Upset and dismayed about my new book
Upset and dismayed...
That is what I feel after talking with a so called know it all.
As some of you know I wrote a book for my children about making money, managing money, managing time and becoming successful.
For Children how to become RICH Successful & do well in school
I am not a writer, never said I was and never studied to be a writer. But I did it anyway – for the love of my children, hoping to teach them and have it in a form they can carry with them (so when I am gone, morbid I know but just in case I ‘go’ before they fully mature); as I was saying: so they can carry with them in a physical book.
I thought it was a great gift idea and I took most of all the things I have been trying to teach them (drill into their tiny heads) and I put it into the book – in an age appropriate manner. So I was talking with someone I will not name as to how to promote and sell my book; it’s not like I am a celebrity or have access to one to easily promote my book.
So why did I get upset and dismayed?
Well, this individual confidently blurted out that my book will not sell, even if I had the hottest celebrity going around promoting my book. The reason it will not sell is, because people want fluff not substance. I knew what he meant but I had to ask: “what do you mean”?
He continued with: People do not want to learn, not even if they know they need it. They like being tickled, fancied, poked on face book but they will not take the time to sit and actually learn. They do not buy books to learn, they buy them to be entertained. And now with Ebooks new authors have to give books away for free just to have people take a peek at the work they do. You take all that into account and you are wasting your time.
At first I was upset. Upset that he thought I couldn’t do it. Upset that he believed that people what he with his “innuendo” called people stupid. I was upset that ….
I was upset that he could be right. That is when my “upset” turned to dismayed.
People are more attracted to fluff like twilight, hunger games and the sort. You can ask a child to read a 400 page Harry Potter book and they will with glee. Ask them to read my 112 page book about how to be successful in life and they probably would act like if I was a dentist pulling teeth.
Even if I gave my book away for free – would people, would children read it?
I want my children to succeed, to start now at this early age, to make the right choices in life for the right reasons. I want them to understand that they are more than what people say they are and that they have opportunities. Every child does. But how do you get them to understand this if all they care about is witches, warlocks, werewolves, demons and monsters.
That is what I feel after talking with a so called know it all.
As some of you know I wrote a book for my children about making money, managing money, managing time and becoming successful.
For Children how to become RICH Successful & do well in school
I am not a writer, never said I was and never studied to be a writer. But I did it anyway – for the love of my children, hoping to teach them and have it in a form they can carry with them (so when I am gone, morbid I know but just in case I ‘go’ before they fully mature); as I was saying: so they can carry with them in a physical book.
I thought it was a great gift idea and I took most of all the things I have been trying to teach them (drill into their tiny heads) and I put it into the book – in an age appropriate manner. So I was talking with someone I will not name as to how to promote and sell my book; it’s not like I am a celebrity or have access to one to easily promote my book.
So why did I get upset and dismayed?
Well, this individual confidently blurted out that my book will not sell, even if I had the hottest celebrity going around promoting my book. The reason it will not sell is, because people want fluff not substance. I knew what he meant but I had to ask: “what do you mean”?
He continued with: People do not want to learn, not even if they know they need it. They like being tickled, fancied, poked on face book but they will not take the time to sit and actually learn. They do not buy books to learn, they buy them to be entertained. And now with Ebooks new authors have to give books away for free just to have people take a peek at the work they do. You take all that into account and you are wasting your time.
At first I was upset. Upset that he thought I couldn’t do it. Upset that he believed that people what he with his “innuendo” called people stupid. I was upset that ….
I was upset that he could be right. That is when my “upset” turned to dismayed.
People are more attracted to fluff like twilight, hunger games and the sort. You can ask a child to read a 400 page Harry Potter book and they will with glee. Ask them to read my 112 page book about how to be successful in life and they probably would act like if I was a dentist pulling teeth.
Even if I gave my book away for free – would people, would children read it?
I want my children to succeed, to start now at this early age, to make the right choices in life for the right reasons. I want them to understand that they are more than what people say they are and that they have opportunities. Every child does. But how do you get them to understand this if all they care about is witches, warlocks, werewolves, demons and monsters.
Comments
First of all, I think it's AMAZING that you took all your knowledge, love, and well-being and put it into a book for your children. I, too, have made books for my kids (from my family blog posts) in the event that one day I am gone, they will have something from me that will carry on. So, I get your intention. And personally, I think it's GREAT!
Now, I have no idea if your book will be read by others, because I haven't seen your book. Your friend was giving you honest feedback, and was well-meaning. What I would ask, having no seen the book is, what audience did you write it for?
If you wrote it for children, then it should be on a level they can understand. Pick up some other books about teaching kids about money and success and see how it's delivered. Are there interesting characters and fonts? Are there illustrations to break up some of the text? I agree that it has to be an interesting and entertaining read because if you're trying to gain the attention of, say, a 7 year old, it needs to draw their attention. Even fiction novels for 7 year olds have pages where there's cartoon drawing or comics of some sort, mixed in. I would consider them "transition" books. For 12 year olds, I would still add some interesting visuals, too. And I would think the pages would be clean, with lots of white space, and graphs and things that would make a child want to pick up that book.
Don't discourage yourself. Take an honest look at your work, and if you need to revise it, do so. But maybe do a small focus group with kids in your target area first, and see if it's a style they'd be interested in.
Great job for you to write a book and leave something for your kids, and to inspire other kids, too!
Serena
Get Your Life Straight