5 Reasons to Create a Classroom Anthology

A child’s school years set them up for success in life. Having a good education and a love of learning helps children enter adult life with the tools they need to thrive. A great educational experience is vitally important to students. Classroom anthologies can be one piece of the larger educational puzzle that enhances the classroom experience of students.

Classroom anthologies are beneficial to teachers and students alike. Here are five benefits a classroom anthology offers to teachers and students.

1. Meaningfulness

Students love having a tangible result of their work in hand. It allows them to be proud of the work they have done and it is easier to retain as a keepsake than an essay or test.

Classroom anthologies remind students of their time in class and the lessons they’ve learned. When they look at the anthology sitting on their shelves it can give them a sense of pride as well as positive feelings about their time in the classroom which may allow them to recall some of the lessons they learned.

2. Student Motivation

Students are more willing to put work into something lasting. Knowing their work will be put into a classroom anthology can motivate apathetic students because their work matters. The work they are doing isn’t going to be just another score written down in the teacher’s grade book.  Their work will be on display to other students and their families.

A teacher making a classroom anthology with students

3. Increase Writing Skills

A classroom anthology is a perfect end goal for an educational unit on the elements of story. Teaching students how character, plot, and setting create a story is a perfect opportunity for the teacher to end the coursework with the class putting their knowledge to use and creating their own stories.

Similarly, anthologies can be made from poetry or essays on related topics. They can be tied to a wide variety of writing-related units.

Additionally, student art related to the work can be added to the anthology as well to give students a rounded educational experience.

4. School fundraising

Student-made anthologies are a great fundraising opportunity.

Using anthologies to earn money for the school increases school spirit and lets students feel like they are making a difference. It also teaches them about production, distribution, and sales. This can lead to discussions about economics, entrepreneurship, mathematics, and other business-related topics.

5. Parent Appreciation

In the modern school environment where so much classwork and testing takes place online, parents can feel left out of the educational sphere. Instead of papers and tests being sent home for parent viewing, many schools simply calculate grades in an online progress book.

Having a classroom anthology gives parents the opportunity to see their child’s work and to have tangible keepsakes of their child’s educational journey.

Classroom anthologies are great opportunities for teachers to showcase student work and for students to have a keepsake from their class.

InstantPublisher is an easy and affordable way for teachers to bring the benefits of a classroom anthology to their students. Visit our website today to learn more.

5 Reasons to Make a Hardcover Edition of Your Book

Softcover books are cheap to produce, portable, and accessible to readers so why should an author invest the resources to produce a hardcover edition of their book?

Here are 5 reasons every author should add a hardcover book to their product catalog.

1. Hardcover Books are Sturdy

Paperback books can withstand a lot of use but they just aren’t as sturdy as hardcover books.

Hardcover books’ durability can make them more appealing to librarians, teachers, and others whose books may circulate through many readers and be used much more extensively than the average consumer copy.

Similarly, hardcover books are more likely than paperbacks to hold up over the years. Authors considering their legacy should opt for at least a short-run hardcover printing of their book to ensure copies are available to future generations.

2. Hardcover Books are Collectable

Authors who are small and just starting out may not think they have much of a fanbase but just because their inbox isn’t being inundated with daily praise doesn’t mean they don’t have a few superfans.

A man reading a self-published hardcover book

These superfans don’t just want to read the author’s book but they want to showcase it on their shelf. The book isn’t just an object containing words to entertain them but it becomes a piece of shelf decor.

Hardcover books are better for bookcase showcasing than softcover books.  They are something extra that authors can offer their most devoted readers.

3. Professionalism

Hardcover books look professional. They signal to readers that the author put in extra time and resources to create the book and therefore suggest to the reader that the book is of higher quality.

This is especially important if the book in question is a professional work such as a how-to guide that will be sold at conferences or speaker tables.

4. Reader Preference

Some readers simply prefer the feel of a hardcover book in their hands as opposed to a paperback.

The more options readers are given, the more likely they will be to say yes to an author’s books.

If a reader prefers hardcover books they might pick up a paperback if they really love the author but offering the hardcover will bring down all the sales barriers and the reader will eagerly pick up the book.

5. Opportunity to Diversify

Having a hardcover book as well as a paperback gives the author the opportunity to use a different cover or to add features like a dust jacket which might appeal more to the aesthetics of a reader.

Readers do, unfortunately, judge books by their covers and having multiple cover options gives a book the opportunity to visually appeal to a wider range of readers.

InstantPublisher can create a durable and attractive hardcover copy of your book with or without a dust jacket.

For more information on turning your manuscript into a sturdy and appealing hardcover book contact us today.