Saturday, December 31, 2016

Copyright Pirates

There are actions you can take against illegal copies of your book online.

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2016/11/29485/

Friday, December 30, 2016

Age Bands in Children's Books

Children's books tend to fall into age bands, from board books through young adult (and even on to new adult).

http://www.cherylklein.com/excerpt

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Cause and Effect

Make sure you're telling your story in the correct order.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/cause-effect-telling-story-right-order

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Revision Checklist

Thirty questions to think about before you tackle your next revision.

http://www.adventuresinyapublishing.com/2016/11/revision-checklist-30-questions-to-ask.html#.WFWXQfkrJlY

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Between Final Text and Publication

Many things have to happen after you hand in the final text of your manuscript and its publication.

http://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/no-one-tells-page-proofs-blurb-requests

Monday, December 26, 2016

Flashbacks

There are several reasons when you should use a flashback, and many why you shouldn't.

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/reason-story-flashbacks/

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Body Language

Here's a handy chart to help you add emotion to your manuscript through body language.

http://writerswrite.co.za/cheat-sheets-translate-emotions-into-written-body-language

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Multi-Author Events

If you're planning an event involving many authors, you need to start planning early.

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2016/11/taking-it-to-the-streets-lessons-learned-from-creating-a-multi-author-event/

Friday, December 23, 2016

Picture Book Agents

You need to have more than one picture book, no matter how awesome it may be, to get an agent for your picture books.

http://www.sarasciutoeditorial.com/single-post/2016/10/25/It-Takes-More-Than-One-Awesome-Picture-Book-To-Land-An-Agent

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Powerful Picture Books

According to Eve Bunting, the most important picture book writing advice is to think visually.

http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/3182/eve-bunting-pointers-for-writing-powerful-picture-books/

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

First Person POV

First person point of view can be powerful, but can also be limiting.

http://kidlit.com/2016/10/31/getting-around-first-person-pov-limitations/

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Endings

How to write endings that make your readers say, "wow."

https://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2016/11/04/how-to-write-endings-that-wow/

Monday, December 19, 2016

Picture Book Language

The language of picture books is different than that of prose.

http://tracymarchini.com/2016/10/21/can-tell-youre-using-picture-book-language/

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Agent Communication

It's important to keep the lines of communication with your agent open.

http://www.shewrites.com/profiles/blogs/seven-do-s-and-don-ts-of-constructive-communication-with-your

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Book Titles

Choosing a good title for your book, even if your editor ends up changing it.

http://annerallen.com/book-titles-10-tips-choose-right-title/

Friday, December 16, 2016

Multicultural Fiction

We certainly do need diverse books, but what does that really mean?

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2016/10/understanding-multicultural-fiction.html

Thursday, December 15, 2016

What To Expect From an Agent

It's important to know both the many things agent do and also things they don't.

http://kidlit.com/2016/10/24/what-to-expect-from-an-agent/

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Offline Marketing

Sometimes you need to meet your readers in real life.

http://thewritelife.com/how-to-sell-books-get-offline-and-meet-your-readers-irl/

Middle Grade

Four writing tips to make your middle-grade adventure novel a book children can't put down.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/march-15-richard-ungar-4-keys-to-middle-grade

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Filter Words

Filtering thoughts and sensory information through your characters creates a wall for your readers.

https://lewiseditorial.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/understanding-point-of-view-eliminating-filter-words/


Monday, December 12, 2016

Bookscan

It's helpful to see sales figures from Bookscan, but they don't represent your total books sold.

https://www.ibpa-online.org/article/getting-the-best-from-bookscan/

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Multiple Points of View

When your novel is told from multiple points of view, how do you layer them?

http://kidlit.com/2010/04/05/how-to-layer-points-of-view/

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Picture Book Principles

For a book with so few words, successful picture books have principles for follow.

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/blog/2012/02/17/over-and-under-the-snow/

Friday, December 9, 2016

Agent Questions

After you receive "the call," don't forget to ask questions of a prospective agent.

http://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/questions-ask-agent/

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Goodreads for Writers

Use Goodreads to interact with your readers and get reviews.

http://groggorg.blogspot.com/2016/09/goodreads-how-it-works-for-readers-and.html

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Revise or Give Up

It's sometimes hard to decide if it's possible to save your manuscript in trouble.

http://kidlit.com/2016/10/17/revise-or-give-up/

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Character Hooks

Giving your character a special talent or skill will help elevate your manuscript.

http://www.adventuresinyapublishing.com/2016/10/finding-your-characters-hook-special.html#.WAuSjeArJlY

Monday, December 5, 2016

Revision Problems

There are many reasons your revision might not be working, and here are a few common ones.

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2016/09/5-reasons-your-revision-isnt-working/

Sunday, December 4, 2016

In-Person Pitching

The first step to pitching your manuscript to an agent in person is to take a deep breath and relax.

https://carlywatters.com/2016/09/19/pitchagentspov/

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Young Adult Novels

When writing for young adults, it's important to get the voice and language right.

https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/articles/six-tips-for-writing-young-adult-novels

Friday, December 2, 2016

Personalize Your Query

It's easier making your query personal if you follow one of these examples.

https://carlywatters.com/2016/10/03/personalizequery/

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Nonfiction Voice

Your voice when writing nonfiction needs to convey your authority.

https://eerdlings.com/2015/12/10/from-the-editors-desk-four-tips-on-finding-your-nonfiction-voice/