My newest project is a book. I'm always working on ideas for new books, but this one has been in the works for a long time. When I was teaching full-time, it seemed that verse and funny rhyme always popped into different teaching situations. We used to teach handwriting. Handwriting books can be boring so I often made up short poems to use where I could combine handwriting with other L.A. activities. The kids loved it, and I did too since I could play with meter and rhyme--and sometimes illustrate some of the verses along the way. The kiddos loves to illustrate my poems themselves which was especially fun. Sometimes a kid's illustration makes the poem take on a whole new direction.
Recently, looking at my files I realized I had hundreds of poems--some better than others. I'd thought of compiling some of them before. The new media and methods of distribution were perfect fits for me and my poetry. I found a universally known POD printer who also has a conversion model for hand held devices. As they say, "Ain't technology great!" In this case, it does seem the perfect fit. Many publishers shy away from poetry even though kids love it. Since it's not always a "quick sale" a publisher's time and money needs to go to the larger, more profitable markets. That's understandable and that's business. Still, it's also nice to know there are other ways to market and get a book (that might not fit a huge market) into print.
My new endeavor, When Magic Helps Us Steer, should be available soon. I'm awaiting the first proof right now. Here's the front cover before I've added the title.
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