We are FULLY Funded!

I am excited to announce that we have fully funded our Kickstarter goal and have successfully completed our Kickstarter Campaign! If you are still interested in obtaining your very own copy of Curious Conditions: Dentist please contact us today!

Ya! We were able to reach our goal today!

Wow we are almost to the half-way mark!

28% of the way there!

With more awesome backers, we are one-third of the way there!
Check it out here: http://kck.st/13Ph9Oo

Featured on the Dentist Direct Daily!

Here is the official website: Dentist Direct Daily

We are 1/4th of the way there!

Way to go! We are 1/4th of the way there!! 

A Children’s Book Campaign Launched Through Crowdfunding

A Children’s Book Campaign Launched at Promoting Children’s Dental Health in a Fun and Adventurous Story. 

Whoever said going to the dentist isn’t fun hasn’t read Curious Conditions: Dentist. This children’s book, launching through Kickstarter, will help your child learn the importance of their dental health in a magical, imaginative way!   

Curious Conditions: Dentist, a children’s book from the award winning Curious Conditions series, is launching a Kickstarter campaign to print and publish a children’s story that will help kids learn about their own health from a fun, colorful, adventurous book.

The Kickstarter campaign can be viewed at: Click Here!

“Parents now have to ability to support a campaign that will encourage the promotion of health and literacy in their child all while letting their child explore their imagination in this colorful tale,” says Janky Patel, Yale Alum and author of Curious Conditions. “Having a bedtime story where you child is having fun learning about their own health is a treasure.” 

Curious Conditions: Dentist is a story about a young boy embarking on his first dental visit. His anxiety and fear turn into curiosity while getting a tour of the dental office. During his tour, his natural curiosity leads him to ask many many questions! The dentist is here to answer and explain his many many questions. 

  

 

Using Kickstarter, one of the most popular crowdfunding platforms, Curious Conditions: Dentist aims to raise funds to illustrate and publish the creation of the children’s book. Rewards for backers and supporters include copies of the actual ebook or printed book.   

   

“It is so important that children’s dental visits aren’t frightening. This story will teach kids the basics of what they will experience during their first visit and it is written it in a way where they are captivated by this magical tale,” says Patel. “Being able to launch the story through Kickstarter will hopefully allow this book to reach countless amounts of children and families.”

Official Kickstarter Campaign:

Click Here to View Official Kickstarter

Contact:

Janky Patel

Curious Conditions

janky.patel@gmail.com

curious.conditions@gmail.com 

Follow on Twitter: @curious_book

Follow on Facebook: Click here

10 tips for writing children's books

Here are 10 tips from Pat Mora for writing children's books that I loved, the rest can be found here.

• Remember your child-self, your feelings, childhood memories, worries and pleasures. (Most picture books are for 3-10 year olds.) 
• Be welcoming of your writing. Welcome your ideas as you would welcome a guest. Resist thinking negatively about your work.
• Visit bookstores and libraries. Become acquainted with the person in charge of children’s books who may know about workshops, writing groups, school visit opportunities.  
• Many books are available about writing children’s books. Read at least one and read books on creativity.  
• Cultivate the habit of revision. The many books about writing help this essential habit. 
• Know your goal. If publication is important to you, learn about the field. Some writers find it helpful to know what’s being published. They read reviews of picture books and browse in bookstores.  
• Be prepared for rejection. Editors receive thousands of unsolicited manuscripts. Have I ever gotten used to the rejection? NO. 
• Never underestimate the importance of supportive friends and family.  
• Share your work. This will give you and others pleasure and will encourage you to write more. 
• Love your work. Care about the process of writing and the honor of writing for children. Be committed to that. Having a book published probably won’t change your life, but being committed to writing and children can change your life and the life of your readers.

Hope you find these tips as helpful as they were to me! Keep writing.

Logo Reveal!

What do you think of the new logo? 

Times almost up: Take a look at this Kickstarter

With the end quickly approaching, take a look at this Kickstarter campaign that I recently backed and that I previously wrote about here. A great and captivating children's book from New York City.
Click here to help fund: Howard and Chloe going to Bunnyland

Kickstarter Campaign about a Ghana Health Clinic Documentary

Source: Katrina Moore Kickstarter

If you haven't already seen the Kickstarter Campaign about creating a documentary in Ghana about a health clinic, please check it out here! I recently had the opportunity to back/support and talk to the mastermind behind her project campaign, "Under the Mango Tree: Food, Health, and Love in Ghana"

With 72% already funded, they have only 9 days left to reach their goal. Please share the link and here is a snip of the campaign via the site:

"A documentary about Shekhinah Clinic, which offers free healthcare and meals to the mentally ill and handicapped of Tamale, Ghana. Dr. David Abdulai was born in Tamale, Ghana as one of 11 children, all of whom eventually died from curable diseases related to malnutrition. As an adolescent, he hitchhiked to southern Ghana to work on a farm and finish senior high school. Through the aid of scholarships, Dr. Abdulai was able to put himself through medical school. After studying and practicing medicine in the United Kingdom and Austria, Dr. Abdulai returned to his hometown of Tamale with his wife, Doris, to start Shekhinah Clinic, a free clinic for anyone who cannot afford medical care. Together, David and Doris Abdulai, along with a team of volunteers, provide healthcare and daily meals to over 200 of the city's destitute." -Katrina Moore.

Source: Katrina Moore Kickstarter

Source: Katrina Moore Kickstarter

Check out the Curious Conditions: ER review on Ahgoo

Click Here to Read! 

Click Here to Read! 

You can read anywhere and with anyone...

Gregory Colbert: Ashes and Snow

Marriage Proposal into Children’s Book

Read this story about a marriage proposal found in a children's book....

Click Here

Stick with Optimism...

Blog about Children's Fiction Book Reviews

I came across a fun blog that shares reviews on great children's fiction books. The creator of the blog, Kathy, is a mother and teacher that shares her love for children's fiction. Her creative concept introduces new books or reintroduces great classic books from 1950 to 2000. This is a great way to pick out books for your child to read they you may have forgotten about. Kathy personally reviews of the books and are based on diverse generes and topics.

Check out the blog for yourself:

http://www.bookskidslike.blogspot.com/

I just Backed/Supported my 1st Kickstarter Project!

I am proud to say that I just backed my 1st Kickstarter Project: Howard and Chloe go to Bunnyland.

This project is a children's book about housepets taking an adventure through NYC. The author and illustrator's goal is to raise $2,500 by May 5, 2013. As of now, they are 62% funded. Here were my reasons why I was so appealed to this project and why I chose to back. I think its helpful for artist considering kickstarter to undertand their target market and the reasons they would (or wouldn't) back a project.

• The first thing that helped was that the project's location was NYC. Having a location in the same vicinity appealed to me greatly. It was also the first projects that popped up during my search.
• I loved the mockup illustrations. Seeing these sample images for the story helped be visualize the story. 
• I liked some of the price options. For $20 backing, you get an autographed ebook and a personal thank you note. The ebook would be great to share with your family and children. I also liked the  ultimate reward, for $1,000, they will fly you out to NYC to get a tour and meet the author and illustrator.      

I wish Jason and Kobsupang Robertson Kickstarter success. Please help back this project for them to achieve their goal! I can't wait to start my Kickstarter soon. 

Here is a link to the Kickstarter Project: 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/717278694/howard-and-chloe-going-to-bunnyland?ref=live

Considering Kickstarter

This month I am going to talk about Kickstater, a crowdfunding platform that can help artists get their creative project funded through social media. Kickstarter is great for artists, particular children's authors, to get their story out there. Here are my reasons for considering Kickstarter for my up and coming book, Curious Conditions: Dentist:

• The ability for Curious Conditions: Dentist to get exposure across the nation 

• Being apart of the national phenomena of crowdfunding particularly, Kickstarter 

• Raising funds for self-publishing; you also raise money without selling equity of your project
• Being independent of the traditional publishing route from publishing companies 

I think Curious Conditions: Dentist will be a great candidate for crowdfunding such as Kickstarter. I will post updates soon. Please comment below regarding your thoughts on Kickstarter for children's books.     

Something fun that I found..

Isn't this funny? I always loved cookie monster! 

Top 4 fun places to write

Here are my top 4 favorite and fun places to write. These places are great to help clear your mind and help you concentrate:

• The Park. This is great because it brings the nature without traveling too far. 
• Living Room with Hot Chocolate. This is great for a cold winter. Sitting with your laptop or notebook along with something that makes you warm (hot chocolate or warm blanket) will help you be comfortable and cozy while letting the writing flow. 
• Coffeeshop. With the smell of coffee beans and calm music playing in the background, this is a great place to whip out your laptop to write. 
• Garden. The smell of fresh flowers and plants along with bright colors and a scenic display will bring out the creativity and imagination in anyone. I love being in a garden and authoring something magical. 

Adventures in a Bookstore

Posman Bookstore at Grand Central Station

What do I do during a long lunch break? Wander around a bookstore. I recently spent some time walking around Posman bookstore in Grand Central Station, NY. I looked to see which books were out and I realized something that virtual bookstores can't provide, the ability to hold, feel, and touch books especially in the children's book section. I had a lot of fun looking at and picking up books along with being able to feel the texture of the pages. It was interesting to see what the other customers picked up and started reading. Walking around a bookstore is a great feeling, a feeling that virtual bookstores can't give us!

More than just creativity...

Being creative, imaginative, and a great writer may not be enough to be a successful author. At the end of the day you have to force yourself to sit down and write something. Give yourself some deadlines. Give yourself an aim and focus. I think that authors and writers can't get by with just waiting for inspiration. Taking a proactive role in your writing is very important.

Fun Whimsical Images to help you Spark Writing!

Source: http://www.jellepelle.nl/

Check out these fun illustrations that will give inspiration while writing. I have fun looking at my favorites and then keeping the image next to me while writing. It is a great way to spark creativity and imagination while writing.  These wonderful whimsical images where created by Jelle Gijsberts.

Great work Jelle, a true inspiration to all children's book authors. Check out more of his images at http://www.jellepelle.nl/