks to promote their books?
Boy, this could be the topic of a completely separate interview. I’ll boil it down to three key pieces of advice. First, jump into the fire. Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way and proactively seek out more. I know it’s scary, but nothing alleviates fear more than experience. When I started public speaking, I transitioned from 5-7 minute Toastmaster speeches to presentations that were at least 45 minutes long. But two years later, I’ve spoken at 40 different events and presented about 60 hours worth of material. To gain experience, seek out opportunities to speak at CWC meetings, at work, at school, at Toastmasters, and even at writers’ conferences. Consider submitting a speaking proposal for a panel session at a writers’ conference with some of your fellow author friends sitting on the panel with you. That way, you’re exposed to a live audience but you have backup if needed.
Second, rehearse as early and as often as you can. Most of our nervousness derives from some internal lack of confidence. However, the more prepared you are the more confident you’ll be. While different speakers have developed different techniques to help prepare, what works for me is reading through my slides several times out loud, so I can get used to the sound of my voice. I’ll also project the slides onto a wall and pretend like I’m speaking to an audience. Audiences appreciate a prepared and knowledgeable speaker. Remember that your presentation isn’t about perfection. It’s about providing information to an audience that’s on your side and eager to hear what you have to say.
Third, show up early and chat with the attendees and the other presenters. When I first started publicly speaking, I convinced myself that everyone in the audience was smarter than me and that I would be exposed as a fraud. Talk about pressure! However, whenever I found the time to meet the other presenters or members of the audience, I learned that they were normal, very friendly people who weren’t out to get me. Another advantage you’ll have by chatting with others before you start, is that you’ll find you have friends in the audience when you begin. They will be the people who are smiling brightly at you as you cover your key points.
5. What is the most common formatting error that you see?
The most common formatting error continues to be a hodgepodge of different paragraph styles within the same document, prior to ebook conversion. If writing in Microsoft Word, the author might have Normal Style for one paragraph, Body Text in another paragraph, and possibly even multiple Heading styles. Often, in Microsoft Word, the author may not even realize they have multiple conflicting paragraph styles. Once converted into an ebook, this formatting error can cause the ebook to have inconsistent font sizes from one paragraph to the next. As you can imagine, this can make for an annoying read. Fortunately, the fix is easy. Simply by unifying the entire document under a single paragraph style (e.g. Normal) can take care of the issue. The author can still create custom sections to enhance the appearance of their book. For more detailed advice, be sure to download our free formatting guide, the Smashwords Style Guide, here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52
6. When not working at Smashwords, you are a drummer in a band called Rivals, if you were to describe yourself as a famous musician who would that be?
I don’t know that I can describe myself as Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, but I’ve admired his career for years. Dave reached celebrity status as the drummer for Nirvana, the gritty punk rock band widely credited for launching the so-called “grunge” movement of the 1990s while simultaneously destroying the “hair metal” scene of the 1980s. Nirvana’s raw, authentic sound was refreshing to music fans that had grown tired of a manufactured look and sound. After the demise of Nirvana, Dave founded the Foo Fighters, now recognized as one of the most successful bands in history. More recently, his passion for music led to his producing and directing of two critically acclaimed films, Sound City in 2013 and the HBO series Sonic Highways in 2014. My drumming style is similar to Dave’s, but what I admire about the man is how he’s stayed true to his passion throughout his life. I think there’s a lesson there, whether you’re a musician, an author or a bricklayer. If you love what you do, keep doing it no matter what.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about Jim Azevedo. To learn more about Smashwords visit www.smashwords.com or follow their blog at http://blog.smashwords.com/
Adventure into the Amazon: An Interview with Paul Beaver
The Hedgecock family had the privilege of staying at Tahuayo Lodge in Peru this summer. I was glad that I had read Paul Beaver’s Diary of an Amazon Jungle Guide, prior to our trip. It truly captures the amazing diversity of animals and plants, the fascinating culture of native folks and the magical, mysterious world of the Amazon.
In one paragraph, tell us about your book, Diary of an Amazon Jungle Guide.
I started the Amazon’s first adventure camping company 33 years ago. I had so many crazy adventures, bringing people into a wilderness that contains the Earth’s greatest biodiversity. So many crazy and funny encounters of people, plants, insects, monkeys, snakes, etc. After 20 years of working in the jungle I found that I was starting to forget some of the crazy times people would recall to me. So I thought I had better start to write things down.
Your tales encompass a large number of expeditions and I imagine the material for your book took years to accumulate, but how long did it take you to actually write the book?
Once I put pen to paper it just all poured out, 10 chapters worth in about a month. Seven years later I added another 3 chapters.
Who is your favorite naturalist?
I’ll give you two, Charles Darwin, the father of modern biology and Steve Irwin, who shared such joy of nature in his Crocodile Hunter series; Darwin appeals to my serious nature and Irwin to my crazy, no-holds-barred sense of joy in wildlife adventures.
If you were a jungle animal what would you be?
People who have camped with me in the jungle say I remind them of a sloth. I don’t know what to make of that exactly; perhaps because I’m always unruffled, even in tense wilderness situations, and always with an absent-minded smile.
Your book touches on many interesting topics including the little known ruins, Kuelap, which you say is more impressive than Machu Picchu. Do you think this site will ever achieve the same tourism popularity?
It should, if the government ever invests in infrastructure like a good airport and roads.
Your honeymoon camping trip in the Amazon was, shall we say, unique. Did you ever take a more traditional vacation?
Hah, let me tell you about that. My bride, Dolly, was so uncomfortable and miserable, but I said to her that one day we would just laugh about it. Well once every few years I’ll ask her if she’s ready to laugh about it yet. Finally after about 18 years she says yes, she’s finally ready to laugh. Then just to make sure I ask her again today, and its back to no, it really isn’t funny. Well, maybe in another 18 years….
Your depiction of the riberenos culture is well done in the book. Can you tell us about your wife’s efforts to improve the quality of life for these people?
It grew out of her compassion for her sister native women. She wanted to make sure they were not abused and had what they needed for their children. From there it led to economic initiatives for the native women, then a medical clinic (it is probably the finest rural clinic in the Amazon), then educational initiatives and additional health care programs.
Do you have plans to write another book?
I hope to add another chapter in a year or two. I have been getting together with my old shaman friend, Cumpanum. He is very old now, as I am. We get together and talk over old times, every conversation starting with “remember when” and ending in gales of laughter. But these talks have given me more insight into his history and life, which I wish to share.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about Paul Beaver. Learn more about the Tahuayo River Lodge on his website: www.perujungle.com. Dolly’s nonprofit organization (Angels of the Amazon) website is:www.angelsoftheamazon.com.
The book is available on Amazon.com bookstore at www.amazon.com/Diary-Amazon-Jungle-Guide-Encounters/dp/0972480919.
Writing is Like an Egg
What? Yeah, it’s a strange comparison, but bear with me. Without the outer shell of an egg, you’d have an ooey, gooey mess. So the shell is the foundation. Letters make the words, string together the words and you get sentences and lastly you need grammar, and sentence structure to get your point across. These make all the necessary components to create the poem, the essay or the story. Of course, there are exceptions. Cormac McCarthy – the author of The Road – he doesn’t use periods. He breaks the rules and he’s a darn good writer. So there is a way to crack the shell, where the egg will stay intact, as long as you don’t rupture the membrane. But cracking an egg takes skill. You have to have just the right touch. And in order to experiment, you must first know what makes the shell sturdy and what lies inside to know just how much tapping you can do without breaking the whole thing into that ooey, gooey mess.
If we were to do a cross section of our egg, we would find under our shell, the egg white. The egg white represents our characters and voice. We need a narrator at the very least and sometimes dozens of characters. They can be people or animals or even objects. You can have a robot tell your story, right? Now, the great thing about egg whites is how versatile they are. The start out being opaque, but throw them in a frying pan and what happens? They thicken. They change color. Even if you don’t cook them you can all kinds of seasonings. You can even whisk them and fill them full of air.
So now you’ve got the shell – a foundation of words and sentences, you’ve got your egg white which represents the vehicle for the story, and then at the very core of the egg is the yolk. The yolk is the plot and the story arc. At the core, the plot is the reason for writing. Something happens and the person or someone the person knows is changed by the event. So now you see, writing really is like an egg. The only question is do you want to scramble, boil or poach your story.
Young Writers – Article Due May30th
Hi Youg Writer Contest Winners,
I understand that the article by Faith Barnidge should appear in the Concord Transcript and the Pleasant Hill Record (Good Neighbor Column) in the Contra Costa Times this Thursday.