Author's Guide for ElderSong products:

The primary market for ElderSong Publications' products is health caregivers who lead recreation programs for older adults. These professionals are a varied group in education and experience, but include music and other recreation therapists, creative arts therapists, activities coordinators, gerontologists, volunteers, and church leaders. Most of the potential buyers of our resources have these things in common:

• Responsibility for recreation programs that serve people over the age of 65 .
• Commitment to enhancing the quality of life of their clients .
• Low budgets .
• A short amount of time available for planning

These are the kinds of subjects that most interest our customers:

• trivia
• music
• sensory stimulation
• activities and approaches for working with those with Alzheimer's disease and others with memory losses
• creative arts activities
• adapted activities
• reminiscence
• holiday and special day planning
• successful session plans
• low-budget activities

In summary, our customers are hungry for practical, inexpensive resources that enable them to conduct successful activities with a minimum of time and energy expended in preparing for them. Though we don't limit ourselves to this, we have specialized in creative arts (particularly music), reminiscing, discussion groups, and trivia resources. Most of our products are written with the abilities of the average nursing home or assisted living resident in mind, that is, for someone with limited mobility and energy level and perhaps some short-term memory loss. If you decide to submit a proposal for a new resource, this is the information we need:

1. Basic subject matter.
2. How you will present the subject (overall format)
3. An outline or expanded table of contents.
4. What appendices or other supplementary material will be
   included.
5. Working title
6. Approximately how big you think the book or resource will be?
7. How much time you estimate it will take to complete writing.
   the book or resource?
8. Ideas you have about the appearance of the book or resource,
   including illustrations needed.
9. Brief biography of yourself, including writing experience
   and experience with older adults.
10. Sample chapters - 1-2 if long, 4-5 if short.
11. Marketing the book: What is your target audience? What other books do you know about that have been written on this general topic? What will make your book different from any similar books?
    Note: Completed manuscripts must be submitted on paper as well as on PC-compatible disk. We look forward to hearing more about your project. Address all submissions and queries to: Beckie Karras, President.