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#MGMonday #Genres Writing Middle Grade Non Fiction

Why is it that, when you're teaching genres to children, you go through historical, fantasy, science fiction, adventure... and so on... and then... non-fiction. You go into detail about all the wonderful types of fiction, and then non-fiction gets lumped in together. Perhaps because there are too many genres of non-fiction to count. I can't even name them all. So, with that in mind, I will attempt to write a single blog post about non-fiction. What is the most challenging aspect of middle grade non-fiction? For me, personally, the most challenging part is making the facts fun and engaging for children. It's a different skill writing facts for children rather than adults. Think back to when you were a child. If you picked up a dry wall of text, it might have put you off non-fiction for life. So, what can we do to ensure our non-fiction books grip children's attention? Fun Language Think Horrible Histories. Some of the facts in those books might not interest some kids, bu...

"How to get bloggers to review your self-published book: An insider's guide" Book Review

Book Review

"How to get bloggers to review your self-published book: An insider's guide" by Knockin' Books(!!)


☆☆☆☆☆



Today, I was travelling down from Caithness to Perthshire for a week’s holiday, including the Perthshire book launch of Day’s Dying Glory. I’ve just settled into the holiday cottage and feeling very sleepy so forgive me if this book review is too short and to-the-point. I’d like to go on for ages so I feel like I’ve done “How to Get Bloggers to Review your Self-Published Book” justice. I’m surprised that this is my first review – I was expecting to review fiction books – but I found that this book was just so helpful I must share it with everyone I can find! Find it on Amazon here.



I took this e-book with me on the train to Inverness. The train journey goes through some of the most breath-taking scenery in Britain but I found I was too engrossed in this helpful book to notice.
The first thing I noticed was the language. There were no heavy, boring sentences that I would skim-read. The language was engaging and included just the right number of funny bits! I do love a bit of humour in a book.
What really made this book stand out for me was that it was specifically designed for self-published authors. Similar books on the market are designed for authors with a publishing contract, but this book was perfect for my needs!
My one criticism…it was too short!! I cried when I got to the end…well, no I didn’t, but I got very emotional!! I get greedy with books and want more and more of a good read. I will definitely be going back for seconds.
I would definitely recommend this book to any self-published author who is struggling to get book reviews. Now I’m off to find the author’s blog…
Find their blog here!

Blurb (from Amazon)


As a self-published author, you’re in a tough spot. You can’t sell your book without reviews, but if no one is buying your book, how the heck are you supposed to get any reviews? Lucky for you, book bloggers have millions of followers who read their reviews and take their book recommendations as gospel. Getting an influential blogger to review your book can shoot your sales through the roof. But how exactly do you entice bloggers to read and review your book?

This book offers practical advice and insider tips for approaching bloggers and snagging their attention (without paying for it), including:
•Where to find and how to choose book bloggers
•What to say (and what not to say) when approaching bloggers
•The top reasons why bloggers might be rejecting your review requests
•Examples of good (and bad) query letters
•Hidden clues in a review policy that might increase your odds of winning a review
•How to cultivate relationships with bloggers that will help you with future releases and requests

Book bloggers are here to stay, and the authors who know how to work with them are more likely to hit the bestseller’s lists than those who don’t. And who better to tell self-published and indie authors how to approach bloggers than ACTUAL bloggers? Yeah, that’s what we thought, too.

About Knockin’ Books: We’re a group of friends who are addicted to reading. Seriously. Addicted. But we’re not just readers. Our group includes folks with decades of design, advertising, marketing and copywriting/proofreading/editing experience. Heck, we even have an Amazon best-selling, self-published author on our team. We’re a diverse group, and we’ve come together to help connect authors with readers (and vice versa).

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