Sunday, September 30, 2018

Book Titles

Here are some tips for choosing a strong title for your book. 

http://picturebookden.blogspot.com/2018/08/tips-for-titles-whats-in-name-by-lucy.html

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Pre-ordering Books

Why is it so important as part of your marketing plan to encourage people to pre-order your book?

https://www.februarymedia.net/the-importance-of-pre-ordering/

Friday, September 28, 2018

Finding an Agent

How do you go about finding the perfect agent for you, and do you need one? 

https://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2018/08/finding-agent-do-you-need-one.html

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Imagery

There are many ways, both good and bad, to add imagery to your manuscript. 

https://kidlit.com/2018/08/06/writing-images-theyre-not-created-equal/

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Agent Information

Cynthia Leitich Smith provides many links about agents and working with agents. 

https://cynthialeitichsmith.com/for-writers/for-writers/links/agents/

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Twitter Chats

Twitter chats are a great way to interact with educators and fellow kidlit authors.

https://alicekeeler.com/2014/11/01/participating-in-a-twitter-chat/

Monday, September 24, 2018

Revisions, Redrafts, and Rewrites

Although we often use the term "revising," also to mean redrafting and rewriting, they are three very different methods to make your manuscript the best it can be. 

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/02/the-difference-between-revision-rewrite.html

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Planning a Series

If you plan to make your book a first one in a series, it helps to have an idea where the rest of the story is going. 

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/08/baking-series-from-scratch.html

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Synopses

What is an agent or editor looking for in your synopsis? 

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2018/08/what-we-want-in-synopsis.html

Friday, September 21, 2018

Writing Out of Sequence

Here are some thoughts about whether it's better to write you story straight from beginning to end or to skip around scenes. 

https://writershelpingwriters.net/2018/08/the-art-of-skipping-around-or-writing-out-of-sequence/

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Dialogue Tags

There are many ways to let your readers know who is speaking. 

https://www.novel-writing-help.com/dialogue-tags.html

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Bad Agents

Having a bad agent, one doesn't do the job well, is worse than having no agent at all. 

http://bookendsliterary.com/2007/06/27/bad-agen/

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Tone

Tone is the author's use of words and style to convey an attitude toward the subject of the writing. 

https://writerswrite.co.za/155-words-to-describe-an-authors-tone/

Monday, September 17, 2018

Promoting Your Older Titles

If you want your books to keep selling, you can't stop your marketing efforts after the launch. 

https://buildbookbuzz.com/5-ways-to-promote-your-book-long-after-the-launch/

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Point of View Breaks

Here are some ways to make sure you keep firmly with your point of view character. 

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/08/cleaning-up-those-pov-breaks/

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Writing Different Voices

How can you write dialogue so your characters don't all sound the same? 

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/03/is-that-you-developing-voices-for.html

Friday, September 14, 2018

Author Platforms

What is an author platform and do you need one? 

https://rachellegardner.com/answering-questions-about-platform/

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Nonfiction Picture Books

Candace Fleming gives six fixes to make your nonfiction picture book better. 

https://scbwiconference.blogspot.com/2018/08/candace-fleming-six-quick-fixes-for.html

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Questions for a Prospective Agent

Now that you've received "the call," it's time to find out whether you and the agent can build good business partnership.

https://dystelblogarchive.wordpress.com/2016/01/26/jim-suggests-questions-to-ask-a-prospective-agent/

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Revision Resources

Here are some links to that all important step of revising your kidlit manuscript. 

http://www.kidsbookrevisions.com/resources.htm

Monday, September 10, 2018

Writing Checklists and Tips

Make every word count with the help of these checklists and writing tips.

https://onestopforwriters.com/image_tips

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Blogs About Writing

Get writing tips and tricks by following some of these blocks, including ones specific to kidlit. 
https://getfreewrite.com/blogs/writing-success/top-50-writing-blogs

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Character Quirks

Add depth to your characters by giving them quirks. 

https://writershelpingwriters.net/2018/07/spice-up-your-characters-personality-with-a-quirk/

Friday, September 7, 2018

First Sentence

There are various methods to get to that perfect (or as close to perfect as it can be) first sentence. 

https://www.septembercfawkes.com/2014/07/ask-kami-how-do-i-come-up-with-good.html

Thursday, September 6, 2018

Comparative Titles

When an agent asks you to provide comparative titles, what does that actually mean? 

http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2018/06/comps.html

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Small Publishers

How do you evaluate a small publisher before submitting? 

https://www.janefriedman.com/evaluate-small-publisher/

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Find out what many abbreviation or acronym actually stand for.

https://www.acronymfinder.com/

Monday, September 3, 2018

Character Descriptions

How much should you describe your characters and how much should you leave to the reader's imagination. 

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/01/tall-dark-handsome-how-much-do-you-need.html

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Flashbacks

Flashbacks, if used correctly, are a great way to introduce what's at stake for your character. 

http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/the-four-habits-of-highly-effective-flashbacks-by-dean-gloster/

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Successful Picture Books

There are many factors that lead to a successful picture book including re-readability. 

http://tracymarchini.com/2011/02/14/9-factors-that-make-a-picture-book-successful/