TCK Publishing Videos

TikTok is a social media platform for short-form videos on an extremely wide variety of subjects. It’s currently one of the fastest-growing platforms on the market, and it’s still expanding. In this article, we’ll be exploring why this particular platform is perfect for marketing your works and growing your audience. Because sure, sometimes it’s cringey, sometimes it’s funny, but it’s also undeniably popular and addictive. TikTok Tips for Authors As a video-based service, TikTok can be trickier to master. You have to think of unique video content to publish and present it in an entertaining and interesting way. Most people fail to attract attention in this space simply because they aren’t as “video-smart” as others, but that can be overcome. Here are some tips you can use to jumpstart your TikTok journey. 1. Create an awesome profile When I say awesome, I’m talking about creating a profile that’s complete, unique, and memorable. The more you personalize your profile, the more...

Have you decided that now is the time to use your green thumb to write a book about gardening? Your knowledge and skills can help countless new and experienced gardeners with their hobby or profession. To help you find the right home for your book, we’ve put together a list of 23 gardening book publishers currently open to submissions. Gardening Publishers Accepting Unsolicited Submissions The following gardening book publishers are currently open to unsolicited submissions, which means you don’t need a literary agent to submit your book proposal or manuscript. 1. Timber Press Timber Press is recognized as a leading gardening publisher. Since 1978, they’ve specialized in books on gardening, horticulture, and natural history. Timber currently accepts unsolicited book proposals that should not exceed 30 pages in length. Submission Guidelines: www.workman.com/author-submissions 2. Quirk Books Quirk Books is a small independent publisher that publishers a variety of nonfictio...

With a civilization that spans back to ancient times, India’s tradition and history form a rich tapestry for its literature. Despite the relatively shorter history of these written works, they still give us plenty of masterpieces that have won critical acclaim.  If you haven’t had the chance to explore works by Indian authors, we hope this list will help you find some of the best, so you can enjoy the books that have greatly impacted the country’s literature.  Best Fiction Books by Indian Authors Here are some of our recommendations for books written by Indian authors that you should consider adding to your to-be-read list:  1. Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya Set in the mid-20th century, this story follows Rukhmani, a woman from a poor, rural part of India, who is arranged to be married to a farmer named Nathan. The author expertly weaves the couple’s domestic challenges with the changes in their village following the rise of a large tannery.  2. ...

Do you remember reading a book where the characters are talking about a story themselves? Much like Russian nesting dolls are placed into larger wooden dolls, a multi-story work can contain multiple narratives within the larger plot.  This can happen when the characters talk about their family or national history to one another, or they can be sharing folklore, or anything that happened before the main story started.  The Purpose of a Story Within a Story Scriptwriters, screenwriters, and novelists can all use the story-within-a-story technique (also known as frame stories or embedded stories) to embed a narrative inside a main story. The embedded story might be told purely for entertainment, or to present an example to the other characters. Inner stories often have symbolic significance for the characters in the main story, or there might be parallels between the two, which are meant to reveal a theme or critical information about the main story. What’s An Example of ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already used for so many of our daily tasks that we may even forget its presence. It can park your car, play your favorite song, and even lock the doors to your home while you’re miles away. It shouldn’t really be a surprise, then, that the audiobook industry is looking toward AI to make the narration process more efficient. But the thought of manipulating real voices, and possibly replacing them, leaves many questions and even more concerns that need to be addressed. New Developments in AI Narration The use of AI in narration and voice-over productions is not new. Remember listening to the first GPS navigators? You’d be lucky if you could even recognize the street names they were dictating. While AI assistants such as Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa have seen significant improvements over the past few years, they’re still far from matching a human voice and all its rhythms, intonations, inflections, and other natural qualities. Tech company NVIDIA...

With the increasing popularity of self-publishing, many writers are looking for options to help them succeed as authors. The good thing is that we have also seen an influx of businesses offering print-on-demand services, while others also include distribution services for self-published books.  Lulu Publishing , or as it’s also known, Lulu Press, is one of the most popular names for self-publishing. In fact, its name is considered among the likes of KDP Print and other large-scale players in the print-on-demand industry.  But Lulu has also received criticism for what authors feel is a substantial cut of their royalties. This has compelled authors to either price the books unreasonably high, or opt for very low to virtually no royalties. This opens up the question: is working with Lulu Press worth it then?  In this post, we hope to help you make an informed decision about whether you would like to pursue self-publishing through Lulu Press. We try to be as unbiased as...

If you are in the mood for some binge reading, boxed book sets are a great option. That way you can keep following the lives of your favorite characters over a few volumes.  Boxed book sets also make excellent gifts for friends, relatives, or youngsters that you know. They can help to encourage children and teenagers to read more, as they get more involved in the story with every volume that they read.  Best Boxed Book Sets for Children  If you are looking for a boxed book set to give to young readers in your life, here are some options:  1. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner  After the death of their father, the four Alden children try to make it on their own living in an abandoned boxcar. At the end of Book 1, they end up finding their grandfather, who takes them into his home, but they still enjoy adventure after adventure.  2. The Complete Ramona Collection by Beverly Cleary  Beverly Cleary is known as one of the best...

When you were growing up, your parents probably taught you not to exaggerate. But did you know that deliberately exaggerating things is a literary device that can heighten the effect of your message?  Hyperbole is a literary device or figure of speech that exaggerates an idea in an obviously unrealistic way. It may not be literally true, but its object is to add emphasis. In literature and public speaking, communicators use hyperbole to create a comic, ironic , or serious effect.  Examples of Hyperbole in Daily Conversation  You can use hyperbole in daily conversation when you wish to make something look more important or dramatic than it really is. This distortion and exaggeration helps to emphasize your point, express strong emotion, or stir up humor. Note that many hyperboles also contain similes . For example, you’ve probably heard or used the following hyperbole:  He’s so hungry he could eat a horse !  This bag weighs a ton —it seems she packed ev...