Space City Scribes

Meet our new Self-Publishing Coordinator!  By  Margaret Lea If you are self-published or thinking about self-publishing, you need to meet our chapter’s Self Pub Coordinator, Tiffany Obeng. In fact, I recommend you go to her website right now at sugarcookiebooks.com . If you have some time (because you will definitely want to read many of these posts), click on “Blog.” You will learn much and also pick up money-saving and money-making tips.       For example, here’s a tip from her Dec. 6, 2021 post : If you’re selling at a vendor’s market event, give the customer the book they bought in a clear plastic bag, and they will be doing free advertising for you as they stroll the market!        The Jan. 5, 2022 post explains strategies to get your books into U.S. libraries. The Oct. 11, 2022 post is a “Cheat-Sheet for Creating a Fascinating Amazon Book Page that Captivates Buyers.” And the Nov. 17, 2020 post explains ISBNs. Did you know,...

By Margaret Lea Mel considers himself “a five-year-old at heart,” which drew him to picture books. But before picture books, he spent over 30 years as a scientist and professor of microbiology, and many years as a jazz singer and saxophonist. Over the past eight years, Mel has focused on honing his writing skills and establishing his presence in the literary world. He has attended conferences, self-published numerous books, and successfully pitched a children’s literature podcast. For the past two years, he has interviewed authors, agents, illustrators, publishers, and librarians on the New Books Network’s Children’s Literature Channel. You can access the podcast directly through his website authormel.com or through wherever you listen to podcasts.       Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Mel moved to Israel at age 18 to escape antisemitism. Now he feels at home, despite the difficulties posed by the current war. He notes that people continue with their lives a...