Make Summer Reading Fun

Helpful motivational techniques to encourage your kids to read over the summer

It’s usually challenging to get kids to read during the summer, since they often associate reading with homework and school. Although it can be a drag for them, we as parents know how much our children’s literacy skills can slide over the summer break. Although it’s important for children to take a much-needed break from full-time academics, it’s also important that we encourage them to read to maintain their reading skills, even when they are thinking about other activities, such as going to the beach or a waterpark. Research has shown that children who continue to read over the summer are better prepared for the coming year. Even a small amount of consistent reading can enhance vocabulary, language skills, concentration, critical thinking, and emotional and social development, which further improves confidence.

Parents understand that reading over the summer is good practice, and although children get that on some level, their childlike tendency to play takes over. It is up to adults to set an example and create an atmosphere where reading is natural and enjoyable. Here are some ways in which you can motivate your child to read over the summer—to make reading fun.

Let them choose—Whatever your child’s interests are, encourage them to choose a topic(s) they are interested in, and it doesn’t have to be from a book. Magazines, maps, brochures, recipes, online articles, comic books, graphic novels, and genealogy are some examples of reading interests they may have outside of traditional books.

Read together—Making reading a family event sets a wonderful example that forms early and lasting habits. Round-robin reading and reading aloud, as is often done in class, are great ways to share the experience of a story. In addition, after reading the story together, discuss the story. Have a book talk as they do in a book club. Ask character and plot questions to test comprehension and share an engaging discussion to further cement retention.

Allow a comfortable environment for reading—Choose a cozy area and set a specific time of day. Start with short reading increments and increase the time as the child’s motivation builds.

Use the community to enrich your child’s reading—make a visit to the local library or a favorite bookstore a regular routine, sign up for summer reading programs, or visit local book fairs. Children meeting live authors can be an impressionable experience, especially when the author signs their copy.

Plan an event based on the reading—For instance, if your child reads a book about dolphins, plan a trip on a boat to see dolphins swimming. The activity attached to the book will leave a real-life lasting impression.

Use educational resources and assistive technology—Teachers often send home a summer reading list and require a book report to be written. If a list is not provided, ask them for one. To enhance the reading experience and minimize distractions, provide audiobook versions, headphones, or large print books.

Celebrate progress—Keep track of improvements and reward your child with visits to a zoo, museum, or other educational venue to enhance their learning experience.

If your child is not inclined to pick up a book to read, especially during the summer, you can encourage them to read if you don’t make it a daunting task. By allowing your child to choose what to read based on their interests, setting an example, establishing a routine, and providing an inviting environment, you will foster a natural, unforced love of reading in them. Reading will become fun to them while you are assured they are honing their skills to be better prepared for the coming school year.

Preparing a Pitch to Write a Guest Blog

In my blog from last July, I wrote about whether authors should blog. I wrote that blogging is one way for authors to support their marketing efforts and gain more readers. I mentioned a few platforms such as Blogspot, WordPress, Squarespace, Substack, Medium, and even your own website. These serve well to build an audience for your content, but if you need time to gain a following and you have an idea for a blog you want to share, you can spread your message to existing audiences in the meantime. How do you do this? You can borrow another publisher’s audience through a guest blog. Although not every platform is open to bringing in outside content, many see the value of welcoming a topic that they have not yet covered but know it will resonate with their readers.

Platforms may seek out guest bloggers, but more often than not, a blogger must make the inquiry. However, it is not as simple as asking if you can guest blog on someone’s post, especially if you have never engaged with that writer’s content.

Similar to querying publishers and literary agents, you have to prepare yourself adequately with a proposal that is clear, concise, and compelling. This is your pitch, and, as a potential guest blogger, you’ll have to convince the host that you can contribute an article that benefits their audience.

You may have a host and topic in mind but first ask yourself the following questions before you inquire about being a guest blogger.

Am I acquainted with the host’s content?

Do I know what is drawing readers to its platform?

Do I have a similar level of expertise to the host?

Can I provide something that the host will find valuable to their readers?

If you cannot answer a resounding yes to these questions, your inquiry may come off as spammy, solicitous, and self-serving. Here are some guidelines to help you prepare your pitch to be a guest blogger with authenticity.

PLANNING

Engage and build rapport-Connect on social media, comment, like, and share. The more you engage, the more trust and loyalty you will establish.

Research- Study their content to determine gaps you could fill. One way you could do this is by conducting keyword research on your competitors’ sites.

THE ASK

Make delivery succinct and enticing-Use simple language, be brief, and interesting.

Don’t make it about yourself- Briefly introduce yourself and compliment their work by linking to articles you enjoyed. Propose unique ideas that you think could benefit their readers and why.

Show proof of your expertise- Give samples of your writing relevant to their audience, yet don’t send an article you’ve already published unless they agree to it.

EXECUTION AND PROFESSIONALISM

1.     Share your well-researched draft in a format that you can easily collaborate on.

2.     Ascertain that you understand their content guidelines and be open-minded to revisions.

3.     Match your voice to the host’s writing tone.

4.     Thank them and provide your contact information so they can reach you.

5.     If no response, allow a bit of time and then follow up.

Preparing a pitch for a guest blog post is as important as writing the blog post itself. If you are doing it correctly, you are demonstrating to the platform or company host that you have the familiarity and expertise to provide ideas and writing that is relevant to their subject matter and will be of interest to their readers. When this is coupled with your professionalism in following through on their editorial requirements and collaborating with ease, you will have forged a mutually beneficial relationship that can drive profitable engagement for both.

Why Author Branding Matters If You Want to Build a Readership

Most people call themselves authors because they write books intended to attract readers—or at least that is the goal. The process usually begins with an idea you feel passionate about. Through research, imagination, and a love of language, you bring a story to life around a character, event, or concept.

But how do you know readers will feel the same excitement about your work?

Many authors focus on writing their book but overlook something just as important: their brand. An important question many writers should ask themselves before writing: Who is my reader? What are their interests, habits, struggles, and desires? Understanding this helps determine how your story will resonate with the audience you hope to reach.

Consider the romance genre, for example. If you write contemporary romance, what makes your story different from the thousands of others available? If your book offers nothing distinctive, it can easily become lost in a crowded marketplace. Competition will always exist, but identifying your book brand gives you a stronger chance of standing out and capturing readers’ interest.

Your book brand is the value, message, or perspective that consistently appears in your writing—something that resonates with a specific audience. That brand may grow from your life experiences, an area of expertise, or a worldview you want to share.

Once you understand your brand and the readers drawn to it, you move beyond simply being someone who authored a book. You become an author-entrepreneur building a readership. Each book you publish reinforces a recognizable theme or message, encouraging readers to seek out your work again and again.

Many writers—especially fiction writers—begin with a single story they feel compelled to tell. They hope readers will experience the same emotional pull that inspired them to create the story in the first place. That connection may happen with the first book, but what comes next? If you want to build a lasting readership, you must think beyond one compelling story and identify the larger value behind your work.

I experienced this myself. My first book was a children’s environmental story for ages four to eight about protecting the ocean. The story follows a group of shellfish struggling to survive in polluted waters and searching for ways to improve their environment.

My next book moved in a quite different direction: a second-chance romance about an older woman rebuilding her life after her husband leaves her. Like many women facing similar circumstances, the character must confront loss while finding the courage to pursue a new relationship, navigate family challenges, and begin a new career.

At a book fair, someone once asked why I shifted from writing a children’s book to an adult romance novel. My answer was simple: although the genres are different, the underlying theme is the same.

I care deeply about both environmental issues and women’s empowerment. Both subjects relate to the human condition and our relationship with the world around us.

My next book will explore my uncle’s journey emigrating from Italy to the United States in the early twentieth century. While it tells his personal story, it also reflects the shared experience of many immigrants who traveled to an unfamiliar land in search of opportunity.

Each of these books belongs to a different genre, yet they all connect through the same central theme: the human condition and how people are shaped by their environment, relationships, and circumstances.

You do not have to write in multiple genres to build a brand. Many authors successfully remain within one category. However, whether you write one type of book or several, you should be able to identify the core value or message you bring to readers.

When you understand that message, you create a brand that can grow with every new book you publish. Over time, readers begin to associate your name with a particular perspective or emotional experience.

Need to identify your brand but don’t know how to start? Begin by answering these questions:

• What themes appear repeatedly in my stories?

• What topics do I care deeply about?

• What emotional experience do I want readers to have?

Then devise an elevator pitch. This is a sentence describing what you do as if you had seconds between floors to tell another person about yourself. Mine would be I write stories that explore the human condition and our connection to each other and the world around us.

Once your brand becomes clear, your marketing becomes more focused as well. Instead of promoting a single book, you are communicating a consistent message that builds long-term engagement with your audience.

And that is how authors move from publishing a book to building a lasting readership.