One of the things I’m loving about having my blog, writing eBooks and coaching writers is hearing your stories of success!
Today I introduce you to Nicola Furlong, a writer and music lover who’s taken a unique twist with her book, “Saving Grape-Jelly Cheeks” by creating a musical garden tail. We’ve shared a number of emails and had a fun phone call during the process.
Here she shares her experience creating a book app and at the end of her interview, be sure to check out the first independent review of the app.
And be sure to send me YOUR experiences and success stories so I can share them with other writers.
K: Is the story you turned into an app already published as a book?
N: I wrote and illustrated the story, Saving Grape-Jelly Cheeks, as a family Christmas present about twenty years ago. It’s based on my real-life rescue of a little green budgie from Ontario’s winter snow. Cheeks been waiting for a long time to re-fly.
K:What made you decide to turn your book into a book app? 
N: A few years ago, I fell into creating video mobisodes as part of a comedy TV pitch and was surprised and delighted that I could produce multimedia stories myself. I had written a supernatural thriller that had received some publishing interest but no actual bites so I decided to publish it online as a transmedia experience, combing text with video, music, sound effects and photographs. It was such a gas! My interest in electronic publishing grew and I self-published reprints of my traditionally-published mystery novels as well as some non-fiction writing primers. Then, I fell in love with the iPad, recognizing it as an amazing platform for new and exciting storytelling opportunities, and decided that I had to give creating an app a shot. The children’s market seemed a natural starting point and Saving Grape-Jelly Cheeks just flapped back into my head.
K: Why did you decide to create a book app rather than an eBook?
N: This is an interesting question as eBooks, and the use of the epub format, are evolving so that enhancements like sound and video are becoming possible. At this time, however, it seemed an app was the best bet for an iPad/iPhone multimedia story and it suited the software platform I’m using.
K: Tell us about your app!  What makes it unique?
N: Saving Grape-Jelly Cheeks is your child’s first interactive musical! The first adventure in our series of Musical Garden Tails, the story is sung, with fun, catchy melodies that will have kids and parents laughing and singing together. As readers explore our little garden and meet our entertaining characters, they are offered many surprises, like original songs, disco seeds and chatty squirrels, and their interaction is key to rescuing our dear little budgie.
K: What process did you go through to hire your developer? Did you interview many? What criteria did you use to make your decision?
N: I spent many hours reviewing developer websites, reading your “Author’s Guide to Book Apps” and checking out existing apps. I picked about ten app and game developers from Canada and the US and just started calling them up and chatting. They were all helpful and interested in my concepts; however, most were focused on their own products. The few that were open to new ideas aren’t in the traditional publishing mode and needed me to participate financially. I wasn’t adverse; however, the costs, especially for coding and illustrations, were way beyond my means. I figured there had to be some sort of “pay for platform” online and after a ton more research, I came across Interactive Touch Books. Their business model seems sensible, they don’t steal authors’ rights and their platform is fairly simple yet powerful enough to create a dynamic product, so I decided to use them for my first book.
K: What’s been the hardest part of creating an app? 
N: The learning curve, without hesitation! Mine was dizzyingly steep (still is, frankly, as I’m moving from the creation/building process into marketing), especially as I had to create the digital graphics myself and, with my songwriting partner’s help, produce the songs and sound effects. That meant finding and learning a graphics program plus understanding Interactive’s platform. Thank heavens, we had previous experience with sound using Apple’s Garageband! Even so, getting sound levels even is really tough, at least in my home-based jury-rigged non-studio. Everything takes so much longer than I ever imagined, such as activities like creating graphics, especially those for animations, fiddling with Interactive’s platform (fortunately their support is fab) and getting the songs and sound effects just right, on every page for every friggin’ little effect…
K: What’s the biggest surprise?
N:How much time everything takes. Try and imagine what it might require and then quadruple that estimate and you may be getting close.
K: What did you not know going into this that you wish you would have known? 
N: Same ”inordinate amount of time” bugaboo. I still don’t believe it and I’ve lived it!
K: Any words of advice for other writers who are thinking about creating apps?
N: It’s so much fun, go for it! Although many developers I chatted with warned me about failing to produce the best quality product, I realized I couldn’t afford Disney-like illustrations or Motown sound and I was crushed. Then I reviewed some more apps and scanned a number of children’s books–quality levels were all over the map–and realized that the key is telling a good story well. At least, that’s what I hope buyers want.
K: Was the “Author’s Guide to Book Apps” eBook helpful? If so, what parts? It’s an excellent resource and being digital and continually updated make it almost the quintessential ebook application. The Author’s Guide is well written, full of real-life experiences and details that give the reader a strong sense of what’s involved in creating a book app. I keep coming back to it and re-reading sections as I need them and find reading about your specific experiences very informative. I really appreciate many sections, including ”Things to Consider”, “Apple vs. Android” and “Creative”, plus found the specs on app development extremely helpful…and I’m just getting to the ”Marketing” sections so tons to learn. Of course, I can’t wait for your marketing e-book.
K: What else would you have liked to have been in there?
N: More specifics on actual costs for activities like coding and illustrations, though I know all can range wildly and maybe some information on ‘self-creating’ sites, like Interactive Touch Books, for those of us without the means to pay for developers and illustrators.
K: How are you planning to market your app? 
N: Tell every living soul that I know about it, then jump into some technical forums, like Moms with Apps, and other ‘reader/review’ forums, send out the usual press releases, scan for review options and push for those as I feel they get the best traction, spend some time and effort on social media sites like Facebook, create a ‘app video trailer’ and a soundtrack of our music for posting on our website, YouTube and anywhere else that’s appropriate, follow all the suggestions in your “Author’s Guide” and then try and dream up some more.
K: What are your expectations?
N: That Saving Grape-Jelly Cheeks will be enjoyed, respected and purchased, so that we can produce more Musical Garden Tails.