About Giftkone Publishing

 

About Giftkone Publishing

Welcome to Giftkone Publishing.

I am Butch Gray, and although I have written and published a number of books, I have always thought of myself less as “a writer” and more as a person who simply loves to write.

Writing gives me a way to explore ideas, memories, history, relationships, imagination, and the many experiences that shape our lives. Some of my books have grown from personal experiences, some from research, some from questions I wanted to understand better, and others from stories that simply would not leave me alone until I put them on the page.

Giftkone Publishing was created as a place to bring those interests together.

This site is intended for readers, people who love to write, independent authors, publishers, book distributors, booksellers, bookstores, book promoters, reviewers, educators, and classroom teachers. I hope it can become a place where information is shared, ideas are exchanged, books are discovered, and useful relationships can begin.

Readers Are an Important Part of the Publishing Process

I believe a book does not truly complete its journey when it is published.

That journey continues when someone reads it.

Readers bring their own experiences, memories, questions, and perspectives to every book. Because of that, they often notice things the person who wrote the book may never have considered.

That is why I value reader comments, reviews, and feedback.

I think of reader feedback as a kind of compass.

It does not tell me exactly what I should write next, nor should it. But it can help point out where readers are connecting with a story, which subjects create interest, which characters remain memorable, and where something may need to be explained more clearly.

Sometimes a single comment can lead to a new idea.

Sometimes several readers mentioning the same thing can suggest a direction worth exploring.

That conversation between the person who writes and the person who reads is something I hope to encourage here.

Reviews and Honest Feedback

Reviews are especially valuable to independent authors and publishers.

They help potential readers understand what others thought about a book, but they can also help the person who wrote it learn.

I welcome honest and respectful feedback.

Naturally, positive reviews are appreciated, but I do not believe every useful review has to be completely positive. Thoughtful criticism can be just as valuable when it helps identify something that could be strengthened, clarified, or approached differently in the future.

From time to time, selected books, particularly eBooks, may also be made available to prospective reviewers.

Receiving a complimentary copy of a book does not create an obligation to leave a review. If someone chooses to review the book, I want that opinion to be their own.

For Writers and Independent Publishers

Giftkone Publishing will also explore the practical side of writing and publishing.

Topics may include:

• developing story ideas

• memoir writing

• fiction and nonfiction

• independent and self-publishing

• book descriptions and keywords

• book promotion

• working with readers and reviewers

• distribution

• author pages

• publishing lessons learned through experience

I do not present myself as someone who has every answer.

Publishing is constantly changing, and I am still learning too.

That is part of the reason this site exists.

I hope to share what I learn while also hearing from others who have traveled different publishing paths.

Booksellers, Bookstores, Distributors, and Promoters

I am especially interested in communicating with the people and organizations that help books find their audiences.

That includes independent booksellers, bookstores, book distributors, book promoters, literary organizations, community groups, libraries, and others involved in connecting books with readers.

Independent authors often spend a great deal of time creating books but may know much less about what booksellers and promoters need from them.

I would like Giftkone Publishing to help open that conversation.

What makes a book easier for a bookstore to consider?

What information should an independent publisher provide?

What makes a book promotion successful?

What can authors do to make themselves easier to work with?

These are the kinds of questions I hope to explore.

Teachers and the Classroom

I also welcome communication with classroom teachers and educators.

Several of the subjects I write about, particularly history, memoir, culture, and educational topics, may have value beyond casual reading.

Teachers often see possibilities in books that authors themselves may overlook.

A book may become a discussion starter.

A historical title may support a classroom lesson.

A memoir may help students think about recording their own family or community history.

A story may encourage a reluctant student to read.

I am interested in hearing from teachers about how books can be made more useful in classrooms and what kinds of supporting materials would help.

Writing Under Butch Gray and Hank Gray

Most of my current work appears under the name Butch Gray, while some books and earlier projects may appear under the name Hank Gray.

Both names are part of the same creative journey.

Rather than separating them completely, Giftkone Publishing will serve as a place where readers can discover work published under either name.

Over time, separate sections of this site may make it easier to explore books by Butch Gray and books by Hank Gray.

What You Will Find Here

Giftkone Publishing will continue to grow.

You may find articles about writing, publishing, storytelling, book promotion, reader feedback, history, works in progress, new releases, older books being rediscovered, and lessons learned along the way.

There may also be discussions about the changing relationship between authors, publishers, booksellers, teachers, reviewers, and readers.

Most importantly, I hope this becomes a place for communication.

If you are a reader, tell me what interests you.

If you love to write, share what you have learned.

If you are a bookseller or bookstore owner, I would be interested in hearing what independent authors should understand about working with you.

If you promote books, tell me what helps you do your job.

If you are a classroom teacher, let me know what kinds of books and supporting resources would be most useful to your students.

And if you simply enjoy books, you are just as important to the conversation.

A Place for Books and the People Around Them

Giftkone Publishing is ultimately about more than publishing books.

It is about the people surrounding those books.

The people who write them.

The people who edit and publish them.

The people who sell and distribute them.

The people who promote them.

The teachers who may introduce them to students.

And, most importantly, the people who read them.

I may love writing, but writing becomes much more meaningful when someone is waiting on the other side of the page.

That is the kind of connection I hope to build through Giftkone Publishing.

Thank you for visiting, reading, commenting, sharing your thoughts, and becoming part of the journey.

— Butch Gray
Giftkone Publishing