Best Books of 2021 - According to the Word Nerd

December 08, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

By the time I reach the end of 2021, I’ll have read or listened to 33 books. My main genres of choice include anything for the middle grade audience (usually realistic fiction) and adult women’s fiction, with the occasional epic science fiction/fantasy thrown in to for my inner-nerd.

When I look back at the titles I’ve experienced this year, a few have risen to the top. I am often asked for reading recommendations, so today, I’m sharing that list of favorites! If you are looking for your next great read, read on! If you’d like to see the full list, click here. (I also have 2020 and 2019 list’s archived as well.)

Or if you are looking to read something to get you into the holiday spirit, click here to browse a curation of Christmas stories. —> —> —> A few years ago, my friend Christy Wopat and I made a list of all our favorite Christmas books, from picture books to adult novels, from spoofy stories featuring pop culture icons to thoughtful religious titles. Truly, there’s something for everyone!

Before we dive in, please know that you can order each of these books through my favorite indie bookseller, Alex at Birdy’s Bookstore. Each book is also linked to Amazon. No matter how you get these books in your hands, I hope you enjoy them!

Best Books of 2021

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

In addition to filling my heart with it’s messages of kindness and acceptance, this book was comprised of beautiful prose and laugh out loud moments. It you are looking for something a little off the beaten path that will convince you to believe in humanity again, read this book.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

I love books about books and books about writers; this one was both. The idea that WHO you are dictates the level of attention/success/hero worship your book attains is a dirty little secret in the publishing industry. Often times in the traditional publishing industry, men make a whole lot more money and earn quite a bit more prestige that women. They also earn many, many, many more looks from agents and deals from publishers… so they are in the lead even before the “race” official starts. Don’t believe me? Check out this article or this one, or this one. Anyway. This book is all about two college rivals, and the way they (and their work) is viewed by the public/bookstores/etc. It’s also about their romantic tension and the bet they make that they can each successfully write a book in the other’s genre. I loved it. I’m really looking forward to reading Emily’s newest release, Book Lovers, in 2022.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

A man wakes up on a spaceship knowing he has to save the world, but nothing else. He literally doesn’t even know his own name. Everyone else on the ship is dead and it’s up to him to save humanity. The scientific predicament planet earth finds itself in within Andy Weir’s newest novel is not all that far-fetched and it’s pseudo-reality increases the threat’s urgency as they reader’s follow Mr. No-Name’s attempts to learn what he needs to know and enact a complicated plan. I listened to this book for the reason I listen to all of Andy’s books (and most long, long stories books) because it is easier for me to understand and process the multitude of difficult vocabulary words and scientific content. This book has been the one I recommend most often in every day conversation because it is thrilling, touches on current events (climate change) and people love debating the whole “alien life” scenario and it plays a vital role in this book.

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

This story, meant for middle grade readers, is something (like most middle grade and YA books) that can be read and enjoyed by a person of any age. In addition to having the most beautiful book cover of the year (in my opinion) it is a beautiful story that subtly teaches readers about the real value of a person, of a life, of a choice. It is a book that will gently open up conversations about wealth and equality, about speaking up and organizing change. “Set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world, Christina Soontornvat’s twist on Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables is a dazzling, fast-paced adventure that explores the difference between law and justice — and asks whether one child can shine a light in the dark.”

Behind the Lens by Jeannée Sacken

This book stuck with me long after I finished reading it. For days (and honestly weeks) after finishing it I continued to think about the characters and what they were likely doing or where their story went next. The political and military drama of US Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan likely fueled these thoughts, but still, what power the story had! I also loved knowing that the author (a fellow Wisconsinite) used her own experiences as a travel photographer when writing the story and her real life wisdom brought the story to life.

** Front Desk, The Once and Future Witches and Cress also topped my list this year!

I guess when I look back on my these top 5 books, I realize they all have a common thread of doing what is good and right. These days I think we could all use a few reminders on those topics. I also believe in the idea that you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with, a theory presented by Jim Rohn. I’m guessing that the same is likely true for the media you consume. So, why not surround yourself with books and stories that uplift, subtly teach, and shout out the good? My belief in this idea is probably why I myself write what I call FEEL GOOD FICTION and am currently obsessed with Ted Lasso (more on this to come in a future post!).

Alright, those are my top 5 from 2021… what about you? Tell me your favorite book you read this year in the comments!

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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)

You Are Invited the the Destiny by Design Launch Party!!

December 01, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

If you read the acknowledgements at the end of a book (a true sign for me, that I loved a book and don’t want the experience to end) you’ll often see authors expound on the sentiment that writing is a lonely and solitary endeavor. As writers we spend hours alone, creating a world and characters, hoping with every sentence we write, that someone will love them as much as we do.

Even though I am (likely) a more social creature than most writers, I share these authorial hopes and dreams as I craft my stories. And while some writers shy away from the spotlight, from the shouting-out-the-news about their story, I do not. I love stories and I love people. In fact, I maybe love stories, because I love people? And the way stories bring people together? Yes, that’s definitely part of it.

We’ve reached the part in the milestone of my newest book’s life, when I finally get to share it with you and celebrate. So let me not continue to wax on poetic about the sentiments of writers and get to the point of this blog post… that being… an invitation. To a launch party. To the Champion Chocolatier: Destiny by Design Launch Party.

And oh, what a party it will be!

If you’ve ever been to one of my story shindigs, you know they are something special… mostly because all my favorite people are there, but also because my parties are really my stories, brought to life. They are more of an experience than an event. If you haven’t been to one of my book launch parties before, you’ll have to come so I can truly show you. But for now, you’ll have to take my word. Or lots of words.

Here is what I have planned this time around.

Destiny by Design is all about an interior design competition. Emmy and Eddie have plans to transform a waterfront warehouse into a boutique hotel. Along they way, their project finds it’s way into the HGTV Collegiate Design Challenge. (What’s that you say? Emmy and Eddie aren’t in college? You’re right… but you won’t have to wait long for my first delicious plot twist to discover they ways in which they become eligible.) Maybe it’s because we only got ten channels on our TV through all of COVID and I watched a LOT of home reno shows, but the idea of using my creative storytelling skills to also design room after room and building after building, was just too fun to dismiss. Subsequently, this newest book and the entire launch party will have an interior design theme.

Here’s what you can expect.

Mood Board Competition

Party attendees will get to try their own hand at design by selecting a few design elements to create a mood board. We’ll have paint swatches and wallpaper samples, hardware and fabric, countertop pieces and pictures of furniture, along with a few other little odds and ends. To play, you’ll pick out a handful of items you think would make a gorgeous/delightful/whimsical/spunky/cozy/??hotel room. Whatever mood you’re going for, pick the elements to match it. Once you have your selections set aside, we’ll take a picture and then place the entries up for voting. The mood board that earns the most votes, will win… wait for it… seriously, it’s an amazing prize… a $100 gift card to the CHARMANT HOTEL and RESTAURANT! Even if you don’t buy a book (which I hope you do), even if you don’t sample to delicious appetizers we’ve ordered or help yourself to a drink from the cash bar, this prize alone is worth trekking downtown to join us.

Ask a Designer

Okay, I keep saying “us”, and it’s not because I’ve got a personality disorder. It’s because this party, like all great things in entrepreneurship, is a collaboration! Local designer, Tina Weisensel, of Weis Design, is partnering with me to make this event super stylish and so much fun. In addition to co-hosting the party, Tina will be running an “ask the designer station”. If you are anything like me, you have TONS of project ideas for your house, but a lack of knowledge or an overwhelming amount of options hold you back. Tina to the rescue! Bring your phone full of pictures (your kitchen cabinets, that tired looking fireplace mantle, or spare bedroom that needs a facelift) and Tina will help you make a plan to make your design dreams a reality!

Become a Designer!

If you are wanting to take your designer dreams to the next level, then you absolutely have to come to this party! Western Technical College (where I teach writing courses!) has recently reinstated their interior design program and an instructor will be on hand to tell you all about it! After writing this book (and as I said before, watching my fair share of HGTV shows) I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t more than a little interested in taking a few of these courses myself!

Book Sales and Reading

And it wouldn’t be a book launch party with out books! I will have all of my books for sale at the party, so if you need to catch up on earlier books in the series, or do a little holiday shopping, or you just want to get your hands on a copy of Destiny by Design, I’ve got you covered! For those of you who can’t wait until the 13th to read this newest installment of the Champion Chocolatier series, you can order it on Amazon and then bring your copy to the party to be autographed! Also, if you’d like to pre-order your book to be picked up at the party (by yourself or someone else if you can’t attend) you can do that here.

Food and Drink

And finally, last but not least, come to enjoy some of 4 Sisters delicious food and beverages. The menu items are still being selected, but we’ll have plenty! Wine, beer and a full bar of cocktails (as well as nonalcoholic choices) will also be available for your sipping pleasure!

What do you think? Want to party with me?!?!?!

I hope I’ll see you there!

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Close Quarters Launch Party Recap From Real Life to Reality Bites Destiny by Design Chapter 1

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Thankful: An Acrostic Poem of Gratitude from the Word Nerd

November 24, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

If you’ve been following me on social media this week, I’ve been sharing things I’m grateful for in my stories. The items on my list range from the profound (church) to the mundane (flannel sheets)... but each item brings me joy. In these difficult and tumultuous times, I’ve come to realize that without pausing to notice these moments of happiness, I’d be lost. We’d be lost.

So today for my blog post I’m listing 8 things I’m thankful for… in true word nerd fashion, via the form of an acrostic poem. Go ahead and read my entries and then try to complete the activity on your own. Maybe my ideas and experiences will spark some reminders of the goodness in your life. (At least, that is my hope.)

For further reading on gratitude and thanksgiving, check out my past holiday posts revolving on the same topics. They are listed below.

T

Time

The times in which I have to complete the tasks of my life are VERY flexible. Sure, I likely work 50 hours a week, but other than the 12 hours I’m required to be on campus, I get to pick when things get done. For the most part I can exercise, shower, do household chores, schedule appointments and run carpool… and still uphold/progress my writing career. Yes it sometimes requires early mornings and working on the weekends, but like my momma always says, “you can if you plan”. I am grateful that I get to be in charge of my plan and have the flexibility to be available for my family, personal goals and self care. This is such a gift and one that I am thankful for on a daily basis.

H

Habits

I’m grateful for the habits I’ve built into my life. Whether it’s working out or maintaining structured work hours or tv show rituals with my husband or time for family games, these planned events in my life bring me peace and joy (and also a lot of productivity)... all of which I am grateful for.

A

Avenues

I am thankful for the multiple avenues I have in reaching people with my stories, resources, and knowledge. Really, this piece of gratitude is giving thanks for the advances in technology that allow me to connect with anyone in the world via paper and ink, an email, a video or a call. AND, gasp, this isn’t counting my favorite way of all to connect with other humans… meeting in person. I am grateful for all the ways in which I can share (and receive!) words and ideas.

N

Nerds

I am grateful for nerds. For the passion they bring to life. Sure, word nerds are my favorite, but really I’m thankful for anyone who devotes their time and energy enthusiastically to a passion project and even more grateful when they share their enthusiasm for their nerdom with the world. Nerds make the word more fun and interesting and likely better and more efficient to boot. Hooray for nerds.

K

Kids

My kids are fantastic. They have big hearts, are kind humans and still love hanging out with their parents. They love playing outside, are creative and get excited about the simple pleasures in life. Most of all, they lean into their own unique qualities that make them individuals without too much thought or care to what others think. I love all of these things about them and hope we can help them hang onto these qualities as long as possible.

F

Full Hearts

Last Christmas I bought my sister a wall decor canvas that said, “If you think our hands are full, you should see our hearts.” It is very true for them and the four children (ages 5 and under) that they are raising. It is true for me too. Outside looking in, you might think that the chaos of a full house or full calendar (for the holidays or on any random day of the week) might be overwhelming. And at times, it does feel that way. But even fuller than my planner or my car or the kitchen on Thanksgiving, is my heart.

U

Unwavering Support

My husband and parents are a rockstars. Like legit, I can ALWAYS count on them. Life has thrown us (like so many, many others) some curveballs this past year and throughout it all, they are there for me. This is especially true for my own personal authorpreneur rollercoaster and the ever shifting landscape of “what is possible”. But I know no matter what I’d need, these three humans will be by my side, offering all they have, no questions asked. I am beyond grateful for them and their support.

L

Lounging

As you may have been able to tell from the previous items on this list, my family leads a busy life. But on the weekends, we do A LOT of lounging. Especially in the winter. It isn’t uncommon to put in a solid six hours on the couch on a Saturday or Sunday… or both. Especially in the winter. I know that some people bemoan the cold temperatures and short daylight hours the Midwest has to offer this time of year, but personally, it is my time to recharge. I am thankful mother nature gives us the permission to stay home and stay inside. I am grateful for the periods of rest winter weekends provide me and my family. I truly believe it is how we are able to make it through the rest of the week. I am grateful for lounging.

Alright. These are my 8 things. What about you? What are you grateful for? Toss out an entry in the comments so we can all celebrate and give thanks together. If you’d like to begin a gratitude practice, check out these amazing journals from my fellow entrepreneur friend, Andrea.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Amanda

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Champion Chocolatier: Destiny by Design Cover Reveal

November 17, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

Drum roll, please!

Wait.

Actually, we aren’t ready for that.

Let’s back up.

Last week I asked my readers to vote on their favorite book cover design for my soon-to-be-released book, Champion Chocolatier: Destiny by Design, the fourth in the series. And, boy oh boy, did people have opinions. SUPER HELPFUL opinions! Opinions that I gratefully hoarded and then analyzed. Afterward, I went back to Canva and, using some of the feedback I received, made some tweaks to the most popular selection. I moved the location of the title and adjusted the color of the banners and putzed around with the location of some of the images. They weren’t massive changes by any means, but the collection of the changes made an impact… at least I think they did.

So before I reveal this, the newest cover of my newest book, I want to say thank you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, for investing in my final product with your time and for caring about the content I create! Without you, there would be very little purpose to writing these stories. For your readership, I am eternally grateful.

Alright. I’m ready. Are you?

Now we need the drumroll.

Bdbdbdbdbdbdbbdbdbdbdbdbbdd…

Ta-Da!

What do you think?!?!?!

Here’s the what the back says:

Emmy Edwards is a magnet for competition. If there is a contest within reach, she’s going to find it and enter! Whether it’s winning a chocolate shop, a reality TV competition or the heart of the cute guy who owns the store next door, Emmy wants a piece of the action.

She’s promised her new husband, Eddie, that the Golden Honeymoon Giveaway would be her last competition, but keeping that promise turns out to be harder than she thought. When their new business venture, renovating a vacant waterfront warehouse into a boutique hotel, has an opportunity to compete in an interior design challenge, Emmy finds herself back in the contest ring.

In this fourth installment of the Champion Chocolatier series, readers will find everything they’ve come to expect of author Amanda Zieba: a light hearted read about an idyllic contest, imaginative competition challenges, and larger than life contestant personalities. From coast to coast and pillar to post, Destiny by Design will give readers a front row seat to Emmy’s latest competitive adventure including all the delicious twists and devine turns. To read the first chapter, click here.

So when can you get your hands on this beauty?

This book will be available on Amazon any day now… so check there, or keep your eyes peeled for a social media announcement. I know it seems strange not to have a specific release date… but in the world of self publishing, exact dates are a bit of an enigma. I’ll also be having a launch party, no, launch experience, some time in mid-December, so again, stay tuned. My afternoon is booked with planning meetings for the event and I’m convinced that this launch will be my best yet. Trust me when I say you will WANT to be there (whether you already bought your copy on Amazon or are waiting to get it in person!).

If you need to get caught up on the first three books in the series, click here to grab your copies and then, get reading… fast… because a new book is in your destiny!

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If you want you haven’t made it to one of my launch parties before and want to get an idea of what to look forward to, check out this post.

Curious about my inspiration for the books in the Champion Chocolatier series, read this post!

And for more fun facts about this series, click here.

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Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover... But We All Do

November 10, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

Despite the popular phrase, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” we all do.

A cover can make or break a book’s success, no matter the quality of the story inside. If your own book buying habits aren’t enough to convince you, Ana and Thea, over at Book Smugglers*, proved this point through a 2010 survey, in which 79% of the 600+ participants reported that book covers play a decisive role in their decision to purchase a book. (For more interesting results from their book cover survey, read the full blog post here.)

Plainly put, a book’s cover is important. Super important.

I’ve been making my own book covers for several years now. ** I know what I consider appealing and also the basic cover design standards for books in the cozy reading genre. I used these pieces of information along with my mad-Canva skills to create 3 different options. Why 3? Because sometimes what your brain creates the first time isn’t the best idea… its just the first idea. I find if I you push myself to move past the most obvious choice, I often come up with something even more magical and magnificent. (Hint, this is true for more than just book covers!) I showed these 3 options to my writing friends, to my sister and also my cousins. I was shocked when their least favorite was the cover I’d been leaning towards selecting.

I decided I needed to try again. So I went back into Canva and made a few more, five more actually. Now I had 8 designs to choose from. But I still didn’t know which one I liked best. So, I decided to let my readers help me select the best one. After all, they were the target market, right? Give the people what they want? Chances are if you let the people pick, you’ll be able to more easily deliver what the people want.

Earlier this week I shared the cover options on Facebook and asked people to complete a Google form. I’m asking you to do the same today. Then, next week… I’ll do a big cover reveal! Thank you in advance for your help!

What do you think? Which one is your favorite? I’d love your input! Please vote here.

If you’d like to learn how to design a book cover or learn more about the process, check out these resources.

Blog Post: Birthing a Book - Many people liken the process of creating a book to the experience of growing and birthing a baby. I would agree on many levels. For the most part growing a baby is a behind the scenes job. The cover of a book is easily the most visible portion of the entire writing process. Often times, if done well, the cover is more memorable than the name of the author and sometimes even the title. Today could be compared to one of those gender reveal events. Today I’m going to share with you… the book cover. (This post was the cover reveal post for my book Close Quarters.)

* The Book Smugglers is a blog dedicated to speculative and genre fiction for all ages. In addition to being an outlet for Ana and Thea’s bottomless obsession with books, reviews, and assorted popgeekery, it is also the home of original SFF short fiction and nonfiction. The Book Smugglers won the Hugo Award for Best Fanzine in 2020.

This post was made beautiful by Canva.

From Screenplay to Novel and Back Again

November 03, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

I am excited for today’s guest post because it discusses topics I’ve never covered on my blog before. Fiction writing, self-publishing, authorpreneurship and spreading word nerd love are my general jam. We write what we know, right?!?!? James Churchill, possesses a wealth of writing knowledge in areas outside my expertise and in this post, he generously shares that wisdom about adapting novels and screenplays with us.

It is typical to post a writer’s bio at the end of the piece, but I think that knowing this writer’s background and experience ahead of time will lend so much credibility to his message, that I’m leading off with it, or rather, he is. James, thank you in advance for the lessons about to follow! I’m grateful our paths crossed and that you were kind enough to “visit” my blog!

Alright, James, take it away.

I've been involved in Feature Films and Television since 1994, and worked for companies such as Warner Bros, Paramount, 20th century Fox, Universal and Disney in various roles. I've also worked in the Music Industry and currently illustrate board games for clients all over the world. This meant that I got exactly what I wanted when it came time to create the cover for my book.

Over the years I got to read many film scripts and watch the shooting on set, while working alongside many well known actors, directors and producers from Jean Claude Van Damme to Billy Zane, and from David Nutter to Joel Silver.

In the late 1990's I began developing a number of full length feature film scripts of my own, and then in 2002 I came up with a bizarre idea for a 13 part television series titled "Cosmic Garage".

The premise was that Aliens had crash landed in the desert and had been rescued by an old man who ran a Gas Station on the infamous Highway 375, just outside of Rachel, Nevada. The creatures had salvaged parts from the ex-military machinery in the junkyard out back, to build themselves a hi-tech home in his garage. When his grandchildren come to stay for the school holidays, they soon discover his secret, and the fact that they are planning to transmit their TV Variety show to the Universe, hosted by the one and only Aria Supernova.

What follows is a series of crazy adventures with everything from junkyard bullies to constructing a Time Machine out of a 1971 Ranch Wagon. Visits from Men in Black and saving the world from a giant killer asteroid are just a few of the scenarios. It draws inspiration from cult classics like Red Dwarf, Banana Splits, Dr Who, My Science Project and Back to the Future, with pop culture references from the 70's and 80's, along with special guest performers from all genres.

The process of creating a novel from a script however is different from doing it the other way around. Film scripts have very little descriptive elements, as they mostly consist of cues in the form of interior or exterior, a brief block of text outlining the situation and the time of day. After that it's all dialogue, prescribed by the characters name, so you have very little of "he said, she said" going on.

Translating a book into a script is generally easier as you have so much to draw from. Lengthy visual descriptions and explanations to inform the reader of the intention or feeling that the writer is trying to convey. Take for instance Ready Player One. You can see entire blocks of descriptive text that have been deleted and replaced with a single line or visual element, as films just don't have the time to mess around. They need to get to the point quickly.

Novels however, and this is my point, require much more input.

When I sat down and decided to adapt Cosmic Garage, I was horrified. Once I had deleted all the headers and character titles, I was left with only 2500 words at most. That meant I needed to come up with at least another 25,000 words to say the same thing!

It took almost two years on and off to translate Cosmic Garage from a screenplay to a novel . One of the tricks I've learned over the years, which many of you probably already do, is the card method. I write down the arc of the plot as points on a series of cards and shuffle them around until they make sense within the story line. I then break each of those plot points down into its own chapter, and create a story arc within that chapter. That way I know that if a character needs to do a particular thing at a certain point in time which relies upon something else happening first, it needs to follow one of the golden rules of filmmaking. Continuity.

Continuity in film is vital. Everything from the length of a person's hair to the amount of dirt on their clothes is monitored and photographed, as films are rarely shot in sequence. Often the end of a film might be shot first, depending on location, availability of actors schedules, and other considerations.

The same goes with a novel or script.

Having a notebook with the overall plot, the chapter breakdown and then a description for what happens within each chapter should be a basic necessity. In that way I was able to take my mind off the daunting task of writing a whole book, and just focus on what happens in each chapter, which for me is about 8 pages, or 2000 words.

The way I write might be slightly different to how you might approach the process. I tend to create visual metaphors and lyrical phrases which are different each time. I spend a lot of time checking to see if I've repeated a statement, description or reaction.

It's important to me that the image that the reader interprets in their head is as close as possible to the intended situation. Therefore I go to great lengths to be creative in that description, using terms and words which are either complimentary or opposite, and more often than not they are either a metaphor or analogy to something they can relate to.

I also draw upon as many pop culture references as possible as it roots people into a specific genre, feeling or personal experience that can be greatly useful as a way to make them feel part of the story.

Of course in every film or book, the viewer or reader needs to identify with at least one of the characters. In that way, they can immerse themselves in the story and feel part of it. One other thing I like is surprise elements or singular statements, especially at the beginning of a chapter. Cosmic Garage begins with the statement:

Nevada. An endless sea of glistening sand, marked only by the ominous shadow of a bird of prey, circling high overhead.

In this short piece of text, we establish the location, the environment and the isolation of the location without messing around.

Lastly, be creative in the way your characters speak. Let it flow naturally, and instead of "said" there are hundreds of ways to describe their emotional state or situation with much more interesting terms. Of course, if it's obvious who's speaking, you don't need anything at all!

You can connect with James Churchill and see more of his work on ArtStation or via his author Facebook page.

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Forget Time Chunks, Write Whenever And As Often As You Can

October 27, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

Today’s guest blog post comes from my Florida writing friend, Christine Mills. Christine and I met when she interviewed me on her podcast, The Veranda Entrepreneur. Today she is sharing some tips that hit me right in the heart… how to write when life is busy. It’s the perfect advice to get you ready for NaNoWriMo (just a few days away… eeeek!). After you read it, pop in your earbuds and listen in on our conversation about book promotion.

When people see the books I have written and realize that two of the three books were written while I was raising young children, I often get asked the question, “when did I find time to write?” That has become a loaded question, because even after years of writing I still don’t think I have fully mastered consistently getting in the practice of writing. I have set reminders in my phone, put a journal beside my bed and have even made it a New Years Resolution but I find what has helped me is to write often and everywhere and to set hard deadlines, even if they are with yourself.

I find that if you walk around with your writing journal just like how us readers love to walk around with a book, you will find little bits of time to write. There were seasons in my life that the only time I had was 10 minutes at a doctor’s office or riding on the train to work. I used to feel guilty when I would hear writers talk about chunks of time that they have to write and I used to look for the chunks and couldn’t find any. I stopped feeling guilty and embraced the season I was in. I relished in the short spurts of time and made it work for me and made it as productive as any chunk of time experts recommended.

As a working mother with a passion for writing my best was 15 minutes here and ten minutes there. And gradually little fragments of time were pieced together into three published books and two unpublished books. My advice to anyone who wants to be a writer and feels that they will never have the right time is to start with where you are and what you have. If you only have 10 minutes before your kids come home from school honor that time. If you only have fifteen minutes on the train on your way to work…use it consistently. Show up for your dreams and talents in the least likely places and before long your patchwork of notes will grow into a chapter and chapters will become your book.

Christine Mills is the author of Young, Gifted and Black: Quarter-life Crisis; Young, Gifted and Black: Midlife and Dream Chasers. You can find her at www.christinemills.net .

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3 Reasons to Invest in Author Visits in Schools

October 20, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

When I was about to graduate high school I vacillated between the choice of two career paths: writing and teaching. When I mentioned the writing option I was often met with phrases like, “Writers don’t make very much money” or “That’s not a super stable job”. But when I mentioned teaching… people gushed about how good I was with kids and how teachers got great benefits. These comments made sense to the 18-year-old me. I’m a pretty practical person, so I chose teaching. **

But I think the real reason probably goes deeper than that. In hindsight I think I didn’t choose writing because I didn’t know any writers. My parents weren’t writers, not that they were teachers either, but I was surrounded by teachers on a daily basis. I knew what their lives and career work looked like… everything from their yearly calendar to daily tasks, from participating in homecoming dress up days to the necessity of learning how to pee in the three minute window of passing time. In fact, I doubt I’d ever met a writer. At least… one who openly claimed the title.

Again, in hindsight I realize that statement isn’t entirely true. I spent a lot of time with pastors, who wrote weekly sermons and coaches who wrote performance evaluations. There were probably all sorts of people in my life who wrote items for newsletters, letters to the editor and memories for the historical society. It is just as probable that I had a neighbor who journaled religiously, a boss who spent their weekends writing stand up comedy sketches or heck, maybe even another peer who filled notebooks with stories the way I did. But I don’t remember anyone talking to me about being a writer.

But eventually, I did find my way to writing, and when I do school visits as an author, that is at the heart of my message. “Hi,” I tell the students. “I’m a writer. Being a writer is a real job. People pay me to create stories. I pay my bills with this money. No, it’s not a lot, but still, can you imagine anything more magical? Me neither.”

Okay, so now you don’t have to hire me, because you know my spiel. :) But honest to goodness… seeing it, hearing it, knowing that someone else is doing what you want to do… that makes it real. That makes all the difference.

If you want to make an impact on a young writer, invite a professional one into your classroom. It could be an author, but it could also be a journalist, a historian or a copy editor. It could be a magazine editor, a website content creator or a screenwriter. It could be a blogger, a technical writer or a playwright. Show your students their options and watch for what lights them up.

This is the magic of author visits.

Here are three additional reasons to invest in author visits.

Guest Speakers Bring Clout

Let’s face it. It is easy for students to take teachers for granted. They see us every day and acquire the distinct skill of tuning us out or putting us on mental mute. We could say, “CAPITALIZE THE WORD i” a billion times, but all they hear is the Charlie Brown teacher voice. Have a guest speaker repeat your same desired directive and suddenly, BAM! The speaker is a genius and oh-so-amazing. Your students will look at you in shock and ask, “why oh why didn’t you ever teach us that, huh?” It hurts… but in the end, you no longer have to ask them to capitalize the word i. Winning? Yes indeed.

This is precisely why I tailor my author visits to teacher requests and what skill set would be beneficial to their students. We can all work on the same team… and as long as the students get “there”, we all win.

Meeting the Standards

Most teachers I know are grateful to have standards as a guideline, but disdain having their lesson plans for the third week of second quarter hinge on standard subpoints 6.2 a-e. BUT, by inviting a guest speaker, in this case, a writer, you can cross off some of those career readiness standards in a content relevant (and super fun) way. You’re Welcome. :)

Personal Goals

Okay, I know we’re all in it for the kids, but when you invite an author into your classroom, you get to talk with them yourself. If you have writing dreams of your own, this is an incredible opportunity to ask your questions too. If you are like me, authors are your Grade A Celebrities… and being able to interact with them feels akin to walking the red carpet at the Grammys. So go on, do it… for the kids, yes, but also reap your benefits too. Because if you have to do recess duty when it’s 22 degrees outside and stay late for parent teacher conferences, you sometimes also get to rub elbows with award winning authors. (Yay you!)

There are many, many other benefits to author visits, but I know your time is short, and I’m running long on my word count, so let’s move on to making these magical visits happen, shall we?

Since I know author visits can be expensive, I’ve gathered a few resources for you to help make this curriculum-crushing (in a good way!), dream-supporting, all together amazing experience come to fruition for you and your students.

Giveaway

I am giving away one free virtual author visit. Fill out this form by November 1st at midnight and be entered to win a one hour presentation + Q&A session with yours truly. To get my credentials and why I might be a valuable contribution to your classroom, click here. Also, click here to see a list of presentations I have ready to go… all of course tweak-able to meet the needs of your students and what you’d like them to learn. I’d love to do the author visit for the winning class in November, during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and inspire some young writers! In addition to virtual classroom visit, the winning class will also get a copy of two of my books (The Birthday Cache and The Orphan Train Riders: Three Historical Fiction Stories), a digital copy of Under Construction: A Young Writer’s Workbook, and a class set of bookmarks. If you don’t want to wait for the giveaway results (11/4/21) and just want to dive in and book a visit with me, click here to go to the WordNerdopolis Post Office to send me a note so we can start chatting.

2025 UPDATE!

When you join the Word Nerd Collaborative, you’ll get not one, but TEN virtual author visits! Check out our 2025-2026 School Year Line Up and then head to HERE to join the membership for this and many other amazing resources + benefits!

Curated Author Visit List

In addition to doing her own author visits, Kate Messner, one of my favorite authors on the planet, also curated this list of authors interested in doing visits. Perhaps you can connect with one who lives in your state, dually supporting a local author and increasing the reality of the experience because look, even people in your own state do this author thing!!

Free Author Interview Videos

And finally, on this playlist you can view ten author interviews with highly acclaimed and super generous MG/YA writers who agreed to chat with me on my YouTube channel. The best part isn’t that they are free, but it's a darn good bonus if I do say so myself.

Okay? Convinced? Good. Start reaching out to authors now and get them on your calendar. Then get that writer’s books in the hands of your readers, fire them up for the opportunity to talk with a real live human who makes their money by telling stories, and then watch the magic happen.

** Side note: I graduated both high school (2001) and college (2006) before Act 10 and the demolition of our Wisconsin unions, benefits, pay increases, etc. So, the people touting “good benefits” weren’t lying, those good benefits just didn’t last past my fourth year in the education field. I haven’t reached the final chapter of my career story, but I can tell you that twelve years in, I came upon a plot twist and left full time teaching, for a part time instructor position that allowed me to more fully focus on my author goals and dreams. I’d love to share my journey and knowledge with your students with the goal of showing them that a career in the creative arts is possible.**

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Champion Chocolatier #4 Sneak Peek: First Chapter Reveal!

October 13, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

Today I am thrilled to share the first chapter of the soon-to-be newest release in my Champion Chocolatier series. This book, which doesn’t have a cover and has yet to be titled, will be released in time for the holiday season. But despite all the many steps I have yet to complete for this project, I want to give you a sneak peek of the story!

If you haven’t yet caught up on the series and need to read books 1-3, click here to purchase your copies and get on it! December will be here before we know it and you’ll want to be ready for all the fun, comedic mishaps and entrepreneurial dreams Emmy and Eddie have in store.

Are you ready? I am!

For the first time, here, is chapter 1 of Champion Chocolatier #4.

Emmy took a sip of her latte and immediately spit it back into the cup.

“Ha-haaaaaaaat,” she said, fanning her mouth.

She’d been too greedy for the life-fueling caffeine. Now she’d have to suffer the consequences of her rushed actions for two days. Maybe three. She glared at the molten liquid furiously. What had once appeared as an Instagram worthy latte now looked like a wolf disguised in sheep’s clothing. So much for saving money by making fancy coffee at home. It wasn’t worth it if she managed to burn off all her tastebuds in the process. Emmy walked to the freezer and grabbed two ice cubes. She plopped one into the cup and the other into her injured mouth.

The espresso machine they’d used the bulk of their wedding gift cards to purchase still confused her. At first, she thought the dispensed liquid wasn’t hot enough, so by following instructions via a YouTube video, she had attempted to adjust the heat gauge on the milk steamer. Apparently, she had now inadvertently set the device to produce beverages with heat comparable to lava.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only wedding present eluding her control. Spread out across the living room table were dozens of inspiration photos. It looked like her Pinterest board had thrown up all the ideas she’d gathered for their future hotel. Images of lush, four poster beds lay next to sparse modern room arrangements and alongside treehouse jungle-styled huts. Photos she had taken of rooms during her time at the Biltmore for the Valentine’s Day Candy Making Competition were situated next to those she printed of the suite they stayed in during their honeymoon cruise through Halong Bay in Vietnam. They were all beautiful. Each space had its own unique and gorgeous qualities. But that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was Emmy couldn’t decide which style she wanted to choose for her hotel. Actually, it was hers and Eddie’s, but lately they’d been living like ships crossing in the night and it was hard to imagine they shared anything when they barely shared waking hours.

While winter was typically a slower season for Emmy and Sweet Shores Chocolate Store, it was super busy for Eddie. Winter sports reigned as royalty in Duluth. Skiing, both downhill and cross country, snowshoeing, ice fishing – if it was fun and could be done outside, Eddie had the clothing and equipment to make it happen, which made him and his store pretty darn popular. In addition to the busyness of the season, Eddie had been lured into an assistant coaching job for the local college hockey team. It was a ton of time for a little money, but Eddie loved it, and Emmy loved him, so they made it work.

When the Duluth Bulldog’s season officially ended last week with a loss to North Dakota State in the semi-finals of the NCAA Frozen Four tournament, Eddie was devastated, but Emmy wasn’t all that sad. She joked with a moping Eddie in an attempt to cheer him up.

“Don’t be so sad. Now that hockey is over, it’s Emmy Season!”

To which Eddie responded, “Good, time to crash you into the boards!” as he threw her onto the bed.

“Penalty,” Emmy had squealed. “Two minutes!”

“For what?” Eddie had asked, still playing the role of an enraged hockey player.

“Ummm, excessive force?”

“Wrong sport,” Eddie said and continued to attack, this time her ribs with tickling fingers.

Not only had it been great to see Eddie more, but it had also been comforting to fall back into a routine of a normalcy consistent dinner, evening TV, and weekends that did not involve thirty additional men. It was lovely. The changing of the seasons had actually been the catalyst that reminded her of the hotel in the first place. Emmy let Eddie mope for one week after their heartbreaking hockey loss before she decided that working together on the hotel would be the perfect thing to pull him out of his post season slump.

They’d owned the building for six months now and done nothing more than pay the mortgage. When they first returned from their honeymoon, the work they’d been putting off during their trip, not to mention the days leading up to the wedding, demanded their attention. Such is the life of an entrepreneur! The work doesn’t wait just because you are your own boss. Once they’d dug out of that hole, the north shore winter temperatures shut down any ideas of construction work. And then, the not thinking about it became a habit, until they’d almost forgotten about it entirely.

When they’d gone to file their taxes, their business manager Al had brought up the property, but Eddie was in season and Emmy didn’t want to do this alone. And, and, and … there always seemed to be an excuse. Emmy was ready to put an end to that, and she thought that the reintroduction of their first joint business venture would go better if she could come with a narrowed selection of options and ideas. She took another sip of her no longer boiling latte and looked at the inspiration photos.

For a brief time, she had entertained branding the hotel as a combination of their two current stores – a kitschy north shore outdoors inspired getaway. All dark wood, gigantic stone fireplaces and historic relics repurposed as décor. Emmy picked up a photo of the Spirit Mountain Ski Chalet as it appeared the day it opened in 1974. While the high ceilings and exposed beams looked grand and felt nostalgic, it wouldn’t be providing a getaway at all. It would be a cookie cutter addition to an already saturated tourist market. Emmy wanted to do something different. She set the photo of the lodge aside and picked up one from their honeymoon but shook her head dismissing the style of the ancient orient almost immediately. Before she could reach for the next photo, her phone rang. Emmy looked at the screen and then swiped the icon to accept the call.

“Morning, Mom.”

“Good morning, Emmy.”

“What are you up to so bright and early? Isn’t it like 7AM Arizona time?”

“Just getting ready to do a little shopping. I’m meeting your aunt Julie for breakfast and then we are going to this new baby boutique in Scottsdale. A niece on her other side has a shower next week and she’s hoping to find something none of the other aunties will bring.”

“That sounds like Aunt Julie,” Emmy said, leaning over the pictures on the table and continuing her examination.

“You wouldn’t, ah,” Emmy’s mother paused, and Emmy instinctively knew what was coming next. She slumped back against the couch. “Um, need me to pick up anything there for you?” The question hung between them, trapped in the static space where their mother-daughter relationship overlapped. Inside Emmy’s skull several thoughts fired simultaneously.

We’ve only been married six months. I still have things I want to do before becoming a mother. For the past three of those months, I’ve hardly seen Eddie long enough to eat a meal before he collapses into a deep sleep, let alone have a serious conversation about adding a child to our chaotic lives.

But what she said was, “Nope, I’m good, Mom.”

To her mother’s credit, she tried not to sound disappointed and to Emmy’s credit, she didn’t hold her mother’s hopes for a grandchild against her. Emmy was glad this was a good old fashioned phone call, so she didn’t have to go through the effort of arranging her facial features to match the light tone she’d been able to fake.

“Actually,” Emmy began again. “I haven’t bought my business partner Rachel anything yet. She’s due in like 2 months. Would you take a peek around for something a brand-new momma might need?”

“I’d love to,” Susan said. And then, “What are you up to today?”

At this, Emmy did sigh. “I’m closing the store tonight but have the morning off. I’m trying to narrow down the options for hotel aesthetics.”

“Where are you?” Susan asked.

“At the apartment.”

“Well, there’s your first problem,” Susan said. Emmy could hear her mother grabbing her keys and making her way to the condo’s car port. “You’ve been to that warehouse, like what, twice?”

“Actually, only once,” Emmy confirmed. “On the day of our wedding.”

“And you think that single visit is enough to make this big decision? Don’t be silly, Emmy.”

Emmy shook her head and smiled. “You’re totally right, Mom.”

“Of course, I am darling.” She was in her car now, the keys in the ignition and the dinging seatbelt reminder audible through the phone. “I have to go now. I never talk and drive. I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you about the boutique.”

“Okay, Mom,” Emmy said and was unable to resist the urge of rolling her eyes. Once her mother ended the call, Emmy checked the time. She had three hours before she needed to be at work. Plenty of time to shower, head over to the hotel property and take a look around.

Emmy swept the photos into a pile and stood with her now lukewarm latte. Already she felt better about the direction of the project. Maybe by the time she saw Eddie tonight she’d have some solid ideas to share.

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Raising Our Words: A Symposium on Literary Activism

October 06, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

I am thrilled to invite my word nerd bestie, fellow Wisconsin writer, Christy Wopat to share some exciting news on my blog today. Christy, take it away!

A few months into the Covid pandemic, I saw a message at the end of a newsletter from the Wisconsin Writers Association that said, “If you’re interested in volunteering for the WWA, please reply to this message!”

In a normal year, I would’ve felt the pang of, “This would be fun, but not right now … ” However, this was certainly NOT a normal year, and I decided to reach out. By the end of a phone call with the incredible WWA President Barry Wightman, I had become the chair of the Events Committee.

Yes. The chair.

Over the past 15 months, we have had a plethora of incredible events. Our state has incredible, generous, and brilliant writers! From hour-long workshops to entire day-long conferences, our goal has been to cover topics ranging from craft to publishing to open mic events.

Our events committee is made up of caring Wisconsin writers who want the very best for our members. We’ve spent a lot of time in meetings wondering what our members want and need, and how we can best serve our community. This is especially important as we navigate this intense world we are currently living in. As we considered the topic for our fall conference, our ideas kept returning to how our words matter. How important and necessary our words are.

We are over-the-moon excited to share our next big event, our fall conference. This year it is called “Raising Our Words: A Symposium on Literary Activism.” It will take place on Saturday, October 9th.

I want you to know that if you are a writer, I believe you are a literary activist. We tend to think of activism as being political in nature, but things don’t have to be political to make change.

My first book, Almost a Mother, is a memoir on infant loss. I didn’t write anything political at all, nothing persuasive. It isn’t a self-help book or a manual for grief, it is just my story. And yet it has made change in ways I never would have expected. I never tire of hearing about how someone has used my words to heal or to build relationships, or to just feel less alone.

This conference is for everyone, no matter what you write, no matter your goals for writing. Our keynote speaker is the FANTASTIC Reggie Jackson from Milwaukee. He is the co-founder of Nurturing Diversity Partners and will kick us off for the day with an education piece. Our other speakers will astound you as well.

From poet laureates to a man who has written over a dozen books using Morse code, here is the schedule for the day:

Our Schedule at a Glance

9:00 AM - Welcome (Barry Wightman: WWA President)

9:10 AM - Dasha Kelly Hamilton (Wisconsin Poet Laureate)

10:45 AM - Keynote Reggie Jackson (Co-Founder, Nurturing Diversity Partners)

12:30 PM - Lunch

1:00 PM - Steve Salmon (Wisconsin Author)

1:30 PM - Anne Katz (Executive Director, Arts Wisconsin)

2:45 PM - Lora Hyler (Wisconsin Author & 2021 Jade Ring Winner)

3:45 PM - Dr. Margaret Rozga (Past Wisconsin Poet Laureate & Activist)

Like I said before, you ARE an activist. Your words matter - even when you think they don’t. And I think it’s our responsibility to raise our words to make this world a better place. We’d love for you to register for our event and join us for a day of learning and community-building.

Register here.

Oh! I almost forgot -- with your registration you can also pay a nominal fee for an advanced critique with Christine DeSmet or Laurie Scheer of the UW-Madison writers community. THE Laurie and Christine. Register soon to receive a critique!

In solidarity,

Christy Wopat

www.christywopat.com

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Creating a Fall Fantasy Reading Nook

September 29, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

Today’s piece is a guest post by Claire Silverberg.

There is nothing like the changing seasons to really get me in the mood to dive into a new novel. As the weather gets cooler, I love the chance to take an adventure to impossible places with a good book.

Fall is the time when I transition from light beach reads into my preferred choice for cooler weather: the fantasy novel. To help get into the fall fantasy spirit, here are some tips for creating your own reading nook inspired by your favorite fantasy series.

Scout Your Spot

If you’re like me, there may already be a spot in your home that you stare at longingly, imagining transforming it into a reading nook. If not, take a quick walk around your home and take note of potential spaces.

My dream home feature has always been a cozy window seat for reading, thanks to many hours reading Peter Pan. For fall, a window seat is the perfect spot to settle in and watch the changing leaves.

Many homes don’t have a window seat built-in, so take this opportunity to place a storage bench by your favorite window. Get comfy with lots of cushions and your warmest blankets for when temperatures fall.

Curate Your Fantasy

For a reading nook that truly whisks you away, it’s time to think outside of the box. Transforming an attic or closet space is the ultimate opportunity to replicate the vibe of your favorite fantasy series.

For example, check out this amazing space created in a former closet, by Jordan, a Wisconsin reader!

Adding elements like a sheepskin rug can transport you right to Westeros while you dive into Game of Thrones. Are you a fan of Lord of the Rings? A wall decal map of Middle-earth can be the perfect touch! Just one or two unique trinkets are enough to give you your fall fantasy.

Here are a few other ideas.

Changing seasons always inspire me to make changes in my own life. This fall is the perfect time to act on my desire for change and finally create my fantasy reading nook. I hope these tips inspire you to make some changes too and bring your fantasy home.

Guest Post Author Bio: Claire Silverberg is a writer who loves exploring all sorts of topics in her work, such as wellness, business, and lifestyle. On her off days, you can find her honing her skills in the kitchen or reading on her patio.

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Everything I Know About Entrepreneurship I Learned from Gymnastics

September 22, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

A lot of what I need to know about entrepreneurship I learned from gymnastics. I realize that might sound strange, so let me explain.

Before I was a word nerd I was a Gymnast, with a capital G. From the time I was four, I used cartwheels as my main mode of transportation. Every curb, fence or slightly raised surface was transformed into a balance beam on which I tip-toe dip-walked, full turned and sashayed. And handstands. So many handstands. My parents actually made a rule outlawing handstands in the kitchen… because my sister and I had a habit of running into the refrigerator and clearing off all the photos, coupons and magnets in one fell swoop of our careening limbs. By the time I turned ten, I spent portions of four days in the gym. In fact, Friday nights on my middle school social calendar mainly consisted of open gym at the university, which held a larger facility than my usual practice spot at the YMCA. It beat out hanging with school friends because this gym had a foam pit, spring floor and trampolines. (Side note: All of this was by choice. My parents never pushed, only supported. Thanks Mom and Dad!) I was obsessed. Gymnastics was more than something I did, up until I was 18, it was who I was. Much like I am the word nerd today, back then being a gymnast was my identity.

So what does this have to do with entrepreneurship? I promise I have a point. I’m getting to it. I just need to set the scene.

There’s a move on the uneven parallel bars called a kip. It is the foundational move that takes a person from someone who does gymnastics to someone who is a gymnast. It is hard. It involves strength from all quadrants of your body and also a mastery of leverage and timing. Being able to do a kip is a big deal. And here’s the thing. It takes months to learn. And everyone who’s a gymnast knows this. We know it’s hard going in, but we chalk up our hands and start trying anyway. The only way to master this skill is to build up our muscles, experiment with body position, rehearse the timing and try, try, try. Show up, work hard, experiment, study the success of others, try again, fail, fail, fail and then repeat the process about a thousand times. (I’m not kidding.)

When you finally figure out how to hoist your body up on top of that bar, you feel like you’re on top of the world.

But, there’s more. Once you learn how to kip, you open your options to learn even more skills. Because you are now stronger and have better body awareness and are able to control your movement while swinging from a wooden bar, you realize you can *probably* do other cool tricks too. Many of these tricks require a firm hold on the bar, firmer than the strength humans contain in their fingers, and so you wear grips.

**Grips are a piece of leather that cover your palm, and contain a wooden dowel that allow you to keep the bar within your grasp. A piece of leather stretches up from your wrist over the top of your middle and ring fingertips to rest on the space just below your first knuckle, with the dowel just below that.**

Breaking in a pair of grips requires using sandpaper to grind down the finger holes to a shape that fits your fingertips. (A lot of raw skin and also some bleeding occur during the trial and error process, especially if you have fat fingers, like me.) Once you get the grips to fit, you attempt moves you’ve mastered with your bare hands, but now with a piece of leather altering the feel of each swing. You are essentially relearning how to hold and grasp the bar. It is a difficult and time consuming effort, but without it, you know you’ll never reach the next level. That kip you worked hours and hours to learn, you have to learn it all over. We gymnasts know this going in and yet, we choose to do it anyway because it’s the only way to move upward in our sport.

Okay, okay, Amanda. How does this relate to entrepreneurship? Entrepreneurship, like gymnastics, is hard. Often when you reach a level of success, the business world asks you to develop an entirely new set of skills, or begin again from a new angle, with a new mindset so that you can level up, reach more people, sell more products, and impact more lives. Success at one level is not indicative of achievement at the next. It’s a whole new game every time you meet your goals and outgrow your current status. Being your own boss sounds amazing and looks dazzling from the outside, but like gymnastics there is a whole lot more going on that the world sees.

I realize that people could draw parallels between a wide variety of athletics and particular career fields, but gymnastics and entrepreneurship are what I know, so it's what you’re gonna get. Here are three lessons gymnastics taught me and how I’ve applied them to being an entrepreneur.

Failure is a part of the process.

I think I’m able to have the confidence to tackle entrepreneurship because as a gymnast I routinely performed in front of hundreds of people. Sometimes I failed in front of hundreds of people, but it didn’t stop me from finishing the meet or coming back to try again the next week and the next and the next. This is necessary in entrepreneurship too. Gymnastics taught me that one failure doesn’t mean I should close up shop. Rather, it taught me that I’ll have to try and fail (a whole heck of a lot) until I’ve learned how to be really good at something. In a country that fears failure, I am so grateful to have learned this valuable lesson.

The results are my responsibility.

For the most part, gymnastics is a solo sport. Yes, you are a part of a team, but only one gymnast competes at a time. And yes, as a competitive gymnast, I had the support of coaches and trainers, of my parents, friends and fans in the stands. But when all was said and done, I was the only one out there on the vault, bars, beam or floor. What happened in my routines was purely my responsibility. The same is true when you are an entrepreneur. At the end of the day, you are the one with your name on the bottom line, and you need to own up to all the good and bad that comes with that role.

Take what you need from a critique and then move on.

As a gymnast, I was used to getting feedback on my performance (and not all of it was good). Entrepreneurs are judged all the time. Their product, their branding, their services, their website, their lifestyle choices, heck, even their personalities sometimes are judged. Because I had the experience of being literally judged (down to the position of my hand, the point of my toe or the color of my sports bra), I developed tough skin. I don’t let other people’s passing opinions dictate my next move or the way I feel about my accomplishments. Just like a gymnast who is unhappy with their score, I decide if I feel good about what I have done, created, performed and shown the world. I take the critique sent my way, use it to do better next time and then, move on.

I’m on a roll, so let me add one more thing. I have a friend (a friend who took their gymnastics experiences to brighter stages than mine) who has reached incredible levels of success in their entrepreneurial lives. Here’s what she has to say about the connection between these two topics.

“Gymnastics and entrepreneurship are one in the same. They look so easy from the outside, but from the inside, there are tears, frustration and relentless determination. The biggest lesson gymnastics taught me is that when you learn to compete with only yourself, you can’t fail.”

— Andrea, of Andrea Jean Co. and former (most improved 3 times!) UWEC Gymnast

You can learn more about Andrea’s entrepreneurial journey and work here.

So, what’s the point? Sign your kids up for gymnastics. Kidding (or, maybe not!). The point is, look at your past experiences and see what you can pull from them to improve your current situation. Maybe, like me, these lessons can come from a sport. Maybe they come from a hobby, like woodworking or gardening or fostering puppies. Maybe a past relationship, your beater first car, or your place in your sibling birth lineup have taught you everything you need to take your entrepreneurship or career to the next level. Reflect, journal and then, take action. And, if you’re feeling generous, drop your lesson in the comments below, so we can vicariously learn from your experience.

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Listen Up! How to Create Another Revenue Stream with Audiobooks

September 15, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

Personally, I am a HUGE fan of audiobooks. I listen to stories while I drive, when I exercise, as I get ready in the morning, even while I clean. If I’m doing a mundane and nearly automatic task, you can bet that my audible app is open and I’m actively engaged in a story. To be perfectly honest, it’s how I ingest most of my “reading” material these days. I still LOVE handheld books, but usually if I have time to sit down, I’m writing or working on some other authorpreneur task. But audiobooks let me “read” while tackling the many tasks in my life. I just plain stinking love audiobooks. So when my friend (and fellow Wisconsin writer) Valerie Biel asked if she could share a post about audiobooks, specifically the process in recording and selling them as a profitable authorpreneur revenue stream, I was ALL EARS!

Get comfy and get ready to take some notes, because Valerie is going to give us all the word nerd goodness when it comes to audiobook creation and sales.

Take it away, Val!

First of all, thanks to Amanda for letting me visit today and talk to you about audiobook production!! I’m so excited to share this insight with you. It’s the kind of information I wish I would have had awhile ago, because the making of an audiobook was something of a mystery to me before I jumped into this market two years ago. The audiobook listening audience is growing—quickly! In 2020 listeners in the United States spent $1.5 billion on audiobook purchases. Worldwide this figure was $3.5 billion. In true authorpreneurship form, this is the perfect way authors can use content they’ve already created to gain another revenue stream.

I highly recommend it – but I know the process can be confusing! There are a lot of decisions to make, and the wrong one can be costly.

That’s why I am so pleased today to debut the online course I’ve created to help authors navigate this tricky task!

Listen Up: How to Create Another Revenue Stream with Audiobooks dives into the pros and cons of the two most popular audiobook production platforms, ACX and Findaway Voices, along with a discussion about what it takes to tackle the do-it-yourself option.

The course also:

Details the steps of production, including the cost for each method of production.
Teaches you how to prepare your audition script and choose a narrator.
Gives you tips for how to work with your narrator.
Lists the housekeeping tasks you must tend to as your audiobook becomes available.
And finally guides you to the best promotion and marketing options specific to audiobooks.

This course is presented in a 70-minute video and comes with a Resource Sheet that gives authors the most up-to-date information and links from the audiobook publishing industry in an easy-to-use format.

Intrigued? Well today is your lucky day because I’m going to share a sneak peek portion of the course with you, right here!

You may already know that the two largest and most widely used audiobook producers and distributors are ACX and Findaway Voices. But even within these two companies, there are multiple production path choices that have different price points.

At ACX you can choose Royalty Share, Royalty Share+, or Pay per Finished Hour (PFH)*.

If you’re being very budget minded, then Royalty Share or Royalty Share+ might be your best options. The Royalty Share system allows an author to work with the narrator who produces their audiobook for no upfront cost. Instead, the author and the narrator share the royalty 50/50. Royalty Share+ is the same 50/50 royalty split with the narrator, except there’s a small amount paid for each finished hour of audio when production is completed. (I pay my narrator $50/finished hour, plus we split the royalties 50/50.) This stipend is always less than the full pay for each finished hour that typically runs $250 - $450 (and up). ACX distributes to Amazon, Audible, and iTunes, and you will be in an exclusive seven-year contract with ACX if you choose either of the Royalty Share options.

*Note: To calculate how many finished hours of audio your book will be, use this formula:

Length of book in words / 9400 = finished hours of audio

I use ACX and I’ve been happy with them because those three markets (Audible/Amazon/iTunes) reach 70% of the audiobook buyers in the US.

Why ACX might be the right choice for you: If you’re looking to minimize production costs, ACX offers the most reasonable cost and the lowest financial risk for making your audiobook a reality.

BUT . . . I’d be remiss in not talking about Findaway Voices. This company is the main competitor to ACX. Typically, you will find that using this company is more expensive than ACX because they don’t have the Royalty Share option. Instead, they have something similar that’s called Voices Share, where the author pays 50% of the production costs (based on PFH) and then the narrator receives a 20% share of royalties with a 10-year contract. Findaway Voices also offers authors the ability to pay for the full project cost and the exclusive distribution contract does not apply.

Why Findaway Voices might be the right choice for you: If you’re looking to distribute your audiobook widely to many markets including libraries, Findaway Voices gives you that option.

The course will give a more in-depth look at the pros and cons and specific examples of the financial considerations with each path!

Another topic I spend a lot of time on in the course is choosing the right narrator. I remember back to when my first book was open for auditions, and I realized that there were very few narrators who could handle the many Irish accents in my series. Thank goodness for narrator/producer Paige Jensen, who saved the day. I am fascinated by the narration process, and Paige graciously agreed give us a glimpse into the production of an audiobook from a narrator’s perspective. (If you click through to that article, you can listen to Paige’s wonderful Irish narration.)

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to jump into the audiobook market, this is it – jump away!! I think you’ll be happy you did!

Valerie Biel is a public relations professional as well as the author of the award-winning Circle of Nine series, stories of magic steeped in the Celtic mythology of Ireland’s ancient stone circles. She primarily writes for the young adult and middle grade genres and is represented by Tina Schwartz of the Purcell Agency. You can learn more about her writing adventures at www.ValerieBiel.com. She holds a degree in Journalism (Public Relations/Broadcast News) and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin and has spent more than 25 years working in the public relations field. She edits manuscripts, develops marketing materials, implements publicity plans and more for other authors via her agency Lost Lake Press www.LostLakePress.com. Her popular publishing resource blog was honored as one of the top 50 Writing Blogs of 2018.

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7 Passive Revenue Streams for an Authorpreneur

September 08, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

How do I make money as an author? What is passive revenue? What are some passive revenue streams for writers?

One thing no one tells you when your first author dreams begin to form, is that you really don’t make all that much money from book sales.

After attending a conference on digital marketing (I was there on assignment for one of my side-gigs and gratefully sucking up knowledge for my own benefit as well) I learned that unless you are spending $200-400 A DAY on online advertising, you aren’t going to see a whole lot of results from your efforts. (This post is going to be about making money, not about spending money, but real quick let me tell you to quit boosting that Facebook post for $10… it ain’t doin’ you any good.)

I’m not sure about you, but it was (and still is) my goal to write books full time. But in the meantime, I’m trying to figure out how to make enough money to be afforded that luxury. My plan? Passive revenue. If I can figure out how to make money come into my bank account automatically… then I don’t have to use my working hours to trade time for it. If I can build up the amount of passive revenue I make to a certain point, I can use all of my working hours to write, which means I can write more, resulting in more books and also more time in which to promote those books, equaling more money earned. This will also mean that when I do get opportunities to speak or teach about writing, that income will just be icing on the cake. It sounds like a pretty good plan, right? Right. Now, I just need to make it happen.

“You need to depend on multiple forms of communication to reach your audience. You need to own your contacts. Facebook and Instagram could crash tomorrow.” We hear this all the time. And I think the same is true of your revenue streams. Anyone of them could disappear at any moment in time. You might be nodding your head and thinking… yes, yes, Amanda. I know that. But do you REALLY?

I make money a lot of ways, but my largest source of writing income comes from in-person speaking opportunities. And when the pandemic rolled around in the Spring of 2020, completely obliterating my event calendar, my largest source of income vanished. Because I’m all about transparency, let me tell you what I lost.

International Children’s Book Festival - $1,300 (plus an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai)
WSRA Young Author Fair - $400
Winona State University Young Author Festival - $550
Teaching at Authorquest (a summer writing camp) - $550
Blogging Workshop - $150
Community Business Blogging Workshop - $300

In addition to these missed opportunities there were a handful of free events like book clubs and library visits that would have yielded book sales. Actually, most of these events would have also included book sales. So, we’re look at a total revenue loss exceeding $3,200. Suddenly. Unexpectedly. And this was just between the months of March and June of 2020.

I re-learned the lesson very quickly that I need to spread out. Relying on one source of income as an authorpreneur/entrepreneur is foolish. So, as I move forward with my plan of creating, building and sustaining my passive revenue streams, I have kept this in mind.

Here are seven ways you can passively make money so, eventually, you have more time to write, and can legitimately make a solid living wage as a creative professional.

One more quick side note before I dive in. These income streams are not PASSIVE when you are in the process of setting them up. But once they are established, they will be. For a while, it will feel like you are doing alllll the things, because you are. This is a long road, you are playing the long game, but I think will be worth it.

Book Sales on Amazon

When you think about it, books in general are a passive revenue stream (once they are written). You write the book ONE TIME and then make money off it again and again. Yes, it takes work to market and sell your book, but it isn’t say, like a massage therapist, who after “making the sale”/booking the appointment must still DO the work.

It is free to list your books on Amazon. The only time you pay for this service is when you order author copies of your books to sell yourself. Without big marketing or multiple events to make your presence known you won’t sell many copies, but when a copy is sold, it is ZERO work on your part. Amazon prints, it, ships it and takes care of the financial pieces like collecting payment and appropriate amounts for shipping and state sales tax. Easy cheesy.

If you need help getting your books on Amazon, I have a great course that includes the step-by-step process, but more on that later.

Drop Ship

I experimented with adding different SWAG items to my line up at vendor shows but found that ordering/storing/hauling/paying for all that merchandise upfront was kind of a big ask for my small business. Now, I’m trying a drop ship option and I’m excited to see how it goes.

Through drop shipping I can design a much wider array of products and I don’t have to worry about stocking or paying for them in advance. Much like selling books on Amazon, the third party drop-shipper takes care of production, shipping and payment.

I’m going to put a twist on this strategy by ordering one of each of my products and bring them to my vendor shows, but then have a sheet with QR codes for easy ordering, fulfillment and payment. I’ll report back later with the results. For now, here are a few of the items I am currently offering through Art of Where.

Digital Downloads/Courses

To create a digital download or course all you need to do is identify an area of knowledge you possess and neatly curate and package that information in an easily digestible form. If you go to my website, WORDNERDOPOLIS, and visit the GYM for a solid writer’s workout, you’ll be able to see the “training plans” I’ve got available. I utilize a wide variety of delivery methods including PDF’s, Google Slides and video. None of these delivery methods require subscriptions, vast amounts of tech know-how or expensive equipment, making them a nearly-zero financial investment to create. (I do pay an annual fee for my website and also for the pro version of Canva, but other than that… I don’t spend any money to create these products.) All you need is time and an area of expertise.

The beauty of these sales is that once I create them and put them on my site, it requires no on-going work from me. Even better than a book sale, these price points range from $15 - $650. Some of my offerings are small and bite sized meant to just get you going. Others are larger, meant to give you the full scope and sequence of a task. Here is what I have to offer:

· Canva Cheat Sheets (learn how to create professional images online)

· Self-Publishing Mini Course

· Start a Blog (including generating content/content ideas and creating a manageable calendar)

· Write a Novel (6 weeks of targeted writing prompts, techniques and tips

· Take Action Author Plan (Learn to self-publish and market your book & level up your author career)

· And more!

Third Party Marketplaces (Teachers Pay Teachers)

This is one of my favorite revenue streams because I use a well-known, third-party site called Teachers Pay Teachers to sell items I have created. In addition to being a writer, I am an educator. Currently I teach writing at Western Technical College, but before that I was a middle school ELA and reading teacher for 12 years. I have a master’s degree in education. I know a lot about books and teaching people how to read and write. It would be silly of me NOT to use this bank of knowledge to make money. On the site I sell materials I created for use in my own classroom… novel unit studies, quizzes, PowerPoints and more. Here are a few of my resources to give you a clearer picture.

BONUS: I hardly have to promote my products to make sales, because the site is so widely known and used amongst my audience.

Chances are that if you aren’t a teacher, you’ve never heard of Teachers Pay Teachers, but that doesn’t mean that this option isn’t available. I know a doctor who also writes fiction that has a side gig writing answers for WEBMD. Do a little google searching to see if you can find an opportunity to share what you know from a previous or secondary career… and get paid for it.

YouTube

I GUARENTEE you’ve heard about YouTube. And I bet you know that people make money on it. But do you know how? The very, very basic answer is that in order to monetize on this platform you need to reach two milestones on your channel.

1. You need to have 1,000 subscribers.

2. You need to have 4,000 total watch hours accrued for the videos on your channel in one year.

Once you reach these milestones, you can begin placing ads in your videos and earning Google AdSense revenue. It’s small potatoes for each ad view, but the idea is to have a lot of videos, with a lot of views, that eventually add up to some substantial money. I have a friend who has been incredibly successful with this (read: $20,000 a month successful). To learn directly from her how to make this happen for yourself, click here.

Personally, I’ve been working on my own YouTube channel for about a year. As I write this, I’m up to 650 subscribers and just a little over 1,000 hours of watch time. I’m still a ways off from my goal of being monetized by the end of the year, but as momentum on your channel grows, the subscribers and watch time rack up faster, so I’m still hopeful. (To help my efforts, subscribe here and then watch a video, or ten!)

I will reiterate again, that it has been a lot of work to create content for this platform and for the past year I have been paid NOTHING for my efforts. BUT, the goal is to reach monetization, and then, have the money roll in while I write, sleep, eat and create new cool things.

Affiliate Programs

When you really love something, like, love, love, LOVE it, you tell all sorts of people about it. Whether it’s a certain brand of chapstick, a favorite new restaurant or the best ball point pen EVER… you shout it out. Now, imagine making money every time someone took you up on your recommendation and purchased that item as well. This is affiliate marketing. When you establish credibility and authority, people listen to you. You can use your position as an expert to make money.

For example, in addition to writing books, I read a lot of books, so people often ask me for suggestions. To capitalize on this, I keep my reading list published on my website. Each title includes several affiliate links, so that if people purchase my reading recommendation, I get a small cut at no extra cost to the customer. (From Amazon 4% and from Bookshop %10) (Read my article on the difference between these two platforms here.)

You can also see from my website, blog and social media channels that I have a LOT of LOVE for Canva, an online digital design tool/platform. I recommend this company ALL THE TIME. In fact, you’ll see at the bottom of each blog post their logos and a little message that says, “This post was made beautiful by Canva.” I recommend Canva in my workshops and via word of mouth when conversations about image creation pop up in my real life. I recommend Canva directly in my course work. So, if I’m singing Canva’s praises from my authorpreneur rooftop, why shouldn’t I be compensated? Thanks to their affiliate program, I am. Every time the word Canva appears in writing on something I have created, you better believe an affiliate link is attached. I do the same for Next Day Flyers, the company I order all of my printed materials (bookmarks, flyers, brochures, etc.) In the WordNerdopolis General Store I also have several other products linked for affiliate commissions. After I get done with this post I’m going to see if Art of Where has an affiliate program!

But you don’t have to contain this money-making strategy to your professional arena. I am also an affiliate for Grove Collaborative, a company that makes eco-friendly household products. And if I find something I love on Amazon, I’ll likely share a link to that via my email newsletter of on my personal Facebook page as well. Do a little searching. See if you can dig up some opportunities related to a niche content area of your books. Gardening, quilting, geocaching, hunting, cooking… what products can you recommend related to your characters, plot, story… and get paid for?!?!? The individual commissions may be small, but again, we are working to build up STREAMS of income… not floods of it. Don’t discount what multiple free-flowing, small deposits can add up to.

A Mobile App

One revenue stream that I have yet to try, but am very interested in creating, is a mobile app. I’d love to have a way to share daily writing prompts, motivation, and tips with subscribers via their phones. I know there are programs out there that can help me make this happen, and I love the thought of monthly recurring fees sliding into my bank account… but I just haven’t taken the plunge yet. Mostly because I’m busy doing all the other things. But someday!

What do you think? Is this a service you’d like to see from me? What specifically would you want me to deliver to you daily that could make your writing world a better place?

Stay tuned… I’ll keep you in the loop as details develop.

The benefit of having multiple revenue streams is that you don’t need each one to be a golden egg. Having five or six or seven mini streams that add up to my goal of $2,500 a month is what I’m after. So often we are coerced into thinking we need to be the ROCKSTAR of everything we do, but in this case, I will be happy if I can be moderately successful at many things. It will allow me financial success and stability in a less than predictable world. I know there are plenty who would disagree with me, saying that going an inch wide and a mile deep would be better than spreading out, and that’s fine. My blog is a space where I share my efforts, experiments and experiences. My goal, through sharing these pieces, is that you can better make a path and plan for yourself.

The 7 passive revenue streams I’ve shared above are just the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens of options for you and your business. I only feel comfortable sharing on the options I have tried or researched so I can vouch for their viability or ease. But, that being said, here are a few other options. Feel free to dig into them if they sound appealing and of value to you.

Patreon
Kofi
Crowdsourcing/GoFundMe
Licensing photography and/or music
and more

If you’ve got another idea that has worked for you, please share it in the comments!

Alright, I know this post was long. Like three times longer than my usual content, but once I got started writing, there was just so much word nerd goodness to share with you that I couldn’t stop. I hope that you have found at least one passive revenue opportunity in this list that excites you. My advice is to try one and get the hang of it before you add another. If you get part way in and realize it doesn’t feel like a good fit for you, set it aside and try something else. You can always come back around to it in the future. Experimentation is half the battle, but also half the fun. Find what works for you and then, WORK IT.

All my best to you my authorpreneur and word nerd friends,

Amanda Zieba

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What is First Chapter Friday? 4 Reasons You Should Give First Chapter Fridays a Try

September 01, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

What is First Chapter Friday?

It’s a reading engagement strategy disguised as a fun weekly activity. In it’s most basic elements, First Chapter Friday is when someone reads aloud the first chapter of a book, in an effort to interest students in a particular story and/or increase enthusiasm for reading.

If you are looking have more students with books in their hands, more readers excited about the selections presented to them, and overall more enthusiasm when it comes to just plain reading, then read on, becuase this blog post is jam-packed not only with 4 reasons why you should give First Chapter Fridays a try, but also tons of ideas for implementation.

If you are more of a video or audio person, you can watch/listen to this same information, right HERE, in this video.

Ready? Set? READ ON!

1. Motivate your students with more than a title and a book cover – Despite the saying, we all judge a book by it’s cover. But is a book cover, or an author’s name or title for that matter, really enough? Sometimes we need to get into a story a little bit before we can decide if it is going to be something we’ll like. First Chapter Friday gives your students the opportunity to “try on” a book in a low stakes, low effort endeavor. All they have to do, is sit back and listen. You can also use this opportunity to “sell” a book. Some sale’s pitch points you might share could include an interesting fact about the author that students might connect with (this author is an immigrant, she grew up in the Midwest, he wanted to be a professional athlete when he was in middle school, etc.) or you can promote the book’s genre, awards, or the fact that it is the first in a series. Anything you can tell students that might pique their interest or curiosity… shout it out, and you might just hook a reader.

2. Educate yourself on the great titles available – We are living in a golden age of kid lit. As a person who has been alternating her reading selections between adult and MG/YA books for years, I can tell you, the quality of the work these authors are producing is grade A, good stuff. And if you haven’t taken the time to browse what current authors have to offer, you are missing out! A couple years ago I taught a foundations of literacy course to students in the education department who would were gearing up for their student teaching experiences. I was shocked when their practice lessons revolved around books like Caps for Sale and authors like Dr. Seuss. Now, there’s nothing wrong with the classics, but seriously… how about engaging kids with books that were written in this century, let alone decade! Especially when there are SO many good ones.

I understand that teachers are busy humans and it’s hard to do ALL the things. If reading multiple middle grade and young adult books isn’t making it to the top of your list, don’t sweat it… I’ve got you covered! I am someone who reads a lot of these books, and I taught middle school for twelve years (not to mention I happen to live with a 9- and 11-year-old). I am in the know and I can help you. All of the books I share on my channel are ones I’d recommend and if there are any triggers warnings you should be aware of before showing them in class (content, swearing, tough topics, etc.) I let you know in the description so you can make a decision about whether or not a video/book is a good fit for your students/reader. Talk to fellow teachers, walk around a bookstore, browse recent award lists… there are many ways you can find GOOD books to share with your students. And by educating yourself, you are educating your students as well.

3. You can get to know the authors – When I was a kid, I wanted to be a writer. BUT, I didn’t know any writers. To me it felt like authors lived in a magical fantasy land far, far away. These storytellers didn’t feel like real humans to me until I became a writer myself and started meeting them at conferences and attending their webinars online. Growing up as a kid in the 80’s and 90’s was great, but I envy the access kids today have to celebrities of all kinds, including authors. Knowing the creator of a story (and knowing they are a real person, and this is really their job) can open up an entirely new experience for readers (of all ages!). Through First Chapter Fridays you can highlight the author of each book and inform your students about them as a person and about their writing process. You’d be surprised how this information can pull a reader in! A quick Google search will provide you with tons of tidbits you can share with your students and YouTube offers a buffet of interviews as well. Here is a list of video interviews I’ve curated for you.

The Word Nerd’s Author Interivews

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Jennifer A. Nielsen

Margi Preus

Christina Soontorvat (coming Friday!)

Wendelin VanDraanen

Liza Wiemer

Don’t see the author you need to match your curriculum! Email me and I’ll see what I can do!

4. They make for a GREAT sub plan. Sub days are hard. And they often end up on Fridays… have you noticed that? As the primary teacher, you want to make it as easy as possible (for both your sub and your students), but also as productive as possible. If you instill the habit of First Chapter Fridays in your classroom, the students can be on autopilot for the sub, and you can leave knowing they are still getting good stuff and are likely behaving because

A) they know exactly what to do

B) they enjoy First Chapter Fridays

If you use one of my videos, you don’t even have to make the sub read aloud! And, if you pick one with an author interview, you can have an extended learning experience. Grab one of these student engagement worksheet packs and you can even check in on which kids you should follow up with if they showed interest in the week’s book.

Are you convinced? Ready to give First Chapter Fridays a try? If it feels like a big undertaking to commit to doing something once a week, for an entire school year, don’t worry. If you aren’t sure which titles to pick or where to start or maybe you are less than confident about your own read aloud abilities… again, I’ve got you covered.

I love reading aloud. Truly, it was one of my favorite parts of each school day. But there were times I wasn’t feeling well, or my voice was shot, and reading aloud to five different classes was just plain painful. Been there? Never fear.

No matter where you find yourself on the read-not ready spectrum, I’ve got almost 40 titles (and by the end of the year the list will include 52 books!) for you to choose from. If you need some initial ideas or find yourself needing a break, just check my playlist, pick one and GO. Or maybe you alternate, letting me read to some classes and you read to others. There’s no shame in taking a little help. And if it’s a book you haven’t read before, you can *cheat* by listening to me book talk it first, so then you can show up looking like a pro.

Here are a few other ideas…

As you read (or listen to the video), allow students to create mini sculptures of playdough in the shapes of symbols and objects related to the story they are listening to.
To prevent unrelated daydreaming and off task behavior, use these worksheets to increase student engagement while listening.
Allow students to submit requests for First Chapter Friday titles, or audition to be a FCF reader!
Try sketch notes. Tell students to draw and doodle while they listen to the story being read aloud. Afterward, ask them to share their results (or just talk about them if they are self-conscious about their drawing skills) as a way to review story elements introduced in the first chapter.

Alrighty, I think you have all you need to start this impactful weekly reading experience in your classroom, but if you have any other questions, drop them in the comments below and I’ll be sure to answer them. If you are already a FCF PRO and you have more implementation ideas for this book-hooking strategy, please share them in the comments as well.

Happy reading!

Amanda Zieba (Your Favorite Word Nerd)

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Ableist Language: A Lesson for All from Liza Wiemer

August 25, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

Today’s blog post comes from my friend and fellow SCBWI Wisconsin author Liza Wiemer. When I was interviewing Liza about her book The Assignment for a First Chapter Friday video an interesting topic came up. Ableist language. As a word nerd, teacher, parent and human who attempts kindness in all things, I am very aware of my words, but the way I use words in relation to abilities (or disabilities) was an area I hadn’t considered before. Thankfully, Liza changed that for me. Hopefully after you read her thoughts below with an open mind you’ll use this additional lens when considering your future word choices.

EVERY DAY I WAS USING HURTFUL LANGUAGE WITHOUT REALIZING IT. ARE YOU?

Have you heard the term, 'ableist language?' No? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. That’s why I am sharing this post. Once I learned about it, that knowledge had a huge impact on my writing and how I communicate with others.

The first time I was introduced to ‘ableist language' was in February, 2020. I saw a tweet that caught my attention. It had over a thousand likes and many, many comments. It talked about ableist language and how harmful and hurtful it is to people with disabilities. The person who wrote the tweets pleaded with people to stop using it. That was the beginning. I immediately did a Google search and found a lot of information.

Definition:
”Ableist language is language that is offensive to people with disability. It can also refer to language that is derogatory, abusive or negative about disability. Ableism is the systemic exclusion and oppression of people with disability, often expressed and reinforced through language.” - People With Disabilities (organization)

Words like lame, stupid, dumb, insane, psycho, blind are just a few that are on the ableist list. WOW! All of these words had been a part of my vocabulary and conversation.

This fantastic post helped me to discover more and there are many suggestions for alternatives that I found helpful. Once I learned about ableist language, I realized that I had to eliminate it from my novel, The Assignment. After all, The Assignment is about speaking up against injustices. Now that I was aware of ableist language and why it’s offensive, I wanted to eliminate it from the pages of my novel. Armed with information, I contacted my editor, Beverly Horowitz, and asked if I could still make changes. My novel was scheduled to go to the printers, and I wasn’t sure if the door had closed. Thankfully, I got in touch at the perfect time. I was given a short deadline. Due to previous commitments, I had about thirty-six hours to comb through my entire manuscript and submit alternatives that had to be approved. It wasn’t easy, but I have absolutely no regrets.

Language evolves. But it can’t be done in a vacuum. We need to make that happen!

One of the most common ableist language phrases that was in my novel was, “We stand with you.” Not at all surprising since The Assignment is about speaking up against hatred, bigotry, racism, antisemitism, and other forms of injustice. It’s a common phrase people use, one that I hear on a regular basis connected to social justice or when we want to give support to a cause or individual. You might be wondering why is “I stand with you” offensive? There are people who can’t stand. By using that phrase, even though it’s common in our culture, it isn’t inclusive.

I saw the following post on Facebook that really brought this message home for me.

This little boy couldn’t stop staring at a Target ad that showed a child in a wheelchair. Just like him. The mother’s response touched me deeply. It was the exclamation mark for my decision to eliminate ableist language in The Assignment.

This is how that decision altered my cover:

Screen Shot 2021-08-16 at 2.39.14 PM.png

So, I hope you’ll think about your own language. If you’re an educator like me, then you know that we have the ability to make a difference for our students. We can help language to evolve. Model for students by calling it out in the class discussions and on papers.. Discuss it in your classroom. With time, it will get easier and easier to substitute words and make those substitutes your nature, go-to language. If you’re like me, you’ll become super-aware of how often these terms are used in conversations. I’ve caught myself, corrected myself during conversations and even presentations. I’ve shared my journey with others, explaining why I’ve chosen to do better. Change is never easy. But our language must reflect our respect for our beautiful diverse world.

I hope you’ll join me in this effort.

Liza Wiemer is an award-winning educator with over twenty years of teaching experience. Her second young adult novel, The Assignment, published by Delacorte Press, Penguin Random House, has received multiple honors, including the Sydney Taylor Notable Award. In addition, Liza has published two adult nonfiction books, another young adult novel, and several short stories included in the New York Times bestselling Small Miracles series. A graduate of UW-Madison, Liza has two married sons and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband, Jim. Website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. To learn more about the book The Assignment, click here. To listen to a first chapter read aloud of it (followed by the Word Nerd’s insightful interview with her, click here.

The Holocaust Education and Resource Center (HERC) is providing free sets of The Assignment to be utilized in schools with a curriculum guide. To inquire about this, please contact Executive Director, Samantha Abramson Samanthaa@milwaukeejewish.org.

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Social Media Marketing For Authors: 5 Post Ideas from the Word Nerd

August 18, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

Writers are expected to market their own books. Even the traditionally published authors… but most definitely the self-published authors. That’s why I call myself an authorpreneur. As a writer, I’m really running a small business. I’m not just writing, I’m doing alllll the things. I’m ordering inventory, I’m designing book covers, I’m talking directly with bookstores and yes, I’m marketing on social media. A lot. All the time. Every day.

According to The Guardian, the average self-published author earns $1000 a year and a third earns less than $500. If you’d like to be in that first earning group, or earn more than (like I do) then you are going to have to get comfortable telling people that you are a writer and that you have books for sale.

Personally, I’m an in-person kind of girl. I thrive on conversation and letting readers get to know me. (It’s not very midwestern of me, but I don’t mind talking about myself and my work!) I find it so much easier to connect with a person when we are in the same room. But let’s be honest, it hasn’t been easy (if even possible) for that to happen lately. In fact, just when we feel like things are getting back to normal, the Delta Variant swoops in threatens to put the world on pause again… throwing a monkey wrench into all the book festival/school visit/book store reading/speaking gig plans that pay us authors substantial money (in addition to book sales. Pssst: this is where you actually make real money in the writing world… getting paid for events.)

So even though I’d rather be in person (for a dozen different reasons) I’ve been forced to communicate through a screen… something I’m not nearly as good at. How do I share my positive personality through a Facebook post? How do I reach out and connect with a passerby on the internet? How do I make a lasting impression that leads to a book sale? It’s been a puzzle, but I’ve put together some of the pieces and want to share them with you today.

Here are 5 social media post ideas and advice for your pieces of online content that have worked for me.

Make Your Selfies Count

I attended the Teachers Pay Teachers Digital Conference a few weeks back and in the Instagram Boot Camp session with Michelle Griffo (from Apples and ABC’s), I learned that you need to show your face at least once every nine posts. Selfies can be a dime a dozen, but if you pair it with a call to action, you can really increase your engagement. Try something like this:

Bonus Tip: Follow a post that has high engagement with a post selling something. It is more likely that more of your followers will see it since they just interacted with your content. :)

To get my full recap of the TpT Forward 2021 Digital Conference, click here.

Try Carousel Quotes

Another Instagram post idea is to create a carousel of quotes from your book or of book reviews. The algorithm notices when people spend more time on your content, and getting ‘grammers to swipe through images rather than scroll past them is one way to do it! Head over to Amazon or Goodreads and find 5 of your best reviews. Then take those lovely compliments over to Canva and drop them into an IG template with your brand colors. Add your book cover image and maybe a bit of music and voila! Dunzo. (If you need help with Canva creation, I’ve got a few tutorial videos that will walk you through it step by step to get the job done.)

Give Project Updates

Update people on your project progress. Showing your readers behind the scenes helps them connect to your story before it’s on sale. It’s a zero price point interaction. It can be as simple as a word count update, like the post pictured below. Build enough of these into your readers’ experience and they’ll feel like they are a part of the process. Then, by the time the book is done and on sale, they are INVESTED and will practically be throwing their money at you!

Instill/Increase FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

Share photos from events and instill a feeling of FOMO in your readers. Tell them how they too can experience the fun of reading your books, attending your events and hanging out with you. Whether it’s a book club or a book signing, a school visit or a writer’s conference… tell people about all the fun and then tell them how they can stay in touch so they don’t miss out next time by inviting them to join your email list.

Serve up Meals in Addition to Snacks

Speaking of email lists... last week I listened to an episode of one of my favorite entrepreneurial podcasts, Online Marketing Made Easy by Amy Porterfield. Her guest, Glo Atanmo was talking about social media posts and how they are like snack food, but the really good stuff, the healthy and satisfying meals were waiting for her followers in her long form content, her blog posts, YouTube videos and enewsletter copy. Glo’s advice was to invite people on social media to follow the breadcrumbs of her posts to her more fulfilling content, where she could really be helpful and impressive. It is through her long form content that she builds a lasting relationship and impact with her readers. I love this, especially since my blog lives at the WordNerdopolis Restaurant called The Blog Buffet! Gotta love it when two good word play analogies jive! Naturally, I followed Glo’s good advice and put this post together.

Alright, that’s it for this week. I hope you are able to take these ideas and implement them on your social media channels to increase your engagement and ultimately, your book sales.

For more help with marketing, check out my course, the Take Action Author Plan. The entire second section, Book Marketing 101, will walk you through over a dozen different ways to market your book. The best part? I include real examples of how I use each strategy. I’m a visual learner, so If I can actually see what it looks like, I can replicate it. I hope the same is true for you!

If you’d like to learn more about how to increase the effectiveness of your social media content, totally check out what my friend Carolyn of Bad Axe Enterprises has to offer. She specializes in marketing help for small midwestern businesses.

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Mightier than the Sword: A Word Nerd Book Review and Author Interview

August 11, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

As a friend of many other writers, I live in close proximity to GREAT books and today’s highlighted title is no exception. If you are looking for a book to inspire change or greatness, a book about the power of words or a simply a beautiful book to place in your classroom library, then Mightier than the Sword is it!

I had a chance to correspond with author Rochelle Melander about this book, her writing process and more. Luckily for you, I’m sharing all of the word nerd goodness that transpired in my blog post today. So grab your favorite beverage, cozy up and get ready to read all about this monumental book. (And then get your online shopping fingers ready because I just know you are going to want to click BUY after hearing all about it!)

Mightier Than the Sword: Rebels, Reformers, and Revolutionaries Who Changed the World through Writing is a middle grade social justice book that tells the stories of historical and contemporary writers, activists, scientists, and leaders who used writing to make a difference in their lives and the world. The stories are accompanied by writing and creative exercises to help readers discover how they can use writing to explore ideas and ask for change. Sidebars explore types of writing, fun facts, and further resources.

BONUS: Download the free activity packet here.

Amanda’s Conversation with Rochelle

I imagine there was a fair amount of research that went into this new book. What kinds of research did you do?

Yes! The book contains 40 profiles and five “interlude” chapters about bigger topics, like creating comic books or writing film scripts. Plus, each chapter has at least two sidebars of additional writers whose work changed the world.

For each chapter, I did at least three layers of research:

I read an overview of each person’s life and the historical period they lived in.
I read a lot about the key incident I was writing about. During this step, I tried to read primary sources.
I read about the impact of their work, often from biographies and academic articles.

After I finished an essay, I went back and reviewed material for more information on a specific topic or to fact check the details.

What kinds of resources did you find most helpful?

For the overviews, I read articles or short books. (Here’s a helpful list of history websites.)

For my deep dives into a person’s life, I tried to read primary sources as much as possible: diaries, letters, and autobiographical essays. It also helped to read sections of biographies, academic articles, and newspaper accounts.

I must admit that Wikipedia was super helpful to me—I was often able to find references and links to original documents from there. Who knew?

Did you have any big challenges when researching?

Time. I had 45 essays to write in just 6 months. I’m a fast writer—I’ve written most of my books in less than 6 weeks—but this book required so much more research. It took me about a month to figure out my process for this book—after that, it went much faster.

Access. I wrote the book during the pandemic, which limited my access to resources. A few days before the library shut down, I checked out 100 books. I was super lucky to have done that—because I couldn’t get new books for a few months. And there was a silver lining: I didn’t have to return those books in 3 weeks—I had them for as long as I wanted. Yay!

Although I work part time at a college, their library didn’t have access to the academic books I needed. I was able to make do with online sites like Internet Archive and Google Books. Plus, I ended up purchasing some books and subscribing to several publications! I was grateful to have the resources to do this.

How did others help you?

Oh my! Where do I start?

When I had a question, I tried to find someone who knew more about the topic than me. When I was confused about how to write about Ibn Battuta, I wrote to Ross E. Dunn—a retired professor who’s a leading scholar on Battuta. He gave me good advice and helped me figure out what to do.

I also had a good editor and several readers, including sensitivity readers, who pointed out places I was making cultural mistakes. This was so helpful to me—because it helped me to see each essay through the reader’s eyes.

What tips do you have for other authors as they research?

Give yourself lots of time. Start earlier than you think you need to, because you know less than you think you do!

Find a way to deal with overwhelm. Every time I started a chapter, I felt overwhelmed. How could I possibly learn all this, find the important bits, and then write it up in 800 words or less? It helped me to break down the process into small steps. Whenever I panicked, I broke down the process into even tinier steps. That helped a lot!

Read secondary sources to get a big picture, but don’t rely on them. (Hint: Children’s biographies are a great resource for getting the big picture. But, you will want to also read adult books, because they go into much more detail about the person or event you’re studying. Plus, adult biographies tend to have many more footnotes, which are key for finding primary sources.)

Get your hands on primary sources! They are filled with so much good information. Yes, you do have to check the facts in these, too. And analyze the cultural factors that went into the document. (Who was the writer writing for? What was their aim? How might that have affected the narrative?)

Question everything. Writers make mistakes. Sometimes they repeat stories that are not true. Double and triple check your facts.

Before you write, learn as much as you can about your subject. That will help you tell a good story. But remember, you don’t have to include every fact you learned! That will just bore your readers. Consider the age of the readers and what information might appeal to them. What’s kid friendly?

Get help. Hire sensitivity readers. Ask friends and family members to read your work to see if it makes sense.

Do you have any final tips for our readers?

Choose projects you’re passionate about and that you believe serve a greater purpose. Passion and purpose will fuel you through the difficult parts of the writing and publishing process. I spent almost two years pitching MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD and received so many rejections. But I stuck with it because I was excited about bringing these stories to young people. I am passionate about serving young writers and encouraging them to use their words to change the world.

Rochelle Melander is a speaker, certified professional coach, and the bestselling author of twelve books, including Level Up: Quests to Master Mindset, Overcome Procrastination and Increase Productivity and the forthcoming children’s book, Mightier Than the Sword: Rebels, Reformers, and Revolutionaries Who Changed the World through Writing Through her writing and coaching, Rochelle Melander helps writers, creatives, and entrepreneurs cope with ADHD, overcome distractions and procrastination, design a writing life, turn their ideas into books, navigate the publishing world, and connect with readers through social media. She is the founder of Dream Keepers, a writing workshop that supports teens in finding their voice and sharing their stories. Visit her online at writenowcoach.com.

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Takeaways from the TpT Forward 2021 Digital Conference

August 04, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

I made a goal at the beginning of the year to increase my monthly Teachers Pay Teachers sales to $500 a month by the end of 2021. Goals are great, but require a certain level of commitment! If you don’t do any work, you can’t expect to make progress, am I right? The first major action I took toward achieving my goal was to sign up for Lauren Thompson’s Teaching Coaching Community: Better Together Experience. Through Lauren’s shared experiences and knowledge, I was able to more than double my monthly earnings (from around $120 to around $250 a month). I’d reached my half way point!

Rather than stop there, I pushed forward again and registered for the Teachers Pay Teachers Digital Conference. I know it’s hard to replace the magic of an in-person conference, but I really appreciated that I could experience and learn all the presenters had to offer from my desk chair without upending my daily life at home. And my-oh-my did I learn a lot! I promise I won’t give away all their goods for free, but do want to share some of the tips and tricks I learned. Also, I’ll be sure to include links to each presenter's platforms so if you see something you’d like to learn more about, you can easily connect with these great educators.

Here are my 8 Takeaways from the TpT Forward 2021 Digital Conference

Product Pricing Tips

Chynell Moore, a growth strategist, shared tips on how to appropriately price your items in the session: Is The Price Right? How to Confidently Price your Products. She used her husband’s experience in real estate to show how to compare your products with other similar items in the TpT Marketplace to land on a fair, yet profitable, price. She told participants to ask themselves this question, “What is everyone else charging for the resources most like yours?” She also encouraged TpT sellers to play around with their price and to dream about their potential profit increases if they’d raise their prices even $.25.

To learn more from Cynell, check her out on Instagram or listen to her podcast: Routine Your Dream. Also, make sure you visit her TpT store for classroom behavior based resources.

Video Marking Ideas

In Kerry Tracey’s Presentation, Video Marketing: From MUTB (Monster Under the Bed) to BFF, I learned all sorts of great tips. I was especially excited about this one because I wanted to learn how I could improve my own YouTube channel’s video content and Kerry didn’t disappoint. The best tip I got from her is that when you are doing a live webinar or hosting a Q&A of any kind, have a few FAQ ready to go so you can avoid that awkward silence and lag time while attendees get up enough courage to virtually “raise their hand” and speak up. Kerry said you can tell participants that some attendees emailed the questions prior to the event, so it doesn’t look like you are making up the questions. One additional tip? Kerry suggested using peel and stick wallpaper to create an engaging (and changeable) background. How fun is that?!?

To learn more from Kerry, including Professional Development training sessions, head over to her website and to check out her TpT store for am amazing array of STEM focused activities.

Email Lists Improvements

Because I have three different email lists (one for teachers, one for writers, and one for readers) I was especially excited for this session, because it would impact all arms of my authorpreneur realm. In her presentation: Build an Email List That Keeps Them Coming Back, Cassi Noack, of Minds in Bloom, pressed the importance of your email list recipients getting to know you. She also gave tips for increasing email responses and engagement. One strategy she mentioned that I’m going to try in my welcome series of emails is to tell them 5 things about me (goes along with my 5 GOOD THINGS for TEACHERS themes) and ask them to respond with the same. Hopefully, if I can make some solid connections with my readers early on, it will increase their participation, readership, purchases later on down the road.

To learn more from Cassi, head to her website to check out her blog, books (yep, she’s an author too!) and teacher freebies! You can also connect with her on social media, or view her resources on TpT here.

Product Thumbnail Images

In the presentation, New Year, New You: Redesigning Your Store For Maximum Impact, educator Kristen Hammond (@thesouthernteach) gave some practical and easy to implement changes to make within your TpT store. One of her suggestions I am definitely going to experiment with is the type of images I show in my product thumbnails. Right now I just show sample pages in those three additional image spots, but Kristen encouraged redoing thumbnails to broadcast highlights or best features of your product. Imagine these slots to now be more like product covers. I’m going to try this out with a few of my product thumbnail images and leave the preview file to do what my thumbnails are currently doing. I’m curious how this goes over and I’ll try to remember to report back with the results in a few months!

Connect with Kristen on Instagram, her website or her Teachers Pay Teachers store. She has so many great things to offer you, including a blog, courses, resources and more.

TpT Data Digestion

Tammy DeShaw, from the Owl Teacher, considers herself a Data Whiz. This was a new area to me when Lauren covered it in her videos, so I’ll confess that I’m a bit of a TpT data rookie. I found Tammy’s insight both fascinating and helpful. For example, she recommended to consider monthly conversion rates not just overall conversion rates when trying to decide if a product was “doing well”. We all know that topics and skills fall into certain months of the school year, so it makes sense that products would have different levels of sales success throughout the year as well. Makes sense… but wasn’t something I thought about, until now. Thanks Tammy!

To learn more fromTammy, head over to her website or instagram profile to connect. You can also check out her TpT store right here.

Instagram

My own Instagram profile is slowly growing. I’m up to almost 800 followers, but this platform is still pretty new to me. I was thrilled when I saw that Michelle Griffo (from Apples and ABC’s) would be giving a presentation titled: Instagram Bootcamp for Teacher-Authors. One takeaway from this session for me was that at least once every nine posts you should personally show up, meaning, YOU, your face, a selfie! Nichelle explained that people are more likely to buy from another person than they are from a big company. They need to get to know you… and not just the “in the classroom” version of you. Another idea from Michelle I’m excited to try is a carousel post for my novel resources showing the full line up of products for each book, highlighting different features and aspects of the resources and really broadcasting that I have everything a teacher will need (outside of the actual books!) to teach a certain novel.

To gain more Insta-knowledge and other educational goodness from Michelle, head over to her IG profile and Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Copywriting

“If you wanna move past being salesy , put teachers’ interests and needs first.” This sentiment was at the heart of Joshua Cabral’s presentation, Compelling Copywriting 8 Essential Skills. He also said to paint a picture for your customers… show them where they WANT to be… in relation to where they currently are. Make that destination appealing and desirable, and they’ll be handing over their cash faster than you can say TpT. In addition to sharing his own knowledge, Joshua doled out tons of amazing book, podcast and information hub recommendations to help teacherpreneurs further their own knowledge on running a successful business. One that I am definitely going to subscribe to is Inbox Besties.

I learned so much from Joshua that I want to book him for one of my writing organizations conferences! :) To learn more from Joshua right now, including his podcast, workshop offerings, resources and more. You can also connect with Joshua on Instagram. Finally, fun fact: portions of Joshua’s earnings on Teachers Pay Teachers helps support his philanthropic work in Nicaragua and Haiti. What a cool guy!

Purposeful Posting

Nicki Dingraudo, AKA, The Sprinkle Topped Teacher, gave me the biggest forehead slap moment of the conference when she asked, “What do you want people to do after seeing your social media post?” And then told us, “Have this in the forefront of your mind as you create your post.” DUH! It seems simple, but how often do we really do that? I appreciated the reminder big time! Rather than feelings like we are throwing content out into the void, remember to do it purposefully. This will increase quality and value, which will in turn increase participation, engagement and eventually, purchases. Thanks Nicki!

To learn more about (and from!) Nicki, head over to her website and check out all she has to offer, including a blog, teaching resources, a free video series and more. Then, travel over to her Teachers Pay Teachers store to finde even more good stuff!

Other great moments

I loved when Stephanie Sutherland creator of The Simple Classroom Blog, said she was a teacher, but a writer at heart! I totally connected with that!

I can’t remember who said it, but one idea was to include reviews from past purchasers in your product description! Yes, teachers can scroll down to the reviews, but what if they don’t?!?! Instead of leaving it up to chance, place one or two super stellar reviews right in front of your buyer.

If you’ve been thinking about starting your own Teachers Pay Teachers store, there’s no time like the present. If you’d like a little help, this PowerPoint walks you through the steps one by one.

Alrighty, that’s a conference wrap! I hope you found some new/helpful/exciting tips and ideas in this blog post. I also hope you have the best school year ever. As always, if there is anything I can do/create/share that would be helpful, please don’t hesitate to send me an email or drop a comment on the blog post. All my best to you!

TEACH ON!

~ Amanda

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Bestselling Books by Author Athlete Olympians

July 28, 2021 by Amanda Zieba

This week, in honor of the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, I want to share with you a handful of books written by Olympians. As a reader, writer and athlete, I love how the concepts of passion, hard work and craft can coalesce in the form of physical pages. If you are wanting to take your Olympic consumption to a deeper level, check out these amazing olympic books by the multitalented humans who have proudly represented the USA in the World’s greatest sporting event. You may think you know Simone Biles, Chris Bosch, Abby Wambach and Greg Louganis… but not like this!

Before we dive into the list, let me say that there are dozens of bestselling books written by (and about) Olympians. The ones I am choosing to highlight are books that are of particular interest to me, caught my eye, or overlap with another personal connection in my life. At the bottom of the post you will find a larger list, along with links to purchase them in you are interested. Please know that buying one of these books through the blog link will give me a small comission (at no additional cost to you). I’ll also get a commission on anything else you put in your cart on that “shopping trip”. Purchasing a book this way is a small and easy way to support me and my dream, so thanks in advance.

And now, on to the books, which are all gold medal worthy!

Chris Bosh, Gold Medal in Basketball (2008 Summer Olympics)

Letters to a Young Athlete - Chris Bosh, NBA Hall of Famer, eleven-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, and the league’s Global Ambassador, had his playing days cut short at their prime by a freak medical condition. His extraordinary career ended not at a time of his choosing but “in a doctor’s office in the middle of the afternoon.” Forced to reckon with how to find meaning to carry forward, he found himself looking back over his path, from a teenager in Dallas who balanced basketball with the high school robotics club to the pinnacle of the NBA and beyond.

Reflecting on all he learned from a long list of basketball legends, from LeBron and Kobe to Pat Riley and Coach K, he saw that his important lessons weren’t about basketball so much as the inner game of success—right attitude, right commitment, right flow within a team. Now he shares that journey, giving us a fascinating view from the inside of what greatness feels like and what it takes, formulated as a series of letters to younger people coming up and to all wisdom seekers. A timeless gift for anyone in pursuit of excellence, Letters to a Young Athlete offers a proven path for taming your inner voice and making it your ally, through the challenges of failure and the challenges of success alike.

Hard work, passion, lessons learned AND basketball? Yes please! You can get your copy here.

Lopez Lmong #10 in 5,000m Run (2012 Summer Olympics) #12 in 1,500m Run (2008 Summer Olympics)

Running for My Life - Lopez Lomong chronicles his inspiring ascent from a barefoot lost boy of the Sudanese Civil War to a Nike-sponsored athlete on the U.S. Olympic Team. Though most of us fall somewhere between the catastrophic lows and dizzying highs of Lomong's incredible life, every reader will find in his story the human spark to pursue dreams that might seem unthinkable, even from circumstances that might appear hopeless.

This book caught my attention because when I taught 7th Grade English Language Arts, we read the book, A Long Walk to Water, a fictionalized (but very accurate) book about the Civil War in Sudan and the resulting disasterous consequences including The Lost Boys. My students were fascinated by the obstacles these boys overcame and I’m interested to read more. To get your copy of Running for My Life, click here. To listen to the first chapter of A Long Walk to Water, click here.

Breaking the Surface_greg lougainis 2.jpg

Greg Louganis Silver Medal in Diving (1976 Summer Olympics) Gold Medals in Diving (184 & 1988 Summer Olympics)

Breaking the Surface - Born to a young Samoan father and Northern European mother, and adopted at nine months, Greg began diving at age nine, and at sixteen won a silver medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. But despite his astonishing athletic skill, Greg struggled with late-detected dyslexia, prejudice toward his dark skin coloring and anguish over his homosexuality, which he felt compelled to hide. Being in the spotlight intensified his difficulties with relationships and substance abuse.

However, Louganis went on to win double gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. His triumph at the 1988 Olympics came several months after he tested positive for HIV. This is the haunting, searingly candid story of the world's greatest diver. To purchase, click here:

P.S. If the title sounds familiar, it’s because i have a YA science fiction novel by the same name, which you can see here. This was my very first solo self-published book, so go easy on me… several typos are included in this fun, eco-focused book.

Alexi Pappas Represented Greece in 2016 Summer Olympics (10,000m Run)

Bravey - When “Renaissance runner” (New York Times) Alexi Pappas—Olympic athlete, actress, filmmaker, and writer—was four years old, her mother died by suicide, drastically altering the course of Pappas’s life and setting her on a search for female role models. When her father signed his bereaved daughter up for sports teams as a way to keep her busy, female athletes became the first women Pappas looked up to, and her Olympic dream was born. At the same time, Pappas had big creative dreams, too: She wanted to make movies, write, and act. Despite setbacks and hardships, Pappas refused to pick just one lane. She put in a tremendous amount of hard work and wouldn’t let anything stand in her way until she achieved all of her dreams, however unrelated they may seem to outsiders. In a single year, 2016, she made her Olympic debut as a distance runner and wrote, directed, and starred in her first feature film.

But great highs are often accompanied by deep lows; with joy comes sorrow. In Bravey, Pappas fearlessly and honestly shares her battle with post-Olympic depression and describes how she emerged on the other side as a thriving and self-actualized woman. Unflinching, exuberant, and always entertaining, Bravey showcases Pappas’s signature, charming voice as she reflects upon the touchstone moments in her life and the lessons that have powered her career as both an athlete and an artist—foremost among them, how to be brave.

I was excited to read this book because Alexi pursued both sports and writing in college. I connected with her decision to try many things and loved the lessons I learned from her insightful memior. Potential Trigger Warning: there are a few graphic details from Alexi’s life. If mental illness, depression, suicide or self harm are triggers for you, try another one of the books on this list. But if you’d like to give it a try, you can pick up your copy here.

Abby Wambach 2 Gold Medals in Soccer (Summer Olympics 2004 and 2012)

Forward - Abby Wambach has always pushed the limits of what is possible. At age seven she was put on the boys’ soccer team. At age thirty-five she would become the highest goal scorer—male or female—in the history of soccer, capturing the nation’s heart with her team’s 2015 World Cup Championship. Called an inspiration and “badass” by President Obama, Abby has become a fierce advocate for women’s rights and equal opportunity, pushing to translate the success of her team to the real world.

As she reveals in this searching memoir, Abby’s professional success often masked her inner struggle to reconcile the various parts of herself: ferocious competitor, daughter, leader, wife. With stunning candor, Abby shares her inspiring and often brutal journey from girl in Rochester, New York, to world-class athlete. Far more than a sports memoir, Forward is gripping tale of resilience and redemption—and a reminder that heroism is, above all, about embracing life’s challenges with fearlessness and heart.

I am not a soccer fan, but through my exposure to Abby through her wife’s (Glennon Doyle’s) book and social media platforms, I’ve come to respect her as a totally amazing human. And even though I do not even enjoy watching soccer, I want to read this book. To get your copy, click here.

Simone Biles, 4 Gold Medals (2016 Summer Olympics)

Courage to Soar - Simone Biles’ entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, along with drive to succeed no matter the obstacle, are what brought her to the national spotlight during the Olympic Games and have catapulted her ever since—including 25 World Championship medals. But there is more to Simone than her accomplishments.

In this book Simone shares how she has relied on her faith and family to stay focused and positive, the ways she’s continued competing at the highest level and having fun doing what she loves, a behind-the-scenes looks at gymnastics events, including the Olympics, he events and challenges that carried her from an early childhood in foster care to a coveted spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Along the way, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story—one filled with daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams. Get your copy here.

I couldn’t create this list and not include the G.O.A.T. I am waiting with baited breath to see her (and the other three amazing US gymnasts chosen to represent our country) compete on the Olympic stage. Speaking of gymnastics… as a former gymnast, I see many similarities between being an athlete and being a writer. In fact, I once gave an entire presentation at a writer’s conference on the topic called The Writer’s Workout: The Athletics of Writing.