Q. How can I get my book reviewed?

A. It's true that self-published books don't get attention from Publishers Weekly, or Kirkus, but reviews can turn a browser into a buyer, so do make the effort to get a good review. I've used BookPleasures.com and MidwestBookReview.com. Both firms have volunteer readers who write reviews for those sites. The reviews also appear on major online book sites, and get picked up by loads of ebook sites. You should never have to pay for a review. You can also ask your readers to write online reviews at book sites they enjoy.

Q. I missed your library event last month. Where else are you speaking?

A. Thanks for asking. My future events are posted at Book Tour http://booktour.com/author/helen_gallagher

If you're in the Chicago area, come up to Milwaukee the first weekend of March. I'll be presenting "Pathways to Publishing" at the Spring Writer's Festival sponsored by the Univ. of Wisconsic. at Milwaukee. The well known dynamo, Kelly James-Enger is also giving two presentations at the conference.

Q. I want to publish five childrens books. Should I do them as a series, or separate books?

A. Five books - that's a great achievement! I would suggest publishing them separately, since some will appeal to one family and not to another.

The children's book market changes fast, so releasing them separately will give you more exposure for each book. When you are launching #2 #3 etc., you will be able to include the prior book(s) in all the promotions, gaining sales and visibility from new customers and prior customers.

If you did release them as a set I think it would be harder to market them - from a price point, visual constraints, and with libraries who might choose one title to see how it does, before asking for others.  So I think individual production gives you more flexibility, and the cost would be no greater. Also, we always learn from each project and can enhance our skill the second and third time around.

Q.What should I write about? I love writing but how do I pick a topic?

A.We all want to write well, and one of the best ways is to explore something you're personally curious about. That will put the spark and passion into your work. Finding an audience can be another hurdle. So if your goal is freelancing for magazines, be sure to consider the publication's readers, and match their interests. If you are writing a book, keep a person in mind who would be your ideal audience and stay true to that image. If you want to get strongly passionate about the environment but your book is a novel, you may alienate readers.