I'm Back...

It's been a while..

I never meant to take another writing break, but I have so many other responsibilities now that writing had to go onto the back burners. Luckily, I seem to have gotten into the habit of making notes of my ideas on my phone, scraps of paper, and on the back of really important receipts.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak at the moment, I shouldn't leave my home.
Not that I was going to.. Either way, now there is time to write.
I have far too many WIPS and some of them are projects that need to be destroyed to prevent another human ever setting eyes on them.
As I said, time to write, means I will attempt to have up to an hour a day doing what I can to get another book out.
One of my aims was 10 books before 30. At the minute I'm on 7, pretty impressive, but I have less than 3 years to get 3 things worthy of the public eye. That's a book a year.

I have time, I got this..
Stay safe and sensible, readers!

Is There Any Point In Reading To Your Newborn?

Newborns are only able to see in high contrast for a while, they don't know what's going on around them, and their eye muscles are not strong enough to focus yet. So is there any point of introducing literature to them? Because in reality, the first few weeks they only feed, toilet and sleep...

My daughter was three days old when she had her first story time. The book was a contrast picture book and 8 pages long. She's too young to even know what a book is, nevermind what the storyline was, but she was happy to sit with her father and watch him turn the pages as he read aloud. She was comfortable, she was interested, she was content.
She has since had several story times, with board books, paperbacks and even the newspaper. It doesn't matter what you read to them, as long as you're reading aloud and showing them where the story is coming from.

The benefits of reading to little ones consist of: allowing them to learn your voice, exposing them to new vocabulary, bonding over a relaxing activity, teaching them that books are an enjoyable experience, and showing them worlds they don't have around them. Children can sense the excitement in your voice as you read - especially if you put on funny voices for dialogue.

These days reading aloud is something that is being actively promoted - if children see grown ups doing it, they'll think it's just what we do - and therefore they will not feel put out when having to speak or read to an audience themselves. It's a skill even adults often struggle with.

Read aloud and proud!

You're their favourite person in the world and you're sparking an interest in reading. Reading with your littlie is a safe, comfortable activity, one that newborns can get involved with - because let's face it, they can't do much else and reading is a skill they'll have to tackle when they're older.
I've worked with young children, and they love story time. All they have to do is sit and listen, and they're imagination does the hard work. If it's escapism for adults, it's the same for little ones.

So yes, reading to a newborn is a must!

End Of Writing Hiatus!

I'm back!

Well, nearly. I'm a parent now, so I can't work as much as I used to, but I will be writing up ideas and updating my blog at least once a month. If I manage to get into a good balance, it'll be more!
Time away has made me see where my bread is buttered, and although I will be engaging in many different writing exercises, I've decided that children's books is where I thrive.
With the lovely feedback from the Charlie Cheese Books series, and reviews of The Macroodelzig, I cannot see where else to focus my time.

However, I will continue to expand my writing talents by creating more comedy, poetry, screenplays etc, as I enjoy doing all I can to make work I'm proud of, it just won't be promoted as much as any children's stories I'll write - It's an excuse to finish the mountain of unfinished projects I have on the go. I think my main focus will be children's books - but that doesn't mean I won't ever publish another poetry book, or eventually get around to filming my ideas. (God help me, I will film something if it kills me!).

I have a little one now,  so I'll be writing to entertain her - which means lots more children's books will be coming soon! It's good to be back!

Meet The Author

I thought I'd make a 'Meet The Author' post for whilst I'm on my writing break. I hope it makes for an interesting read and I'll be back as soon as I can! You can follow me on Twitter: @beffyparkin or Instagram: @thebeffyparkin if you fancy.

Do you use a Pen Name?
- Yes. 'Beffy' is my nickname, I gained it when working with small children as it's easier (and more fun to say) than my actual name, and 'Parkin' is my maiden name. I answer to my pen name more than I do my legal name!
What do you write?
- Children's books mostly, I have released four story books into the wild. But I have tried to expand my creative writing, I also dabble in poetry, screenplays, jokes, short horror stories, stand up comedy sets, and I'm working on a novel.
Do you base characters on real people?
- I have a few WIPs that have characters that are loosely based on people I know. I find  real life characters make the best book characters, even if it's just aspects of their personality.
What does literary success look like to you?
- I'm aiming to have 10 books out by the time I'm 30. I already have 6 books available to the public, so I'm nearly there. I like having my name on things, so the more books, the better!
Do you read your book reviews?
- Definitely, someone took the time to read one of my books and leave feedback, I'm happy to hear opinions on my work, positive or negative.
Do you Google yourself?
- I have done in the past, mostly to find where my books are available to purchase - I don't get updates for this, so I have to hunt them down myself.
How many hours a day do you write?
- I write as much as I can before burning out. I try to set time aside to write, but if I'm not feeling creative, it's not happening. I don't force it too much, it'll render the exercise pointless.
What are you working on?
- I have lots of unfinished writing projects, such as poetry, short stories and comedy. I can't wait to come back and get working on them again! Time away has worked well for me, so I'm happy to put pins in work.
What are the titles of your children's books?
- My Charlie Cheese Books have three books so far, Don't Eat Charlie Cheese, Charlie Cheese Travels The World, and Charlie Cheese And The Food Dance. I also have a book inspired by my naughty, little dog called The Macroodelzig. There will be more!
Where can we find your books?
- My children's books are available on many websites, Waterstones, Barnes and Noble, Booktopia, Amazon, etc.
Do you give out creative writing advice?
- My blog is riddled with advice, tips and experiences of creative writing. I will try most things to expand my creative writing abilities, so I'm happy to talk about them.
What's your top tip for an aspiring writer?
- Respect the reviews and feedback you get for your work - people put time aside to read what you put out there, so you should return the favour! It will only improve your work.
When will you be blogging again?
- I'm hoping to get a routine going where I have a few hours a week to write properly, and update my blog. I'm winging it, so it could be any time!
How can you be contacted in the meantime?- I'm going to be less active but I will try to check my Twitter/Instagram as often as I can - You can fill in the contact form on this blog if you're querying and I'll respond as soon as.

Novel Research : What Are Other Indies Up To?

I've only mentioned 'research' when I first started my novel - which is still nowhere near finished, please don't question it - and when I discovered you can use it as an excuse to take lots of trips and your husband has to be supportive...

Whilst being more involved with the Twitter's writing community, I've noticed a few patterns and themes within people's queries or pitches. Young Adult and Sci-Fi seems to be what people are looking for / writing themselves.

And I have no idea how to write YA fiction, and I worry too much about plot holes in Sci-Fi stories to even attempt - so as you can see it's off to a good start.
The second most popular genre I've found is Fantasy. I can't write that either.
I cannot for the life of me get into fantasy, books nor television, my brain just doesn't accept it.

BUT - if all of these other indie authors are writing YA, Sci-Fi and Fantasy, then why would mine stand out? Why shouldn't I jump on the band wagon? Shouldn't I be working on something else entirely to distance myself from already popular genres?
YES, I should.
Right, I'm almost out of options. Lots of indies are strong with Sci-Fi or Fantasy. So, the best thing I can do is play to my strengths. I can write comedy, so that's the direction I'll send my novels in. It's always good to stand out - especially if you'll be out of your depth if you attempt something you're not knowledgeable about.

Do your research! It's good to know what's popular with other indies, so you can decide if you're diving in with them, or stepping back to rethink.
The writing community is very friendly so making a query will not go unheard!

4am Creative Writing

Being woken up at 4am isn't always fun. Who are we kidding, it's never fun being woken up, no matter what time it is!

Unfortunately, this is quite frequent these days, so I put my time to good use. I have been spending the early hours of the morning writing! Poetry, story ideas, and for the first time in a while - a complete children's story. I managed to write a full rhyming story in the hour and a half I was rudely awoken. When I woke up at a reasonable hour, I sent off the note to my beta reader ( ... my poor unsuspecting husband!) and had some good feedback.

No typos, no plotholes, no confusion.
How on earth did I do that when my brain doesn't want to work?

The story is called, 'Do Your Homework, Sally Dean!', I'm hoping to sit on it for a until the end of the year, or the beginning of next year, then release it - but I know for a fact I'm going to be overly excited and try to publish it as soon as I have the finances! (If you see me promoting a book with that title in a few months, call me out!)
I am making sure I put a pin in all future ideas and notes - they will either become future writing projects, or something to reflect on and wonder how I got anything at all done on so little sleep.

The Macroodelzig - Where To Find One!

The Macroodelzig has been out for a while now, which means the book is available in more stores! Hooray!
Along with the fabulous online feedback, I've spoken with many people who really enjoyed the story, artwork and the message of the book. I'm so happy with the response I've had, and I am grateful that people are willing to set time aside to read my book and write up a little review. Please leave a review if you can, it really helps indie authors out.
The book is now out in the world, and you can grab a copy from all corners of the world. Here's a list of online websites and bookstores that stock the book:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Booktopia

Bokus

Foyles

If you spot a copy of the book in the wild, don't be shy, let me know so I can update this post!
Happy book hunting!

Finding Feedback - The Struggle

It's fairly difficult to source your own book bloggers for feedback, and being an indie only makes it worse. Here's how I went about finding people willing.

I had to contact people on several different social media sites to find people willing to fit my work in to their busy To Be Read list.
You can't expect people to drop what they're doing to deal with you.
The people I spoke to were writers, bloggers, book reviewers, parents and carers, and people who enjoy children's literature, and fortunately, I managed to get some feedback.

Some of the feedback I received were posted on the social media that I had contacted them on, so I had featured on their Instagram stories, was retweeted on Twitter, and the cover of my book reposted on Tumblr. Not all feedback comes to Amazon - that's why you have to share their feedback on your own, as others may not see it. It's always good to request that they share their comments on Amazon, if they can, bonus, if they can't, it doesn't matter, they've spent time giving your work feedback, so you should take the time thanking them, sharing their words, and returning the favour if possible.

Don't go into thinking that people owe you anything. Yes, you have a new book. Yes, it's super exciting. Yes, the people you contact do this for a living. It doesn't mean they read your genre, or they prefer books that aren't indie, or they just don't have time - some people make a living from reviews, and therefore would expect a payment for their time. If you cannot pay them - don't ask them. I don't pay for reviews, as I feel you'd want more bang for your buck, and expect a glowing review as your hard earned money went towards it - which may not be completely honest or reflective of your work.

Top tip: Do not expect the review to be perfect and sparkly, they see your work in a different light and will point out the flaws, imperfections, and will inform you of their opinion - it's honest work, and it's better to hear the truth from someone who has built a career on book reviews, than to be told it's amazing and that feedback being useless to you.

Indie Writer : Dealing With Imposter Syndrome

I've posted twice about experiencing imposter syndrome. There's genuinely a horrible feeling of playing pretend when you're trying to follow your dreams and getting nowhere fast.
I've seen a few people posting about it in the Twitter Writing Community, which is comforting to know I'm not the only one, but it's also awful knowing that so many talented people feel like this when it comes to writing.

It can come in different forms, feeling like you're not being taken seriously as a writer, looking at your own work and thinking it's absolute rubbish, thinking your work will be overlooked because you're 'a nobody', or even when looking for writing jobs and not applying because you're not a household name.

Writing is hard, it always has been and it always will be - and unfortunately, Imposter Syndrome seems to follow not far behind whenever you start a writing project.
Yet, it's not permanent. Whenever I get excited that work was accepted, or I run with a new idea, or when a project is finished, it goes. Know it's not forever, it never shows it's face when you're on an up - I know it's often a long time between good news, but point stands, enthusiasm seems to curb the idea you're an imposter.
Chin up, crack on, and understand it's temporary.

My Impending Writing Hiatus..

It's hard to come to terms with the fact that my writing will have to go on the back burner for a while!

I've had my whole pregnancy free to write whatever I want and try new writing styles, so it'll be strange not getting up, grabbing a pen and cracking on! I'm coming to the end of my pregnancy and in a few months, I'll have a new priority.

I'm swapping notebooks for nappies! How exciting!

I will be making an effort to write as and when I can - but I have a feeling my ideas will be recorded as voice notes, rather than quick sticky note scribbles. I don't want to lose my interest in writing, and I'm excited to juggle raising my child, and follow my career goals - you can have both.

I'm hoping to set a little time aside when I feel comfortable to get some new ideas down or rediscover my WIPs. I've been making an effort lately to draft some blog posts, so if I do get a spare moment, I'll at least be able to keep my blog as active as possible.

This is the good thing about putting a pin in projects!
I have some work projects to come back to - and since it'll be a while in the future, I'll have fresh eyes - which has worked well for me in the past!

The Macroodelzig - Feedback

The Macroodelzig has been out for one whole week! Argh!

Before the book launch on March 13th, I had been in contact with a few writers, reviewers and bloggers to request some feedback on The Macroodelzig. Luckily, those people are amazing and have helped me promote the book - even if they didn't have time to write something up before the launch, or had a to-be-read list longer than their arms - they shared the book cover on their Instagram stories, retweeted about the book, or wrote a little opinion piece on the story. Thank you so much!
Here's some quotes:

"It’s an uplifting tale that reminds us how being different or quirky doesn’t mean we’re no good, and how there is always someone out there on your wavelength who will ‘get you’ and who will show you their love." - Fran Grant |

"Y'all, this children's book has to be one of the most adorable and creative stories I've read! ... It was really cute and I enjoyed how different it was from anything I had read" - Nataliesbooktalk |

"I think for older readers they will get the message about acceptance , that you don't always have to fit in with the norm ... Beautiful little story will read more from this author" - Amazon Review |

"This is exactly the kind of book that needs to be distributed in primary schools ... It cleverly covers everything from body image, individuality, acceptance, breaking convention and normalising same sex parents whilst keeping it fun.." - Debbie's Bookshelf |

"My four year old loved this book. It is Julia Donaldsonesque but funnier and with a nice moral undertone." - Amazon Review |

Grab the book and see for yourself! HERE or HERE

My Book Aims

I genuinely didn't expect to have more books than Don't Eat Charlie Cheese.
I was 22 years old when I crafted the Charlie Cheese character, I was working in a pre-school, didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with my life, but I thrived making up rhymes and funny characters with the children and my co-worker (now best friend!). On my break, I used to make notes on scraps of paper or tissues I'd find in my pockets. It was exciting and sparked my interest in writing.

I would never think that 5 years later I'd have two more Charlie Cheese books, a memoirs comedy book, a poetry book and a new children's book.

It's such a wild achievement, and it's incredible to see my hard work being enjoyed by others. I am delighted I found such enjoyment with making stories, and decided that this is the future I'd see myself being happy having.
I believe I've done incredibly well in regards to getting my writing career off to a running start, although I hate feeling like I'm boasting or showing off, I do feel proud about this. I'd like to set myself new aims when it comes to books - rather than writing challenges.

My book aims are:

- Release 10 books by the time I'm 30. (Borderline impossible, but let's give it a go!)
AND
- Finish my novel. I don't have a deadline for this, but I'll be happy when it's complete.

My First Author Interview!

I was recently contacted to take part in an interview to talk about being a children's author, and of course I was happy and excited to answer the questions!
The interview was for International Book Promotion and it was the January Children's Author edition, the interview was alongside 11 other authors.
Here's the full interview:

1. What is your source of ideas for a new book? Ideas can come from anywhere, whilst doing the most boring activities in the world! It could be from a mispronounced word that sounds like a fun character's name.

2. How do you come up with names for characters? Naming the characters is lots of fun. They can be bizarre and wonderful names, or names that everyone knows, as long as it suits that character.

3. How much time do you write in a day? I put at least five hours aside each day to write, but as I said, ideas can come from anywhere, so I may be making notes in the middle of the night when I've got a busy brain!

4. Is there a lot of material that you have written that never gets published? I do have a fair amount of material that is just scribbly notes! Too much! Sometimes I leave notes and come back to them at a later date, and sometimes I feel that those ideas are no longer relevant and can be left out of publishing.

5. What age group do you target? My Charlie Cheese Books are aimed at 2 - 7 year olds, as the rhyming story and colourful and wacky images appeal to the younger children, and the older children are exposed to more complex vocabulary as well as a fun story. I am releasing a book in the very near future called The Macroodelzig, it contains an exciting rhyming story which again gives children exposure and the opportunity to learn new words.

6. How do you promote your books? I have no pennies to make lovely big billboards, although that would be nice! I have to promote the books by going into local schools to talk to children, or write about the books on my social media accounts. It would be amazing if word-of-mouth promoted the books better, as I have had a lot of lovely verbal feedback from parents in person!

7. What do you think of video bloggers or You Tubers who promote books? I think video bloggers and book vloggers are amazing at expressing their passion for literature! It's lovely to see people are excited about books and are wanting to talk about them.

8. Children's books have improved over the years and there are books that discusses on sexual education, cancer awareness and gender equality. Do you think these topics are too much for children to learn? I think more mature or real-life topics should be included in children's books - the younger they get familiar with real-life issues, the better an understanding they will have. Some topics are normal in some families, so if it's included in books that everyone reads, then it just shows it as a normal family life - which is what some children will relate to.

9. How do you think your work is different from the other children's books? I feel my books are different as they include some weird and wonderful characters, they are unique and it's good to be different!

10. Name one children's book you would totally recommend to parents and kids, and why? It'll have to be Dr. Seuss' The Lorax - it has a wonderful meaning behind it, and the story is fabulous. I love Dr. Seuss myself, my favourite is Cat In The Hat!

11. What are you aspirations, as a children's book author? I very much enjoy writing and seeing little ones reading my work - I first started making stories when working in a pre-school, so making up wonderfully weird stories always made the children smile, which helped spark an interest in books - win win!

12. If there is one thing children's books should focus on improving, what would that be? Children's books definitely need to be more diverse! There's so many cultures and backgrounds in this world that need more representation in children's literature and picture books. The more children are exposed to diversity, the more they can understand the world around them!

I hope you enjoyed reading my first interview, I am happy to do more! Fill in the contact form at the bottom of the blog if you would like to interview me!

Amazon Bestseller : The Maths

Ever wanted to work out how books reach the Top 100 on Amazon? They have a Best Sellers Ranking system which gives each book a number - this number changes with reviews, sales, and other books being added on to the Amazon website. So, I was wondering what it would take to hit the Top 100 from standing...

My best sellers ranking (at the minute) is 130,706.
So, I would need to have at least 130,606 reviews or sales within a limited period - as I said, if more books are added the book can be knocked back. (ARGH!)
I have approx. 450 Facebook friends, and 750 Twitter followers.
Providing there is no cross over with accounts, that's 1,200 people - so even if they purchased the book or left a review, it wouldn't scratch the surface. To smash this realistically, you'll need the best advertising and promotional team going - but who has the money for this?

It's near impossible - in my opinion - for an indie author, to promote, advertise and even know enough people to have them ALL help accomplish this goal.
I'm still attempting to boost the ranking number - for a personal achievement / for fun - it gives me something to work towards with this book.
The ranking doesn't mean the content of the book is no good - don't forget this!

Want to try and help bump my number up?
Grab The Macroodelzig on Amazon now!

The Macroodelzig - Out Now!

The book is finally out in the world, and I cannot be happier! I've spent a lot of time and energy getting feedback, making promotional posts, and attempting to advertise the book as much as possible this month.

The Macroodelzig is only available from two websites at the moment, but I will make a seperate post of all of the online bookstores in the near future.

Please follow the hashtag, #TheMacroodelzig, on social media and give some feedback on Amazon as and when you can - that would be amazing!

Where to grab the book early:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

The Macroodelzig - Super Sneaky Snippet!

I just had to make a small, flick through video to promote my children's book, The Macroodelzig!

It's very short, but it shows the amazing artwork - by Tommings - and this is the first sneak preview video I've ever made, so I love it!

Please give it a view / share / like / comment etc! The book is coming soon, so let's hype it up!

> > The Macroodelzig Sneak Preview < <

World Book Day 2019

It's that time again! Happy World Book Day!
As a treat I thought I'd honour the hashtag, #ShareAStory.

This year I haven't dressed up, as my baby bump limits some costumes, so this is the next best thing - I am sharing some lines from my first book, Don't Eat Charlie Cheese! Hooray!

Happy reading!

 Charlie Cheese has lots of jobs,
he is a very busy slice.

His bosses try to eat him, though,
they've tried to once or twice.

Charlie went to be a chef, he had to cook a roast.

The chef took out a slice of bread..

"I am not for toast!"

Charlie had a little sulk,
they don't know how he felt!

Charlie started crying,
and then began to melt!

Finish the story and fill in the gaps by grabbing your own copy - search 'Don't Eat Charlie Cheese' on google now!

How To Support Indies - FOR FREE!

Not a bad deal, is it?
Imagine having lots of means of supporting your friend's dream, without having to spend a penny!
Well, you can - and you should!

What you can do to help indie authors:
Review the books on Amazon / Like their Facebook page / Share news posts / Share images of their work / Like their posts / Invite your friends to their social media pages / Ask for the books to be stocked at your local library / Ask your local bookstores to stock the books / Talk about their work on your own social media / Tell your other friends about them.

What you can do to help indie illustrators:
Like their social media pages / Like the artwork that they post / Share and comment on images they share / Invite your friends to their social media pages / Talk about their work to your other friends / Recommend them to people looking for artists / Share and credit their work on your own social media platforms / Create fan art and tag the original artist / Attend exhibitions or shows they may put on.

All. For. Free!

Are Amazon Book Reviews Important?

Well, are they?

I try to review everything I purchase on Amazon - even if I don't write much, I'll leave some stars.

My children's book series is available on Amazon, but unfortunately, it doesn't have many reviews. I have had to request that customers leave a review in the past, as not everyone does give feedback on Amazon. It's not like I'm asking for great reviews, because that's not the case, and the review would then be null and void for other people checking the books out. I am looking for honest feedback which accurately reflects people's opinions on the books - as this can make or break, and is valid to me.

I do think reviews are important, in a way.
I have had amazing feedback on social media sites, via email, or in person - but they are private reviews and not seen by possible readers, which limits me.
Word of mouth is also incredible to get the news out, but it's not often people find themselves in a discussion about moustache sporting cheese men...

If you do have one of the books, please, please, leave some honest Amazon feedback /
Thanks in advance!

Don't Eat Charlie Cheese

Charlie Cheese Travels The World

Charlie Cheese And The Food Dance

Writing Outside Your Comfort Zone

Before I started pushing myself to try writing new things, I stuck to what I knew, unknowingly limiting my writing. I recently started my novel, and I absolutely love it!
I like to challenge myself when it comes to creative writing, as it gives you experience, expands your abilities, and you could find something you're happy to do forever.

I felt nervous starting my novel - I didn't know where to start, and felt inadequate.
I mean, I went from writing short stories and poetry, to throwing myself into a massive project - I wasn't qualified to do this!
Well, I am, and I'm glad I made a start.

I'm only just coming to terms with the fact my anxiety makes me feel like I am limiting myself as a creative, or that I'm an imposter and I've no idea what I'm doing.
I know for a fact, though, this is my dream job - so I need to ensure I reach this by leaving my comfort zone more often! It allows you to move in the right direction, without forcing too much pressure on yourself.