Top Five Mistakes I've Made in Marketing My Books

I'm getting ready to publish my fifth Wyatt the Wonder Dog picture book!  It's always exciting to be at the end point of publishing a book but it really is just the beginning of marketing something new.  I've made plenty of mistakes in marketing...some of them very recently.  But I always try to learn something from them, so I want to share some of the biggest mistakes I've make and the insights I've learned. 

#1.  Not Critiquing/Editing my Work - This is huge and yet I know how hard it is to ask for and accept an honest opinion on something that you have put your heart and soul into.  Sometimes it feels almost like asking someone to give you advice on your own child, then getting your feelings hurt when they tell you that you've got a brat on your hands. However, as the writer, we are just too close to the material to adequately review what we've written.  Author, Terry Kay says you need two types of critique partners:  one who is brutally honest and one who loves your work unconditionally. Make sure you find one of each to steer you on the journey.

#2.  Not Clarifying Your Ideal Customer:  Especially when you write a children's book, it's easy to think that you can just promote your book anywhere that there might be parents hanging out.... and isn't that just about everywhere?  The truth is you need to clearly identify who is your audience and then establish a presence in that market. Knowing your ideal customer means you know everything about them.  What are their interests?  What age are they?  What are the problems/stressors that they deal with everyday?  Where do they shop?   Just because a lot of parents take their kids to a festival, does not mean they will be interested in buying a book while they are there.  On the other hand, a Christmas bazaar at the local church where there are lots of women buying Christmas presents, might just be the ideal place. 

# 3.  Not Educating the Potential Customer About the Benefits of the Book:  Most of us just expect our readers to know how great a book is intuitively.  After all we've spent so much time writing and rewriting the story, we could recite it by heart.  Don't expect that everyone else is equally engaged.  Do they know  how it can change kids lives?  Do they know how funny, touching, clever the story line is?  Do they know about the free activity guide, lesson plan and discussion questions in the back and the numerous freebies that you've incorporated into the website?  Expecting potential customers to find you and your book and then beat a path to your door without educating them first about the value is like expecting to find a needle in a haystack...without even looking.

#4  Not Consistently Engaging Your Readers--too many first time writers focus intently on getting their book into print on Amazon and then sit back waiting for the big bucks to roll in.  If that was your approach, I bet you are still waiting... To effectively market your book, you need to think like a marketer all the time.  That doesn't mean you turn into the sleazy salesperson you hate.  It means that you look for opportunities to share your book, establish relationships and nurture your readers, even when you haven't just launched a book.  You can do this in numerous ways;  a blog, an email list or an ezine, but make sure that you are thinking like a marketer 24/7. 

Want to help me with choosing the title to my newest book?  Check out the poll in the sidebar and vote for your favorite!

Join the Wyatt tribe and help me with launching my newest book.  You can sign up here!!  www.wyatthewonderdog.com

Stay tuned for the newest Wyatt book...Coming the first of June!!!

 

 

The Top Five Questions about Self-Publishing

I get a lot of questions from writers who are interested in self-publishing their book.  I've been self-publishing books since 2010 and I still remember that first year when I felt so lost and unsure of how to start and what path to follow.  Here are the top five questions I get from aspiring authors:

1. Where can I find an illustrator for my book?  Sometimes you can ask people that you know.  I found an illustrator by asking art teachers at the school where I work.  There are other possibilities though.  Online you can use https://www.odesk.com/ or https://www.elance.com/ find an illustrator.  Another possibility is checking with the art department of a high school or college to see if there is a student that would be willing to illustrate your book.  
2. Who do you use to publish your books?  At the present time I use Createspace which is through Amazon.  I have used various other online publishers but the most economical and user friendly is definitely Amazon.  It is fast, customer service is available 24/7 and the quality is equal to anything else I have tried.  There is an affiliate link in the sidebar of this page.
3. What do I need to consider when choosing a publisher?
• What is their customer service like?  Can you contact them in the evenings and on weekends?
• Do they charge extra to make additions and changes?
• Do they provide additional services such as formating or illustration?  What does it cost? 
• What will the final cost be to you to purchase books? 
• Will they obtain the ISBN number or copyright for you?
• Can you obtain a proof prior to giving the final okay printing?
4. Are there other options for publishing books besides online publishers?  If you are going to be selling your books yourself, perhaps as part of seminars or workshops that you do, you might want to consider getting your book printed by a local printer.  If you chose this route, you will need to obtain the ISBN number yourself and have someone format the book for publishing. 
5. Where do I get an ISBN number?  If you use an online publisher like Createspace, they will purchase and provide the ISBN number for you.  If you are going to actually print the book yourself using perhaps a local printer, you will need to pay for and obtain your own ISBN number.  Here's the link  You can buy one or several ISBN numbers at a time.  It is more economical to buy several which is what I did.  When you are ready to use them, you just go back into the site and add the title and other information about the work. 

Well there you have it.  The top five questions I get most often about self-publishing.  Would you add anything to the list?  What have you learned self-publishing?

Check out my website for the Wyatt the Wonder Dog Books:

http://wyatthewonderdog.com/

 

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Book Launch Week for Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving: Reduced Price and Bonuses!!

I'm so excited!!!  My newest Wyatt book is out and although I'm a little biased, I think it is one of the best ones yet!!!  Here it is:

Generosity and gratitude have come a popular topic in recent years and I teach several lessons on generosity in my role as a guidance counselor at a school.  One of my favorite stories about gratitude comes from a teacher who told me about a student in her classroom. "He is such a wonderful and polite boy," she said. "Every day when he leaves my class he says, 'Thank you for teaching me today." That student is always a reminder to me to express my gratitude to others in my life on a regular basis.

The Story Behind Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving

In a society where a feeling of entitlement is commonplace, it is refreshing to meet children and adults who express gratitude and generosity.  When I began writing the story, Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving, I wanted to help children understand the power of being generous and giving, no matter one's age or economic status.  Some of the most generous people are not necessarily the wealthiest.  Mother Teresa or Nelson Mandela are examples of people who have given their lives in service to others.

When Wyatt's story begins, he is concerned about how long he has to wait until Christmas and what gifts he will receive.  However, by the end of the story, Wyatt understands that his ability to be giving to others is a more important concern. It really is more blessed to give than to receive!

My Gratitude List

What if we all made sure to notice the people in our lives and thanked them for their contributions, everyday? What if everyday we made sure to notice the many blessings in our lives and thanked God for the abundant life we have? I think this is a life changing concept. Firstly, it encourages those around us. Secondly, this positive attitude on our part is actually encouraging to the giver as well as the receiver.  An attitude of gratitude not only empowers those that we thank, but it also changes us. When we are grateful and express that, it changes our focus. We develop a positive attitude. We are strengthened and motivated. We are encouraged.

There are many people that I appreciate in my life and here are just a few:

• Wyatt's creative layout editor: Sammy Sudbury.  He puts up with constant changes and additions without a single complaint!! AND he does a fabulous job..
• Wyatt's illustrator, Pam Gardner.  Every book we do together is more creative and imaginative.  I am in awe of her vision and talent.
• Neil Scott-Barbour, the British Voice Talent who volunteered his time to read the latest Wyatt story and produce a professional audio for the latest book.  He is amazing!
• Andy Traub who taught an amazing class on self-publishing and marketing. I learned so much!
• The Wyatt Insiders' group that provided me with great feedback during the publishing of the book.
• Friends and family who provide support and encouragement always.  
• YOU-my faithful readers! 

Wyatt Learns about Giving is Loaded with Bonuses!

 

I hope you will consider purchasing Wyatt the Wonder Dog Learns about Giving for the children in your life.  Each copy comes loaded with bonuses!  There is a free audio download of the story read by British Voice Talent, Neil Scott-Barbour. Other bonuses include:

• A discussion guide
• A coloring sheet for the kiddos
• Directions for how to make a Christmas countdown paper chain
• A template for a Christmas coupon book
• A lesson plan for the educator

Finally, if you purchase the book between Sunday, October 23rd through Sunday, November 3,  the price is discounted on Amazon for both the book and the kindle format.  Many thanks!!

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And the Winner of the Wyatt Bag of Books is.....

Do you recognize the bag that Katy Wheeler is holding in her hands?  Yep, that's the bag full of Wyatt books that I gave away at the Foxtale Emerging Author Book Event on Friday August 2!  What an exciting event this turned out to be. 

Eleven authors with books of all genres:  children's books, mystery, fantasy, romance.  You could find it all at Foxtale Book Shoppe, the gracious and entertaining host.  I met new friends, (even another author whose last name was Watts) and saw old friends that I haven't seen in several years. 

We talked about writing and how to publish books. We shared resources and ideas.  There were visitors looking for a great read and visitors who had a dream of writing a book themselves.   

Being part of an event at Foxtale Books was really a dream come true for me.  When I began my research on book signing events at the beginning of the summer, I started attending as many events as I could at Foxtale.  They definitely know how to set the stage, create buzz and host a quality evening.  It is a warm, friendly and encouraging atmosphere.  In the past, I was part of the audience.  What an honor this time to be at the podium with the opportunity to talk about my dream of becoming a writer and reinventing my career around that goal. A really big THANK YOU to Foxtale for creating and hosting the event. 

What is a dream or goal that you would like to make a reality?  Join me TODAY for a free webinar on The Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting!  You can sign up here:
http://webinars.acalledwoman.com/goal-setting-webinar/

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How Do You Self Publish a Book?

A friend of mine is on the verge of completing a book and asked for advice as he begins to navigate the tricky waters of self-publishing. I was happy to comply because I remember asking many of the same questions about four years ago as I began my self-publishing journey.   No matter where you are in publishing your work, whether it's a distant possibility or your manuscript is ready to go, there is a lot to think about. 

Build a Platform

The first and most important piece of the equation is to build a platform for marketing yourself and your work.  As Dan Miller of 48 Days To The Work You Love says, writing and getting your work published is 10% of the work.  Marketing and establishing a platform is 90%.  You can't get started too early.  Starting a blog and/or a website is often a good way to begin getting your name out there.  Don't worry initially about traffic. Just start writing about what you are passionate about which hopefully is what your book is about as well.  Later you can be concerned with building an audience or following.  You just want to get something going in the beginning.

Develop a Niche

Part of building a platform is developing your corner of the world.  I personally consider this an ongoing process, however the sooner you can narrow it down the better.  Don't try to be all things to all people.  Don't write one week about raising children and the next about gardening, unless of course you want to start a blog about gardening with children.  Zero in on the specific interest or subject that you are most passionate about, most knowledgable about or at the very least the area you are learning about.  This is your area of expertise.

Research Your Options 

Online Publishing

Do you want to go with an online publisher who will do everything for you?  They will format the copy, provide someone to illustrate the work if needed, design a cover, proofread the manuscript, provide marketing suggestions, buy the ISBN number, obtain the copyright,  even get it published for Kindle or Nook and of course print the hard copy on demand.  This is what I did the first time around.  Each additional service you obtain from them you pay for and in the end the books you buy will be more expensive, per book, than if you did more of the work yourself.  You also have less control over the overall look of the book since many things are done by a formula.  You will be approving copy and communicating with your advisor online.  At the time this was such an overwhelmingly new experience for me, I was glad I opted for this choice.  There are lots of online publishers today with CreateSpace on Amazon probably being the most popular.  I am currently working with them in republishing a second edition of the first Wyatt book and the experience has been great.  One of the best services they have is a 24/7 help line that calls you back immediately when you put in your number online.  This is a super service since I am often working on the book layout or details during times that are not regular business hours.  Create Space did not exist when I published my first book two years ago and I used Outskirts Press.  Given my level of expertise it was a satisfactory experience. But by the time I was ready to publish my second book, I decided I wanted more control and so, I published the book myself.  My third book in the Wyatt series and the most recent was published by a local publisher, Booklogix.  This was an even better experience than the first in that there was a physical location I could visit to talk with the owner about the process, but I could also review proofs and email back and forth online.  Booklogix is a very active publisher in the community and they offer lots of free webinairs which are great resources. Here's the link to Booklogix.  

Self-publishing:  Do It All Or Some Of It Yourself

My second Wyatt the Wonder Dog book was published entirely by myself.  If you choose this route,  you will need to be able to use a computer program to layout the book yourself or you will need to know or hire someone who will.  I didn't want to learn another program and luckily I found a wonderful friend who now lays out my books for me. However there are many ways to have this done.  I almost used Yawn's Books And More, a local bookstore that not only sells books but provides self-publishing services on the side.  For a fee they will layout the book and provide most of the other services as well.

If you use an illustrator, you will need to find one you like yourself.  I searched and searched until I lucked into an art teacher from my school who does all illustrations for my children's books.  If you ask around you may locate someone in your community with great talent who would love to illustrate your book.  Try the art departments of your local high schools and colleges.   There are also numerous online sites where you can review different styles and pay someone to create your illustrations.

You will need someone to proofread your work.  Don't expect to catch all those mistakes yourself--it's impossible.  I used Diane Krause, creator of The Writing Range blog and she is wonderful! Again you will either need to find someone locally or through the web.

You will need to pay for and create your own copyright.  It's all online and costs $35.  Here's the link.  Keep in mind it's a government site and at least to my way of thinking, not the most user friendly but it will eventually get the job done.

You will need to pay for and obtain your own ISBN number.  Here's the link  You can buy one or several ISBN numbers at a time.  It is more economical to buy several which is what I did.  When you are ready to use them, you just go back into the site and add the title and other information about the work.

You will need to design the cover.  I used the son of a friend who is a graphic designer to create the cover for The Call but there are also online services where you can have designers compete for the cover and pay the one you like best. 

Finally you will need to find a printer who will produce the finished copy.  Get several quotes and have the ones you are interested in print up a sample copy of the book so you can see what it is going to look like. Obviously cost is a factor, but you want the book to look as professional as possible, so the cheapest is not always the best.  

Although I was very pleased with the results of the two books I published myself there are some things to consider if you choose this route.  One is that you will have to get the books on Amazon and other online sellers yourself.  When you use a print on demand publisher they take care of this and of course print and sell the books for you.  This can turn into a big expense for you as you must pay shipping to send in the books and also your royalties are quite low.  I would recommend printing yourself only if you plan to sell most of the books yourself, perhaps as a product that you are offering as part of a speaking or coaching package.  Expecting to create an income from books sold on Amazon when you have published and printed them yourself is unrealistic.  

Well, that's it in a nutshell.  There's no greater thrill than having the finished product of hours of hard work in your hand.  The process can definitely be intimidating but it is becoming so common nowadays that there are lots of sites that provide great information. I am always glad to share my experience with others as well.

What is your story and where are you in the publishing process?  Are there questions I didn't answer in this blog?  I'd love to help!

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Book Launch Tomorrow Will Be A REALLY BIG SHOW!!

Back in the day when I was a little girl (and that will soon be 60 years ago), Ed Sullivan had a variety show on television every Sunday night.  It was THE show to watch.  The Beatles were on it for the first time and the Rolling Stones.  And every Sunday night Ed Sullivan would begin the show by saying the same thing, "Tonight we have a REALLY BIG SHOW for you..."

Well, tomorrow's a REALLY BIG SHOW for Wyatt and me.  I'll be celebrating my birthday.  Wyatt will be launching a new book and we will both be honoring a great cause, MUST Ministries.  Here's the details that went out on the invitation:

Birthday Cake (Photo credit: Wikipedia

Come Celebrate With Me! It’s A Birthday Party! It’s A Book Launch! It’s A Benefit For MUST Ministries!

Party Date: September 30, 2012 Party Time: 2:00-5:00 Drop-in Anytime!!

Birthdays are a time of transition and my birthday this year is a really BIG one, so I’d like to celebrate with YOU by honoring in a BIG way, a great organization that helps people make transitions, MUST Ministries. MUST has spent the last 40 years transitioning the hopeless into hopeful. For my birthday, I’m hoping each participant will make a donation to MUST. My goal is to have at least 60 people give a donation of $25 each to raise $1,500 for MUST.

At my party I will also be launching my two newest books both of which happen to be about transitions: The Call: Perfect Dream, Imperfect Life and Wyatt Goes to Kindergarten! Both will be available for only $10.00 each and I’ll be donating a portion of the proceeds to MUST as well.

Here's some of the special surprises I have planned (shhhh! It's a secret).

My friend Joyce Willis of Joyful Creations has baked some special Wyatt-look-alike cookies for each guest to take home.  

I've created an audio CD with all three of the Wyatt stories recorded on it!  I'll be giving one away with with each purchase.

And finally each of my books will be discounted to only $ 10.00 each.  It's time to stock up for Christmas gifts don't you think?

I hope to see you there for the REALLY BIG SHOW!  But if you can't make it, be sure to check out Wyatt's website for some specials there.  Lets celebrate together!!!

Five Ways to Have a Successful Book Launch!

I was talking with a fitness expert and trainer who was lamenting the fact that her latest fitness class was not attracting many participants. Unfortunately this meant her class had been cancelled.  She said, “I love the training part but selling people on the class is something that I’m lousy at.  I’ve just never been any good at selling.”  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve expressed that same sentiment.  I’ve always maintained that I couldn’t possibly sell anything and now suddenly I’m involved in selling not only my books that I’ve written, but also my speaking package that I’ve put together.  It’s taken me a while to wrap my mind around this change in perspective but here’s what I’ve learn and what I shared with the frustrated trainer.  You have to stop thinking of what you are doing as selling.  Instead you have to look at what you are doing as helping others, because if you are selling something worthwhile, helping others IS what you are doing.  You are providing someone with a service, a product that they can truly use.

I’m planning a book launch for two (yes two!) books in September and I thought I’d give you some behind the scenes insight into my plans.  The most difficult thing about writing and publishing a book comes after the fact.  Why? Every writer wants to know that their work is making a difference somewhere, somehow and in order to accomplish that we must get the book out of our hands and into the hands of the appropriate audience.  How do you accomplish this?  I’m not going to pretend to be an expert but I’ve studied the  process and learned a bit over the last 3 or so years and here’s five ways to have a successful book launch.

• First you must create a product that you believe in.  You have to have a book that you believe is truly worthwhile.  If it’s a story then you must believe that it is a great story with a message.  If it’s a non-fiction book then you must believe that it has an important life-changing message to share.  No one is going to be successful at selling uninspired work that they don’t believe in.
• Determine who is the best audience to target with your book.  Who will benefit from reading it?  Is it an engaging story that a young adult will enjoy?  Is it a great picture book that a child will learn from?  Is it designed to meet the needs of women in transition in their lives?  Here's a great post on this very aspect of writing:  Dan Blank's blog
• Develop a generous spirit.  Find a way to give away something that will help the reader know why this book is meant for them.  You can give away a chapter as a teaser.  You can give away coloring sheets from a children’s book.  You can have a contest and give the book away or provide a free audio book or ebook.
• Build the anticipation.  It’s not enough to put out a few notices about a book being available.  Begin weeks or even months in advance by telling people about the book. The latest creative method is to actually ask people not to buy the book until a certain date and then have a window of opportunity when they can purchase the book and get freebies—an audio copy, or digital copy for example.
• Recognize and use the resources available to you.  Social media is certainly the going thing today and you want to be sure to use it.  No matter how you engage with people, whether it is on Facebook or in the local coffee shop, remember to use pull marketing rather than push marketing.  In the past selling and marketing was something that people did to you.  They literally pushed you into something you didn’t much want to do.  They convinced you, they cajoled you, they hammered you over the head with the message.  And consumers turned it off.  This is especially easy to do on social media.  Instead, you must pull people in by offering something engaging and enticing.  You pull them in by offering something that meets their needs.  You pull them in by establishing a relationship.

If you want a whole book that helps you determine how to market your book, I'd recommend: 

Here's the two books that I'll be launching in September!

My book launch will be a party… a birthday party and the date is September 30^th!  Put that date on your calendar and stay tuned for the details.  It’s going to be a lot of fun and I hope to see you there!

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How Do You Sell Yourself?

I spent last weekend at the Canton Arts Festival.  As one of the vendors, I spent a lot of time selling my books which was quite rewarding and fun.  I also learned a lot and spent a lot of time networking.  In fact the best part of the weekend was the information that I learned that will help me continue to help children, parents and counselors through the sales of my book.

One thing I noticed was that not everyone at the festival took advantage of the environment in the same way.  Maybe it’s because I’m such a newbie and still feel there is a whole world out there to learn about, but I tend to view every opportunity like this as a chance to learn more about how other authors sell books.  One individual who was not only delightful but also a wealth of information was Deanna  K. Klingel.  She had the booth right next to me and I believe God must have positioned her there just so I could pick her brain about what has and hasn’t worked for her.  She has only been selling her books at festivals for fourteen months but she is a natural saleswoman.  Don’t get me wrong, she’s not pushy or annoying or overbearing.  In fact just the opposite.  She embodies all the best qualities of a great servant.  Deanna has written two YA books that are set during the Civil War.  Attending the Canton Literary Festival was really out of the norm for her.  She told me she usually goes to Civil War Enactments and that there is pretty much one every weekend that she travels to.  She has definitely found her niche.  She dresses the part at the enactments of a settler and her mission, really the reward for her, is enticing reluctant readers to find the joy of reading  a book that is engaging as well as informative.  She told me with great pride of parents who had emailed her to tell her that their child who hated to read, had stayed up all night reading her book.  There were a lot of authors at the festival who put their books out on the table and sat back waiting for the magic to happen.  Not Deanna.  She knew who her audience was (middle and high school students ), and she called them over to her booth where she gave them a card and a bookmark and encouraged them to look at her book.  Parents loved the educational and wholesome nature of her books.  Students were drawn to the adventure of the story.  And Deanna sold books.  Not as many as at the enactments she told me, but still she sold books while many others sat around.

Here’s a synopsis of the great things I learned from Deanna:

·    Have a passion and a mission bigger than just selling a lot of books.  For Deanna, this was engaging reluctant readers in a good story.  It was introducing middle schoolers to the joy of reading through exciting but wholesome stories.

·    Know your niche and focus on that.  Don’t be a generalist.  For Deanna, this was middle and high school students (especially home schooled students) and the civil war era.

·    Be engaging and interactive.  Don’t just sit back and wait for a sale to take place.  Develop a relationship with your potential clients.

·    Be generous and serve others.  Not only did Deanna have something to give every person who stopped at her booth, she gave me lots of information and insight into the history of writing and publishing her work.

Truly, the best part of the festival for me was developing and nurturing relationships.  I had a conversation recently with someone who told me that they couldn't imagine themselves selling anything, it was so foreign to their nature.  But when I told her to think of selling as helping; sharing your gift with others who want and need it, her attitude changed.  This is what good selling is all about and Deanna was relationship selling personified.  What is your experience with sales?  Do you view sales as helping others or as pushing someone into buying something they don't want?  We're all selling something, the question is, "How do you do it?"

Help Me Choose A Book Cover!

While I am still adding some content, editing and revising the book that I began in December, I have completed the major portion of it and I am moving into the really exciting part of choosing a cover for the book. The book is about finding your calling, discovering your passion and setting goals to achieve your dreams.  It includes some of my personal story of recovering my dream of being a writer and following through on accomplishing the publishing of two children's books, Wyatt The Wonder Dog

Here is an excerpt from the upcoming book:

From the back seat of the car, I heard our five year old friend, McKenzie, calling out repeatedly, "Helen! Helen!" We were on the way to the museum to see a frog exhibit and I was riding in the front seat with my oldest daughter who was driving. Since no one in the car was named Helen, I paid her little attention and assumed it must be part of a conversation she was involved in with my younger daughter who was in the back seat with her. When she simply became louder and more insistent, I finally turned and asked her, "Who are you talking to?" Imagine my surprise when she said, "I'm calling you!" Helen? What? After some detective work, we discovered that she had heard other people calling me "Hey, Lynne" and concluded my name must be… Helen.

Do you ever feel that you are being called by a different name? Do you ever feel that you are stuck in your current job, routine or lifestyle but that really something, someone, perhaps even your inner self is calling you to something new?  Maybe you are unsure of the direction, but you are aware of a certain discontent, uneasiness with your current life?  Or perhaps, you have a pretty clear idea of the direction, you just don’t know the path to follow to get there?  Could God be calling you in a new way with a new name? Maybe He is calling you by the name of teacher or comforter when you have been accustomed to a different role. Maybe you are being called to be a leader or peacemaker.

Never forget that you are truly a called woman!  We are all called to be a creator in some arena.  For some of us that is writing or painting or creating an environment through interior design.  For some of us, that is being a creative thinker and doer in the marketplace or business.  For some of us that is being a relationship builder in our families and communities.   There is no role or profession that we all fall into.  Yet we each possess God given gifts to make that call happen. When we don’t develop our gifts and talents, we not only cheat ourselves but we cheat the world and the community. To hear that call though, you will need to step outside the familiar and listen with new ears. You will need to seek new experiences and develop new perceptions of the old world.  Otherwise, you just might miss that call altogether. "Helen, Helen, I'm calling YOU!"

 Now it's your turn for some input!  Which book cover do you like the best for this book? Please vote using the poll on the right side of the blog.