Two Fine Books You Will Enjoy

My last post, way back in October, contained words of wisdom from two follow bloggers who had been kind enough to share their thoughts with me on getting published. At that time, I said I’d post again when I had news about finding an agent. Fourteen weeks have passed and I still have nothing to report. But I missed writing on this blog, so I’m here today because you may be wondering, with Bugs Bunny, “What’s up, Doc?”

         For me, nothing.

         But for Melissa Ann Goodwin, a fellow blogger and author, quite a lot.

         Goodwin’s first book, The Christmas Village, was published in 2011. I learned about it in early December of that year. Right before Christmas, I read it with great satisfaction. This novel for ten to fourteen years old appeals to adult readers as well as children.

         Goodwin’s story caught and held my interest because of her vivid characterization and her suspenseful plotting. She has an astute ear for realistic dialogue. Because of this, I entered her scenes and lived the adventure with Jamie, a contemporary twelve-year-old boy who travels backward in time to the 1932 village of Canterbury, Vermont. 

         If you enjoy books for young readers, like those written by J. K. Rowling and Kate DiCamillo, I encourage you to read The Christmas Village. It is the 2013 Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Award Winner for action/adventure.

         My good news for you today is that Goodwin has written a sequel—Return to Canterbury. A second book is always more difficult than a first one, especially if that first one has been so successful that readers yearn for a follow-up. These avid readers want to know more about the characters they’ve come to cherish. An author then faces the daunting task of writing a story that will fulfill all the expectations of the readers.

         With Return to Canterbury, Goodwin has more than fulfilled my expectations for Jamie and his two Canterbury friends, Chris and Kelly. Of course her books would appeal to me because the name of my Thursday on-line memoir blog is “Coming Home to Myself.” Discovering what and where is home has been basic to my postings. Goodwin knows we all search for home. As she recently wrote on her blog:

Longing for home is a theme in both of my books—and in my life. In The Christmas Village, 12-year-old Jamie finds himself far from home at Christmas time, and longs for nothing more than to return home in time to be with his family for the holiday. In Return to Canterbury, it's less about Jamie's desire to return home, and more about his desire for that kind of deep sense of belonging that makes us feel like we are at home.

In the search for home, The Christmas Village presented the reader with a mystery that the three young people solved by using their creative minds, their sense of fair play, and their compassionate hearts. Return to Canterbury presents us with another mystery that the three young people will solve, gaining the respect of the entire village.

Once again, Goodwin provides the tension and suspense that lead to a wholly satisfying ending. Jamie has traveled back to 1935. He, Kelly, and Chris are three years older than in Goodwin’s first book. Older and wiser, but still fast friends, they share a love of adventure and a willingness to risk themselves when danger again threatens the village of Canterbury.

In reading this sequel, I felt I had come home again because not only do I meet these three youngsters for a second time, I also got to learn more about the adult villagers who play such an important role in helping Jamie discover what home really means.

Both of Goodwin’s books deserve a large readership. She writes with great confidence and creates a compelling plot.

I finished reading her second book around one in the morning last week and lay there with a smile on my face as I let the plot, the characters, and the charm of Canterbury pass in review through my contented brain. Finally, I spoke out loud, “Well done, Melissa. Well done.” The cats raised their heads in bemusement and then snoozed again, perhaps to visit their own Canterbury.

I encourage you to think about any young family members or friends who are celebrating upcoming birthdays or happy events. The gift of The Christmas Village and Return to Canterbury would win you a reward as the “best” grandmother, mother, or friend!

         

Book Reviews and Platforms

I have known two exceptionally astute senior editors. Back in 1991, the Crown editor gave me the word relationship that led to the publication of A Cat’s Life: Dulcy’s Story. In 2012, the Wayman senior editor gave me the phrase Dulcy’s Companion Book that led to the final cover for A Cat’s Legacy. Both these women have been a blessing in my life.

         Recently, I spoke with that same Waymen editor about A Cat’s Legacy and why it may not be selling. She believes the new cover, which I introduced to you in last Sunday’s posting, will help. As perhaps the purchase price will. However, she also believes that readers, before deciding to order a book, look not only at the cover, title, and price but also at the number of reviews it’s received.

         As of today, February 3, 2013, A Cat’s Legacy has only eight reviews. Wayman’s senior editor thinks it needs more before prospective buyers will consider it a book worth buying.

         How many more? Well, that’s debatable.  A Cat’s Life: Dulcy’s Story has twenty-two reviews from its first publication in 1992 in hardcover and its second publication in 2012 as an e-book, and yet it isn’t selling well either. Perhaps it, too, needs more reviews.

         Of course, reviews may be only a part of this. Publicity is probably the major influence in the sell of any book. In years past, the publishing company did the publicity. And surely Wayman has done its part in publicizing both of Dulcy’s books.

         However, unlike 1992 when Crown published A Cat’s Life, today’s large, contemporary publishing houses demand that writers have a “platform.” That is, a means by which they themselves can get word out about the book. This platform may be any or all of the following: blog, Facebook, Twitter, web site, radio show, PBS series, seminar or conference given around the country. That is, any writing or personal appearance that puts the author out in front of a large audience that might buy the book.

         Last week, a fellow blogger and author of several well-received and read books sent me an e-mail response to my comment on her blog. Given her past success, her words about platform stunned me. Right now, she is writing another book, and her agent has explained to her what’s necessary in today’s publishing world:

Publishing has changed so very much. Even with all my experience, I feel like a beginner—not in terms of writing, but in terms of the business. Book proposals are now 75% marketing and 25% content. It used to be the opposite. And last year, I read somewhere that you couldn't claim your blog as a decent "platform" unless you were getting 10,000 page views a month. I felt so discouraged as that seemed such an impossible number. But in the last two months, I've been averaging 12,000+ page views a month! Still not a whole bunch of Followers, but a good number of page views.

         Dr. Kathleen McCoy went on to explain that a series of postings she did on parents/adult-children relationships changed the number of page views she began to receive per month.

         So I’m left wondering if perhaps my blogs simply don’t appeal because of what I write about. I have two. One is an on-line memoir on which I post a story of my life each Wednesday. The other is the one you are reading right now. It is a memoir of my life as a writer seeking publication.

         For the first, I have 205 followers and fewer than 2,000 page views a month; for this second one, I have 25 followers and fewer than 200 page views a month. So you see, I literally have no platform.

         Dr. McCoy believes that a platform may be necessary only for nonfiction. So perhaps the novel I’ve written—The Reluctant Spy—won’t need a platform. We’ll see. All I’m sure of right now is that for each of the past three months, neither of Dulcy’s books has sold more than five copies.

         The bottom line to this lengthy posting is that I’d greatly appreciate any help you can give me with the following:

• Writing a book review on Amazon or Goodreads for A Cat’s Legacy and/or A Cat’s Life if you haven’t already done so.
• Asking those to whom you’ve given the book(s) to write a review.

Thank you. And peace to you ever and always, pressed down and overflowing.