Category Archives: Books

More Framed Books

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I recently got a great e-mail from Anthony James, who stumbled upon my ‘IKEA photo frames hack for comic books‘ post. In this e-mail he wrote:


I recently had a chance to meet Scott Snyder at the Midtown Comics in lower Manhattan for the launch of Batman 1. I bought a copy of Batman as well as Swamp Thing and had him sign both. I also bought a copy of American Vampire 1 signed by Scott on Ebay.

After getting home I realized I didn’t want them all sitting in a long box in the closet so I looked up framing solutions online. They had to look nice in order to get my girlfriend to approve hanging them in the hallway, so at first all I searched was Amazon. After giving up because I needed 3 frames which would be very costly, I searched Google and came across your site.

We went to Ikea in Brooklyn (just a short 15 minute drive so I can do this all the time!) and I picked up the frames. One thing your site doesn’t mention is that the store has different colors so I went with a white frame for American Vampire as it’s primarily a white cover. They have other colors as well but the black was the best fit for Batman and Swamp Thing.

One thing I did different was I used white card stock behind the comics to make them almost appear like they are floating. I also used foam mounting tape on the edges of the frame which keeps the flush with the wall. The comics don’t pinch at all in the frames which is great.

Again, thanks for the awesome tip. It saved a lot of money and left me with a nice exhibition in my hallway!

Thanks for writing and sharing your photos Anthony!

Rambling Bookmarks Reviews ‘All That Matters’

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All That Matters Kindle Cover

All That Matters Kindle Cover

The Reviews just keep coming in. Marriah, with Rambling Bookmarks blog reviewed ‘All That Matters‘ recently and had the following to say about it:

  • I loved it.
  • It’s a great love story told from the boy’s point of view.
  • I haven’t read a book that is so honest about what a high school student experiences in a long time.
Marriah rated my book one of her favorites. What a compliment!
Please check out Marriah’s full review of my book over at Rambling Bookmarks.

Raindrop Reflections Review ‘All That Matters’

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All That Matters Kindle Cover

All That Matters Kindle Cover

‘All That Matters’ was reviewed by Rita at Raindrop Reflections. The positive notes and comments throughout her review are very encouraging to me. I want to share a little of what Rita had to say about my book, but to read her whole review you should head over to her website at Raindrop Reflections.

  • …it’s a big deal that I even read this book, because the author is dyslexic and I think it’s amazing that today he writes books.
  • The story itself was moving, especially the ending, which I didn’t expect.
  • …it showed amazing depth in Ethan’s character to be able to do stuff like that. I very much admired him for it.
  • …kudos to Youseph Tanha for attempting such a sensitive topic.
Check out the whole review here.

 

Another Book Review

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I had another review of ‘All That Matters‘ come in. I am still in shock by all the positive feedback I have been getting from my first book. I sometimes have to pinch from myself when I read reviews like this just to make sure I am not dreaming.

This time it was from The Bornean Bookworm. Vanessa, who reviewed my book gave me FIVE STARS review and had the following to say.

  • In terms of narration, the author had done quite a great job in delivering the story to its full potential.
  • at the end of the day, the simple but terrific story of undying devotion made me aching in sadness, yet swarm on the inside simultaneously from the purest of love that we all crave for in our lives.

So go checkout Vanessa’s review at The Bornean Bookworm and maybe leave her a comment.

Create A Cheat Sheet

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The Simpsons Family Picture

The Simpsons Family Picture

Before I ever start writing a book there are a couple of things I do that help me with my writing process. One thing I do is create a ‘Cheat Sheet’ of characters I am going to use in my book.

My ‘Cheat Sheet’ helps me keep track of people, there names, there personalities, there ages, and anything else I might need for future reference. A character I keep on a cheat sheet rarely takes up more than one line on text. So the whole thing is clean and simple and is an easy to use reference.

So here is an example of a cheat sheet I would create using characters from the Simpsons. It contains the important information I might need to know about a character in one line of text.

Bart Simpson • 10 (Dennis The Menace) Trouble maker – Fat – Prank Caller
Homer Simpson • 36 (Ralph Kramden) Loud – Get Rich Quick ideas – Lazy
Lisa Simpson • 8 (Marcie from Charlie Brown) Smart – Voice of reason – Musical

So the idea behind it is pretty simple and generally includes.

  • Character Name
  • Age
  • Who they remind me of
  • Personality traits to remember

This is actually the template I use when creating a cheat sheet.

Character Name • Age (who they remind me of) Traits – Personality – Quarks

Thats how I do it. My cheat sheet has been such a valuable tool for me when writing. It makes the whole process of writing so much easier. I really hope anyone getting into writing will find this tip useful. Let me know if you have any tips on how you track characters. I am always interested to learn how others write.

Why Write An eBook?

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All That Matters Kindle Cover

All That Matters Kindle Cover

Why write an ebook? Why not? We live in a wonderful time where we as individuals can self publish our own work and make money at it. It’s never been easier or more cost affective to take something you have created and put it out their for the masses.

At the very least writing an ebook is going to require time. Time for you to write your ebook, edit it, and format it for an ebook reader. Things like cover art can be done through an ebook sell, such as Amazon.com, for free.  A lot of the effort of creating an ebook has been made easy for you, the writer, by removing a lot of the stress, time, and waiting that one would normally experience going through a traditional publisher.

At most an ebook is going to cost you time and money. The time to write your ebook, the money it costs to have it edited by a professional editor, the money it costs to have someone professionally design your own cover art. It all depends on how far you want to take it.

I have been documenting my experiences of writing and self publishing. I hope to share my experiences with you in this and future blog posts. Hopefully answering any questions you might have about the process so you do not have to hunt around digging for answers much like I have had to do.

When I say self publish an eBook I am also talking about self publishing a physical book. Companies like Amazon.com offer people a way to sell their self published books on the Kindle eBook reader. They also offer people a Pint On Demand (POD) option which means when someone buys a physical copy of your book, one is created as needed to complete the sale. In almost the same way you can upload your book so it can be sold for eBook readers, you can also upload your book so a physical copy can be sold and not cost you a dime.

In both the eBook and POD options you have the choice to set the price of your book which allows you to determine how much commission you will make for each book’s sale. Wether it be an ebook or a POD book. Isn’t living in the future cool?

Recently sales figures show that eBook copies have been out selling physical copies of the same books. This means that people who are buying books are choosing to buy electronic versions. This could be for any number of reasons. Perhaps its because they don’t have to carry around heavy books anymore. Maybe its because of the ease in which you can purchase an eBook. Or still it could be because eBooks tend to cost less than physical books. Whatever the reason may be, its clear that people are making the shift from paper books to eInk eBooks.

Amazon.com is now selling more Kindle books than paperback books. Since the beginning of the year, for every 100 paperback books Amazon has sold, the company has sold 115 Kindle books. Additionally, during this same time period the company has sold three times as many Kindle books as hardcover books.”This is across Amazon.com’s entire US book business and includes sales of books where there is no Kindle edition. Free Kindle books are excluded and if included would make the numbers even higher.

For anyone who has not yet read on an eBook device like the Amazon Kindle, I can honestly say from my own experience that reading on such a device has been a great experience. Its like staring at a piece of paper. I have never once experience eye strain from reading on an eBook device. The technology is sound and proven.

Creating something and getting paid for it has never been easier. In fact I think the hardest part is just creating. Give yourself some time each day. Even if it is just a couple of minutes and write, photograph, or create. Whatever it is. Just create!

Simon & Schuster, John Locke, and eBooks

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Simon & Schuster just signed a deal with John Locke, the first self published author to ever sell a million eBooks. I have been reading more and more about self published authors who are being signed to publishing houses. What makes the deal with John Locke so unique is that he gets to retain all of his eRights. That is unheard of. Simon & Schuster wont get one cent for any sale of his eBooks. John Locke gets to keep it all for himself.

When an author publishes an eBook and sells it through and online service like Amazon.com they normally get to keep 70% of each sale. When an author sells an eBook through a normal publishing house like Simon & Schuster it is considerably less. I am just floored that any publishing house would sign and author and not retain the eRights like that.

I can’t help but wonder what these means to the Publishing industry. Is this the first nail in the coffin for publishing houses? Will big name authors start demanding eRights to their own content? It is going to be really interesting to watch what unfolds.

My First Book Reviews

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My first book reviews are coming in. Slowly, but surely I am starting to hear back from people who have read ‘All That Matters‘. It is really exciting hearing from people who don’t know me in real life and finding out they like my book. So far all of the comments have been positive and I want to share a couple of them.

Sherry Book Blogs gave me a FIVE STAR review and had the following things to say about my book.

  • The ending to All That Matters is honestly one of the best endings I’ve ever read!
  • Once every so often, I finish a book that unnerves something in me, the story will remain with me forever. All That Matters is that book for me. It is so painstakingly raw and shows some of the deepest and darkest parts of cancer, whether you have it or know someone with it. I found moments that were pure and full of life and than some that were empty and with no hope. The words were simple and nothing to jazzy. They made the flow of this story very easy to read and very enjoyable!

Sherry even asked me some interview questions. So, go check out her blog post and maybe leave her a comment.

Kelly runs The Bookscape Report blog and said the following about ‘All That Matters’.

  • I think the best thing about All That Matters is the conversational tone of the novella. While I was reading it, I felt like I was listening to someone tell me a story–like I was listening to my grandfather tell me about growing up in Ohio, or my dad telling me about growing up in our hometown. I loved that. It made the story so enjoyable for me.
  • I thought the story was great. It reminds me a little bit of Nicholas Sparks
  • I liked the fact that for the most part, Amanda and Ethan’s story wasn’t overshadowed by any subplots.
To read all of Kelly’s write up head on over to ‘The Bookscape Report‘.

Updates and the iBookstore

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This has been an unusually busy work week for me. It is a real wonder that I can even find time to blog right now. I have had to create several “plans of corrections” this week for the state of Alaska who visited my facility a couple of weeks ago. That has been keeping me pretty busy, but I have somehow manage to find a moment here and their to make more progress on ‘All That Matters‘ and my second book.

The self publishing thing has been quite a learning experience. Most of it is fun, but some of it can quite literally make you pull your hair out. I have spent a good part of my evenings this week contacting bloggers who do book reviews and asking them to review my book. I have met quite a few great ones out their. Between now and the next few months blog posts should start popping up all around the net about my book. The other bit of amazing news is that those who have already read my book only have good things to say about it. I even got a five-star review on Goodreads.com saying:

Raw and beautiful. This book moves you in ways unimaginable.

When I read that I was left speechless. Someone out their really liked my book! It made me feel like all the time, money, and effort I have put into this project has been worth all of it.

The part about self publishing that makes me want to rip my hair out is related to getting my book in the iBookstore. As a self published author can not go to Apple directly and submit my book to their book store. I have to go through a third party. In my case Lulu.com. Lulu takes my book and submits it to Apple’s iBookstore. If your lucky, your book is accepted and you can move on with life. If you’re like me and your book is rejected, you are not told why. Most likely it is the cause of an ePub formatting issue. I have spent the last two weeks trying to figure out what is wrong with my file ePub file. Barnes and Noble was happy with it, but Apple is not. Apple also gives me no advice on how I could fix my ePub file. Just a note saying that I can try submitting again. That’s it. I am almost at the point of giving up on this. I will continue trying to make it work till I go on vacation later this month, but if I can’t get it accepted by then I think I am just going to walk away from the Apple iBookstore. The Kindle software is available for all Apple devices. I have read quite a few books on my iPhone using the Kindle software and I think it is a better reading experience anyway.

Another goal I have before I go on vacation is to make the physical copy of my book available for purchase from Amazon.com. I am pretty sure I can have this completed before I leave.

My second book has been taking shape rather well. I have an outline and a cast of characters. This week I managed to get a couple of hundred of words written which completed the fourth chapter. I would love to have written more and normally I can, but with these ‘plans of corrections’ due at work I have just not had the time or the focus. Which is sad because I really like posting on my Twitter and Google+ account how many words I write a day.

Comic Book Frames

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I got a great e-mail from Hamp Freeman this last weekend who read my post on IKEA photo frames hack for comic books and decided to drive 3 hours to his nearest IKEA to pickup a set of these photo frames for his own comic book collection. He was kind enough to share with me some great photos of his comic now proudly displayed on his walls. Check out his e-mail to me below.

I’m from Raleigh, North Carolina, where I went to NC State to get a Master’s of Industrial Design. Comics were a minor interest as a kid, but came out even more when I went to the College of Design. I found it really interesting to see how they have affected entertainment and popular media through their design over the years, especially within the past few years. Recently, I fell into some rare comic books (my girlfriend’s father gave me a few of his old comic books when he found out how interested I was in them, and they happen to be some of the earliest issues of The Amazing Spider-Man) and this got me very excited to not only collect these amazing covers, but find a way to show them off. I never wanted to be “that comic book guy” who hides his collection in boxes to keep them safe. I was proud to own these books, and wanted to share their history with those that came by.

I scoured the internet one day, looking up “how to frame comic book covers” and like you, found that most of the products out there are pretty expensive, something a recent college graduate couldn’t afford, especially not in the mass quantity I wanted. I finally came about your blog post (drawn in by the mention of IKEA) and became really excited about the idea of a D.I.Y. IKEA solution that was affordable. I had to drive to Charlotte, NC to get them, but it has made all the difference in the world. I bought 16 while there, and plan on getting another batch soon.

Your solution is incredibly effective. Not only for its affordability, but also because the IKEA frames allow me to quickly change out the covers to show off different collections in the same area. I have a few different sets of collections going right now and I plan on switching out different collections to keep my room’s art always changing. Right now I have three collections going at once. The first are classic issues of my favorite Marvel characters, chosen by their cover designs. The second are homage covers to Spider-Man #1. I really find the concept of “paying tribute” to past covers by recreating the design with updated characters to be very interesting and visually stunning (something that can’t quite be completely understood until you see them all up together). My final set of collections are the “Marvel Zombies Homage Covers paired with their originals”. Basically their is a comic book artist, Arthur Suydam, who created amazingly painted covers for a yearly series “Marvel Zombies” where he took classic covers recreated them to have zombies in them. You can see the Spider-Man#1 zombie counter part in the previously mentioned picture, but also the 2nd picture shows the classic “Spider-Man Wedding” matched its zombie counter part. Suydam’s covers are really interesting and you can find a list of the covers at his wikipedia page.

So that pretty much sums up the whole process. I apologize for getting a bit long winded, but finding your solution really rebooted my interest in comics, and I’ve been incredibly excited to show off everything.

I think it is so great when people like Hamp share stores like this with me. I hope this becomes a thing on the Internet where more and more people take pictures and share their comic book photo frames with me. Feel free to contact me if you have done a project like this. I would like to hear about it.