8 Ways to Use Canva to Improve Your Online Author Appearance

March 03, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

How do you present a professional appearance online?

How can you improve your online first impression?

What does a successful author platform look like?

What do you do when you hear about a book or author who are new to you?

A) Search for them on Amazon

B) Look for them on Social Media

C) Attempt to find their website

D) All of the above

I’m a D) all of the above kind of author-stalker. If I am able to find the person on these platforms, I look for a variety of things.

How many books have they written?
Do their books have any reviews?
Have they posted anything on social media in the last six months? The last six weeks?
Does the appearance of their online-self look like they take their authorpreneurship seriously?

We all know the advice, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” fell out of use a LONG time ago. Good book covers sell books. Good book covers even sell bad books. I’m not advocating for trickery, but instead trying to prove a point. People pay attention to appearances and having a good appearance online, is increasingly important. I am convinced that the professional appearance of my website and social media content have convinced others to take me seriously, even though I am (pretty much) a no-name girl from the Midwest.

I know that unless you have a graphic design degree, curating high quality images can feel overwhelming, but I’m here to tell you it’s easier than you think. And, with Canva, it can also be free!

Canva is an online digital design tool that has predesigned and pre-seized templates as well as banks of photos, illustrations, and fonts to help you create professional graphics. Canva also has special features including animations, music and filters that can help you take your designs to the next level.

I understand that at this point my contribution to this newsletter sounds like an advertisement. I have only said amazing things about this tool and what it can do, but I can honestly say I 100% believe every one of them. To prove it, here are eight ways you can use Canva to upgrade your authorpreneur presence online.

Make engaging graphics for your social media platforms.

2. Create a discussion guide to make using your book an easy and appealing choice for book clubs.

3. Design an author logo that can make your brand, books, offerings and name instantly recognizable.

4. Turn your email sign up freebie into an attractive product people actually desire to get their hands on.

To your freebie, click the audience that best describes you! (WRITER READER TEACHER)

5. Improve the appearance of your eNewsletters with branded headers and footers.

To sign up for my email list, click the audience that best describes you! (WRITER READER TEACHER)

6. Create branded blog post headers and graphics to make content visually cohesive and engaging.

8 Ways to Use Canva to Improve Your Online Author Appearance (1).png

7. Design beautiful book covers, because as we said before... it really is very much about a good book cover.

** To learn more about book cover creation, watch this video, or read this blog post!

8. Make eye catching YouTube thumbnails to convince viewers to click on your content.

With a little time invested now, you’ll be able to massively improve the appearance of what you put out into the world and as a result, present a professional author platform people will want to follow. Soon invitations to connect, present, and hire will begin rolling in.

To learn what these items could look like for you in your authorpreneur world, watch this video in which I walk you through the creation process step by step and also share important career considerations.

Learn how to make these items in this video!

This post and video were made beautiful by Canva.

If you liked what you read on my blog today (or are in search of weekly word nerd goodness) and would like to have it delivered to your inbox every Wednesday morning, you can sign up HERE. As always, feel free to share this post with others you think might be interested via email, Facebook or Pinterest. **

Affiliate marketing is promoting a product or service in return for a commission. When you purchase a product or service through one of my links, I earn a small part of the sale. There is NEVER any extra cost to you. If you looked up the same product on the same site through another source besides my website, the price will still be exactly the same. 100% of the time.

I also NEVER link to products or services that I don't 100% believe in. I will never tout a company or their goods if they are disreputable or if I don't believe them to be worthy of your hard-earned money. In no way are my affiliate links a scam. (Language borrowed with permission from Kristen Kieffer on Well-Storied.com)

The Bedrock of Truth: Part 3

February 24, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

The Bedrock of Truth: Part 3

By Amanda Zieba

In case you need to catch up…

Part 1 Part 2

Part 3

In the middle of a giant cavern there was a desk, lit by a battery powered lantern. An old school typewriter also sat on the desk, and beneath it a pile of tin lunch boxes. Emerson could see the metallic red of Wonder Woman’s W’s glinting in the lantern light. But more importantly, hunched over the desk, was a figure, who was writing.

Emerson’s heart which hadn’t yet resumed normal functioning stopped all together.

She looked up and blinked rapidly forcing her eyes to adjust. As her pupils dilated, her vision cleared and was drawn to the names etched on the ceiling and walls. The names of explorers past, others who had successfully made the trek and felt the need to leave their mark as proof. The last line of clues flooded her mind.

I’ll be where words surround me, for with words I feel at home.

But do not leave me there forever, I’ve decided it’s time for my words to roam.

“Leo!” Emerson suddenly shouted. Her voice echoed in the confined space. She jolted forward but was immediately jerked back by the ropes still attached to her companions on the other side of the rock wall. She fumbled to disconnect her carabiner, her nerves and thoughts all tumbling together in the dark. “You guys!” she shouted back the way she had come. “Leo’s here. We did it! He’s really here.”

When she turned around, she saw that the person at the desk was standing. For a second, she thought that the shadows of the room were playing tricks on her. Because instead of seeing an elderly man with a wise beard (how could Leo Rock not have a beard? Emerson had often asked herself as she wandered New York looking for him), a woman stood at the desk.

Emerson stared at her as they walked towards one another. She took in the woman’s smart glasses and the long hair streaked with gray that poked out from an adventurer’s helmet adorned with a head lamp. The woman smiled sheepishly and removed the helmet before jutting out her hand.

“Hello, I’m Leona Rock. It’s nice to meet you.”

Emerson let out all the breath in her lungs. Her head spun. Her world was turned upside down. “Hi,” Emerson said. She reached out a shaking hand and numbly rested it in the hand of her hero. “I’m Emerson.”

“You know,” Leona said with a smile. “It seems improbable, but I was hoping it would be you.”

“Me?” Emerson managed. “How- why? I mean, we’ve never met!”

“Not directly no, but I saw you all the time. In the city, in the park, in my favorite coffee shop. In fact, your shirt,” Leona pointed. “Gave me some much-needed motivation and inspiration on some of my lowest days.”

“You? Need motivation?” A tiny, incredulous laugh escaped Emerson’s lip. “You are like the most amazing writer ever!” To her own ears Emerson’s praise sounded basic, elementary. Just how do you communicate a lifetime worth of gratitude in a single sentence?

Leona nodded. “For me, the words are always there, but some days I needed a reminder, some reassurance, to continue in the lifestyle I had chosen. Here, pull up a rock. Let me tell you.” Leona gestured to the others, who had now made their way past the limestone wall, to join them. Just like children at a library, the four Leologists circled at her feet.

Leona took a breath and hesitated for only a second before plunging in.

“When I was just starting out, no one wanted my stories. Not journals, or contests or anthologies. Not publishers or agents or even my hometown newspaper. No one. The rejections built up and were threatening to crush me. But I only knew how to be a writer. I only wanted to be a writer. I just had to find a way. A new way. I stopped submitting for a while but kept writing. I worked hard on my craft, studied masterpieces by my favorite authors and kept writing. Writing, writing, writing. So much writing.

“One day I wrote this amazing story. It came out in a flood, a gush of words, and they were great. I loved them. It was one of the only times I didn’t need to seriously edit my work. A true gift of the muses. In a rush, I sent it out to a fantasy literary journal. I made a rookie mistake that would forever change my life.”

The Leologists sat in rapt attention. Leona continued,

“I forgot to include my name. All the editor had was my email. LeoRock[at]gmail[.]com. When he replied to say he was printing it, I was so excited I overlooked the byline. The story printed under the name Leo Rock. It went on to win an award. When it came time to submit another story, I decided to used the name Leo. And they took it, and the next one and the next. At first, I turned down interviews and in person meetings and photo shoots because I was afraid they’d think I was a fraud. They wouldn’t believe that a twenty something girl had written these deep and twisting fantasy stories they loved so much. What does a fresh college grad really know about truth and identity and fear, right?” She looked at them meaningfully, estimating that anyone who made it this far into the quest had likely been powered by brains and the burn of past underestimation. “Age, just like race and gender and stature, shouldn’t disqualify the stories anyone has to tell.”

Leona paused and looked around the cave, casting for how to begin the next chapter. “And then, I just liked being left alone, to create the worlds I wanted to live in, instead of playing a part in theirs. Your shirt,” she said gesturing to Emerson. “Let me know that my unconventional choice was okay. That I was just being me. And that being me, was a fine thing to be.”

“But I’m done with that now. I’ve been writing stories for twenty-five years. And I plan to be writing them for twenty-five more. But I’ve decided that I want to be a part of the real world too.” Leona reached down to grab one of the lunch boxes at her feet. She handed it to Emerson. “Inside these lunch boxes you’ll find my journals. They go back, to when I was very young, six, maybe seven years old, and travel forward, all the way up until this morning. Also included are plenty of artifacts to prove the undeniable, albeit implausible, truth. They are my story. The final story in the life of Leo Rock. And I’d like you to tell it.”

Emerson looked at her, confused.

“I’m commissioning you, all of you,” Leona explained. “To write my biography. Work together; support one another. I’m sure you all have your own set of talents that will contribute to the final product.” Here she paused and Emerson could see through her tears that Leona was holding back her own. “Stories are so much better with friends.”

The small band of fans waited while Leona added one more journal entry, detailing their meeting and the task of chronicling her life. They took a quick group picture with their hero and promised to meet Leona with a finished manuscript in Times Square one year from today.

“Where are you going? What will you be doing?” Emerson asked her. It came out as more of an accusation than she meant it to. Now that’d she’d finally found her, she wasn’t ready to leave Leona Rock.

“Don’t worry,” Leona said. “My days of hiding are over. I’ll be in touch.”

They said goodbye, ferried the lunchboxes through the slim opening in the wall back to the rest of the cave and then loaded their packs with their treasure trove. As Garrett, Ethan and Claudia began walking back toward the surface Emerson slid back through the opening one more time.

“Is everything okay?” Leona asked.

Emmerson nodded. “I just didn’t get a chance to do what I’ve always wanted to do.”

“What’s that?” Leona asked.

“To say thank you. I don’t know who I would be without your words. I know that sounds dramatic, I’m sorry.” Emerson blushed, suddenly self-conscious. “I’d just hate it if you never knew that. For me, yeah, but for so, so many other people too.”

Leona enveloped her in a hug and then pulled back to look her in the eyes.

“I didn’t think I needed that,” Leona said. “I’ve told myself for so long that I didn’t. But I guess the truth is, I did. Thank you. It was my pleasure.”

The women hugged each other once more and then Emerson left to catch up with the others.

An hour later Emerson and her friends climbed out of the cave completely covered in dirt. The daylight had faded, but their eyes were alight in a way even the sun couldn’t rival. They had a story to tell.

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** If you liked what you read on my blog today (or are in search of weekly word nerd goodness) and would like to have it delivered to your inbox every Wednesday morning, you can sign up HERE. As always, feel free to share this post with others you think might be interested via email, Facebook or Pinterest. **

The Bedrock of Truth: Part 2

February 17, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

The Bedrock of Truth: Part 2

By Amanda Zieba

If you haven’t read part 1, go back and start here.

Part 2
Garrett was the leader of the local caving club. On the fourth Wednesday of every month, he and the other club members met at La Caverna, an underground bar in the city. Although a little hokey, it felt right that they should meet there. It took Emerson three months’ worth of meetings before she figured out Garrett was also a Leo Rock fan, and another six before she was willing to trust him with her clues.

“Of course, Leo would hide his final manuscript in a cave,” Emerson said when she finally revealed to Garrett her real reason for joining his club. “His last name is Rock after all.”

“Is,” Garret said. “Not was? You think he’s still alive?”

“It might be more of a desperate hope than a scientific belief.”

“It also doesn’t take a literary genius to see the consistent use of stone metaphors buried in his volume of work,” Garret continued. Emerson blushed. “Ah, shit,” Garrett muttered into his beer. “Creative writing major?”

“Ah, creative writing graduate student actually,” Emerson said and shrugged. “And it’s alright. His most famous series uses the entrance of a cave as a parallel universe. You’re right. It wouldn’t take a genius of any brand to figure it out.”

“But you know more than just the first clue,” Garrett said leading her further into the conversation.

Emerson nodded. Garrett ordered another round and although they were the only two who remained at the meeting, or maybe because they were the only two who remained, they carried on. The hints from the letter and the facts acquired through their lives of disciplined study piled up like boulders of truth, one after the other, tall enough to clearly mark the way.

Emerson would have gone on the quest to find Leo alone, but the author insisted that the adventure include other literary souls. Stories, after all, were meant to be shared. And with his clues, author Leo Rock assured that this particular story would not be a solo affair.

The road ahead maybe dark and narrow, but you have nothing to Fear.

As long as yOu bring yoUr friends, you’ll be able to keep your head cleaR.

Four. Four friends. They needed two more adventurers. Garrett introduced Emerson to another fan, Ethan, a buddy he met in the dorms freshman year and also a rare geology and communications double major. When the three of them teamed up to write a cryptic piece of their own that was published in, The Washington Square Review, the NYU Graduate and Faculty Journal, Claudia followed their clues and found them one Wednesday, seated around the table at La Caverna.

They’d likely have never met in person had it not been for the clues or the quest, but once they found each other, it felt like they’d be together forever. Perhaps they already had been, only now, instead of occupying space in a shared fictional world, they were finally together, in the flesh.

On the three Wednesdays a month they weren’t meeting with the caving club, the group, who all now lovingly adopted Emerson’s self-declared title of Leologist, met to prepare for the ultimate quest. A quest that would take them to the largest cave in the United States, and hopefully, to a treasure worth more to them than their combined weight in gold.

But first, they had to graduate.

Emerson had barely made it across the stage and flipped her tassel before she was shirking out of dinner celebrations with her parents to jump in Garret’s car and officially begin their quest. Fourteen hours and three pitstops later, they arrived, sleep deprived, but full of over-confident adrenaline and caffeine.

When Emerson stepped up to the cave’s entrance, she felt a cool blast of air brush over her bare arms. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she wasn’t sure to blame the breeze or the endorphins coursing through her veins. She had known the cave would be cool, sixty degrees year-round the brochure boasted, but she couldn’t imagine wearing anything other than her Keep Calm and Leo On shirt. She’d picked her favorite one, in green. Leo’s favorite color. The color of all his book covers.

As she walked, she recited the final clue.

The bedrock of truth lies beneath the reality you believe in.

New surprises await you, and my real story will finally begin.

Down and down they walked. After an hour of descent, the tourists had long since dropped out, and a half hour later even the serious spelunkers were getting sparse. Thanks to their training and emboldened with the purpose of a noble quest they felt confident despite the crushing darkness that surrounded them. When the path finally ended, Emerson stood face to face a sheer rock wall. She ran her hands over its pockmarked surface searching for an opening. But there was nothing. They had reached a dead end.

“Now what?” Ethan asked.

Claudia began to dig in her pack, reaching for what Emerson already had memorized.

When all seems lost look not to the sky, but to the ground.

The way forward is there and what was lost will soon be found.

Emerson bent down and let her hands explore the bottom of the wall, reading the surface with her fingertips like a blind man reads braille. And there, just as the clue instructed, was the thinnest of corridors, a crevice just big enough for a human to pass through. Emerson peered into the sliver of space that remained open between the floor of the cave and the wall that stretched upward.

“I’m going in,” Emerson announced. The others nodded silently.

“We’ll follow you once you are through,” Garrett said.

Emerson took a deep breath and nodded. “Sounds good. Stay calm,”

“And Leo on,” Garrett and the others completed.

Emerson slid forward on her belly. Pebbles and gravel pressed against her stomach, her thin t-shirt doing nothing to protect her from their sharp edges. She tried not to think about the crushing weight of rock surrounding her body and instead focused on the intensity of the light from her head lamp, waiting for it to diminish once it broke through into the next room.

The passage was long. Longer than any she and her friends had explored before. The darkness and fear and sound of the stone floor grating against her bare arms and toes of her boots almost convinced her to turn back. Maybe this whole thing, as real as she wanted it to be, was just a fairy tale she had written in her own mind. Maybe she had convinced the others to follow her on an imaginary quest. Maybe her hero worship and obsession had crossed the line to addiction.

Emerson’s heart suddenly felt like it would shatter her rib cage in it’s attempt to break free from this small and dark space. Simultaneously grieving and attempting to escape. Her heart needed… she didn’t know what it needed… except maybe some more space.

The thought of turning around and going all the way back was unbearable. Forward was the only solution, but she had to do it fast, or at least, faster. Emerson pulled with her arms and pushed with her toes, ignoring both the painful beating of her heart and the slices of skin she was surely removing from her cheeks and forearms. Faster and fast until finally she was through, until she was free.

When she made it to the other side, she saw she wasn’t alone.

Click here for the third (and final) installment of the story!

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If you liked what you read on my blog today (or are in search of weekly word nerd goodness) and would like to have it delivered to your inbox click the audience that best describes you: Writer. Teacher. Reader. As always, feel free to share this post with others you think might be interested via email, Facebook or Pinterest.

The Bedrock of Truth: Part 1

February 10, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

The Bedrock of Truth: Part 1

By Amanda Zieba

Emerson was the ultimate Leo Rock fan. No, more than a fan, she was a Leo scholar. A Leologist, she liked to call herself. No teeny-bopper fangirling or jersey chasing for her. Emerson was a hardcore, lifelong and incurable literary admirer of fiction author extraordinaire, Leo Rock.

Not only was she a member of several online fan forums and an attendee of the yearly convention devoted to all things Leo Rock, she had also won multiple Leo-Trivia competitions, both online and in person. Emerson was the first in line at Barnes and Noble each and every time a new book was released, even though history had taught her the author never showed up for signing appearances. She’d filled an entire moleskin notebook with her favorite Leo quotations and even had t-shirts made – in multiple colors. She wore them almost every day and when she’d walk the city streets, the white font was always visible. Keep Calm and Leo On. She, not-so-secretly, hoped that one day, Leo would see her and say hello. Because she’d been so loyal. Because she loved his stories so much. But he never did.

It had been six months since internationally acclaimed author Leo Rock disappeared. Died? Maybe? No one was really sure. To be fair, he was never all that visible to begin with. In a letter to the editor in The New York Times, the best-selling and award-winning author announced that he was taking an indefinite break, a career-ending sabbatical, a permanent vacation. He vowed he wasn’t going to write another book. Ever. However, like everything else he’d ever written, there was more, a deeper layer, discoverable, if you were willing to look a little harder.

And where Leo Rock was concerned, Emerson was always willing. Her father, a poetry professor, had introduced her to the writings of Leo Rock when she was just six. The wandering fantasy tales wallpapered her imagination. The sound of her father’s voice reading Leo’s words filled her ears, her bedroom, her childhood. When she was old enough to tackle the behemoth tomes on her own, she read everything. And that’s saying something.

In his letter to the editor, Leo left hints. One final manuscript remained. If someone were to pull out the clues and follow them, the manuscript could be theirs. One last story from their favorite author. Why the world would need this final story when he had given them so many already, seemed almost baffling. But for his devoted fans, having one last bit of magic seemed not only fathomable, but desperately important.

In a follow up article, a Times staffer wrote that “his letter was the latest episode in a saga of mysteries surrounding the prolific author.” Because as spellbinding as his stories were, the fact that he wrote them entirely unseen was likened to modern day sorcery. Leo Rock had never given a face-to-face interview, nor answered questions over the phone. He had never done a public reading or facilitated a workshop. His picture never appeared in Time Magazine’s Most Influential People of the Year, although his name was on the list several times.

He once wrote a short story for The New Yorker in Times Square. He posted pictures online of his notebook and pen, amidst the crowds on the street, surrounded by neon signs and taxis accompanied the article. But no one had ever claimed to see him. EVER. His publisher littered the internet with photos of his workspace and pages of his works in progress. He wrote everywhere. At his apartment, on airplanes, standing in line for coffee. But never, in any of these photos, did the master author reveal himself.

His fans would try to chase him, track him down, catch a glimpse of the genius at work. They’d hang out in his favorite haunts, try to spot a mysterious figure scribbling in Central Park or in a nameless coffee shop. They’d hang out on Avenue of the Americas, where all the major publishers had offices, but they were never successful in finding their adored writer. To be honest, it wasn’t a fair game of hide and seek. They had no idea what they were looking for in the first place.

He was everywhere and nowhere all at once.

Leo Rock’s lack of public appearance did nothing to discourage his fans. If anything, the odd and eccentric set of circumstances seemed to propel Leo’s fame even further. Some critics claimed his elusive behavior was purely a publicity stunt, while others speculated that his work was really a collection of several authors all writing together. These theories were debated and torn apart and reconstructed in publishing forums, academic circles, and pop culture gossip magazines. Even his publisher claimed to have never met him in person.

The fans didn’t care and continued to buy his books by the million. None of it mattered as long as he continued to produce their beloved tales. Because the fans didn’t care, his publisher didn’t care, and everyone carried on reading and discussing and loving the work of Leo Rock.

At some point, Emerson couldn’t remember when exactly, but probably around middle school, when kids were mean, and bodies were weird, and everyone should really just be alone until all the hormones balanced out, Emerson picked up a pen. At first it was easy to see where Leo’s stories stopped and hers began. Eventually, however, her skills and craft, long influenced by the master, dramatically improved. Emerson took Leo’s characters on new adventures in new worlds, but eventually left them entirely behind as she created people and universes all her own. Leo’s influence was always there, in inspiration at the very least, but by the time Emerson got to college, she was a damn fine writer all on her own.

This made her want to find Leo even more, to thank the author, face to face, for giving her the gift of story. When she read her idol’s mysterious letter in The Times, she knew her chance had finally come.

At first Emerson’s journey had mostly required mental sweat. As a graduate student at NYU, it wasn’t a situation that was unfamiliar or uncomfortable. In addition to screenshotting the digital version of the article in The Times online, she bought multiple copies of the actual newspaper, carefully clipping the letter and keeping each copy in strategic places. One she kept glued in the notebook she carried everywhere, as a good creative writing student was bound to do. A second, she laminated and slid between the pages of her favorite book, obviously written by Leo, and a third was stored in the back of her teeny tiny New York City loft apartment closet, in a fire-proof safe. None of her extra efforts were necessary though, because her Ivy League brain managed to memorize the piece within a week of its publication.

But memorizing it had turned out to be the easy part. It took months to pull out, assemble, and organize the clues. It took her even longer to be feel comfortable spelunking, especially since New York City was a little short on adequate landscape in which she could practice. There were several caves in upstate New York, but like a real New Yorker, Emerson didn’t own a car. This small detail turned out to be a good thing because it led her to Garrett.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Click here to read Part 2!

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Engaging Activities to Use in Your Classroom for Valentine's Day

February 03, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

Valentine’s Day in the middle school classroom is a special kind of painful. So many hormones. So many awkard emotions. So much energy!!! When left to their own devices, middle schoolers can turn this romantic holiday ugly real quick. Okay, I know there’s potential for you to witness lots of sweet-first-love moments and kind gestures, but in my twelve years of teaching experience… those gems are far out numbered by encounters everyone involved would rather forget.

I also know that these days in the classroom can feel like a complete and total bust… a loss of instruction time right alongside your sanity. So today I want to help you make a plan for Valentine’s Day that will leave your students smiling and walking away having learned something new and you walking out of the building energized with the confidence of knowing you conquered the holiday, the hormones and your learning objectives (along with a bag full of student-given treats).

Sound like a lovely? Here are 8 activities for a wide variety of grade/maturity levels for your lesoson plans that will embrace the holiday, capture your students’ attention and accomplish some academic objectives.

Speed Date with a Book

Watch this quick video for an explanation of my favorite “big kid” (middle school and up!) reading activity to use on Valentine’s Day!

You can get the printable version of this activity right here.

Candy Heart Stories: A Recipe for Romantic Writing Success

When I do this activity, I provide my students a list of prompts to help them get going. You can adjust these depending on the age and maturity of your students. Again, you know them best!

Valentine’s Day Trivia

Use the above video to facilitate this activity and grab the printable answers sheets here.

Valentine’s Day Writing Prompts

A hippo and giraffe at the local zoo fall in love. Tell a story about their first “date”.
Two people run into each other’s carts while shopping at the grocery store for the same item. What happens next?
A middle schooler is asked to the Valentine’s Day dance by a secret admirer.
You enter a raffle raising money for charity and win the grand prize - a date for Valentine’s Day with your celebrity crush.
Make a list of all the reasons you love… ___________ (chocolate, your dog, football, etc.)

After students write their stories, invite them to share their work aloud in partners, small groups, or for the very brave and bold, with the whole class.

Here are a few more Valentine’s Day activities from Teachers Pay Teachers. I didn’t create them, but they were highly rated and cover a wide variety of grade levels and content areas.

For even more ideas, check out my friend Molly’s similar post on her site. A Fresh Breath of Teaching.

Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Teaching!

Love,

Your Favorite Word Nerd, Amanda

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Giving You What You Want: A Content Round Up from Blogger Amanda Zieba

January 27, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

Last week on this blog, I shared a survey, asking you for input on what you would be most interested in reading about. Thank you to those of you who took the time to answer the questions. I am grateful for your feedback. (If you haven’t taken it, it’s still not too late, just click here. It only takes 4 minutes!)

As I was looking through your answers, I began to brainstorm all the ways in which I could fulfill your requests in the upcoming year. But I also realized that I could give you (at least some of you) what you wanted right now.

I’ve been writing in this space weekly for over three years now. That’s a lot of content. And some of you are newer subscribers. I’m guessing that between the size of my blogging library and the general busyness of the human life, that there are a few pieces and posts you might have missed. So today, I’m doing a Blog Post Round Up and curating some content to meet and match your reading desires.

Starting next week I’ll dive into the new stuff, but for now, settle in, find the category in the list below that most interests you, and read on.

85% of respondents reported that they simply wanted to sit down and read a good book.

You know I have eleven to choose from, but I also have frequently shared some of my favorites. If you are looking for your next great read, check out these posts. I also keep a list of all the books I read each year on my website, so you can always check back here too. (Just scroll down a bit once you get to this page.)

75% of you said that you’d be interested in watching my content on YouTube.

Hooray! Thank you! This is a new platform for me and I am so excited about the possibilities there. Pretty please subscribe, and then choose one of my 43 videos to enjoy. Some of the videos are for teachers, some for writers and some for readers. I have videos in which I read the first chapter of books (some are mine, others are not), others in which I share tips, a few instrumental playlists for focused and productive work time, and more coming soon. If there is a video topic you’d like me to cover, please let me know, but for now, happy watching!

70% of survey takers said they’d like a look behind the scenes of my stories.

Well, lucky for those people, I have an enitre section of my blog archive dedicated to that topic alone! You can click here to read over a dozen behind the scenes posts that will let you in on the inner workings of my Champion Chocolatier and Close Quarters series. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Truth in my Fiction (December 4, 2019)
From Real Life to Reality Bites (February 6, 2019)

From here the audiences narrow down a bit, but the great thing about my website and blog, is that I have goodness for all kinds of word nerds.

45% of respondents said they would love to read interviews I’ve done with other authors.

I have been incredibly lucky over the years to communicate with some greats! Below you’ll find a list of a few of my favorite interview/author focus pieces and you can find even more in the Guest Post/Author Interview section of my Blog Archive.

40% of those who answered the questions in the survey were writers looking for tips and techniques.

This type of content makes up the bulk of my blog posts and so I can deliver this one with ease. Again I have an entire section of my Blog Archive dedicated to this topic (just click here) but I’ve put a few of the most popular pieces below.

And finally, over half of you said you’d be interested in reading some of my previously unpublished work.

For this one, you’ll have to stay tuned! Starting mid-February I will be sharing a short story over the course of three weeks. Teaser: It’s about a mysterious writer, a super fan and an ultimate quest.

For the visual learners in the group, here’s a quick recap.

Again, thank you so much for your readership and all of the ways in which you support me. I am so grateful for you eyes, time and purchases. I hope that your 2021 has gotten off to a good start and that there are good things in store for all of us. Until next week, happy reading, writing and teaching.

Love,

Amanda

This post was made beautiful by Canva.

Discerning a Direction for 2021

January 20, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

“Not all who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

I wouldn’t say I’m lost. And I also wouldn’t say that wandering is a bad thing. I would, however, like to wander in the direction that my blog readers want to travel. The “problem” is that I have a lot of directions in which I could wander. My website has always been a space for readers, writers and teachers. And while this weekly writing space has mostly been decoted to the writers of our little word nerd family, I have occasionally posted information for my fiction readers and teacher friends.

2020 left most of us confused and placed on a temporary pause, and so before I plow forward full steam ahead with my work here, I wanted to take a week to check in and take the temperature of the room. What do you, my readers, want to read about? What problems do you have? What solutions are you searching for? What topics would you like to read about? If you are willing, I’d love for you to take the quick survey below (less than 5 minutes, I promise!) and let me know what you’d be interested to read in the year ahead.

Take Survey

Thank you in advance for your time, insight and feedback. Thank you also for your readership. I appreciate your time, social media love and all the ways in which you support my work. I hope that your year is off to a good start. Cheers to a new year and good things ahead.

<3, Amanda

Budget - It's a Verb: A Word Nerd's Thoughts on Entrepreneur Finances

January 13, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

My husband and I used to religiously budget each month. I know budget is usually a noun, but we worked so hard at it that I’m using it here, today, as a verb. Shortly after getting married and having our first son, my parents introduced us to Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. It couldn’t have come at a better time

We had a mortgage, a car payment, student loans, and now, a child – which we were quickly discovering was a very, very expensive endeavor. Add to this line up of debt that we were both public school educators. In Wisconsin. It was 2010, the year our Governor stripped our ability to have a union which effectively froze our pay scale and simultaneously raised our cost of insurance. Suddenly the “promise” of a yearly raise (to meet the cost of living) and supreme benefits vanished.

We were pretty much doomed unless we learned how to budget.

It was a lot of work, but the results were AMAZING. Within two years we paid off all of our debt (except for our mortgage), and in the process learned how to cut unnecessary spending. In the next three years we continued to improve our financial habits and save. It was wonderful. We bought and paid off another car and saved enough to take an incredible family trip to Disney World.

But then we fell off the wagon. We moved and got higher paying jobs. We only had one child in daycare. We continued (for the most part) our good spending habits. Suddenly our need to budget wasn’t quite so urgent.

At our new house we failed to establish a new budgeting routine. We got busy. When I left my full-time job for part-time teaching and the world of entrepreneurship, my income fluctuated each month, wildly. Budgeting became more complicated. And for all of these reasons, we quit budgeting. It wasn’t a conscious decision. It just kind of happened and we didn’t do anything to fix it.

And the honest truth is – we were fine. But recently my husband and I decided that we were tired of being FINE. We want to be GOOD, no better than that, we want to be GREAT. The turning of the calendar often prompts people to pursue a new goal. This common desire coupled with a recent boost to the stability of my authorpreneur income has inspired us to budget again.

For Christmas I received a copy of Christy Wright’s Business Boutique.

Business Boutique is a life-changing handbook from the heart of Christy Wright, creator of the Business Boutique movement. It offers a step-by-step plan to take the ideas in your head and turn them into a business that brings some serious income. Stop treating your desires and gifts like an afterthought and start chasing your dreams! Business Boutique will show you how to:

Create a customized plan to start and grow your business
Manage your time so you can have a business—and life—you love
Simplify the overwhelming business stuff like pricing, taxes and budgeting
Market to the right people the right way
Sell with confidence

Christy is a team member of the Dave Ramsey line up and I knew that if I wanted to get back on the budget train (and clean up my business finances), she was the one I wanted to learn from. I’ve done a lot of deep diving and learning in the entrepreneur arena over the past year, so to find something at this stage of the game that completely lights up my life and blows my mind is a pretty rare, but the chapter on business finances finally gave me the step-by-step formula I didn’t know I was looking for. With it, I could finally make sense of what I was supposed to do with the money coming into my business. (Side note, if you are brand new to the small business world or are wanting to take your side gig to the next level, this is definitely the book to help you start your journey!)

I used Christy’s formula to create this sheet.

You can grab your editable copy of these budgeting sheets here.

By dutifully filing in my income and expenses and then flexing the other side of my word nerd brain to do a little simple math, I can take my fluctuating income and quickly arrive at a number that (on the sheet) I call MY PAYCHECK. I can not only plug this number into our family budget, but also arrive at thoughtful amounts to set aside for taxes, emergencies and future businesses expenses. THANK YOU, CHRISTY WRIGHT!

Hopefully, the combination of this new knowledge and self-designed tool, along with a renewed desire to make our money work for us, 2021 can be more than fine. Hopefully with some planning and hard work (both verbs!) we will make 2021 great!

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Newbery Award Activities for Your Classroom (from the Word Nerd)

January 06, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

I’m not a huge fan of winter, but I really do like January. It’s a great time for a fresh start and a mental refresh, as well as a logical time to press start on new goals. It’s also when the American Library Association announces it’s annual awards, including the most pretigious honor of them all, the Newbery Award.

As a middle school teacher I loved teaching my students about this classic children’s award - using the buzz of the event to introduce them to a barage of high quality reading selections. Sounds great, right? Luckily for you, I’ve gathered up all of my resources for you to make teaching this unit not only easy (for you) but engaging (for your students).

First up, a way to spark your students’ interest and see how much they already know with a trivia quiz game!

You can find printable answer sheets for the quiz game here.

Next, a Newbery Award Power Point.

This power point is an easy way to introduce students to the history and vocabulary surrounding this prestigious literary award. The presentation begins with definitions for 10 related vocabulary words followed by an overview of the award. The last portion of the show highlights the award winning titles from 1961-2020 including book covers, blurbs and (for some more recent titles) even book trailer videos. You can use this powerpoint to not only introduce your students to Newbery Award history and requirements, but also over 60 award wining titles so they can select one to read for themselves.

To make the most of this powerpoint, grab this note taking sheet!

Ask students to complete the accompanying note taking sheet which repeats the text from the powerpoint, but leaves occasional blanks for students to add in key information for an interactice note taking experience. A word bank and answer key are included. By working with targeted vocabulary words and engaging multiple senses (reading/seeing the powerpoint, hearing the teacher read it aloud, and writing the words) students will improve their memory of the concepts as well as note taking skills.

As your students work through this unit and learn about/read several Newbery books, they can keep track of their interest level and book completion with this great book tracking chart.

There are lots of Newbery Award winning books to choose from, but it can be hard to decide which one to read next! Students can use this chart to record their level of interest as you book talk selections (or as you go through in the Newbery Award Power Point). Then, when you go to the library, the will have a few books preselected, plus the titles and authors they need to find the books on the shelves! Happy reading! You could also use this chart all year long to keep track of books your students have read or create group challenges within your classroom (which group can read the most Newbery Books?!?).

Finally, take it to the next level with the Newbery Medal Activity Pack!

Use this set of activities to engage in critical thinking as students evaluate a book they have read, create their own award requirements and design for a new medal, and answer their choice of thought provoking journal write. Finally, end the unit with one of two quizzes on the content presented.

Each of the above activities costs just a few dollars, but can bring so much energy and excitement about reading in your classroom. And, if you purchase the bundle, you can have all of this award winning word nerd goodness for just $7.00. Seriously, for less than the cost of two lattes, you can have your next two weeks worth of ELA lessons PLANNED! DONE! Which would leave you some time to actually read a Newbery book (or any book… or take a bath… or a walk… or anything you want!).

And finally, here is a video in which I share my ultimate list of Newbery favorites!

P.S. I’m always looking for what teachers need. What resources and materials can I create for you? Email me and I’ll get right on it! All my best to you, my teacher friends, and happy New Year!

This post was made beautiful by Canva.

Finally, affiliate marketing is promoting a product or service in return for a commission. When you purchase a product or service through one of my links, I earn a small part of the sale. There is NEVER any extra cost to you. If you looked up the same product on the same site through another source besides my website, the price will still be exactly the same. 100% of the time.

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COVID Sucks - Unless You're Mother Nature

December 30, 2020 by Amanda Zieba

You may or may not know, but in addition to my writing work I am also an instructor at Western Technical College. At the college I support different general studies courses, helping students with their essays and written reports - putting my writing guru skills to use in the form of creating pre-writing graphic organizers, giving feedback on drafts in progress and offering up self-editing checklists.

One of the essays I helped students write, edit and submit this past semester focused on finding the positives in our current pandemic stricken lives. The lead instructor and I read about all sorts of interesting silver linings. Students wrote about having time to improve personal habits including healthy eating, exercise regimins and better sleep schedules. They also wrote about improving their personal relationships because they spent less time running around like a chicken with their head cut off and more time at home with their parents, spouses and children. They wrote about the benefits the slower pace of life had on their mental health and their ability to use additional free time to reconnect with nature. I enjoyed reading all of these essays, but the ones I found most intersting were the ones that shared the positive effects the COVID-19 virus has had on the state of our planet’s environment.

Here are a few facts I’ve pulled from my students’ papers to prove my point.

EIA.gov states that 2020 has been the lowest year for energy consumed since 1989.
“People in the northern Indian state of Punjab are reacting with awe at the sight of the Himalayan mountain range, which is now visible from more than 100 miles away due to the reduction in air pollution caused by the country's coronavirus lockdown” (CNN.com/travel).
"People in Chinese cities, usually plagued by harmful air pollution, are breathing far cleaner air.Boat-free canals in Venice, Italy, are clear enough to see fish. And for the quarter of the globalpopulation now living under a Corona Virus lockdown, a lack of cars and planes has made theworld quieter and birdsong more apparent" (Adam Vaughn, NewScientist.com).

At the end of these thought-provoking essays focused on the renewed hope for Mother Nature, the writer inevitably asked the same question: When the pandemic ends, and we all go back to normal, will we choose to sustain the goodness this planetary respite has provided, or will we forge full steam ahead and waste a golden opportunity?

I have personally been on a journey of good planetary stewardship for the past few years. I’ve written about reusable straws, rain barrels and bamboo toilet paper in the past and occasionally share eco-friendly products on my social media pages. I am also a queen-recycler. Today I want to give shout-outs to some of the household products I have found that are allowing me to make sustainable (and maintainable) change. If you are open to the idea of making changes that benefit the environment, I’d love for you to give some of these products a try.

Grove Collaborative Laundry Soap

By using Grove Collaborative’s laundry soap system, I can avoid repeatedly purchasing large plastic containers of detergent (whose main ingredient is water!). Just think. Instead of dragging home a big bulky jug of laundry detergent and then recycling it afterward, you could empty the foil bag (shipped directly to your house!) into your reusable container. Yes, recycling is good, but it is an expensive process. Imagine getting what you need (delivered to your doorstep!) in a concentrated form, from a company who uses responsible packaging and whose product results in minimal waste! Brilliant!

Recyclable Trash Bags

It always seems weird to me that before we send our trash to the curb (or landfill) we wrap our garbage in something that takes 100 years to decompose. If we wanted to give it half a chance of breaking down and turning back into soil, we wouldn’t put this impenatrable shell around it, right?!?! I haven’t tried these compostable trash bags yet, but I can sing the praises of these consumer recycled plastic bags, which in my opinion are the next best thing. Grove Collaborative says, “our bags are durable, easy-to-use, and eco-friendly. They are made in partnership with WasteZero, a Certified B Corporation that collects single-use plastic and turns it into strong, durable trash bags. Their mission is to cut American trash in half.” I for one am fully on board.

Reusable Ziplock Bags

These reusable bags made with food-safe plastic are the perfect replacement for those old one-and-done ziplocks. I use these bags to store half eaten fruit, snacks on the go and anything else that needs to be tucked away until later use. You can use these bags for items in your freezer, fridge and/or the pantry. BONUS - these little babies are dishwasher approved! I started small by just purhcasing one set, but now each time I place my order to Grove Collaborative, I add another set. Hopefully in a few months I’ll have completely replaced my need for Ziplock bags with these reusable and environmentally friendly options.

Glass Cleaner Bottle with Cleaning Concentrate

The first item I ever fell in love with from Grove Collaborative was their glass spray bottle and all purpose cleaner concentrate! (My counters have never been cleaner or more germ-free!) In addition to the bottle in my kitchen, I now have these bottles in each bathroom as well, actually two!! One bottle has counter spray and the other a shower spray. The cleaning concentrate line up also includes: glass cleaner, floor cleaner and tub/tile cleaner. I’m so pleased that instead of recycling half a dozen cleaning bottles every few months, I can refill my glass bottles and ditch a teeny tiny bottle instead. The concentrates come in a variety of scents and you can purcahse different color silicon sleeves for the bottles to help you remember what’s inside (or to match the color scheme of the room).

Reusable Face Wipes

I’ve saved this item for last because it’s my favorite! About a year ago I switched to bamboo cloth face wipes. Instead of removing makeup with with a disposable cotton swab, I now wipe away the day’s oil and residue on my face with one of these bamboo pads instead. I still catch myself walking towards the garbage can after my last swipe, but quickly pivot to put it in the laundry bag. It’s a daily reminder that I am cutting down on creating trash. Two face wipes a day times 365 days a year… this small change really adds up… and saves me money too! My one time purchase of $12.99 definitely beats a repeat purchase every month!

So there you have it. If you are looking for a few ways to reduce your negative impact on our environment, consider making a few eco-friendly changes to your household products. Sure, it might not seem like a big deal, but if my household no longer throws away 20 plastic straws a week (1,040 a year!) (we make/drink a lot of smoothies!) or a dozen detergent jugs, or lord knows how many ziplock bags… it all adds up. And then if you are no longer throwing away those items or forcing them to be expensively recycled and remade… and maybe you convince your neighbor or mom or auntie or co-worker… all these little things CAN and WILL add up to make a substantial difference.

And if you need one more nudge to give this company and these sustainable products a try, please know that Grove Collaborative uses a portion of it’s profits to plant trees. They have a goal to plant a million by 2022 and are already half way to their goal. Instead of adding to the problem (just a little at a time…) why not be apart of the solution?

P.S. Maybe do a little soul searching of you own and see if you can’t find a positive effect of these tumultuous times. I’d love to hear what you come up with!

P.P.S. I am a Grove Collaborative affiliate. If you choose to buy these items, I will receive a small commission, but know that even if I didn’t, I would still whole heartedly recommend them. I have been using these products in my home for a couple of years. To prove my good intentions, here are a few prodcuts that I have tried and did not love. I would not recommend buying:

Biobags (did not zip properly)
Seedlings Paper Towel (too thin and rips easily)

To read all of my environment focused blog posts, click here.

Photo Credit: sincerelymedia.com, Designed by Amanda Zieba using Canva.

Happy Holidays from the Word Nerd

December 23, 2020 by Amanda Zieba

I know that many of us would like to leave 2020 in the rearview mirror... the kind we don't check all that often. Despite it's challenges, I'm leaving the year relatively unscathed and optimistic for the year ahead. Already I've got some exciting things planned for 2021. Here’s a visual and verbal recap of my year.

** The above was written at the end of November, so here is a quick update! I am hopeful that I will finally land that illusive traditional publishing contract. As I write this, a children's graphic novel manuscript and developmental art sit in the hands of editors from not one or two or even three, but FOUR publishing companies... and at least one of them is a BIG 5 PUBLISHER. (Cross all your fingers and toes, please!) Things in the publishing industry move slower than the sloth working the DMV in Zootopia, but major, necessary first steps have been taken, so stay tuned for (hopefully) a big announcement in the new year.

Once the vaccine is distributed and does it's good work, I hope to get back into the speaking and school visit circuts and leading workshops again too. So if you'd like me to come and visit your book club/school/organization/camp/reatreat/fill-in-the-blank, please reach out.

Above all this I hope you are well and that your holiday season is one full of belonging, love and good stories. Merry Christmas, happy holidays and cheers to a new year.

Amanda

P.P.S. Here are links to all of the word nerd goodness mentioned above.

Grab copies of my new books (ro any of my books), here.

Check out my YouTube Channel, here.

Learn more about the Take Action Author Plan, here.

Browse my online store for zipper pouches, coaching sessions, books and more, here.

Give the digital design tool of Canva a try, here, or learn as you go with some tutorial videos, here.

Restock your house with ecofriendly Grove Collaborative products, here.

Shop for all of your merchandise and marketing materials via Next Day Flyers, here.

Reading Recommendations

December 16, 2020 by Amanda Zieba

Because my word nerd status is well known by my family and friends, they often ask me for reading recommendations. As an author, people likely expect me to recommend my own books above any others. And yes, I would LOVE for you ALL to buy ALL of my books, but I am not naive enough to think that everyone’s personal favorite reading flavor is chick-lit, feel good fiction. It’s a big wide reading world out there! I think it’s wrong to assume that everyone must read the same thing.

To put my money where my mouth is, last year I started a running list on my website, sharing the books that I was reading. Now, granted, my personal menu of reading material mostly does fall into a few specific genres, but I thought that it would give me an easy way to share titles I’ve enjoyed with others looking for their next great read.

These lists continue to live on my site. You can see my 2019 list here and my 2020 list here. Last year I did a recap of my favorite titles in this post and want to do the same again for 2020. Whether you are looking for a gift for a reader on your holiday shopping list or for your own next read, I hope it will be helpful.

The Word Nerd’s Favorite 2020 Reads*

(* Note, not all of these books actually came out in 2020, this is just the year I read them.)

Adult Fiction

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes (Adult, Historical Fiction)

This is by far, the BEST book I read this year. This book had everything I love in a story… a strong female protagonist, a well developed historical setting and a plot built on a foundation of books! And a love story. How can you not love a good love story? “Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve, hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.” Named to USA Today's top 100 books to read while stuck at home social distancing list, this is one to definitely add to your to-read pile (if you haven’t already!).

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (Adult, Historical Fiction)

I know I’m late to the game on this one. It came out in 2018 and has sold seven million copies world wide since, but if by some chance you haven’t read it yet, put it on your list. If you liked The Giver of Stars, you’ll like this one too. Very similar themes run through the story - a southern setting, a girl who won’t quit, the presence and importance of books and yes, a love story buried beneath it all. You can also add in a small town murder mystery and court scenes, which I know can be a niche genre in and of itself that will pull a particular kind of reader in. The best part of this book, however, is the gorgeous language and writing of the author, Delia Owens. Even if you got nothing from the story, the language is a real treat.

Ready Player Two (Adult Futuristic Fiction)

I’m not sure if I was hliving under a rock, or if it wasn’t well advertised, but I only had to wait a week or so once I learned that the sequel to one of my favorite world-buliding books was going to A THING. I’ll admit that the first five chapters (or so) of this book felt like a bit of a drag… I just wanted the story to get MOVING already… but once it did, and the characters I had grown to know and love were on another epic 80’s inspired quest, I was hooked. This book was no where near as good as the first in the series, but enjoyable nonetheless.

YA Fiction

The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton (YA, Realistic Fiction)

I loved this book for a hundred different reasons, but here are a few. 1. It was written by a Wisconsin Writer. 2. The main character is obsessed with the Medieval times, something I can definitely relate to. 3. The book tackles the unsexy (yet incredibly timely) topic of poverty and classism. 4. The main character it totally BA. 5. I got to interview the author! You can see my full review of the book and my conversation with author Jamie Pacton, here.

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (New Adult, Realistic Fiction)

This book stirred up all sorts of thoughts about the important roie fiction can play in our lives. There is a saying about books being mirrors in which we see ourselves or windows that allow us peeks of lives that belong to others and never have a felt it more true than as I read this book. On the surface this is a book about two twenty something boys who fall in love, but it just so happens that one is the first son of the first Madame president and the other is the Prince of England. Underneath the initial plot line this story is about acceptance, bravery to be yourself, politics and elections, race and sexual orientation and so, so much more. I loved this book because of the window view it showed me, a view I might never ever get to see otherwise. If you are curious and want to hear more of my thoughts on this book, you can read my full blog post on the relevance of fiction, here.

Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater (YA, Magical Realism)

This isn’t the first time I read Sinner, but it is the first time I read it in a single day. This book is the fourth in a series written by my favorite author and it was even more enjoyable that the first time because I anticipated all of my favorite parts and then, when the arrived, relished them fully. The main characters in this book, Isabel and Cole, aren’t actually the main charcters in the series. They were actually such great secondary characters that they earned this fourth book to finish their jaded love story. Even though I am certain I wouldn’t like either one of these people in real life (and I know for CERTAIN that they wouldn’t like me) It is their rough edges that I like the best. (OKay maybe I like their witty banter, the best, but the edges are definitely their second best parts). It makes the ending all that much better.

NonFiction - Business and Growth

Untamed by Glennon Doyle (Adult, Memoir/Self Help)

If there was a single book to sum up 2020, I think it would be Untamed. This book touches on so many influential aspects of the year: parenting, finding yourself amidst new challenges, racial awareness and growth, and being a woman in the 21st century. I underlined so many nuggets of information in the pages of this book and continue to carry them with me. I sometimes even ask myself, “What would Glennon do?” If you’d like to see my biggest takeaways, you can read them here, in this earlier blog post.

How to Blog For Profit Without Selling Your Soul By Ruth Soukup (Adult, Non Fiction)

If there was an award for a book that taught me the most this year, it would be this title from female entrepreneur rockstar Ruth Soukup. And you know what? She gives this book away for FREE so you can have it too. From it’s pages I learned how better to set up my business, website, blog and more. I use a ton of what Ruth taught me not only in my own authorpreneurship journey, but also work to pass on the goodness to you in the blogging workshops and bundles I offer to others looking to make progress with their writing goals.

Mind Your Business: A Workbook to Grow Your Creative Passion by Ilana Griffo (Adult, Business/Self Help)

I don’t even know if I’d call what I did with this book reading. Maybe, experiencing would be better? Whatever you’d call it, i’d definitely classify it as fun. As I read and brainstormed and noted ideas, I learned a ton from this book as I navigated the colorfully designed and illustrated pages. It is the perfect combination of how-to, motivation and personal reflection, and it definitely helped me move my small business forward in big ways this year. If you are looking to hone in, spice up, realign, tune up or advance your side hustle or business in 2021, Ilana Griffo’s book should be at the top of your reading list. Get ready to have some fun and get some good stuff done!

Okay, that’s it! My favorite 9 books of 2020. I hope that you found something on this list that sparked your interest and that you use it (whether for escape, education, entertainment or encouragement) to start 2021 off on a good note. Happy reading!

<3,

Your Favorite Word Nerd. Amanda

P.S. If you are looking for Christmas reading selections, check out this holiday inspired roundup I like to call the 25 Days of Booksmas!

Photo by Kyle Head on Unsplash, designed by Amanda Zieba using Canva.

Support Small Businesses with these Stupendous Stocking Stuffers

December 09, 2020 by Amanda Zieba

I love giving presents. Sometimes, it is the small gifts to those individuals that make our lives better that mean the most. These people might not be on our list to get the biggest gift under the tree, but it doesn’t mean that a small gift means any less. Often times it is the little treats we give our teachers, service providers, neighbors and girl friends that bring an unexpected smile, a boost of encouragement or an extra dose of holiday love they didn’t know they were missing. These gifts are WONDERFUL, but can also be the hardest to find. What item, valued at $10-30 could genuinely say, “I appreciate you”, “I want you to smile”, or “I am thinking of you in this holiday season?”

Online I have seen an overwhelming desire to shop small and help local businesses stay afloat during the holiday season (not to mention these unpredicable pandemic-ridden days). As a an authorpreneur (AKA small business owner), I have acquired a lot of small business friends. Today in my post I’d love to help both you and them by providing a Small Business Stocking Stuffer list. Whether or not you use these items to actually fill a stocking, or instead you use them to gift Christmas cheer and goodwill to someone in your life for whom you are thankful, is up to you. If you see something you like, just click the link or image to “go shopping”! Don’t forget, buying for yourself is okay too. (If you are like me, you do your own stocking shopping anyway!)

Love your Lips!

Grab one of these great lip loving prodcuts from Bella Botanicals. Both the Nature’s Kiss Organic Lip Balm ($8.99) and Organic Lip Gloss ($20) contain CBD oil are pure perfection and a terrific treat for lips this winter.

Bella Botanicals Nature's Kiss Organic Lip Balm

Gifts for the Eco-Friendly

A few of my most favorite prodcuts from Grove Collaborative will make excellent gifts for the eco-friendly humans on your list! Hand sanitizer spray ($3.75) that actually smells good, a reuseable alternative to Ziplock bags ($10.99) that genuinely keep food enclosed and safe, and an exfoliating face mask for sensitive skin ($15.95) are just a few of stocking-sized offerings. (Side note - this company uses a portion of their proceeds to plant trees and have just made it to the one million tree mark!)

Grove Collaborative Hand Sanitizer Spray

Ornaments and More

Dumpster Fire ornament ($20) anyone? This beaut from Coulee Boutique needs no explanation.

You could also get these great Blue Light Blockers ($18), snarky water bottles ($22)or my favorite, STICKERS ($3) from this great boutique in Galesville, WI.

Notebooks

These adorable notebook pack features mini journals made from discarded books are sold in downtown La Crosse at Larson’s General and are perfect for the word nerd or little artist/author in your life. Each pack contains three 3” x 5” twenty blank paged notebooks.

Earrings

Want to spice up your gal-pal’s Zoom screen fashion? (I mean… we aren’t going anywhere else, right?!?!?) A pair of earrings ($8-18) from Asch&Pine are the perfect gift!

Pencil Pouches

Fill this gorgeous cover art re-creation canvas zipper pouch ($14) with gift cards, chapstick, or pens, making it the perfectly customizable for nearly anyone on your list.

Art and More!

I know you are loving the art on those pencil pouches up there! Me too! If you want to get more of it including art that is framed ($15) , on notecards ($4) or in spiral notebook form ($16), you have to check out the Esty store for local artist (and cover artist for my Close Quarters series!), Rachel Wunsch! Particularly perfect for you La Crosse residents are her watercolors of notable sites around town.

Know a Wine Lover?

If you answered, “heck yes”, then the gift line up from local Wine Bar, Unwine’d, has got you covered! Head over to their Facebook page to snag any (or all) of their great gifts including: bath salts, cork purses and wallets ($22), succulent magnets ($12 for a set of 3), cusomized double walled wine cups ($15), wine slushies and more!

And finally, BOOKS!

Depending on the size of your stocking, you might be able to slide one of these babies inside. If not, wrap it and set it RIGHT NEXT TO the stocking. :) Check out my full line up here.

Thank You!

Thank you for your readership and also for choosing to support small businesses! I hope that all is as well as it can be in your world! From me, and all the small businesses on the list, we wish you a happy holiday season and hope for an even better New Year.

Love,

Amanda

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If you liked what you read on my blog today (or are in search of weekly word nerd goodness) and would like to have it delivered to your inbox every Wednesday morning, you can sign up HERE. If you are interested in any of my email lists (with free goodies/downloads!) click the audience that best describes you: Writer. Teacher. Reader. As always, feel free to share this post with others you think might be interested via email, Facebook or Pinterest.

Crush Your Christmas Chores with Canva

December 02, 2020 by Amanda Zieba

It’s no secret that I L-O-V-E Canva. I use the digital design tool almost daily and tell nearly everyone I know about its wonderous capabilities. Today I want to show you how you can use this gem of website to crush your Christmas chore list. The holidays are C-R-A-Z-Y and if your to-do list is anything like mine, it stretches a mile long (and then some). But if you use Canva, you can quickly cross several of those items off your list and get on to cookie eating, carol singing and whatever else your little holiday-loving heart desires.

In the video below, I will show you how to make a:

Christmas Card
Christmas Letter
Personalized Gift Tags
Unique Gift Certificates for Experience Gifts
Canvas Photo Collage Wall Art
Printable Shopping Lists for Gifts and Menus

I will also show you how to download and order these items affordably. Long gone are the days of spending almost two dollars a piece of your photo Christmas cards. With Next Day Flyers, you can get them for almost a quarter a piece!

For a quick sneak peek… here are the items I show you how to design!

If you are short on time and can’t stick around to watch the video, or if you already know how to use Canva and want to jump into the goodness right away, here are the links you need to get going.

CANVA

(for designing)

NEXT DAY FLYERS

(for ordering cards, gift tag stickers and more!)

Alrighty, that’s it! Best of luck as you attempt to crush your Christmas chore list. If you get stuck at all, email me and I’d be happy to walk you through you design debacle. If you are REALLY short on time and you just want me to do the design work for you, head to my online shop where you can pick up your Graphic Creation Package. All of my Thanksgiving Weekend Sales have ended, but I’ve kept this single item on sale at 20% off, just for YOU!!

Happy holidays my word nerd friends!

~ Amanda

Today’s post was made beautiful by CANVA. You can check out my blog archive collection here.

Gratitude in 2020

November 25, 2020 by Amanda Zieba

For the past two years I’ve posted something about Gratitude during the week of Thanksgiving.

I wanted to continue the tradition but wasn’t sure what I’d write. What does gratitude look like in 2020?

Amidst a year that has failed in so many ways, I have not ceased to feel grateful. Simply listing all the ways in which my life remained wonderful despite the challenges and disappointments… the people, the adapted opportunities, the safety nets, the love… felt a bit like throwing my good graces in the faces of others who have not been so fortunate.

After an incredibly busy weekend of book launching and selling, I didn’t have time to write you something poetic either. So instead, what I am choosing to offer up, in this week in which tradition asks us to count our blessings, are a few wise words. I want to offer up a collection of reflections and sentiments on gratitude in hopes that these words (although they are not mine) will bring a bit of joy and peace and light into your life.

I hope that wherever you are as you read this and however you are celebrating, that you have many things for which to be grateful. If not, I’d ask you to pause and take a moment to think. You might surprise yourself with the number of good things you can actually tick off on your fingers.

Feel free to share these quotes and images on your own websites and social media pages, so that the good words of gratitude can reach even more readers. And don’t forget to tell those who bring good things into your life just how thankful you are. Trust me when I say they’ll be grateful for your kind words.

4 Sources for Writing Industry Knowledge

November 18, 2020 by Amanda Zieba

Last week I shared a behind the curtain peek at author royalties. And it got waaaaaay more views that my usual blog pieces. Like double. I like to think that what I share each week is helpful. At least, it’s a goal. I want to share strategies, tips and resources that will help other writers move forward and make progress on their writing journey. But maybe what I forgot is that sometimes the questions pile up because we have no one to ask, and this fact makes these questions seem even more important.

in the publishing industry there is a very limited stock of people who “know” THE ASNWERS. These “in-the-know” people - agents, editors, publishers and authors who have been through the hoops several times - are BUSY people. In fact, they are so busy that it is standard practice to assume non-interest (in you/yourproject), if you haven’t received a reply to your email/request/question/query within six months. SERIOUSLY… if you haven’t gotten so much as a form letter rejection in six months… just move on.

It seems harsh, but this practice is not out of any level of unkindness. It’s simply that these people are too busy to respond to those projects (people) who are not of interest. It is a FACT that replying to the multitudinous volume of things they are not interested in will delay the process of replying to (and working with) the people/projects they DO want to work with. And I guess I can forgive them for that, but it’s still pretty disheartening. How are new writers supposed to KNOW? Through what channel can they learn the answers to their ever-growing pile of questions?

And I think THAT is why my blog post was viewed double the amount of times than my typical analytics show. What do you do when you get good results? You draw from the same well again. So, it with that in mind that today, I want to share a few other places where you can find the answers to THOSE QUESTIONS.

Self-Publishing 101: Author Royalties

November 11, 2020 by Amanda Zieba

A question I get asked frequently, especially when I launch a new book like I did last week, is: what is the best way for me to order your book? What these kind and supportive people are attempting to politely ask is, which way do you make the most money. I know pre-published writers are curious about this too. They want to know, and rightly so, before they put in the blood sweat and tears, how much will they really make in author royalties when all is said and done? And the answer is, it’s complicated.

In the spirit of both learning and total transparency I’d like to share with you the different royalty amounts a few of my books earn via their various sales paths in hopes of educating future self-publishers and also for those of you who want to support me in the best possible way.

10 Things I Love About Close Quarters: A Pivotal Pause

November 04, 2020 by Amanda Zieba

When I was in high school one of my favorite movies was 10 Things I Hate About You. It had everything I loved. Currently trendy actors/actresses, nerdy references to Shakespeare, a good soundtrack and an underdog storyline.

In homage to that 90’s classic, I’m going to tell you 10 Things I LOVE about my newest book, which released yesterday.

#10 - I love that it picks up right where the last book left off.

A Reading Recommendation Round Up: Election Edition

October 28, 2020 by Amanda Zieba

In this divisive world we live in, there are two sides to everything. When it comes to the impending election my husband and I will vote the same, but in the days prior to the actual event of driving to the polls, we’ll reside in two different camps. He is done with the rollercoaster/media storm/online banter. And I get that. It can be… a bit much. I understand that an election can push people towards feelings of negativity, overwhelm, and despair. But I, on the other hand, can’t get enough. Despite already knowing the names next to the bubbles I will fill in with a black marker, I can’t turn away from the commentary, the analysis, the updates and yes… the circus of it all.

We are each firmly rooted in our own space, Camp Escape with my Sanity vs. Camp Can’t Get Enough. What where are you pitching your tent?

No matter which side of this fence you sit on, I believe you’ll find something to enjoy in today’s politically themed book recommendation round up.

First Chapter First Look for A Pivotal Pause

October 21, 2020 by Amanda Zieba

Almost a year ago I released, Close Quarters, the first book in a new series about four cousins who live in my hometown. A lot has changed in our world since last November, but my love for writing about the Ames cousins and their dreams, relationships and drama has not. In today’s blog post I am thrilled to give you a first look at the next installment of the lives of these ambitious, quirky and fun-loving women.

You can listen to the first chapter of the book, here and to learn more about the release details, launch event and pre-ordering, continue to the full post!

For now, I’ll leave you with the blurb from the back of the book. Happy reading!

In A Pivotal Pause, we find the Ames Cousins right where we left them… heading into a brand-new year with plans for making it the best one yet. Kelly is on a mission to balance her family life and store’s success with her husband’s war injury recovery, while Lindsay is determined to maintain her great relationship with her husband. As for the younger two cousins, they have big plans. Mia has decided to spend part of her inheritance on an Interior Design degree at Milwaukee Technical College despite the fact that attending means entering into a long-distance relationship with her boyfriend Teague, and Harper is beyond ready to finally start her post-college life as a social media manager for a cruise line. Getting paid to travel the world while she writes of her adventures? That’s a ‘hell yes’ in Harper’s book.

All four of the cousins agree that 2020 is off to a great start when a global pandemic knocks the world off its feet and effectively derails all of their plans. Everyone’s smooth sailing suddenly comes to an abrupt halt. Will the Ames girls come together to survive this pivotal pause and get back on track? Or will it all be too much and send them back to bad habits and flawed versions of their ideal realities?

In the second installment of the Close Quarters series, author Amanda Zieba helps us to make sense of the craziness in our world today through the lives of the Ames cousins. Filled with witty text conversations readers have come to love, book titles to usher us through trying times and ultimately, hope, A Pivotal Pause is another excellent family drama.

How do you present a professional appearance online?

How can you improve your online first impression?

What does a successful author platform look like?

Make engaging graphics for your social media platforms.

2. Create a discussion guide to make using your book an easy and appealing choice for book clubs.

3. Design an author logo that can make your brand, books, offerings and name instantly recognizable.

4. Turn your email sign up freebie into an attractive product people actually desire to get their hands on.

5. Improve the appearance of your eNewsletters with branded headers and footers.

6. Create branded blog post headers and graphics to make content visually cohesive and engaging.

7. Design beautiful book covers, because as we said before... it really is very much about a good book cover.

8. Make eye catching YouTube thumbnails to convince viewers to click on your content.

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The Bedrock of Truth: Part 3

I’ll be where words surround me, for with words I feel at home.

But do not leave me there forever, I’ve decided it’s time for my words to roam.

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The Bedrock of Truth: Part 2

The road ahead maybe dark and narrow, but you have nothing to Fear.

As long as yOu bring yoUr friends, you’ll be able to keep your head cleaR.

The bedrock of truth lies beneath the reality you believe in.

New surprises await you, and my real story will finally begin.

When all seems lost look not to the sky, but to the ground.

The way forward is there and what was lost will soon be found.

Click here for the third (and final) installment of the story!

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The Bedrock of Truth: Part 1

He was everywhere and nowhere all at once.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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Speed Date with a Book

Candy Heart Stories: A Recipe for Romantic Writing Success

Here are a few more Valentine’s Day activities from Teachers Pay Teachers. I didn’t create them, but they were highly rated and cover a wide variety of grade levels and content areas.

Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Teaching!

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85% of respondents reported that they simply wanted to sit down and read a good book.

75% of you said that you’d be interested in watching my content on YouTube.

70% of survey takers said they’d like a look behind the scenes of my stories.

45% of respondents said they would love to read interviews I’ve done with other authors.

40% of those who answered the questions in the survey were writers looking for tips and techniques.

And finally, over half of you said you’d be interested in reading some of my previously unpublished work.

Love,

Amanda

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“Not all who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

We were pretty much doomed unless we learned how to budget.

For Christmas I received a copy of Christy Wright’s Business Boutique.

I used Christy’s formula to create this sheet.

First up, a way to spark your students’ interest and see how much they already know with a trivia quiz game!

Next, a Newbery Award Power Point.

To make the most of this powerpoint, grab this note taking sheet!

As your students work through this unit and learn about/read several Newbery books, they can keep track of their interest level and book completion with this great book tracking chart.

Finally, take it to the next level with the Newbery Medal Activity Pack!

And finally, here is a video in which I share my ultimate list of Newbery favorites!

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Here are a few facts I’ve pulled from my students’ papers to prove my point.

To read all of my environment focused blog posts, click here.

P.P.S. Here are links to all of the word nerd goodness mentioned above.

The Word Nerd’s Favorite 2020 Reads*

Adult Fiction

YA Fiction

NonFiction - Business and Growth

Love your Lips!

Gifts for the Eco-Friendly

Ornaments and More

Notebooks

Earrings

Pencil Pouches

Art and More!

Know a Wine Lover?

And finally, BOOKS!

Thank You!

Happy holidays my word nerd friends!

For the past two years I’ve posted something about Gratitude during the week of Thanksgiving.

#10 - I love that it picks up right where the last book left off.

No matter which side of this fence you sit on, I believe you’ll find something to enjoy in today’s politically themed book recommendation round up.