Narrative Nonfiction: Making Facts into a Story
When editors say they are looking for narrative nonfiction, what does that mean? A best-selling picture book author gives her best tips.
Watch Your Tone!
Tone is one of the trickiest issues for many writers. In this piece, veteran author Jane McBride explains it all, simply and elegantly.
Stand Out From the Crowd When You Submit
Many people want to be writers. But few people put the time in to write professional level manuscripts. So, what can you do to stand out from the crowd in a positive way? Can you get your work noticed in the slush pile?
Grand Slam Debut for Picture Book Author Nancy Churnin
From theater critic to debut picture book author may seem a bit of a stretch, but Nancy Churnin hit one out of the park with her biography of a celebrated athlete whose passion and persistence kept him going in the face of resistance and rejection.
The Surprising Benefits of Rejection
Every writer faces rejection. It how we respond to rejection that makes all the difference.
In this uplifting piece, veteran author Jane Choate describes how she’s used rejection as a positive tool to help build her career.
Visiting Book Fairs and Conference Exhibit Halls —Why, Where, and How?
Attending book fairs and publishing conferences can provide unique opportunities for children’s book authors and illustrators to learn about their industry, the marketplace, and to network with publishers, freelancers, and others on whom they depend for successful careers.
Simple Advice for First-Time Self-Published Authors
by R.F. Kristy The intelligence and allure of cats has always enchanted me. Writing the Inca Cat Series arose out of the blue. I had never dreamed of self-publishing stories for children. My specialty, due to my work with the United Nations, concentrated on reports of a technical nature — a world much removed from […]
Children’s Author Gives Advice in New Edition of Book on Writing
Writing for Children and Young Adults aims to take aspiring authors through the creation of a manuscript, pitching it to publishers and then marketing it to the world.
Interview Excerpts: Middle Grade Author Will Taylor
If your destiny is to write, you usually find a way to do it, even though you might take a couple of detours down life’s Yellow Brick Road along the way. Debut middle grade author Will Taylor (Maggie and Abby’s Neverending Pillow Fort, Harper Collins, 2018) is a sterling example of following one’s muse. Will’s enthusiasm and passion for his craft and life is infectious.
Why You Matter — and Why the World So Desperately Needs You
Happy 2017!
As writers, we can often feel frustrated, and even overwhelmed, by our perceived smallness.
We look at bestselling authors and marvel at their success, but also beat ourselves up for not having the reach and impact that they do. We wonder whether our efforts truly matter, and whether the world really needs our contributions.
If we can give you one gift to begin 2017, it would be to erase that sort of thinking from your mind.
