Ready for beta readers!!! (See OP)

amother

Jetblack

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:19 pm

Kiwi13 wrote:

-Minor language advisory (rump, hell, "oh my God," etc. nothing worse than that).
-Main character has a boyfriend
-Some mention of drugs (nothing too detailed)
-The plot on the whole is "out there" by frum standards, but in my opinion it shouldn't be a sticking point, even with the acceptable guidelines issue.

Premise: Grown woman wakes up one morning as a high school student, has to unravel the mystery which involves some dark secrets. It toes the line between YA and adult fiction and blends a few genres, mystery/thriller/drama with a heavy dose of humor. MC is a firecracker. (Funny how you grow attached to your characters when you write a book!)

I worked very carefully to develop full, believable characters. MC, ancillary, villains... doesn't matter. They all have their own side and believable motives. Eventually I want to write a companion book for this one, telling it from a different perspective since there's a whole lot more beneath the surface. I could probably the entire story from at least two other character's perspectives and create an entirely new book out of each. I've been mapping that out as well, making sure any aligning points match up, in case this book is hopefully successful.

loads of frum books out there with that language and drug usage they just might not like the boy friend might b an issue

Kiwi13

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:19 pm

SuperWify wrote:

Your kids books look adorable, I love the illustrations as well! I’m considering getting the mommy and me for my son.

I can’t find your other books though.

Naomi Feigenbaum (with Jessica Kingsley Publishers, subsidiary of Hachette, UK):

1. One Life: Hope, Healing and Inspiration on the Path to Recovery from Eating Disorders

2. Maintaining Recovery from Eating Disorders: Avoiding Relapse and Recovering Life

Naomi Shulman (with Judaica Press):

3. I Daven Every Day

4. My Sister Has a Scooter

5. I Give Tzedakah Every Day

6. Mommy and Me (for boys)

7. Mommy and Me (for girls)

Naomi Shulman (with Tfutza):

8. With All I Am

***

Serious question... what's the interest in a frum publisher with wider "acceptable" guidelines? If I do it, I'm doing it right, I'd get a rabbinic advisor and keep things legit.

Kiwi13

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:23 pm

amother [ Jetblack ] wrote:

loads of frum books out there with that language and drug usage they just might not like the boy friend might b an issue

Right. I didn't think this book would be such an issue either. I ran it past someone in the field and was told the plot is too much for the frum market. It's hard to explain without spoilers, which I want to avoid in a public forum before it's even out! ;-) Maybe that's just one opinion though.

singleagain

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:27 pm

Don't sacrifice your art.

People have to realize there are other jews then the same ones in their daled amos.

I told my story of my divorce and stuff to someone on this site was writing a book about depression when the front publisher sanitized my story I had it pulled because you can't sanitize my story it happened and maybe it will happen to someone else and that's why I wanted it out there but that they won't publish it even though it happens to people

I'm sorry this is a little bit touchy for me because stuff happens and if you don't know that it happens then how do you know where to reach out for help

And to read about it having representation is so so so important

Please don't sacrifice your art I am so interested in it especially in the fact that it's you mentioned that you would tell the same story from different points of view I can't even tell you how much that interests me

Please please please don't sacrifice your artPlease please please don't sacrifice your art

tigerwife

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:29 pm

You are so awesome! 8 published books is amazing, will definitely look them up!

I think you should try pitching with a frum publisher but if you need to make major changes, then just self publish. You can do so much marketing with little investment these days. You can post on Imamother.

Kiwi13

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:31 pm

Crookshanks wrote:

Okay I'm outta here I avoid mysteries and thrillers they're too scary for me!! I was looking forward to reading it:(

Oh no! Sorry. :-(

Here... in case anyone wants a taste of my non-frum-writing style, here are a few short stories I wrote for Reddit's Wholesome NoSleep ("scary stories with sweet endings"). I don't ONLY write this kind of thing, and my novel is a little different, but this should explain a little bit, hopefully:
These all have wholesome endings, to put horror-avoiders' minds at ease:

The Crime Scene in My Bathroom
https://www.reddit.com/r/Whole.....room/

Broken Love
https://www.reddit.com/r/Whole.....love/

Goodbye Mommy
https://www.reddit.com/r/Whole.....ommy/

Kiwi13

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:34 pm

singleagain wrote:

These would be separate books.

I hope you're able to tell your story in an authentic way to the frum world. It's very needed. I will say, when I published With All I Am, it took a lot of people backing it to get it someplace in the frum world BECAUSE of its authenticity and raw emotion. But we NEED more of that in the frum world. Kudos to you for not sanitizing your story.

Crookshanks

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:34 pm

Kiwi13 wrote:

I read the first title and nopes! I still get nightmares so I don't really think these are good stories for me Laugh

Kiwi13

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:35 pm

Crookshanks wrote:

I read the first title and nopes! I still get nightmares so I don't really think these are good stories for me Laugh

No worries! (That one actually has the happiest ending out of the three, but I totally hear you!)
ETA: I'm not trying to change your mind. Please do not risk nightmares on my account!!! Heart

Crookshanks

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:37 pm

Kiwi13 wrote:

No worries! (That one actually has the happiest ending out of the three, but I totally hear you!)
ETA: I'm not trying to change your mind. Please do not risk nightmares on my account!!! Heart

But I would love to read your non fiction book. Where can I find it?

simcha2

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:42 pm

Kiwi13 wrote:

It's a struggle alright! Sometimes I think about starting my own publishing business. Or, really, I would expand my current business to including publishing. Who knows. Maybe one day. I'm definitely not up for the politics of it right now.

My first 2 books were under my maiden name, Naomi Feigenbaum. Both about eating disorder recovery.

My next 5 were children's books with Judaica Press published under my married name, Naomi Shulman

My 8th was "With All I Am" which I posted about on here a while back.

This is my first full length novel. I'm very excited about it. I'm having a lot of fun with it. :-)

We have read the '123" books about 1000 times....

singleagain

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:44 pm

Kiwi13 wrote:

You know it made me think of the recent Stephanie Meyer book midnight sun which was the twilight story from Edward's perspective and oh my God I ate that up I would so read the next three books from Edward's perspective also

So I'm just anticipating a really good series from you. Like I'm already excited for the book because I know I'm going to get to read the other characters perspectives.

And thank you I really hope to tell my story too I actually once mentioned I feel like I once mentioned something slight about it on this website and someone didn't believe me and it just boggles my mind because you know why you don't believe it because you never hear of it and you never hear of it because you don't think it really happens It's a vicious circle Thank you for your well wishes

Sorry for the voice to text

Kiwi13

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:52 pm

simcha2 wrote:

We have read the '123" books about 1000 times....

These actually aren't mine! Believe it or not there are TWO Naomi Shulman Jewish children's book authors! We finally connected on LinkedIn and discussed the confusion. It's kind of hysterical.

amother

Beige

Wed, Apr 21 2021, 4:53 pm

the frum world definitely needs more quality books. I feel this dilemna is a lot of the issue. As a reader, I'm tired of the same 3 regurgitated 'shallow' storylines that all books seem to have. I hate that from one moment to the next suddenly there's a new baby that's turned up with nary a mention of the pregnancy let alone labor/birth. And most of the books seem so 2d as there is whole chunks of reality that are missing. I get that because the frum market is so small, the books are for teens and adults and they want to keep the frum people buying, but sometimes I really wish we could have books for women. Books where niddah is mentioned (horror), awkward moments where the wife has to run to mikva, pregnancy and all its glory, all everyday stuff that obviously won't get mentioned in a 'frum' book.
But then all the good authors just say it's not worth writing jewish books.