Sleepytown Press

There are a lot of writers who have a dream of seeing their book in print. I know how it feels. It is this thing inside that drives you to hope and wish and look for four-leaf-clovers.

I have felt that way all of my life.

I was born with Polio. I am not the only one, but to me it was like I was the only person on this planet that had ever had polio. Fortunately, it only affected my left leg and foot, physically. Mentally, it affected my entire self.

It does not matter what you are going through, to you, it is a major thing. I could not run like the other kids. No one ever understood the frustration that I felt. My parents took us to the beach one week in the summer, but they had no idea how much I wanted to run barefoot on that sun drenched sand.

I never said anything. I sat on the sand and watched other boys run into the surf, yelling and slinging their arms around and laughing. I wanted to do that. I wanted to fit in with the other guys.

My left leg and foot was paralized basically from the knee down. When I walked, I pretty much dragged my foot along. So, running gracefully across the sand and diving into the surf was way out of the question.

I went to the beach, but I hated...I mean purely hated being in shorts or anything that showed my legs. When a person has polio it affects the muscles. As a result, the muscles in my left leg did not develop like my right leg. My left leg is scrawney and my right leg is the correct size. I felt like everyone noticed and stared.

You would probably wonder and it is true, like I needed something to draw attention to me, I walked with a limp. It got worse, when I was tired. I was fresh in the morning and tired in the evening. It is still true today.

I guess this is also part of the reason that I have been so driven in certain areas of my life. I had to try and make up for the areas of my life that hurt. I had to do something for me.

Writing has always been a part of my dream. I wanted to write something great that moved people to tears. I have always wanted to write something that made people say, "Have you read that book?" I always dreamed of having a book become a movie. I think that most authors dream of the same thing?

I have always wondered if I should write a book about growing up with Polio. Would anyone want to read it? Would it make a difference, or am I dreaming?

I think that most authors struggle with the same questions. We want to know that what we write has worth. That is a dream. It is our dream. So...What will I do? I have no choice, but to Dream On! I would not be happy any other way.

I have always been a "Jack of All Trades and A Master of None" kind of guy. I do not know it all, but I know a little about a lot. Do you consider yourself the same? If yes, then we are in the same boat.

I enjoy reading, writing, teaching, designing, drawing, painting, reviewing, playing a little piano, playing a little violin, cooking, publishing, leading, listening, learning, playing with my two "practically perfect" grand-children, singing, and watching Food Network.

Recently, I tried to test the waters concerning two activities that I feel would be helpful to a lot of us. So far, I have NO TAKERS! Maybe you did not read the newsletter, but you would like to get involved.

It is FREE!

First, I asked if anyone was interested in being part of a "critique" group where we share work and read and offer critiques for each other as well as Selected Works from non-members. I know that I would appreciate the "extra eye" on things that I am working on as well as the suggestions of things that I do not see, when I read my work. (It cost nothing. It does take a little time.)

You do not have to be an author published by Sleepytown Press to participate. You do not have to publish with SP to participate. You just need to be a warm-blooded individual that loves reading, writing, and all things concerning books.

I have found it very difficult to "proof" my own work. I look at it so much and sometimes go right over something that needs changing.

Secondly, I asked if anyone was interested in being part of an online Book Club. It cost nothing. I wanted us to review books and discuss books and offer things concerning books, but alas...no takers.

If you are reading this and you are interested, please, drop me an email at [email protected] and I will get right back to you.

I was thinking this morning about the factors that make me really want to purchase a certain book. What about you? Drop me an email and let me know what makes you pick up, look over, and purchase that book.

When I go to the local book store, I always walk along my favorite sections and scan the covers of the books. Sometimes, I will walk down the aisle once and then circle back, just to get an over-view of what attracts me.

Attention grabber number one comes when the cover catches my eye.  That is when I slow down and stand there for a minute looking at all of the elements of the cover. I read the title and then I look at the illustration on the cover. If the cover tells a story that makes me want to know more, I pick the book up and look at the back cover.

Attention grabber number two depends on the content on the back cover. I do not know about everyone else, but I like to read endorsements. I like to know that someone else read the book and liked it. More than a name, I like to see that the person is a teacher, writer, or someone who has some area of work that shows they might be someone to listen to as they endorse that book.

Attention grabber number three (the commitment to purchase) comes after the book is opened. I like to read a little at the beginning and get an idea of the "flow." I usually look at the table of contents and read the titles. I then turn to Chapter One and read a little. I always flip back to the back cover and then the front and then I look at price.

If the book passes all three and the price is something that I am willing to pay, I walk out of the store with a new book.

How about you? What is your "book buying ritual?"

I am in the process of formating all of Fran Orenstein's books as ebooks for Kindle and Other eReaders. It does take some time to get it right. If you do not know a lot about eBooks, this makes the Sleepytown Press books available for purchase and download to an eReader.

I do not think that books will ever go away. There is nothing like holding a book in your hand. It is true that an eReader can be in a holder so that it feels a lot like holding a book.

We have to face it, eBooks are here to stay. We have to step up get with the future.

Now, Sleepytown Press books can be converted to eBooks.

Welcome to 20111 and a NEW YEAR with Sleepytown Press.

January actually marks the first anniversary of Sleepytown Press. It all started this time last year with the publishing of "Sleepytown" and has continued since that time. To date, SP has published 12 books total. That might not seem like a lot to some people, but it sounds great to me.

This has been a good year. It has been a year of learning and things can only get better each and every day.

To be honest, I could have boasted about having twenty books or more published by this date, but some of them were turned down for different reasons. I just think it is more important to publish something that is good and reflects what SP is all about rather than publishing "anything" and "everything." 

The Short Story Anthology is coming in Spring of 2011. I had hoped to do it before Christmas, but I was waiting to get more submissions. I wanted to be able to put together a book of a good variety of stories that would appeal to many people. Look for that book in Spring.

If you know of anyone who has a dream of being published and is tired of the rejections and they want to do something about it, send them to Sleepytown Press. We just might be what they are looking for in a publisher.

By the way, we do not just see the book printed and step into the shadows. We market as much as we can. We actually try to get people to LOOK at our author's books. We always provide support and information that we feel is invaluable to the authors.

Logo Change: You might notice that I removed the "castle" logo off the home page. Some people were confused and thought that SP was only a publisher for "children's books."  That statement is FAR from the truth. SP has only published "three" books that I would suggest were mainly "children's reading." The other books are Youth and Adult oriented. (I have used a NEW "SP" logo on the back of adult books, recently.)

The logo may change, but the first rate service is still the same. (The castle will still be used on the back of Children's books.)

So, welcome to 2011 and WELCOME to A brand spanking NEW YEAR with Sleepytown Press.