One of our Jelly Bean books David the Pizzly Bear has been awarded a red ribbon in the Wishing Shelf awards. Well done, Molly Arbuthnott and Camilla Seddon.
Archive for Book Design
We need to talk about Dementia! The illness has long been misunderstood and stigmatised. Despite millions of people being diagnosed or impacted by it every year we do not talk about it.
Enter Sally Flint. In her children’s picture book I Love My Grandpa!, Sally has approached the subject of dementia in a heart-warming and educational way. She aims to eliminate the stigma of the illness. She says: “There is still a lot about dementia that people don’t understand. We need to talk about it. Dementia is not as simple as forgetfulness.”
In the book, Sally’s explores how dementia affects all those involved, most particularly children. Her beautifully illustrated and poignantly written story tackles this issue with sensitivity, intelligence and love.
She continues: “When a family member is diagnosed with a type of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s or Lewey Body, the change to normal family life can be overwhelming. My story is about a boy, Chris and his grandpa. Despite Grandpa’s dementia they have a loving relationship. The story explores the coping mechanisms of dementia, while being entertaining, uncomplicated and thoughtful.”
The book has been published by Jelly Bean Books. Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, says: “I Love My Grandpa! has gorgeous illustrations by artist Terry Cooper. Alongside the sympathetic text by Sally Flint, it is humorous and offers a fresh perspective on the illness. You don’t need to have experienced dementia to read the book. Its overriding message is that family is important and love will conquer.”
I Love My Grandpa! is a sincere, insightful, and uplifting story that everyone needs to read. The message is clear! Those diagnosed with dementia are still human and have so much to offer.To order the book click https://www.sallyflint.com/shop.html
If you would like to self-publish your book please visit here.
Jelly Bean Self-Publishing is delighted to have been awarded Self-Publishing Company of the Year at the 2020 Welsh Enterprise awards.
The Welsh Enterprise awards recognise the contribution of small to medium sized businesses to the Welsh economy.
Since its inception in 2013, Jelly Bean Self-Publishing has provided a range of publishing services to independent authors all around the world. Head of Publishing Shaun Russell is delighted to have received the commendation:
“Self-publishing has grown enormously as an industry over recent years. Thanks to the Internet, the rise of eBooks, and the refinement of Print on Demand technology, it is now viable both economically and practically for independent authors to find engaged readerships in an incredible variety of ways.”
“It’s this flexibility that is at the heart of self-publishing’s ever-increasing success, and it is something that we have always put at the heart of what we do. We never try to pigeonhole our authors or force them into a one-size fits arrangements. We tailor our work to an author’s needs, budgets and ambitions.”
“And whatever the services they require, we provide them to the same standards as we do for our award-winning traditional imprint Candy Jar Books. Not only is this, of course, only fair to the author, it’s an investment in the long-term viability of self-publishing as an industry.”
“We are delighted SME News has recognised our efforts to provide a quality self-publishing service. We see it not only as recognition for ourselves, but a testament to the many companies around the country that are working so hard to establish self-publishing as a viable route to readership for independent authors, as part of the wider publishing environment.”
“Mark my words, thanks to these efforts, in the coming years you will read more and more about authors finding success through self-publishing.”
This time last year children were celebrating World Book Day in schools, but one year on, things look very different. To mark a World Book Day like no other, Cardiff-
World Book Day 2021 will take place on the 4th of March, and with children across the country beginning to return to school, Candy Jar thought it was fitting to mark this dual occasion with a giveaway.
Head of Publishing at Candy Jar, Shaun Russell, says: “As a whole, publishers have been relatively lucky throughout the pandemic. While like everyone we have faced exceptional pressures, lockdown has reintroduced many to the escapism that only reading can offer. We have heard from many of our customers, faced with keeping their kids occupied over lockdown, what a boon this has been.”
“It is well-
“As hopefully some semblance of normality begins to return to our lives, we thought it would be in the spirit of things to furnish young readers with something to keep their reading habits going for the months and years to come.”
Included within Candy Jar’s giveaway are The Norris Girls by Nigel Hinton, an author that has been a fixture of English curriculums for decades, Something I Should Know, a debut young adult novel by Siobhan Kalli, Tommy Parker: Destiny Will Find You by Cardiff-
Candy Jar will also be including titles from Jelly Bean Self-
Since its inception in 2013, Jelly Bean Self-
Jelly Bean author Molly Arbuthnott has kindly offered her picture book Oscar the Ferry Cat. She hopes it gives stretched parents a helping hand. She says: “As we can’t be together in person this year, it is a great treat to be able to share stories through a giveaway. Oscar has at its heart a message about never giving up – very apt, I think – and I hope it proves a tonic to readers young and old!”
Former teacher, Phillip Davies, has also given Candy Jar permission to giveaway his sci-
The giveaway will run for five days, starting on World Book Day (4 th March), and the full list of titles is available below. There’s no catch: no sign ups required, no add ons – just free books for all.
Shaun concludes: “There hasn’t been much to celebrate this past year, but there has at least been a recognition that we’re all in this together. It’s a spirit we will hopefully take with us as we return to the patterns of our previous lives. With so many parents feeling the pinch, with so much uncertainty as to what the future holds, we thought making our titles available for free was only one way to truly embrace the spirit of the times.”
So come one, come all, the Candy Jar Great world Book Day Giveaway goes live on March 4th!
Below are the covers of all the books available…
Jelly Bean is pleased to announce its sixth ‘Book of the Month’, The Haunted Staircase by Devika Rosamund. This mind-
However, unlike the books of E Nesbit and Enid Blyton, The Haunted Staircase takes both the reader and the characters back to a realistic portrayal of Victorian servitude. Similar to Downton Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs, this book is a fascinating depiction of a bygone world, but with an added twist! What if children from the twenty-
Devika wanted to combine today’s progressive storylines, with the kind of books she used to read as a child. She says: “I always intended to write a children’s novel for 9 to 12 year olds that involved ghosts, magic and adventure, but I wanted it to be educational and fair representation of life in service.”
The characters use a magic spell to travel back in time where they investigate the mysterious death of a Victorian servant girl. For authenticity, Devika undertook a great deal of research about Victorian service. In particular, how so-
Devika is also a talented artist and was pleased when Candy Jar suggested including her artwork in The Haunted Staircase. She concludes: “I had a lot of fun illustrating the story myself and I hope that my writing and simple illustrations will inspire young readers to write and illustrate their own stories. I am grateful to my editor, Shaun Russell, for improving my ghost story by adding humour. I wanted the ghost to be a pleasant character, rather than an evil one, and I always make sure my stories have happy endings. I like to leave young readers with a sense of satisfaction that all the problems are solved in the end.”
The Haunted Staircase can be purchased from here.
Do you have a book that you want to publish?
Why not send your book to Jelly Bean Self-Publishing?
A great way to get your book off your computer and into the world, and with 10% off this Black Friday why wait?
Just send your manuscript to submissions@jellybeanselfpublishing.co.uk with the words ‘strawberry pencil’ as the subject to receive 10% off and we will be in touch.
Valid from 14th November to 28th November 2018.
Here at Jelly Bean Self-Publishing, we want to start a reading revolution. Here are just a few reasons to put down your phone, turn off the TV, and for a few hours an evening enjoy an actual book…
In the modern world, where much of our interaction with words takes place on screens (mobile phones, tablets, computers, etc.), it is certainly worth reiterating the health and lifestyle benefits of reading a good book.
Not that reading off a screen is so bad – after all, it’s led you here! But it is estimated we spend up to a whopping ten hours (!) staring at screens every day.
- Reading brings to life neural pathways in the brain. This in turn leads to the creation of new memories, and as such creates new synapses that strengthen our brains. So basically, reading is like taking your brain to the gym!
- Reading can reduce anxiety and alleviate stress. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, reading offers us the magic of escapism. It frees our minds, which in turn lightens the pressures of day-to-day life.
- Reading asks you to consider abstract concepts, developing critical thinking skills.
- Has a friend ever bolstered you to participate in an activity you were apprehensive about? It has been proven that readers who admire a fictional character’s courage to partake in physical challenges that scare them (g. riding a horse, climbing a mountain, sailing a boat, etc.), are themselves better able to muster the bravery to try new activities in their own life.
- It goes without saying that reading improves your vocabulary and communicative ability. If anyone’s going to impress their peers with a quick-witted remark, it’s an avid reader.
- Reading gives us a sense of self-accomplishment, boosting self-esteem.
- If you’re the sort of person to fall for fictional characters (aren’t we all?), then studies show you are a more empathetic person for it. In imagining life from another’s perspective, you yourself become a more caring, understanding person (go you!).
- Reading a book in bed helps you sleep better. Conversely, the glare of a TV screen or a smart-phone makes it more difficult to drop off.
Do you know of any positive impacts of reading we’ve missed? If so, please feel free to get in touch. Thanks for reading, and keep up the good work!
Let’s talk fonts. No, no, wait… come back. It’s fun, I promise. Well, it’s important, anyway. I mean, check this out:
Now, if you were James Joyce and you’d sprung for a self-publishing contract, this isn’t exactly what you’d want, is it? It’s a detail that many, authors and readers alike, often do not consider, but the right font is essential to a book’s success.
There are certain fonts that you’re used to seeing in certain contexts, and while you might not think about it consciously, when one wanders into the wrong book you can be sure you’re brain notices. Bearing in mind that ‘font’ includes variables such as line spacing and style, imagine, say, Stephen King set up like this:
Weird, right? Sort of undermines the whole effect. That’s because we’re used to seeing wide line spacing like that in children’s books, to help young readers focus on the words. Or how about this:
Dense, claustrophobic, intense… Probably not what A.A. Milne was going for when hewrote that particular piece. Now cast about you for the nearest professionally produced book. A Penguin classic or something. See the difference?
Don’t let your hard work be undermined by inappropriate stylistic choices. It won’t matter how much care and thought you’ve put into your writing if all a reader can think when they open your book of is ugh, Comic Sans… Drop Jelly Bean Self-Publishing’s experienced typesetters a line, and let us find the right clothes for your writing to wear out into the world…
Do me a quick favour: Google ‘lousy book covers’.
You’re welcome — firstly for all for the hours of entertainment I’ve just provided, but secondly, and far more importantly, for warning you against the single biggest and most common mistake self-published authors make.
No matter how the old saying goes, everyone judges a book by its cover. It may not be fair, but it’s absolutely true. Pick one of the covers you’ve just seen. Imagine if that had been for the first edition of, say, The Great Gatsby. I think if that were the case it’s a pretty safe bet that old Gatsby wouldn’t be all he’s considered to be today.
Now, we shouldn’t be too critical of the unfortunate authors who’ve found themselves featured in such lists. Publishing a book yourself can be a daunting process, and there’s a lot more to consider than most first-time authors expect. It’s also fair to say that many literary minded people are perhaps not so astute when it comes to judging design. And when you’ve already handed over your hard earned cash to a designer only to be presented with, well, whatever some of those covers are supposed to be, I think some self-rationalisation is understandable.
This is why it’s so important to ensure that the design of your book cover is in good hands before you part with your money. At Jelly Bean Self-Publishing, we employ the same cover designers as those who work with our sister imprint, award-winning independent publisher Candy Jar Books, ensuring cover art of the highest standard. You put your name to the words; our artists put theirs to the art; we stake our professional reputation on the finished product. Together, we’ll try and stay laughing at those ‘lousy cover’ lists — not featuring on them.
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Compared to other publishers that I approached, Jelly Bean always listened, gave advice and were interested in the book itself. Self-publishing can be daunting but Jelly Bean guide you all the way.
★★★★★
Ingrid Stow
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