Judith Josephson loves to dig into the past. People’s lives, especially that of track and field star Jesse Owens, fascinate her. Today she reflects on his life and accomplishments that she researched for her updated ebook: Jesse Owens: Legendary Gold Medal Olympian. Her award-winning biographies and history books include both nonfiction and fiction for children. She has also written for adults.

Looking Back at the 1936 Olympics

Eighty years have passed since Jesse Owen’s triumph in the 1936 Olympics. The first African American to win four gold medals, he stunned German dictator, Adolph Hitler, who had hoped to prove his racist theory of Aryan supremacy. NBC Sports recently aired “More Than Gold,” a documentary drawing heavily on film segments and firsthand accounts. The movie Race (view movie trailer: Race, Trailer) about Owens makes a powerful statement. Owens’s  accomplishments have been featured on the nightly news and in Parade Magazine (“Remembering Jesse Owens”). In 2013, PBS’s American Experience Series profiled Jesse Owens. Throughout, Jesse’s three daughters have contributed insights and anecdotes about their famous father.

Eight decades later, why all the hoopla honoring this athlete? Here’s why. Jesse Owens was so much more than a stellar athlete; he was an American patriot, a role model and advocate for young people, a humanitarian, devoted husband and father, and a well-respected gentleman in spite of the racism of the era.

Born in 1918, Jesse Owens had been training for this day ever since junior high school, when he started breaking records for his age.  In college at Ohio State University, at a 1935 track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan,  he broke four world records in forty-five minutes. Ohio State was where Jesse encountered young coach and former Olympic hopeful Larry Snyder, who became a close friend and mentor and part of Owens’s family. Talented athletes always benefit from having mentors like Snyder and Jesse’s junior high coach Charles Riley.

For more than a century, the Olympic games have been the greatest athletic competition in the world, an event where years of training culminate in the best of the best. But the Olympics in which Owens excelled differed greatly from modern Olympics. Today’s athletes communicate electronically, wear top-of-the-line equipment, and can expect lucrative endorsements when they excel. Jesse Owens and his fellow athletes gathered around a Victrola to listen to music, wrote real letters, and sent telegrams to their families. Owens arrived with only one pair of running shoes. Coach Snyder, worried that the cinder tracks would soon destroy those shoes, went out and bought Jesse Owens a second pair.

Jesse Owens had class. When he won the gold medal in the 100-meter race, he thanked his Olympic hosts, saying that Berlin was “a beautiful place, a beautiful city.  The competition was grand.  But I was very glad to come out on top.”  Proudly, he wore the winner’s laurel wreath and saluted his flag. His winning four gold medals surprised the world and infuriated Hitler, who called Owens and other African American teammates America’s “black legions.” Hitler’s close associate declared Jesse and his teammates unfit to compete with “human” athletes, akin to allowing a gazelle or a deer on the team.

A Hero Comes Home

Jesse Owens returned home to an America with segregation and Jim Crow laws still in effect. Despite the ticker tape parades and speaking invitations he received, job offers never materialized. Even when a reception was given in his honor, he and his wife had to ride the service elevator to attend.

The Olympic motto, which means “faster, higher, stronger,” doesn’t include the word “winning.” The famed Olympic five intertwined rings aren’t gold. Yet Jesse Owens embodied that motto and he did win gold medals.  At the Olympics and in his life, he succeeded in spite of the racism of his day, poverty, and other obstacles.  He met these challenges with strength, perseverance, humility, and grace. A man of determination and courage, he rose above the bigotry of the era to become a consummate athlete, humanitarian, friend of youth, and ambassador of sports.

Bravo and well done, Jesse Owens! Kudos to your beloved family, who have honored your legacy in charitable works through the Jesse Owens Foundation at Jesse Owens Memorial Park and museum in Alabama.

Read More about Jesse Owens

To read more about track and field hero Jesse Owens, check out Josephson’s newly revised and republished ebook biography of him, Jesse Owens: Legendary Gold Medal Olympian, from eFrog Press.

Lynda Pflueger has written nine biographies for children. Her books have been favorably reviewed by Kirkus, School and Library Journal, and Booklist. George Eastman: Bringing Photography to the People is the most recent title in A Spotlight Biography series and is now available in both paperback and ebook format. Learn more about her at LyndaPflueger.com

What fun! I loved talking about one of my favorite people, George Eastman, the founder of Kodak.

The Book Launch Party for my newly released biography—George Eastman: Bringing Photography to the People—started with a slice of his favorite lemon meringue pie.  Eastman never seemed to get enough of it. He often prepared it himself and always ate at least two big slices.

Then I shared some interesting tidbits about Eastman:

• His goal for his company was to be “the largest manufacturer of photographic materials in the world, or go to pot.”
• He created his company’s brand name Kodak.
• His company’s success was based on his four business practices:  mass production of goods at a low cost, international distribution of goods, extensive advertising, and excellent customer service.
• He donated the majority of his wealth to educational institutions and other charities before his death because he felt that men who left their money to be distributed by others were “pie-faced-mutts.”

I knew his adventures in Africa would appeal to young people (grades 5 and up), my target reading audience. In 1926, a year after he retired from Eastman Kodak, Eastman packed his bags and set out for Africa. He stayed with Osa and Martin Johnson, two wild life photographers at their campsite in the Kedong Valley near Nairobi. His cabin was built alongside an elephant trail and several times a day, the large animals passed by, giving Eastman an opportunity to photograph them. I read a passage that showed what an interesting person Eastman was.

After my talk, I handed out bookmarks and sold and signed books.

Tips from eFrog Press

Book Launches will vary based on the genre, the location, and the personality of the author. Here are some key elements to consider no matter what kind of book you are launching!

• Get the word out early through social media, organizations you belong to, and the press.
• Have food and drink—even better if it relates to the book.
• Allow time for mingling and try to connect with everyone before speaking.
• Keep your talk short, focused, and interesting. Rehearse and time your presentation.
• Read from your book. Nothing sells a book better than good writing. Don’t just talk about your book—read from it!
• Set up a display table with copies of all your books and related items. Lynda Pflueger displayed antique Kodak cameras (see photo above). She also displayed a poster-sized version of her cover.
• Do a giveaway or drawing for your book and related items.
• Be prepared to sell (have change, receipts, credit card processor, and maybe a helper) and sign (have a great pen) your books.
• If the group is small enough, follow up with a thank you email. Lynda Pflueger included Eastman’s yummy recipe for lemon meringue pie.

For more details, read related posts:

Your First Book Signing: What Every Author Needs to Know

How to Give a Bookstore Reading in Nine Easy Steps

Preparing for Your First School Visit

Please Share Your Book Launch Experiences

When LC Scott launched eFrog Press in 2011, she began by experimenting on a variety of titles including a series—A Spotlight Biography series. Since then three authors have worked with eFrog Press to update and publish their carefully researched biographies for young people, grades five and up. There is an increasing demand for well written juvenile nonfiction, so the Spotlight Biography authors are planning a virtual launch of their series during the month of October. Stay tuned for details.

We love to work on series here at eFrog Press, and I will be blogging soon about things to consider when writing and publishing a series. As with our other eFrog Press titles, our series titles are not limited to one genre but include speculative fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, Regency romance, and juvenile biography. Today I will focus on A Spotlight Biography series. The authors will be doing a virtual launch of their series in the next month starting with a bricks-and-mortar book launch tonight for the newest title, George Eastman: Bringing Photography to the People, complete with Eastman’s favorite lemon meringue pie and vintage Kodak cameras. George Eastman is the first spotlight title to be released in both paperback and ebook formats.

All these biographies have been previously published as print books, many in the 1990s, and the authors retained the ebook rights. They were excited to update these titles, many out of print, and tap into the power of the Internet. Each book has a section titled “Digging Deeper” where authors link to a few selected sites. For our very first title, Barbara McClintock: Nobel Prize Geneticist, veteran author Edith Hope Fine was thrilled to discover a video of Barbara McClintock receiving the Nobel Prize from the King of Sweden! Talk about a subject coming to life! Rich content like this was praised by the Styling Librarian, Debbie Alvarez, in her blog last week about Lynda Pflueger’s new George Eastman biography:

There are new opportunities for learning with non-fiction texts that I adore lately: the back matter of the book. I was thrilled to find an area called “Digging Deeper” which tells you about websites to explore further and videos to watch about Eastman.

Covers are critical in identifying series. With a skillful, creative designer, covers can signal that titles are related without looking redundant. We went through many incarnations including a dangling spotlight before coming up with the simple but elegant design we now use. There is just a hint of a spotlight in the top right corner highlighting that the title is A Spotlight Biography. In October, Mother Jones: Fierce Fighter for Workers’ Rights by Judith Josephson will be released. Fierce is almost not strong enough to describe this remarkable, and little known today, woman!

Spotlight biographies give young readers role models—people to emulate and admire. The subjects come from all walks of life—sports, science, art, writing, history, business, art, and even activism. When students read stories about the lives of real people, a spark of hope ignites and the future calls. In the Spotlight’s bright beam, the subjects of biography inspire.

Upcoming Spotlight Posts

October 6: Lynda Pflueger on Planning George Eastman Book Launch

October 15: Judith Josephson on Mother Jones Ebook Release

October 20: Edith Hope Fine on Biographies of Gary Paulsen & Barbara McClintock

And Join the Blog Tour and Book Giveaway for launch of George Eastman biography.

Writers need to have books nearby. Some are reference books and some may be for inspiration. Recently, children’s author Lynda Pflueger blogged about organizing her desk for writing. She began by clearing off unnecessary books:

After looking over my choices, I determined I needed five reference books on my desk: The Synonym Finder by J. Rodale’s; A Pocket Style Manual by Diana Hacker; Roget’s Descriptive Word Finder by Barbara Ann Kipfer; Banish Boring Words! by Leilen Shelton; Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.

I, too, love Rodale’s The Synonym Finder. It’s an indispensable writing tool for me. When I taught high school writing, I once told a student who was stuck using the same word over and over again that there was a thesaurus behind him. Much to his embarrassment, he jumped up and looked around. He must have thought a thesaurus was a relative of the Stegosaurus!

I asked Regency romance author Judith Lown for her favorite writer’s book. Here is her contribution:

I’ve read a number of books and articles that have inspired me about being a writer. But the book that has been of most practical help to me is A Writer’s Book of Days by Judy Reeves. I have used the daily writing exercises in this book to dissolve writer’s block, organize the logistics of complicated scenes, and decide plot questions. I cannot recommend it more strongly.

Other titles I keep close at hand for reference include:

• The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010
• Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 2003

I have both print and online access to both. These books are standard references in the publishing industry and at eFrog Press all of our editors use them.

When editing or writing fiction, I frequently reference The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression. I have the ebook on my tablet so I can quickly look up an emotion and find a selection of descriptions and actions for the character experiencing that emotion. For example, if the character is curious, I have pages of options in categories for physical signals like tilting the head to the side, internal sensations like an increased pulse, mental responses like increased awareness of sensory information, cues like fidgeting or tics, and many examples in each of these categories! Such details help you bring your characters to life.

For Inspiration

Sometimes you just need a beautifully written book at hand to inspire your own prose. For a while, that book was The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. The author wrote:  ”I find there is nothing more beautiful, for example, than the very basic components of language, nouns and verbs.” Her powerful use of basic language inspires me to do the same. Currently, I take my inspiration from Susan Meissner’s descriptions in Secrets of a Charmed Life. Read this introduction to her main character in the first chapter:

Isabel MacFarland steps into the room. She is a wisp of tissue-thin, weightless white hair, and fragile-looking bones. She is impeccably dressed, however, in a lavender skirt that reaches to her knees and a creamy white blouse with satin-covered buttons. Black ballet flats embrace her slender feet. A gold necklace rings her neck. Her nails are polished a shimmery pale pink and her cottony hair is swept up in the back with a comb of mother-of-pearl. She carries a fabric-wrapped rectangle, book shaped and tied with a ribbon.

Got to love “wisp of tissue-thin, weightless white hair, and fragile-looking bones” and “Black ballet flats embrace her slender feet.” So when my writing feels flat or I get stalled, I read a few pages and remember what I aspire to do.

Please Share

What titles do you keep near when writing? Are they for reference, inspiration, or both?

We (Edith Hope Fine and Judith Josephson) are the Grammar Patrol. Both of us taught for years and are now writers, with thirty plus books between us, including our two popular grammar guides, Nitty-Gritty Grammar and More Nitty-Gritty Grammar. For close to twenty years, we taught writing and grammar basics and now we blog about grammar for writers.

A gracious happy new year to all. In 2015, resolve to review key grammar points. To check your memory, take our quick pop quiz on topics we’ve covered over the course of writing this Grammar Patrol blog. Examples come from Edith’s new Jump, Froggies!, an ebook for folks who want to write children’s books.

Ready? Set? Go!

1.

A. Ask Jennifer. Her and me are in charge of the cake.

B. Ask Jennifer. She and I are in charge of the cake.

2.

A. That report gave John and me a chance to redeem ourselves.

B. That report gave John and I a chance to redeem ourselves.

3.

A. ”I’ll never tell,“ said Theo.

B. “I’ll never tell,” said Theo.

4.

A. “Fire!” yelled Andrea.

B. “Fire,” yelled Andrea!

5.

A. (Sign:) Bouquets for sale: $7

B. (Sign:) Bouquet’s for sale: $7

 6.

A. Possessive its never splits.

B. Possessive it’s never splits.

7.

A. “Wait-what’s that noise?”

B. “Wait—what’s that noise?”

C. “Wait–what’s that noise?”

8.

A. Camilla is the youngest of the two sisters.

B. Camilla is the younger of the two sisters.

A froggy thumbs up for these answers:

1. B. Put Out a BOLO (Be On the LookOut) on Pronoun Agreement

2. A. Put Out a BOLO (Be On the LookOut) on Pronoun Agreement

3. B. Did you spot the quotation mark mix-up?

Straight quotes, curly quotes, ellipses: what’s a writer to do?

4. A. Quotation Mark Questions? Think Symphony Orchestra!

5. A. Apostrophes: Flowers or Weeds?

6. A. Apostrophes: Flowers or Weeds?

7. B. Ems and Ens for Writers

8. B. Grammar Tips for Comparisons

 How did you do?

Banishing grammar rust is a great way to start the new year. And if you or your friends have longed to write books for children, take a look at Jump, Froggies: 89+ Beginners’ Tips for Writing Children’s Books from eFrog Press.

That’s it from the Grammar Patrol. You’ll find more answers to grammar questions in our zany Nitty-Gritty Grammar and More Nitty-Gritty Grammar guides. Let us know when you hear or see bloopers of any kind. We love hearing from you.

L.C. Scott is the founder of eFrog Press and an author. Her many years of teaching at the high school and university level and her freelance writing career have prepared her to lead a team of experts to guide both fledgling and experienced authors through the maze of indie publishing. Today on Take the Leap she advises new authors on preparations for their first public speaking event about their new book.

Congratulations! You have been invited to an author event at your local library. You have two minutes to speak and then you can sell and sign books. Simple, right? Let’s look deeper.

Two-Minute Talk

Sounds easy but think of it this way—you only have two minutes to interest your audience in coming over to look at (and buy) your book.

You need to hook them and reel them in. Prepare. Read your book blurb. Think about what would interest these people. Then practice speaking aloud and time yourself. Critical!

Nancy Johnson talks about her new Civil War book, Shenandoah Daughter of the Stars

At the San Carlos Library’s 40^th birthday celebration in August, I was invited to be part of their Author’s Fair with 13 other authors. I rehearsed my two-minute speech several times until I could fit my comments into the time frame and interest the audience. I was surprised when my first attempt at home was over six minutes!

Nancy Johnson, author of Shenandoah, started her two minutes with a funny story about why she started to write. The audience chuckled and she had their attention as she shifted to talk about her civil war stories for young people.

Don’t Give Away the Plot

When drafting your remarks, don’t give away the plot! I once heard an enticing summary of a book but the author revealed a key plot point. I bought her book and savored her writing, but my reading experience was tainted by knowing what would not happen. Sigh.

Time Flies so Keep it Short

Less is more when you’re speaking to an audience as part of a panel. Many in the room are not there to hear what you have to say. They may be there because their Aunt Martha just published her first book, but that doesn’t mean they won’t decide to buy your book if you give them a reason to. So keep it brief and try to win them over.

Do not exceed your time. Trust me, less really is more. With 14 authors, the audience didn’t have the patience for rambling comments. Do yourself a favor and hone in on the most fascinating elements of your book and leave them wanting more, so they can’t wait to come over and talk to you. Tease them and encourage them to connect with you later. And maybe even buy your book!

Other Preparations

Authors Richard Fitchen, Nancy Johnson and Philippe de Vosjoli at San Carlos Library.

The other preparations are just as important as your actual speech. It was fun to see how different authors handled the same opportunity, and it made me think about what new authors can do to increase their chances of success (selling books). I will be posting future blogs about these related topics:

Displaying your wares (books) and being approachable

Preparing to sell: cash, checks, credit cards and receipts

Signing books: what do you write and what do you write with?

Want More?

If you have an upcoming bookstore reading, you might also enjoy the post How to Give a Bookstore Reading in 9 Easy Steps.  Learn how seasoned author Susan Meissner  did everything right at a book lauch for A Fall of Marigolds at the La Jolla, CA, bookstore Warwick’s. Of course, when you are giving a reading it helps to have a great book like Susan’s!

Share Your Advice

What have you learned about preparing for author events? Please share your do’s and don’t’s.

The Unknown Reader blogs monthly about all things ebook.  Naturally, she has strong opinions about her reading material. Over the holidays the Unknown Reader ventured West to San Diego so we took advantage of the opportunity to capture a portrait of her in front of a mosaic in Solana Beach, CA, doing what she does best–reading!

The Age of Ebooks Has Arrived at Your Library

With Hachette joining the other Big Six publishers, there’s an increasingly united front of ebook publishers striking deals with libraries. Prepare yourselves: the age of ebooks from local libraries has definitely arrived.

A simple search in Google News for two keywords (simply “ebooks libraries” without quotation marks) conjured up results for events joining the ebook and the library across the US. From a library ebook downloading demo to an ebook distributor’s contest that encourages libraries to creatively market their ebook collections, libraries and ebooks are forming a more perfect union. School libraries are offering ebooks. Public libraries are acquiring ebook collections. More pixels, less ink.

The union of libraries and ebooks is generating plenty of press. At the start of May, the New York Times ran a thought-provoking op-ed on ebooks’ impact on democracy. The newly-released Hachette ebooks to libraries prompted a reflection on how the union of ebooks and libraries provides us with unparalleled (and nearly instant) access to information.

Downside?

A remarkable 62% of surveyed Americans (age 16+) didn’t know whether their local library even carried ebooks, according to an American Library Association article.

What troubles lie ahead for ebooks and libraries? One concern pointed out by the Economist is security: a talented hacker could access an entire library’s ebook collection. Another concern from the Economist:

Will someone with a library card granting ebook access never buy another book (or ebook) again?

Apparently people are still reading and buying ebooks, so publishers can stop fretting. However, ebook readers could take steps to save another institution: their local library. After all, how will libraries remain relevant in a digital age? (more…)