Well, in this path to 100, there have been and will be, still, short stories, not only novellas. Picture Books short stories and Novels. This time I like to talk about 4, lets say, short stories, which include: The Adventure of the Flying Chickens by Monica Brozon (La aventura de los pollos voladores), The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl, The diary of a killer cat by Anne Fine, Kiwi by Carmen Posadas. This 4 stories are wonderful stories of animals that teach, indirectly, excellent values to children.
The Adventures of the Flying Chickens (La aventura de los pollos voladores).
by Monica Brozon, Illustrator Cecilia Renora, Publ. Progreso.
This is a story of friendship and teamwork. A short story for early readers that will be read in short time. Here a bird finds out that that the old man that threw to the floor bread crumbs so the birds could eat, worked at a chicken shop and that he has to kill and stuff all chickens for tomorrow party. But they are chicken and do not fly, so he went with his friends for help. And they helped him and in what a way. Do not know if there is an english version, but for those who know spanish, its a good read.
The Enormous Crocodile.
by Roald Dahl
I Think that there is a lot of material written about this excellent writer, for a lot of people he is like the father of the current "Children's Writing", he changed the traditional way it had to be told the stories. The Enormous Crocodile is, as the previous story, for early readers. A story that show us that bad deeds always go punished and that we could find friends every where, even when we are not looking for them. This is a very hungry croc, looking for a good bite, and he thinks that a child will do good, so he goes on an adventure to the city to find a kid and eat him. The original is in english, I read the spanish version, and parts of the english version, alway is better to read in its original language.
The diary of a killer cat.
by Anne Fine, Illustrations by Damián Ortega. Publish by FCE
This story as the previous one, is from an British writer, and the original is in english. But I think that this spanish version is a very good one. In this book there are learnings about the circle of life, as the cat does some trick to eat, but also we find that it is not good to hide things, and at the end the best way is to tell the truth. Day by day, the cat tells us his adventures in the human world. By all means! he has to eat, what is all the fuzz about?
Kiwi
by Carmen Posadas, Illustrations by Miguel Tanco, Publish by Ediciones SM
This story is written in spanish by an spanish writer, so for you out there who reads in spanish buy the book, is an excellent story of love, paternal love. At the farm arrives a box that allegedly was intended to other address. In that box there was an egg, the only one that wants to take care of it is the dog, after it breaks a Kiwi is born, but kiwis are ugly and nobody wants to look after him, again the dog tries to find a family for it. Nothing. So, after a possibility that the animal could be famous, everybody wants him. Fame is not everything in life. An excellent read with beautiful illustrations.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Self-pub or not? that is the question.
There has been a lot of buzz in the last few days (the one I was studying for my MBA's exams, sorry posting late) over the issue that regarding self publishing for authors. This has been a good road to several. And it is growing. This is a hard thing for the publishing industry due to the lack of authors that they could experience. Digital books and self publishing trend has grown so much in the last year that it has become an important issue over the industry. In fact, it has become so important that it is a topic you hear all over the business.
I think that there is a change, a dramatic change in the way the Publishing Industry is and will be conducting its business. It is illogic not to think about it. but it is also understandable the both sides of the story. Right now we are swinging to the other side of the court, a side where all "traditional publishing" is bad, is like AC/DC puts it a "Highway to Hell". All the self-publishing industry is the best way to do business, and to use Led Zeppelins words it is a "Stairway to heaven".
But as I think and as it has been showed all around the world and all through History, the tendency to strive in one side, being away of the center can be a dangerous path, the best way is to be near the center,. So this new tendency will linger, for a while on this side of the court, and it then will go to the other side, but less far from the center as "traditional publishing" is, and this will be the game for a while, until, both sides conceal and find the best way.
I do think that this side of the court, self-pub side, is the best way, but it cannot satanize the publishing world. I think that publishers are needed, but they have to change the way they do business. It was hear all over the industry that a writer does not do a book, it is a Publisher. Right now I think that the one that makes a book is the client, the one who buys the book, the reader. At least that is what it has been showed with self-pub digital books. And if you do not believe me, you could see the numbers that writers like JA Konrath and Amanda Hocking are posting of they sales of eBooks.
I am not a writer, I am an avid reader, I do love reading, I will love to become a writer, this is my path on becoming one. I think that the eReaders have change dramatically the way we see books, and also I do think that it is a good way that the reader, who is the one who spends the money has to have control, not a money full marketing campaign that just makes expensive the book and gives less royalties to the writer.
So go ahead se the numbers posted by JA Konrath and Amanda Hocking in their blogs, and you will see what is the power of the reader. As a hint, see the December numbers of Amanda. WOW. Congrats Amanda. This are two news names that help us look further and do not look the other way, keep up the work. It is possible. And writers starting in this, like Aaron Niz, will prevail. Keep the faith, so I will also.
I think that there is a change, a dramatic change in the way the Publishing Industry is and will be conducting its business. It is illogic not to think about it. but it is also understandable the both sides of the story. Right now we are swinging to the other side of the court, a side where all "traditional publishing" is bad, is like AC/DC puts it a "Highway to Hell". All the self-publishing industry is the best way to do business, and to use Led Zeppelins words it is a "Stairway to heaven".
But as I think and as it has been showed all around the world and all through History, the tendency to strive in one side, being away of the center can be a dangerous path, the best way is to be near the center,. So this new tendency will linger, for a while on this side of the court, and it then will go to the other side, but less far from the center as "traditional publishing" is, and this will be the game for a while, until, both sides conceal and find the best way.
I do think that this side of the court, self-pub side, is the best way, but it cannot satanize the publishing world. I think that publishers are needed, but they have to change the way they do business. It was hear all over the industry that a writer does not do a book, it is a Publisher. Right now I think that the one that makes a book is the client, the one who buys the book, the reader. At least that is what it has been showed with self-pub digital books. And if you do not believe me, you could see the numbers that writers like JA Konrath and Amanda Hocking are posting of they sales of eBooks.
I am not a writer, I am an avid reader, I do love reading, I will love to become a writer, this is my path on becoming one. I think that the eReaders have change dramatically the way we see books, and also I do think that it is a good way that the reader, who is the one who spends the money has to have control, not a money full marketing campaign that just makes expensive the book and gives less royalties to the writer.
So go ahead se the numbers posted by JA Konrath and Amanda Hocking in their blogs, and you will see what is the power of the reader. As a hint, see the December numbers of Amanda. WOW. Congrats Amanda. This are two news names that help us look further and do not look the other way, keep up the work. It is possible. And writers starting in this, like Aaron Niz, will prevail. Keep the faith, so I will also.
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