Thursday, December 31, 2009

Notable Books for Children 2009

Smithsonian magazine's list of the most fascinating cihldren's books of 2009
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Smithsonian-Notable-Books-for-Children-2009.html

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

New Agency

Liza Pulitzer Voges has opened the literary agency Eden Street, representing children's authors and illustrators.
http://www.edenstreetlit.com/

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Children's Writer eNews

Free newsletter about writing for children from the Institute for Children's Literature.
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/email_updates.shtml

Monday, December 28, 2009

Children's Book Biz News

Author Anastasia Suen blogs about the business side of writing books for children.
http://asuen.wordpress.com/

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Top 10 Children's Books - 2009

Time Magazine picks their top ten.
http://ow.ly/KBpz

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Children's Writing Links

Author Rachelle Burk has a list of must-visit sites for children's writers.
http://www.resourcesforchildrenswriters.blogspot.com/

Friday, December 25, 2009

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

This year's contest includes a young adult category. Submissions window: January 25, 2010 through February 7, 2010.
http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Novel-Award-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=332264011

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Fellowships and Prizes

From The Horn Book, fellowships and prizes available to children's book writers.
http://www.hbook.com/resources/authorsartists/fellowships.asp

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Holiday Book Reviews

ParentNJ reviews Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa children's books.
http://www.parenthoodnj.com/winter-holiday-books.html

Monday, December 21, 2009

Multicultural Books

The Papertigers website includes interviews, reviews, resources, and more about English-language multicultural books, especially those about/from the Pacific Rim.
http://www.papertigers.org/

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Historical Words

Want to know whether the word you're thinking of was in use at the time of your historical novel/book?
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php

Friday, December 18, 2009

More Twitter Tips

A compilation of tips from students in Alice Pope and Jane Friedman's online class on social networking.
http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2009/12/03/TwitterTipsForWriters.aspx

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Responding to Critiques

Agent Nathan Bransford gives suggestions for handling critiques and editorial letters.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/11/how-to-respond-to-manuscript.html

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Writing Dialogue

A detailed look at making your dialogue interesting and realistic by Donna Ippolito.
http://www.expert-editor.com/id11.html

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Blogging Tips

Suggestions for creating the best possible blog.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2009/09/ten-commandments-of-blogging.html

Monday, December 14, 2009

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Publishing Costs

Agent Rachelle Gardner explains the finances of publishing a book.
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/11/is-your-book-worth-it.html

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Friday, December 11, 2009

Agency Closing

The Rappaport Agency is closing at the end of the year, due to economic reasons.
http://litsoup.blogspot.com/2009/12/closing-agency.html

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Boys' Books

Blog highlighting books of especial interest to boys.
http://guyslitwire.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Writing Stories in Rhythm and Rhyme

Instructions and tips from Dori Chaconas.
http://www.dorichaconas.com/Icing%20the%20Cake%20page.htm

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Starting a Blog

How to make a blog, from choosing a domain to building your platform.
http://editorunleashed.com/2009/05/28/the-editor-unleashed-guide-to-good-blogging/

Monday, December 7, 2009

Picture Book Challenges

Agent Michael Stearns discusses the challenges of writing and selling picture books.
http://upstartcrowliterary.com/blog/?p=921

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Nonfiction Book Proposals

From Bookends, LLC, a description of what to include in a book proposal.
http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-is-book-proposal-for-nonfiction.html

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Tiny URLs

Make your url small enough to tweet and to not break over two lines in an email.
http://www.tinyurl.com/

Friday, December 4, 2009

Attributes of a Good Children's Book

List from Little, Brown of what makes a good children's book.
http://upstartcrowliterary.com/blog/?p=811

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Novel Beginnings

Author Anita Nolan series of blog posts about how to start out a novel.
http://anitanolan.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/beginnings-roundup/

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Character Stereotypes

List of stock character types to avoid.
http://risusiverse.wetpaint.com/page/Stock+Character+Cliches

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

New MG/YA Agent

Susan Hawk has joined the Jenny Bent agency and will represent middle grade and young adult authors.
http://jennybent.blogspot.com/2009/12/announcement-for-ya-and-middle-grade.html

Monday, November 30, 2009

Nielsen Bookscan

This report of your previous book sales, based on register data from many retailers, may affect your ability to sell your next title.
http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2009/05/14/author-alert-what-you-don’t-know-about-bookscan-can-hurt-you/

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Freelance Writing

Online community, including job listings, for freelance writers.
http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Children's Book Awards

Harold Underdown lists the winners of all the major book awards.
http://www.underdown.org/childrens-book-awards.htm

Friday, November 27, 2009

Financial Tips for Published Writers

Money management suggestions from agent Kristin Nelson.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2009/08/writing-as-business-part-2.html

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Blog Feeds

Automatically have your blog posts fed to twitter and facebook.
http://twitterfeed.com/

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Creating Characters

Kathy Temean has three blog posts on creating fully realized characters.
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/flushing-out-your-characters-character/

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Ebook Myths

Agent Nathan Bransford dispels common myths about ebook readers.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/11/top-10-myths-about-e-books.html

Monday, November 23, 2009

Essentials of Plot

Editor Cheryl Klein provides a detailed outline of her talk about plots.
http://www.cherylklein.com/id18.html

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Who's Moving Where

Harold Underdown keeps track of where agents/editors/publishers are working.
http://www.underdown.org/chchange.htm

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Agenting 101

Agent Kristin Nelson's series of posts about agenting (look at menu on the right of her blog).
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2006/06/agenting-101-part-one.html

Friday, November 20, 2009

Publishing Terms Parody

What all those publishing terms "really" mean--NOT.
http://www.rightreading.com/publishing/publishing-glossary.htm

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Writing Tips

Author Anita Nolan gives detailed writing tips as well as children's writing info on her informative blog.
http://anitanolan.wordpress.com/

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

How to Write a Great Query Letter

Agent Noah Lukeman offers a free ebook on query letters.
http://www.lukeman.com/def2.htm

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Poetry Speaks

Sourcebooks has created an online community where poetry can be read, discussed, and sold.
https://www.poetryspeaks.com/

Monday, November 16, 2009

What Do Kids Like?

Author Tara Lazar lists over 300 things that kids like.
http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2007/11/04/199-things-that-kids-like/

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Out of Print

Everything you need to know about the out of print clause in your book contract.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2009/11/sales-thresholds-in-oop-clauses.html

Saturday, November 14, 2009

New Agent

Gwendolyn Heasley has joined the Artists and Artisans Inc. agency and is looking for young adult novels.
http://www.artistsandartisans.com/gh%20biopage.htm

Friday, November 13, 2009

What Was That Book

Looking for a book, but can't remember the title? This livejournal community can help.
http://community.livejournal.com/whatwasthatbook/

Thursday, November 12, 2009

YA Novel Discovery Contest

Serendipity Literary Agency, in collaboration with Sourcebooks and Gotham Writers' Workshop, offers a contest of the first 250 words of a young adult novel. (entry deadline Nov 1-30, 2009)
http://www.writingclasses.com/ContestPages/YAPitch.php

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Google Partners

Depending upon your publisher, readers may be able to see a preview of your book on Google.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2009/11/little-tutorial-on-google-partners.html

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Agent Move

Josh Getzler has moved to Russell and Volkening, Inc. and is looking for mg/ya mysteries and thrillers.
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/jgetzler/

Monday, November 9, 2009

Ten Best Children's Lit Blogs

As chosen by Elizabeth Bird, creator of the blog Fuse #8 Productions.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703692.html

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Work for Hire Opportunity

Stone Arch/Picture Window Books is looking for writers to create manuscripts based on their specs.
http://stonearchbooks.blogspot.com/2009/09/power-of-internet.html

Friday, November 6, 2009

Publishers Weekly Top Kids' Books - 2009

PW's choice of books that stand out for their remarkable writing, indelible characters, and arresting artwork.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6704596.html?nid=2788&rid=1959776788&source=link

Thursday, November 5, 2009

YA Contest

Anna Webman of Curtis Brown Ltd will judge a contest for complete YA novels. Contest opens on November 10, 2009 and will be limited to 70 entries.
http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2009/11/agent-judged-contest-announced.html

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Editors A to Z

Each week, author Ellen Jackson posts information about another editor.
http://www.ellenjackson.net/editors_a_to_c_89771.htm

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Monday, November 2, 2009

Reprinting Out-of-Print Titles

Authors Guild offers a service to self-publish your out-of-print titles that were previously traditionally published.
http://www.authorsguild.org/services/back_in_print.html

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Young Authors and Artists Group

A place for children who write and/or illustrate to learn their craft and meet others with the same interests.
www.yaagroup.org

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Daily Writing Tips

Everything from the order of adjectives to commonly misused words.
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/

Friday, October 30, 2009

SCBWI - NY Conference - Jan 29-31/2009

Register early to avoid disappointment. The optional intensives fill up early.
http://www.scbwi.org/Conference.aspx?Con=5

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Debut Author Publishers

Alice Pope lists publishers who have recently acquired books from unpublished writers.
http://cwim.blogspot.com/2009/10/first-books-lowdown-my-unscientific.html

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

How Not to Blog

The seven deadly sins of blogging.
http://www.copyblogger.com/blogging-sins/

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Track That Word

PBS offers a database of the origins and evolution of hundreds of words and expressions.
http://www.pbs.org/speak/words/trackthatword/

Monday, October 26, 2009

Multicultural Science Fiction and Fantasy

Small press startup, Tu Publishng, hopes to begin accepting submissions for multicultural science fiction and fantasy is January 2010.
http://www.tupublishing.com/submission-guidelines/

Sunday, October 25, 2009

PiBoWriMo

And for you picture book writers, November is the time to generate 30 new picture book ideas.
http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/piboidmo-is-here/

Friday, October 23, 2009

NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month starts November 1st.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/

An Editor's Day

Editor Alvina Ling takes us through a typical day.
http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2009/08/day-in-life-of-editor.html

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Victorian/Edwardian Era Historical Research

Archive of articles from Victorian and Edwardian periodicals.
http://www.writing-world.com/index.shtml

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Twitter Tips

How to best use twitter suggestions for authors and illustrators.
http://cwim.blogspot.com/2009/10/twitter-tips-from-my-tweeps.html

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Publication Date

A look at what happens in the two weeks leading up to your pub date.
http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2009/10/your-pub-date-minus-two-weeks.html

Monday, October 19, 2009

Writing Advice from an Expert

Author Gail Carson Levine shares writing tips in her blog.
http://gailcarsonlevine.blogspot.com/

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Read Kiddo Read

Author James Patterson's site to encourage kids to be readers for life.
http://www.readkiddoread.com/home

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Rejection Letters

Editor Alvina Ling describes her six types of rejection letters.
http://ow.ly/u2HE

Friday, October 16, 2009

Conference Etiquette

Author Anita Nolan explains appropriate conference behavior.
http://anitanolan.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/conference-etiquette/#comments

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Royalty Statements

Agent Kristin Nelson shows what to expect on your royalty statement.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2009/10/nuts-bolts-royalty-statements-look-at.html

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Highlights Wishlist

Highlights for Kids periodically lists the types of story/articles they need.
http://www.highlights.com/current-needs

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

First Paragraph Contest

Agent Nathan Bransford will read all the first paragraphs submitted to award a choice of a partial critique, query critique, or phone consultation. (deadline 10/15/09, 4:00pm PST)
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/10/3rd-sort-of-annual-stupendously.html

Monday, October 12, 2009

Dialogue

Author Ellen Jackson discusses dialogue and gives ten tips.
http://www.ellenjackson.net/dialogue_61473.htm

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Friday, October 9, 2009

Punctuation Resources

Links to books and websites about proper punctuation use.
http://www.nationalpunctuationday.com/resources.html

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Children's Books on Smartphones

Frog Media sells picture books that can be read/heard on the iPhone.
http://www.istorytimeapp.com/

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Critiques and Honesty

Writer Shelli Cornelison gives suggestions on how to give negative information in a critique.
http://shellisays-shelliwrites.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-much-honesty-in-critique-is-too.html

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Paying an Editor

Agent Nathan Bransford discusses whether or not you should you pay to have someone edit your manuscript.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/10/should-you-pay-someone-to-edit-your.html

Monday, October 5, 2009

Writing Tips

An extensive collection of writing tips from faculty members of the annual Highlights Foundation Chautauqua workshop.
http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/pages/current/resources_top.html

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Saturday, October 3, 2009

New YA Imprint

Sourebooks Fire will launch a young adult imprint in Spring 2010.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6699678.html?nid=2788&source=link&rid=350446227

Friday, October 2, 2009

28 Days Later

The Brown Bookshelf is now accepting submissions for their 3rd Annual Black History Month's celebration of children's books, 28 Days Later (Nominations accepted from September 28th to November 1st).
http://thebrownbookshelf.com/28-days-later/

Thursday, October 1, 2009

New YA Agency

Elaine English Literary Agency will now be representing young adult.
http://elainepenglish.blogspot.com/2009/09/now-also-representing-young-adult.html

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Subscription Based Children's Ebooks

Disney Digital Books launches with about 500 electronic children's books for ages 3 to 13.
http://disneydigitalbooks.go.com/

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Highlights Fiction Contest 2010

Fiction based on a true story from your family. (postmarked between January 1 and January 31, 2010)
http://www.highlights.com/highlights-fiction-contest

Monday, September 28, 2009

CWIM 2011

Call for authors to be featured in the 2011 Children's Writers and Illustrators Market. (Deadline October 8, 2009)
http://cwim.blogspot.com/2009/09/official-call-for-debut-authors-for.html#links

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award 2009

$1,000 award for manuscript by an unpublished author with Jewish content for readers aged 8 to 11 years (deadline December 15, 2009).
http://www.jewishlibraries.org/ajlweb/awards/st_ms.htm

Friday, September 25, 2009

ShelfTalker

A Children's Bookseller's Blog.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/660000266.html#360020036

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Podcasts

The Just One More Book website contains podcasts about children's books plus weekly interviews with authors, illustrators and children's literature experts http://www.justonemorebook.com/

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

2010 PEN/Phyllis Naylor Writer Fellowship

$5,000 awarded to a middle grade or young adult writer. Nominations must be received between September 1, 2009 and January 14, 2010.
www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/281

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Author Central

If your book is listed on Amazon, you can personalize an author page with picture, bio, and blog posts.
https://authorcentral.amazon.com/

Monday, September 21, 2009

Marketing Advice from an Editor

Molly ONeill, assistant editor, Katherine Tegen Books, gives specifc tips for marketing yourself and your book.
http://faeriality.blogspot.com/2009/08/marvelous-marketer-molly-oneill.html

Sunday, September 20, 2009

New Voices Award

Publisher Lee and Low's contest for a children’s picture book story by a writer of color. (deadline September 30, 2009)
http://ow.ly/nXy1

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Picture Book Planet

Picture book writer Ame Dyckman gives reviews and recommendations.
http://pbplanet.blogspot.com/

Friday, September 18, 2009

E-Publishing

Children's Book Council held a forum on e-publishing in the Digital Age.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6697464.html?nid=2788&source=title&rid=350446227

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Kids' Titles for Fall 2009

Publishers Weekly lists titles, by publisher, of kids' books coming out in the fall
http://ow.ly/p2XR

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Teen Slang

Create authentic dialog for your teenage characters.
http://www.thesource4ym.com/teenlingo/index.asp

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

New Agent

Another new agent, Beth Fleisher, joins Barry Goldblatt Literary.
http://ow.ly/nlI8

Monday, September 14, 2009

Children's Lit Bloggers

Extensive list of blogs about children's and YA literature that feature book reviews, interviews, and book news.
http://www.kidlitosphere.org/KidLitosphere_Central/Bloggers.html

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Critiquing

Advice on how to give/take critiques by Newbery winner Linda Sue Park.
http://www.lindasuepark.com/writing/critique.html

Saturday, September 12, 2009

2010 Debut Authors

Last call (deadline October 1, 2009) for the Class of 2k10 debut authors' group.
http://yaedge.blogspot.com/2009/08/last-call-for-2k10-members.html

Friday, September 11, 2009

Writing in Rhyme

Author Dori Chaconas discusses rhythm and rhyme.
http://www.dorichaconas.com/Icing%20the%20Cake%20page.htm

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Auctions

Agent Kristin Nelson explains how book auctions work.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-agents-talk-about-when-we-talk.html

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

2011 Debut Authors

Livejournal community for mg/ya authors with a debut novel being published in 2011.
http://community.livejournal.com/2011debuts/

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Monday, September 7, 2009

Virtual Author Visits

A way for K-12 teachers and librarians to connect authors, books, and young readers through virtual visits.
http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Kidlitchat on Twitter

Kidlitchat happens every Tuesday night at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific on Twitter.
http://www.thehappyaccident.net/kidlitchat-transcripts/

Saturday, September 5, 2009

KidLitosphere Conference - Oct 17, 2009

The Society of Bloggers in Children’s and Young Adult Literature provides an opportunity to learn about social media and network with other bloggers and authors.
http://kidlitosphere.org/KidLitosphere_Central/KidLitosphere_Conference/KidLitosphere_Conference.html

Friday, September 4, 2009

Writing Contests

information about creative writing contests, literary magazines theme issues, writing residencies, etc.
http://writingcontests.wordpress.com/

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Publishing Connections

Do you need an "in" to get published. Here's a poll conducted by Megan Crewe.
http://megancrewe.livejournal.com/251212.html

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Money for Publicity

Agent Kristin Nelson gives tips for getting book promotion funds from your publisher.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-get-money-out-of-publisher.html

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Children's Book Reviews

Handpicked reviews of children's books divided into categories.
http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/category/Childrens_Books/17?fromhome=1

Monday, August 31, 2009

Color, Textures and Shapes Thesaurus

Synonyms plus real world and human-made examples of colors textures and shapes.
http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/2009/06/cts-entry-black.html

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Author Visits

Children's Literature Author and Illustrator Booking Service handles (for a fee) all aspects of author visits.
http://childrenslit.com/bookingservice/bs-home.html

Saturday, August 29, 2009

New Agent

Stephanie Maclean was promoted to literary agent at Trident Media Group. She's interested in young adult.
http://www.tridentmediagroup.com/stephanie_maclean.html

Friday, August 28, 2009

Kid Lit! Fellowship 2010

Two-week fellowship for a free residency at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow (application deadline: January 10, 2010)
http://www.writerscolony.org/fellowships/ (scroll down)

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Cybils 2009

If you blog about kids' books, here's your opportunity to contribute to the judging of the Cybils (Children's and Young Adults Bloggers Literary Award).
http://ow.ly/ltFb

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Critiques

Website to exchange your manuscripts with other writers for critique.
http://critiquecircle.com/

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Class of 2K10

The class of 2K10 is a group of first-time middle grade and young adult authors with a book coming out in 2010. They have a group website, blog, newsletter, author chats, and much more to promote their books. For more information, contact Janet Fox at Janet Fox jfoxtx@aol.com.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Young Adult Writers

Livejournal community for writers of young adult books.
http://community.livejournal.com/yauthors/

Sunday, August 23, 2009

NJ SCBWI RA's Blog

Kathy Temean offers news, interviews, tips, event notices, etc. of interest to all children's book writers, not just those in New Jersey
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Agent-Author Conference Scholarship

Win free admission to the Backspace Agent-Author Seminar. Postmark deadline is September 4, 2009.
http://theswivet.blogspot.com/2009/08/win-scholarship-to-backspace-agent.html

Friday, August 21, 2009

Book Trailers

Here's a place to see trailers for children's books and to post your own.
http://kidlitbooktrailers.ning.com/

Thursday, August 20, 2009

New Agent

Mary Kole has joined Andrea Brown Literary as a new associate agent. If your work has previously been rejected by another agent there, do not resubmit it.
http://www.andreabrownlit.com/agents.php

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Write News

News, features and resources for media and publishing professionals.
http://writenews.com/

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Picture Book Dummies

If you're also an illustrator, you should learn to make a dummy.
http://www.yellapalooza.com/tutorials/dummies.html

Monday, August 17, 2009

Holiday List

Looking for an unusual holiday to celebrate in your story?
http://www.brownielocks.com/

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Writer's Digest

Information, resources, and community from the magazine of the same name.
http://writersdigest.com/

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Book Publishing Glossary

Agent Nathan Bransford defines many of the common terms used in the publishing world
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/08/book-publishing-glossary.html

Friday, August 14, 2009

Children's Book Awards

Comprehensive list of English-language children's book awards.
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dKbrown/awards.html

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Resources for Children's Writers

Links to many internet sites of interest to children's book writiers.
http://resourcesforchildrenswriters.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Setting Description Thesaurus

Listing of sensory words to describe a setting plus helpful hints and examples.
http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/2008/08/introducing-sensory-saturdaymeet-our.html

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Reference Books Online

Search reference books such as Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, Gray's Anatomy, and Oxford Shakespeare.
http://bartleby.com/

Monday, August 10, 2009

Acronyms

List of commonly used acronyms in the children's writing world.
http://www.scottrayrandall.com/childrens_writing_acronyms.html

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Children's Book Reviews

Handpicked children's book reviews listed by categories.
http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/category/Childrens_Books/17?fromhome=1

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Marketing Platform

Ten steps to increase your visibility.
http://writersdigest.com/article/how-to-build-a-marketing-platform/

Friday, August 7, 2009

Writing Exercises

Over 160 detailed writing prompts to exercise your creative talents.
http://meredithsuewillis.com/writingexercises.html

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Revising

Anita Nolan's talk on revising your manuscript - "The End" is Only the Beginning.
http://www.anitanolan.com/theend.html

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

New Agent

Adriana Dominguez has joined Full Circle Literary, representing picture books, middle grade novels, and literary YA novels, as well as representing literary fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, women's interest, multicultural, pop culture, and how-to books.
http://www.fullcircleliterary.com/

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Agents' Organization

Association of Authors' Representatives - professional organization for agents.
http://www.aaronline.org/

English Usage

Online source for grammar, punctuation, and capitalization rules.
http://grammarbook.com/

Monday, August 3, 2009

Copyrights

More than you ever wanted to know about copyrights.
http://copyright.gov/

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Writing Prompts

A writer writes. Here are some prompts to get your creative juices flowing.
http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/

Saturday, August 1, 2009

New Agent

Emily Keyes of L. Perkins Agency is "avidly" looking for mg and ya writers.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,c8da93b9-0605-46e9-ba38-703741bc1e57.aspx

Friday, July 31, 2009

Marketing Tips

Nancy Sanders blogs a series of writing tips. (Note: Click the link at the bottom right of each entry to get to the next tip.)
http://nancyisanders.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/marketing-take-a-peek/

Thursday, July 30, 2009

New Agent

Brenda Bowen is joining Sanford J. Greenburger as an agent. She represents children's books for all ages (preschool through young adult).
http://ow.ly/ifbh

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Book Publishing

Consulting editor Alan Rinzler gives an insider's view of writing and publishing.
http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/

Monday, July 27, 2009

Sunday, July 26, 2009

New Agency

Michael Stearns, Chris Richman, and Danielle Chiotti are starting a new children's book agency. Their website will be:
http://www.upstartcrowliterary.com/

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Book Review Blogs

List of blogs that review children's books:
http://ow.ly/hBso

Friday, July 24, 2009

Publisher Sales Department

What happens after your novel is acquired? A blog from an employee of a publisher's sales department.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Why Agents Reject

There are many reasons, not related to the quality of your manuscript, that an agent might turn you down.
http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2009/07/why-do-good-agents-turn-down-good-books.html

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

E-Book Release Dates

Should e-books be released simultaneously with the hardcover version?
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/07/e-book-pricing-and-publication-debate.html

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Fall 2009 Children's Books

Publisher's Weekly list of children's books coming out in Fall 2009 (courtesy of agent Jill Corcoran's blog).
http://jillcorcoran.blogspot.com/2009/07/whats-hitting-childrens-book-shelves.html

Monday, July 20, 2009

Best Kids' Books Ever

New York Times op-ed columnist Nicholas D. Kristof makes hisoriginal list:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/opinion/05kristof.html
and hundreds of readers add their suggestions:
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/the-best-kids-books-ever/

Sunday, July 19, 2009

National Bookselling Day - November 9, 2009

A day to celebrate bookstores, increase store traffic, and sell more books.
http://ow.ly/bp66

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Publicity

A blog from someone who works in the publicity department at a large publishing house
http://yodiwan.wordpress.com/

Friday, July 17, 2009

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Google Book Search Settlement

Take this survey and let them know what you think. You don't need to have standing to give your opinion.
www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229EB66ZEQ5

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Agent Viewpoint

Blog written by the Guide to Literary Agents editor.
http://guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Artwork inspired by Where the Wild Things Are

Many illustrators pay tribute to the Maurice Sendak classic.
http://www.terribleyelloweyes.com/

Monday, July 13, 2009

Story Emotions

Four techniquesfrom editor Cheryl Klein to reach the emotional heart of your story.
http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/2009/07/four-techniques-to-get-at-emotional.html

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Character Chart

Detailed sample chart to keep track of your characters' traits.
http://www.eclectics.com/articles/character.html

Friday, July 10, 2009

Jane Addams Children's Book Award

Yearly award for a children's book published in the previous year that promotes peace, justice, and equality. (deadline December 31)
http://home.igc.org/~japa/jacba/index_jacba.html

Thursday, July 9, 2009

New Picture Book Line - Hammond

With a six titles in its first list, Hammond will debut a new book line this fall.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6669625.html?nid=2788&source=title&rid=350446227

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

First Page Critique

Submit the first page of your manuscripts and get critiqued by a children's book editor.
http://pitchclinic.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Monday, July 6, 2009

Picture Book Advances

If you have a published picture book, fill out a survey and receive information for negotiating future contracts.
http://barbarakanninen.com/picture_book_author_advance_survey
And here are the results:
http://www.barbarakanninen.com/pb_author_advance_surey_results

Sunday, July 5, 2009

CWIM Blog

A must read blog by the editor of the Children's Writers and Illustrators Market.
http://cwim.blogspot.com/

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Rhyme Zone

Online rhyming dictionary that gives rhymes by number of syllables and indicates the more common rhymes.
http://www.rhymezone.com/

Friday, July 3, 2009

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Albert Whitman Looking for Novels

Send query letters or complete manuscript via snail mail to Kathleen Tucker, Editor-in-Chief for novels with protagonists up to age 12. Simultaneous submission okay, but mention it in your letter.
http://www.albertwhitman.com/

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The Recession

Impact of the current economic climate on children's book business.
http://www.underdown.org/the-economy.htm

Monday, June 29, 2009

Publishers Marketplace

Fee based site and database for publishing professionals to follow the writing market.
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Character Chart

Detailed sample chart to keep track of your characters' traits.
http://www.eclectics.com/articles/character.html

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

If you collect information on your website from children under 13 (name, email, etc.), you need to comply with COPPA.
http://www.coppa.org/

Friday, June 26, 2009

Promotional Emails

A bookseller's view on the correct way to use email to promote your book.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/660000266/post/1380044738.html?nid=2788&rid=350446227

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Librarians' Internet Index

An organized listing of internet websites you can trust.
http://www.lii.org/

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Booklist Online

Children's book reviews from the American Library Assocation.
http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=booksforyouth

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Google documents

Save your manuscript online so you can work on it when you're away from your computer. http://docs.google.com/

Monday, June 22, 2009

Chicago Manual Of Style Online

Everything you ever wanted to know about grammar, syntax, and punctuation.
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/contents.html

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Jewish Children's Book Award

Sugarman Award for children's books published with a Judaic theme between October 1, 2008-October 1, 2009.
http://washingtondcjcc.org/center-for-arts/literary/sugarman-award.html

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Last names

Frequency of U.S. surnames from the 1990 census.
http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/dist.all.last

Friday, June 19, 2009

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Delacorte Press MG and YA Contests

First middle-grade novel (postmark deadline June 30, 2009)
First young-adult novel (postmark deadline between October 1 and December 31, 2009)
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/writingcontests/

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Megablog

Search over 900 children's books blogs.
http://www.jacketflap.com/megablog/index.asp

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Blue Board

The most active message board for children's book writers.
http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php

Monday, June 15, 2009

Finding an Agent

Large, searchable database of literary agents.
http://www.agentquery.com/

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Queries

Get your query critiqued. Read critiques of other people's queries.
http://queryshark.blogspot.com/

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Publishing Terms Dictionary

Understandthe terms that editors, agents, and publishers use in the book business.
http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2009/06/publishing-dictionary-expanded.html

Friday, June 12, 2009

Fuse #8 -- School Library Journal Blog

A blog of all things kidlit, by the world's largest reviewer of books for children and teens.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379.html

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Ask a Librarian

Online reference service from the Library of Congress.
http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

American Library Association 2009 Conference

Chicago, IL July 9- July 15, 2009. Over 300 educational programs, over 2000 committee meetings and events, exhibits, general sessions, and more.
http://www.ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/upcoming/annual/

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Magazine Themes

Many children's magazines are themed. Find out what they're looking for.
http://www.lianamahoney.com/resources/theme+list.doc

Monday, June 8, 2009

Google to sell e-books

Google announced at BEA that it would sell e-books by the end of 2009.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/technology/internet/01google.html

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Writing for Children and Teens

Crash course on getting your book published by author Cynthea Liu
http://www.writingforchildrenandteens.com/for-writers/

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Strategies for Success

Free download-- The Career Novelist: A Literary Agent Offers Strategies for Success by Donald Maass.
http://www.2morrow.bc.ca/documents/career_novelist_DonaldMaass.pdf

Friday, June 5, 2009

Book Trailers

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a video promotion for your book.
http://summerfriend.blogspot.com/2009/06/courtney-summers-tells-us-how-to-make.html

Thursday, June 4, 2009

First Book

Help provide books to children in need.
http://www.firstbook.org/

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Purple Crayon

Information about writing, illustrating, and publishing children's books from editor Harold Underdown.
http://www.underdown.org/

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Magazines

Links to websites and submission guidelines of magazines that accept work for the children's market.
http://www.kidmagwriters.com/

Monday, June 1, 2009

Educational Publishers

An up-to-date list for writers interested in the school/library market.
http://echristensen.atspace.com/markets.html

Sunday, May 31, 2009

YAMGWriMo

June is YAMGWriMo--like NaNoWriMo, but for writers of young adult and middle grade novels. http://thefiverandoms.livejournal.com/

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Pitch Your Manuscript

Hints on pitching your manuscript to editors or agents.
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/to-pitch-or-not-to-pitch/

Friday, May 29, 2009

Children's Bookshelf

Free E-newsletter is about children's books & the world of children's book publishing.
https://www.publishersweekly.com/subscribe.asp?screen=pi8

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Brenda Bowen to Become Agent

Brenda Bowen, formerly of HarperCollins, will join the Greenburger Agency, representing authors and illustrators of children's books for all ages.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6660730.html?nid=2788
http://www.greenburger.com/

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Children's Book Council

The members' listings for this children’s trade book publishers association include: a website link, contact information, number of titles published annually, and whether the publisher is open to unsolicited queries.
http://www.cbcbooks.org/about/ourmembers.aspx

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Writing Mistakes

Ten common writing mistakes that are often overlooked but are easy to fix.
http://www.holtuncensored.com/hu/the-ten-mistakes/

Monday, May 25, 2009

Indie Booksellers "Next" List

Independent Booksellers recommend kids' books. "Great reads from booksellers you trust."
http://www.indiebound.org/kids-indie-next-list?edition=200905k

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Borders to Increase Children's Books

Within 90 days, Borders will roll out larger children's book sections and will relocate young adult and teen books away from the younger titles.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6660128.html?nid=2286

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Authors Now

A searchable database of books from debut children's authors.
http://www.authorsnow.com/

Friday, May 22, 2009

RUCCL One-on-One Plus 2009

Here's an opportunity to share your work with professionals. This event is sponsored by the Rutgers University Council on Children's Literature and scholarships are available.
http://www.ruccl.org/One-on-One_Plus_Conference.html

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Hans Christian Andersen Award

IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) announced nominees for the 2010 award. http://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=962

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Online Networking

Written for booksellers, but equally relevant for authors, this ebook explains the many different options available for networking on the internet
http://www.scibabooks.org/SocialMediaforBooksellers.pdf

Monday, May 18, 2009

Lee and Low New Voices Award

Open to writers of color who are residents of the United States and who have not previously had a children's picture book published. Deadline September 31, 2009.

http://www.leeandlow.com/p/new_voices_award.mhtml

Emotion Thesaurus

Show, don’t tell, your characters’ emotions.
http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/2008/01/introducing-thesaurus-thursdays.html

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Work-in-Progress Grants

SCBWI offers grants to support your work-in-progress. The deadline for the next grant request is June 10, 2009
http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Introduction

Saturday, May 16, 2009

SLJ's Day of Dialog – May 28, 2009

School Library Journal will present a free, day-long program during BEA where librarians, editors, authors, and vendors can meet to discuss the changing world of books, reading, and libraries.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/info/CA6645306.html

Friday, May 15, 2009

Katherine Paterson Prize

$1000.00 and publication in Hunger Mountain Online. PB, MG, and YA. Entry deadline: June 20, 2009. Entry fee: $20.
http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2009/04/hunger-mountain-presents-katherine.html

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Scam agents

Don't get scammed. Check out potential agents on the Preditors and Editors website.
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/pubagent.htm

Monday, May 11, 2009

Book Expo America - May 29-31, 2009

With 1,500+ exhibitors and 500+ authors, BEA is the premier event for the North American publishing industry.
http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Write-a-thon - May 16, 2009

Spend a day writing in New York City. The fourth annual write-a-thon, sponsored by the New York Writing Coalition, is a fund-raiser to support programs for formerly voiceless members of society to be heard through the art of writing.
http://www.nywriterscoalition.org/2009/04/the-4th-annual-write-a-thon-is-right-around-the-corner/

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Rejections

No one likes to receive a rejection letter, but it helps to know you're not alone.
http://www.rejectioncollection.com/

Friday, May 8, 2009

Children's Book Week - May 11-17, 2009

Since 1919, schools, libraries, bookstores, and families have celebrated children's books during Children's Book Week.
http://www.bookweekonline.com/

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Publishers Weekly - Children's Bookshelf

Sign up for a weekly email newsletter from Publishers Weekly. Get an inside view into the children's publishing world with breaking news, interviews, featured reviews, bestseller lists, photos, and a cartoon--Tales From the Slush Pile.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/enewsletter/CA6655445/2788.html

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Highlights Foundation Workshops

The Highlights Foundation offers workshops in many areas of writing for children, such as: historical fiction, editing for writers, non-fiction, writing from the heart, whole novel, poetry, biography, picture books, and more. A limited amount of grant money is available.
http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/pages/current/founders_top.html

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

SCBWI - L.A. Conference, August 7-10, 2009

Registration opened today for the 38th annual L.A. conference. One workshop has already sold out, so register early if you'd like to attend.
http://www.scbwi.org/Conference.aspx?Con=2

Monday, May 4, 2009

Word Counts

Find out the number of words in a book at Renaissance Learning:
http://www.renlearn.com/store/quiz_home.asp#quicksearch
Search for a title, click on the it, and get the word count.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Contest - Middle Grade Mysteries

The first Bloom Award, for unpublished writers, will be awarded for a middle grade mystery. Submissions window: May 18 - October 31, 2009. First prize: publishing contract with "Tire Swing," the children's paperback imprint of Blooming Tree Press.
http://apublisherslife.blogspot.com/

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Choosing Character Names

The Behind the Name website lists the popularity of first names by year and shows common names for different nationalities. It also gives the etymology and history of the names.
http://www.behindthename.com/

Friday, May 1, 2009

NJ SCBWI Annual Conference - June 5/6, 2009

Two keynote speakers (Richard Peck, EB Lewis), 24 publishing professionals (publishers, editors, agents, art directors), and you, if you register by May 15, 2009.
http://www.newjerseyscbwi.com/events/090605.shtml