One of my students sent me an email back in January this year, urging me to enter my book, Rise, into the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Contest.
So, I did.
Suffice to say, I didn’t win … but I got something even more valuable than anything else I could have won, like the 8k for the winner.
The person who judged my book had to grade it, and write a commentary for me, critiquing it.
The word Genius was used, along with a lot of other really nice words.
This hasn’t happened before in my life, and I find it hard to believe someone would drop that word casually, like, to be nice and not hurt my feelings …
My score, while not perfect, was as close as you could get: 29 out of 30.
Grammar, held me back … something to work on!
Here’s the review below in segmented screenshots from my inbox.
In case the Judge’s Commentary was hard to read, I’ve copy and pasted it below in italics.
Judge’s Commentary*:
“Opening the book to reveal the format of one sentence per page, or phrases, creates a breath of fresh air. The creativity of handwritten entries on yellow lined notebook pages instantly draws the reader in. We’re getting something unique, we know, so we’re invested in moving forward. Author expertly cements our connection with the visuals and sensory details at the start. We know something big has happened. We know he’s kissing someone goodbye, and that his lips are freezing. We. Want. More. Very nicely done. Author explores patterns of abuse, and bravely shares with us what he has taught himself. I loved the structure of lessons, and author’s voice conveys so much emotion, from yearning to peace to ripples of remaining anger. Excellent emotional journey here. We’re thrown just a little bit, likely author’s intent, by the POV switch referring to John in the third person. We feel a sense of distance need there, plus some drama. Fascinating. And then we’re leveled by the revelation of his brother’s death and his guilt about the fight beforehand. Devastating. Reader feels for that trauma. Pace is genius, carrying us through some pretty powerful depths, and author shows a nice instinct for letting us absorb and breathe every now and then. Gorgeous structure. So much of this is relatable, and when author shares his healing steps and insights, we see growth even as he still cycles darker emotions. Very well done. I hope this author will keep writing. I see excellent skills in crafting the structure, and while this format doesn’t allow for setting building, sensory, dialogue and other narrative enhancements, I see talent here. Well done.”
This is really exciting for me, and gives me the confidence to pursue other writing projects I’ve been working on, namely, my song writing.
So, if you’re interested in seeing what all the hype’s about – CLICK HERE
Be Well – John
Changing the way Life is done.
Mindset. Fitness. Nutrition.
P.S. Here are 4 more ways you can become happier and healthier:
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4. Rise
Rise is the story of ‘never feeling powerful … to … never feeling powerless’. It’s about John Bair’s life, why he does what he does and how his suffering created happiness.
This handwritten book takes you through an intimate, yet, self-revealing journey, which allows you to implant yourself into the story, as it relates to your own, and reveal the steps you’ll need to take, in order to make change a successful reality.
Available in DIGITAL, AUDIO, BOOK