Reverse Dictionary

When you can't think of a word, describe it in this reverse dictionary to find the word.
http://www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml

Overwriting

How do you spot if your writing has gotten too wordy.
http://fictiongroupie.blogspot.com/2010/11/friends-dont-let-friends-overwrite.html

Chautaqua Scholarship

Highlights Foundation offers scholarships for their Writers Workshop at Chautauqua (deadline 2/11/2011)
http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/scholarshipNewsletters/Scholarships.html

Returns

How do returns in book publishing work.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/11/terms-to-know-returns.html

Building an Online Following

Tips to attract and keep followers for your blogs/tweets.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/11/seven-tips-on-how-to-build-following.html

Is Your Manuscript Ready to Submit?

Items to check, including formatting, before you send in your manuscript.
http://www.terryburns.net/Submit.htm

After the Sale

What happens between the time you sell your book and it's published?
http://ingridsnotes.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/your-manuscript-is-ready-are-you/

Wordiness

Tips on how to tighten and strengthen your writing.
http://www.poewar.com/get-rid-of-ugly-wordiness-how-to-cut-your-novel-down-to-size/

Freelance Editors

Should you get a freelance editor to look at your work before you submit?
http://kidlit.com/2010/02/10/using-freelance-editors/

Fantasy Novel Exam

What not to include in your fantasy novel.
http://www.rinkworks.com/fnovel/

First Pages

Editor Alvina Ling tells how to make a great first page.
http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-makes-great-first-page.html

New Agent

Brianne Mulligan of Movable Type Literary Group is looking for high concept MG and YA.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/New+Agent+Alert+Brianne+Mulligan+Of+Movable+Type+Literary+Group.aspx

Choosing a Title

Lulu has a fun app to "predict" the success of your book title.
http://www.lulu.com/titlescorer/index.php

Negotiating Your Contract

Here are some contract negotiation hints if you are agentless.
http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2010/11/negotiating-your-own-contract.html

Storyboarding Software

Let the computer help you visualize and sequence the events in your story.
http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2010/11/storyboarding-on-shoestring-with.html

Getting a Blog Book Review

How to maximize the chances to get your book reviewed on blogs.
http://www.amarketingexpert.com/5-steps-for-crafting-the-perfect-book-review-pitch/

Writing Pitfalls to Avoid

34 things to eliminate in your writing.
http://edittorrent.blogspot.com/2010/10/writing-pitfalls-to-avoid.html

Submitting Revisions

When is it appropriate to submit a revised version of a manuscript and how to do it.
http://agencygatekeeper.blogspot.com/2010/07/heres-my-revision-will-you-read-it-how.html

Adverbs/Adjectives to Avoid

Make your writing stronger and more precise by eliminating these modifiers.
http://www.darkangelwritingandreviews.com/2010/11/dreary-ole-modifers.html

Successful School Visits

Author Cynthia Lord gives 6 1/2 hints to have a successful school visit.
http://donnagephart.blogspot.com/2010/06/school-visits-with-cynthia-lord-top-6.html

How to Fire Your Agent

The proper way to part ways with your agent.
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-fire-your-agent.html

Writers' Conferences

Tips for getting the most out of writers' conferences.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Agent+Michelle+Brower+On+10+Tips+For+Attending+Writers+Conferences.aspx

Memoir

Ten tips for writing about your life.
http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2010/08/30/MakeTheMostOfYourMemory10TipsForWritingAboutYourLife.aspx

Book Launch Party

Tips for a successful book party.
http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-plan-successful-debut-book-party.html

New MG/YA Agent

Molly Jaffa is part of the launch of Folio Literary Jr.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/New+Agent+Alert+Molly+Jaffa+Of+Folio+Literary.aspx

Information Dumps

How not to give your readers the backstory to your characters and actions.
http://www.yahighway.com/2010/10/big-dumps-bob-and-other-backstory.html

Negotiating a Contract

What is an agent most likely to negotiate?
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/11/publishing-contracts.html

Author Photo

Photo tips to make you look your best.
http://www.stinalindenblatt.com/2010/10/tip-86-author-photos.html

Name Your Blog

Should you name your blog after yourself or come up with a clever name?
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2010/10/07/5-blog-naming-basics/

Books About Writing

75 books about writing.
http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/01/75-books-every-writer-should-read/

School Visit Blog

Everything you need to know about school visits.
http://schoolvisitexperts.com/

Published First Pages

A place to post the first page of your novel, with buy links.
http://www.firstpagepanda.com/

Blog Checklist

Your blog needs more than just the content.
http://marianlibrarian.com/2010/09/14/the-ultimate-blog-checklist/

Picture Book Dummies for Non-Illustrators

Making a picture book dummy (but not submitting it) will help you fine-tune your book's pacing.
http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2010/03/who-are-you-calling-dummy.html

School Visit Problems

How to cope and recover when things go wrong at a school visit.
http://verlakay.blogspot.com/2010/10/look-at-school-visits-part-five-dealing.html

Blog Tours

Tips for setting up a successful blog tour.
http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2010/09/5-tips-to-get-massive-exposure-for-your.html

Point of View

Pros and cons of first, second, and third person pov.
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2010/09/povthe-magic-of-one-two-or-three.html

Your Critique Group is not an Acquiring Editor

Ten reasons why your critique group may love your manuscript but an editor won't acquire it.
http://ht.ly/2EwpN

Blogs for Writers

Collection of writerly blogs with the last five posts listed.
http://www.bubblecow.co.uk/blogs-for-writers/

Dialogue Problems

Seven types of dialogue problems to watch out for.
http://iggiandgabi.blogspot.com/2010/09/technical-tips-for-writing-dialogue.html

Alpha and Beta Readers

Are you looking for a manuscript exchange partner?
http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2010/10/alpha-beta-reader-exchange.html

Copyrights

What you need to know about copyrights.
http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2010/10/21/5ThingsEveryWriterShouldKnowAboutRights.aspx

Social Media Buzzwords

From viral to meme, what do people mean when they use these social media buzzwords.
http://marianlibrarian.com/2010/09/16/12-social-media-buzzwords-redefined/

Extra Characters

How to justify a character's existence in your story.
http://www.julie-cohen.com/blog/2010/09/07/extra-characters/

Persistence-Good or Bad?

When is it time to abandon a manuscript and move on?
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2010/09/when-persistence-becomes-vice.html

Blog Bio Pages

The About Me page is usually the most visited one after the home page. Make it better.
http://michaelhyatt.com/10-ways-to-create-a-better-about-page-for-your-blog.html

Writing Dialogue

Advice from agent Nathan Bransford.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/09/seven-keys-to-writing-good-dialogue.html

Virtual Blog Tours

What are virtual blog tours and how do you set one up?
http://www.bubblecow.co.uk/2010/09/virtual-book-tours-how-to-set-up-and-run-a-successful-book-tour

Grass Roots Marketing

Unusual real-world ways to spread the word about your book.
http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2010/09/8-tips-on-starting-your-own-grass-roots.html

First Drafts

Ten hints to help you finish your first draft.
http://elspeth-itsamystery.blogspot.com/2010/08/10-ways-to-finish-that-danged-first.html

What's an Idea Worth?

According to agent Mary Kole, it's all about the execution, not the idea.
http://kidlit.com/2010/09/17/all-about-execution/

Cost of Book Store Events

How much does it cost the bookstore and publisher to have a book signing?
http://theswivet.blogspot.com/2008/09/pimpin-your-book-economics-of-average.html

Prepositions

Tighten up your prose by eliminating unnecessary prepositions.
http://storyflip.blogspot.com/2010/08/re-write-wednesday-golden-oldie.html

Book Blog Tour

Make sure your blog tour goes off without a hitch.
http://writerunboxed.com/2010/09/27/coordinating-a-book-blog-tour-dotting-your-rs-and-crossing-your%e2%80%a6-rs/

Early Readers and Chapter Books

Definitions and market analysis by agent Mary Kole.

http://kidlit.com/2010/10/22/early-reader-chapter-book-market/

100 Writing Blogs

100 blogs that provide inspiration, motivation, creativity and new techniques from experts, freelancers, and editors.
http://universitiesandcolleges.org/top-100-blog-to-improve-your-writing-in-2010/

Offers From Multiple Agents

What do you do now?
http://agencygatekeeper.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-do-i-reject-agent-and-how-do-i-let.html

YA Contest

Grand prize is a full manuscript reading and editorial consultation from Regina Brooks (Serendipty Literary) plus a free 10-week writing course courtesy of the Gotham Writer's Workshop. (entry deadline Nov. 30, 2010)
http://scbwi.blogspot.com/2010/11/serendipity-literarys-ya-novel.html

Cliches

How to spot and fix your language, character, and plot cliches.
http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2010/08/it-was-dark-and-stormy-night.html

New Agent

Elena Mechlin of Pippin Properties is looking for picture books, middle grade, and young adult novels.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/New+Agent+Alert+Elena+Mechlin+Of+Pippin+Properties.aspx

PiBoIdMo

Picture Book Idea Month starts November 1st.
http://taralazar.wordpress.com/piboidmo2010/

Picture Book Queries

What do you write when your manuscript isn't much longer than a query letter?
http://kidlit.com/2010/09/27/picture-book-queries/

Twitter for Authors

Everything you need to know to start tweeting.
http://helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com/2010/09/twitter-for-authors-part-5-hashtags-and.html

School Visits

Alexis O’Neill's blog about getting and putting on the best school visits.
http://schoolvisitexperts.com/

Is Your Manuscript Finished?

How to decide whether it's ready to query or needs more work.
http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-can-writer-know-if-their-writing-is.html

Recommended Books

Books from different genres that everyone should know, recommended by the New York Public Library.
http://kids.nypl.org/reading/recommended_2009.cfm

Middle Grade or Young Adult?

It depends on the themes, scope, and depth/breadth.
http://hannahmosk.blogspot.com/2010/09/mg-vs-ya.html

Pronouns

When should you use them and when use the character's name.
http://wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com/2010/08/are-you-benefiting-from-intimacy-of.html

New YA Imprint

Sterling Children’s Books will launch a new teen fiction imprint, Splinter, in January 2011.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/44900-sterling-to-start-teen-fiction-imprint.html

Writing Resources

Agent Mary Kole suggests resources, both online and in the real world, for children's writers.
http://kidlit.com/resources-for-writers/

Character Motivations

Whether your protagonist or an agonist, your characters must have a reason for their actions.
http://www.superheronation.com/2010/08/17/15-interesting-motivations-for-villains-and-heroes/

Multiple Manuscripts

How to choose which one you should query with.
http://www.annastan.com/2010/10/choosing-which-manuscript-to-query/

Teacher Resources

Literature-based lessons, interactives, calendar activities, and more.
http://www.readwritethink.org/

Questions for a Prospective Agent

What you'd like to know before you sign with an agent.
http://www.writingforchildrenandteens.com/2007/06/02/239/how-to-interview-an-agent/

Present Tense

What are the pros and cons of writing in present tense?
http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2010/07/some-very-quick-thoughts-on-present.html

Social Media Timesavers

Tips to help you get the most out of social media while spending the least time.
http://nouveauwriter.blogspot.com/2010/09/guest-post-10-ways-to-rock-on-social.html

Book Signings

Five secrets for a successful signing.
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2010/09/5-secrets-to-successful-book-signing.html

Pacing

Things that will ruin your novel's pacing.
http://writerunboxed.com/2010/08/24/telegraphing-and-other-pace-killers/

Multicultural Blogs

Blogs that focus on ethnic and cultural diversity in children's literature.
http://www.mitaliblog.com/2010/09/ten-great-multicultural-blogs.html

Children's Literature Residency

Information about the Thurber House Children's Writer in Residence Program.
http://www.thurberhouse.org/childrens-writer-in-residence.html

New Agent

John Rudolph has joined Dystel and Goderich and is interested in middle-grade, young adult, and author-illustrators.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/New+Agent+Alert+John+Rudolph+Of+Dystel+Goderich.aspx

Hobby or Professional Writer?

How to tell which you are.
http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2010/09/differences-between-hobby-professional.html

Story Structure

How should you break your novel into scenes and chapters.
http://kidlit.com/2010/08/30/chapters-and-scenes/

Misused Words

An extensive description of commonly misused words and phrases.
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html

Facebook

How to use Facebook for marketing without annoying people.
http://writerunboxed.com/2010/08/27/using-facebook-to-amplify-your-reach-and-not-annoy-people/

First Pages

Twelve dos and don'ts for the beginning of your novel.
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2010/08/act-first-explain-later.html

Why Get an Agent

Some reasons you may not have thought of.
http://hannahmosk.blogspot.com/2010/08/reasons-you-want-agent-that-you-havent.html

Kid Lit Related Twitter Names

Name and profiles of editors, publishers, and agents.
http://ingridsnotes.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/tweet-tweet-tweet/

Interview Your Characters

"Ask" them questions that pertain to their lives.
http://storyflip.blogspot.com/2010/08/shes-such-character.html

Historical Figures

What you need to think about if you use real people in your historical fiction.
http://www.plottopunctuation.com/blog/show/how-to-use-historical-figures-in-your-novels

Promote Your Debut Book

Aaron Shepard gives hints on how to market your first book.
http://www.aaronshep.com/kidwriter/A48.html

Senses

Two lists to help you describe your character's sensations.
http://larae.net/write/senses.html
http://www.msgarrettonline.com/descripwords.html

Twitter

Ten ways you can use twitter to promote your book.
http://publishingguru.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-ten-ways-authors-can-use-twitter-to.html

Newspapers

Research local information from over 6,000 newspapers.
http://www.thepaperboy.com/

Grounding the Reader

How to avoid pulling your reader out of the story.
http://kidlit.com/2010/08/04/grounding-the-reader/

High Concept

What do editors and agents mean when they talk about high concept?
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/08/what-high-concept-means.html

First Sentences

What to include in a good first sentence.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/08/guest-post-what-makes-good-first.html

Headshots

Why you need a professional picture of yourself.
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/09/author-headshots.html

Pre-Agented Revising

Agent Joan Paquette discusses why a prospective agent might request a revision and whether or not you should do it.
http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2010/04/agent-requested-revisions-interview.html

Common Grammar Questions

Dr. Grammar's alphabetical listed of frequently asked grammar questions.
http://www.drgrammar.org/faqs/

Nonfiction in Your Fiction

How do you insert facts into your novel without sounding like a textbook.
http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2010/08/23/inserting-nonfiction-into-your-novel/

Secondary Characters

Make sure your secondary characters really earn their keep.
http://helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com/2010/09/secondary-characters-or-plot-devices.html

New Agent

Joan Slattery has joined Pippin Properties and is interested in children's and young adult's books.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/44482-slattery-to-become-agent-with-pippin.html

Publishing Myths

Three children's book professionals discuss which are true.
http://writeoncon.com/2010/08/myths-and-misconceptions-by-literary-agent-holly-root-and-editors-molly-o%E2%80%99neill-and-martha-mihalick/

Amazon

Tips for using Amazon to sell your book.
http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/author-interviews/ten-ways-to-sell-books-on-amazon/

Designing a Novel

How to use the "snowflake method" to write your first draft.
http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php

Picture Books and Agents

Why is it so hard for a picture book writer to find an agent?
http://upstartcrowliterary.com/blog/?p=921

Racism

Why a book with a MC of color isn't only for children of color.
http://www.hungermtn.org/color-me-perplexed/

Writing Terms

Important and interesting words for writers to think about.
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2010/08/words-to-think-about-from-to-v.html

Perseverance Isn't Enough

You also need to improve your craft.
http://helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com/2010/08/perseverance-sucks.html

Computer Backups

You don't want to lose all your hard work, so back up your data! Here's how.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/08/guest-post-honey-i-deleted-your-novel.html

Social Media No-nos

Mistakes to avoid and what to do instead.
http://freelanceswitch.com/the-business-of-freelancing/social-marketing-strategy/

Speech Tags

Which ones should you use?
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/08/he-said-she-said.html

Questions to Ask a Prospective Agent

Keep this list handy for when you get the call.
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-to-ask-agent.html

Is Your Manuscript Ready for Submission?

Deborah Halverson gives her ultimate checklist.
http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2010/08/conference-round-up-deborah-halverson.html

Voice

How to craft a great voice from agent Nathan Bransford.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/05/how-to-craft-great-voice.html

YA Agents

Detailed list of YA and Romance agents.
http://www.darkangelwritingandreviews.com/2010/08/list-of-ya-agents_4736.html

Just Say "Said"

All you need to know about dialog tags.
http://constantrevisions.blogspot.com/2010/08/evils-of-non-said-dialogue-tags-aaahhh.html

Choosing an Agent

What should you look for?
http://greenhouseliterary.com/index.php/site/comments/a_peach_of_an_agent/

Query Letters

Hints from Writer Beware.
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-write-query-letter.html

Random Acts of Publicity

Encourage fellow book creators to help publicize one another's work September 7-10, 2010.
http://scbwi.blogspot.com/2010/08/participate-in-random-acts-of-publicity.html

Promote Your Books

100 promotion ideas from Raab Associates
http://www.raabassociates.com/index.php/learning-the-ropes-of-pr.html

Plot

What are the seven basic book plots?
http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2010/07/writing-inspiration-seven-basic-plot.html

KidLit Con 2010

A conference for children's literature bloggers on October 23, 2010 in Minneapolis, MN.
http://kidlitcon2010.blogspot.com/

Poetry

Though this post is about contests, the advice holds for any poetry collection.
http://dianelockward.blogspot.com/2010/07/some-thoughts-about-poetry-book.html

Blogging Before Publication

Should you blog even if you don't yet have a published book?http://kidlit.com/2010/07/21/should-unpublished-writers-blog/

Practice Novels

Are your early novels salvageable, or should you just think of them as practice?
http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2010/07/can-writer-salvage-early-manuscripts.html

Marketing Your Book

Links to articles, audios and inspiration for marketing your book.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/marketing/

Nonfiction Proposals

What do you need to include when querying for a nonfiction book?
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/The+8+Elements+Of+A+Nonfiction+Book+Proposal.aspx

Publishing Options

Big house, small/indie house, or self-publishing?
http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2010/08/moonrats-rundown-of-publishing-options.html

Picture Book or Short Story

How to tell which one you're writing.
http://kidlit.com/2010/07/26/picture-book-or-short-story/

Slang

American, English, and urban slang, including words used with social media.
http://onlineslangdictionary.com/

Rights Lists

Publishers and agents listed their available titles at the Bologna Book Fair.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/The+8+Elements+Of+A+Nonfiction+Book+Proposal.aspx

Cover Art

What it should accomplish and what you should do if you don't like yours.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/07/year-in-review-part-2.html

Author Background Checks

What might a potential agent or publisher check out about you.
http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/07/12/the-author-background-check-cautionary-notes/

Character Names

How do you choose or create the perfect name.
http://writersdigest.com/article/how-to-give-your-character-the-perfect-name/

New MG/YA Agent

Jason Pinter joins the Waxman agency and will represent middle-grade and young adult novels.
http://www.waxmanagency.com/about_bios.html

Your Financial Responsibilities

Sometimes there are legitimate costs associated with your book, even if it's not self-published.
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/07/stuff-you-pay-for.html

Revised Manuscripts

Should you resubmit your manuscript if you've extensively revised it?
http://agencygatekeeper.blogspot.com/2010/07/heres-my-revision-will-you-read-it-how.html

Artist Communities

Descriptions of national and international artist communities, including grant information.
http://www.artistcommunities.org/

Branding Yourself

Does it make sense to concentrate on a single genre/age group?
http://shrinkingvioletpromotions.blogspot.com/2010/06/does-branding-make-sense.html

No Response

No response doesn't always mean no.
http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/2010/06/would-you-please-quit-assuming-stuff.html.

Point of View

How to choose the correct POV for your manuscript.
http://www.plottopunctuation.com/blog/show/19

Blog Backups

If you don't want to risk losing all your posts, you need to back up your blog.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/How+To+Back+Up+Your+Blog+And+Save+Content.aspx

Revising Your Character

How to strengthen your characters during revision.
http://www.plottopunctuation.com/blog/show/47

Detailed Critiques

The more details you provide, the more useful the critique.
http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2010/06/providing-better-critiques-being.html

Bad Writing Advice

Advice you shouldn't listen to.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/creating-in-flow/200906/11-types-bad-writing-advice

Taxes

Basic tax information for writers, including self-employment issues and deductions.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/07/taxing-profession.html

Middle-Grade Blog

Lists, author interviews, market news, and a behind-the-scenes look at publishing for writers and lovers of middle-grade books.
http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/

Reasons for Agent Rejections

Most rejections have nothing to do with the writing quality.
http://agencygatekeeper.blogspot.com/2008/04/life-of-pie.html

Jewish Children's Books

The Whole Megillah is a helpful resource for writers of Jewish-themed content for young readers.
http://thewholemegillah.wordpress.com/about/

Sales Kits and Co-op

How your publisher sells your book to bookstores.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/07/guest-blog-week-book-sales-demystified.html

Reading Query Letters

Why an agent stops reading your query letter.
http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-stop-reading-when.html

Critique Groups

What should you look for in choosing one?
http://cpatrickschulze.com/authorsblog/2010/06/09/writers-groups-the-nuts-and-bolts/

Selling Books at Events

How to take advantage of your book-related event.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri/12-secrets-to-selling-mor_b_618355.html

Setting

Questions to ask about the setting of your book.
http://www.yingleyangle.com/2010/05/20-questions-to-enrich-your-setting.html

iPhone Apps for Writers

From note-takers to productivity and social media aids.
http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2010/07/07/UltimateIPhoneAppsForWriters30ProductivityCreativityBoosts.aspx

Breakout Novels

Agent Sarah Davies gives her recipe for writing one.
http://ingridsnotes.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/a-recipe-for-writing-the-breakout-novel/

Fiction Basics

Notes from a class taught by author Jennifer Crusie.
http://www.arghink.com/2010/06/21/the-basics-of-fiction/

Multi-Book Deals

One thing to watch out for in your contract.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2010/06/one-possible-peril-of-multi-book-deal.html

Picture Book of the Day

Author Anastasia Suen chooses picture books to highlight.
http://picturebookday.wordpress.com/

Query Stages

Guidelines to manage the five stages of querying.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/The+5+Stages+Of+Querying.aspx

Editor Profiles

Harold Underdown profiles editors and their houses.
http://www.underdown.org/cig-editor-profiles.htm

Characters

Links to blogs containing tips for crafting characters.
http://the-writing-bug.blogspot.com/2010/05/best-of-blogs-crafting-characters.html

Publishers Weekly News Blog

Keep up with the latest news from the publishing industry.
http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/PWxyz/

Blogger Book Reviewers

Anastasia Suen provides a list of bloggers who review kids' books.
http://www.asuen.com/blog/blog.central.kid.lit.shtml

Agent Move

Michelle Andelman has joined Regal Literary, representing middle-grade and young-adult authors, as well as author/illustrators of picture books and graphic novels.
http://www.regal-literary.com/About.html

School Visits - Why Bother?

Author Verla Kay tells why you should do them.
http://verlakay.blogspot.com/2010_05_22_archive.html

Line Editing

Ten steps to tighten up your prose and improve your final product.
http://www.deepgenre.com/wordpress/craft/line-editing/

Prologues

Why you might (or might not) need a prologue.
http://www.learntowritefiction.com/why-you-dont-need-a-prologue/

The Hero's Journey

Descriptions of the many steps of the hero's journey.
http://justusrstone.com/?p=135

Query Fails

Examples of what not to do in a query letter.
http://slushpilehell.tumblr.com/

Marketing Ideas

How to make your book live in readers' awareness and keep it that way.
http://marielamba.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/marketing-outside-of-the-box/

Twitter Hashtags

40 writer-related twitter hashtags.
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/40-twitter-hashtags-for-writers/

Readers and Self-Publishing

A Salon article on what self-publishing means to us as readers.
http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/2010/06/22/slush/index.html

Writing Secrets

Author Ami Hendrickson shares twenty lessons she's learned along the way.
http://museinks.blogspot.com/2010/06/20-writing-secrets-my-english-teachers.html

First Pages

What agents do and don't want to see in a first page.
http://stiryourtea.blogspot.com/2010/06/what-81-of-agents-expect-on-first-page.html

Word Frequency

See if you're overusing certain words by creating a word cloud.
http://www.wordle.net/

Lead Titles

What does it mean if your book is a lead title on a publisher's list?
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/06/terms-to-know-lead-title.html

Hero's Journey

What are the steps for a classic hero's journey story?
http://justusrstone.com/?p=135

Blog Comments

What's the best way to get people to post comments on your blog?
http://constantrevisions.blogspot.com/2010/06/generating-comment-traffic-through.html

What Every Critique Group Needs

Five things to expect from a critique group.
http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2010/06/wow-wednesday-maurissa-guibord-on.html

Four Sentence Synopsis

That's all it takes to present the most important information about your manuscript.
http://meganrebekahblogs.blogspot.com/2010/06/4-sentence-synopsis.html

Blogger ARC Reviews

Get your advanced reader copy (ARC) into the hands of online book reviewers.
http://princessbookiearctours.blogspot.com/2010/05/arcbook-donations.html

From Idea to Story

Ten steps to turn your brainstorm into a viable manuscript concept.
http://storyflip.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-have-idea-now-what.html

Offers from Multiple Agents

What should you do and how do you choose?
http://kidlit.com/2010/05/31/getting-offers-from-multiple-agents/

Series

Some points to remember if you're writing a series.
http://victoriamixon.com/2010/05/28/4-dos-4-donts-for-writing-series-fiction/

Bookstore Chains

What happens if your book is not picked up by the biggies.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2009/07/yall-got-serv-uh-skipped.html

Picture Books from the Heart

Five things to consider when you write a picture book.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/6+Tips+On+Writing+Picture+Books+That+May+Just+Warm+Your+Heart.aspx

Query Tips - NOT

An amusing look at how not to write a query letter.
http://stiryourtea.blogspot.com/2010/06/50-query-tricks-are-you-brave-enough-to.html

Adverbs

Are they always bad?
http://helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com/2010/06/really-actually-absolutely-adverbs-are.html

Online Writing Conference Aug 10-12/2010

A free online conference for children's writers. Registration opens July 1.
http://writeoncon.com/

World Building

It's not just for fantasy.
http://www.yahighway.com/2010/06/world-building-little-things.html

Agents: Book-by-Book or Body of Work

Agent Rachelle Gardner presents the differing points of view.
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/06/differing-advice-on-signing-with-agent.html

Author/Illustrator Teams

Can you get a publication contract if you're an author and have collaborated on a picture book with an illustrator?
http://kidlit.com/2010/06/14/working-as-an-author-and-illustrator-team-before-submission/

New Agent

Amanda Luedeke joins MacGregor Literary and is looking for, among other genres, children's and young adult books.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/New+Agent+Alert+Amanda+Luedeke+Of+MacGregor+Literary.aspx

Commas

Editor Cheryl Klein discusses how commas affect the rhythm of a sentence.
http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/2010/06/squids-101-punctuation-commas.html

Style Sheets

Why you should have a style sheet for your novel even before it goes to copyediting.
http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2010/06/style-sheet.html

Book Launches

Seven tips for throwing a great book launch.
http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-to-throw-awesome-book-launch.html

Symbolism Thesaurus

This compilation of descriptions is organized by the specific message, feeling or idea they are meant to evoke.
http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-symbolism-thesaurus.html

Book Titles

Things to think about when you choose a title.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/06/rose-by-any-other-name.html

Social Media Tips

Kathy Temean gives 25 tips to get the most out of social media.
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/25-ways-to-make-social-media-work-for-you/

Newer vs. Established Agent

Agent Mary Kole discusses how an agent's experience might affect your choice of agent.
http://kidlit.com/2010/06/02/newer-vs-established-agents/

Revision Checklist

Detailed descriptions of 15 considerations when revising.
http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1108215-Expanded-Power-Revision-Checklist

Grammar Help

The Grammar Girl website answers all your grammar, punctuation, word choice, and style questions.
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

Overwriting

How to spot if you used too many words to write your book.
http://helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com/2009/09/big-mistake-3-over-writing.html

Stages of Revision

Author Natalie Whipple explains her revision process.
http://betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/2010/01/stages-of-revision.html

Goodreads

Promote your book through, goodreads, the largest social network for readers in the world.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/program.

Show Don't Tell

The authors of Self Editing for Fiction Writers explain how to do this.
thttp://www.writerswrite.com/journal/sep01/browne.htm

Write Your A** Off Day

Devote a day (June 22, 2010) to writing and support free creative writing programs.
http://www.nywriterscoalition.org/2010/05/nywcwriteathon/

Query Letter Basics

Eric Blank gives a salesperson's point of view about query letters.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/05/some-things-i-might-know-about-query.html

Picture Book Twitter

Transcripts of picture book lit chats (#pblitchat) on Twitter.
http://picturebooksonly.wordpress.com/

Do You Need an Agent?

Harold Underdown gives reasons why you might not.
http://www.underdown.org/agent-not-needed.htm

The One Sentence Pitch

Agent Nathan Bransford explains what to put in a one sentence pitch.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/05/how-to-write-one-sentence-pitch.html

Best Children's Books of 2010

The Children's Book Committee at the Bank Street College of Education chooses.
http://ht.ly/1LKTl

Advance Reader Copies

What should you do with the galleys you get of your book?
http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2010/05/using-your-galleys.html

Trends in Children's Publishings

Literary agents share their opinions.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Literary+Agents+Talk+Trends+In+Childrens+Publishing+At+NESCBWI.aspx

Manuscript Lengths

Agent Mary Kole discusses when is a manuscript too long.
http://kidlit.com/2009/11/13/manuscript-length/

iPad Apps for Writers

Reviews of various writing-related applications for the iPad.
http://www.inkygirl.com/ipad-apps-for-writers-notetaking-writing-idea-management/

New Agency

Folio Literary Management launches a division devotes to children's and young adult books
http://www.foliolit.com/foliojunior.php

Publishing Company Departments

What's done where and by whom in a publishing company.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/05/wonderful-game-called-whats-my.html

Odds of Getting Publishers

Harold Underdown shows how it's not all bad news.
http://www.underdown.org/publishing-odds.htm

Website/Blog Before Publication

Should you have a website and/or a blog before you even have a publisher?
http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2010/04/26/WhyStartAWebsiteOrBlogIfYouHaveNothingToPromote.aspx

Voice

Agent Nathan Bransford explains the elusive concept of "voice."
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/05/how-to-craft-great-voice.html

Breaking the Rules

Agent Mary Kole discusses when you can "color outside the lines."
http://kidlit.com/2010/04/07/genius-at-work-vs-working-writer/

Famous Author's Rejections

Rejection examples for authors who went on to a great publishing career.
http://www.examiner.com/x-562-Book-Examiner~y2009m3d20-20-famous-authors-who-were-rejected-repeatedly-and-sometimes-rudely-by-publishers

Book Trailers

Four tips from Writers Digest on how to create a book trailer.
http://www.writersdigest.com/article/4-simple-steps-to-creating-a-book-trailer/

State Educational Standards

Education World provides links by state for educational standards in various subject areas.
http://www.educationworld.com/standards/state/index.shtml

Getting Out of the Slush Pile

21 tips from Writers Digest.
http://www.writersdigest.com/article/21_Tips_to_Get_Out_of_the_Slush_Pile

Publishing Industry Misconceptions

Common myths about the road to publication.
http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2010/04/it-bears-repeating.html

Rhyming Picture Books

Agent Mary Kole discusses the pros and cons of picture books in rhyme.
http://kidlit.com/2009/09/05/rhyming-picturebooks-a-rhyme-with-reason/

Editorial Reviews

Post editorial reviews on your Amazon Author Central page.
https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help?topicID=200436740

Writing Children's Books-FAQs

Answers from SCBWI to frequently asked questions.
http://www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Top-10-FAQs

The Acquisitions Process

Agent Jill Corcoran provides links for several different publishers.
http://jillcorcoran.blogspot.com/2010/05/acquisitions-peeling-back-curtain.html

New Agent

Suzie Townsend is a new agent at the Fine Print Literary Agency seeking both children's fiction/nonfiction and adult fiction. http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/New+Agent+Alert+Suzie+Townsend+Of+FinePrint+Literary+Management.aspx

Writing Nonfiction

Eleven tips for writing nonfiction from author Fiona Bayrock.
http://www.fionabayrock.com/ARTICLEeleventips.htm

Beginnings

Why does an editor stop reading your manuscript?
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/7+Reasons+Agents+Stop+Reading+Your+First+Chapter.aspx

IPad

Check how your website looks on the iPad.
http://ipadpeek.com/

Synopses

Ten keys to create a perfect synopsis
http://writersdigest.com/article/10-synopsis-dos-and-donts

National Picture Book Writing Week-May 1-7,2010

Join other picture book writers and write seven books in a week.
http://paulayoo.com/content/natl-picture-book-writing-week-napibowriwee-2010-may-1-7-2010

New Agent

Marissa Walsh has joined the Fine Print Literary Agency as an agent focusing on children's picture books, middle-grade and YA.
http://fineprintlit.com/about-the-agents/marissa-walsh/

We Give Books

Donate a book through a literacy organization by reading online one of these children's book titles from Penguin and DK.
http://www.wegivebooks.org/

Posting Work Online

Is it a good idea to put your writing up on a blog or website?
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Be+Slightly+Afraid+Of+Posting+Your+Work+Online.aspx

Children's Book Week

Celebrated since 1919, Children's Book Week runs from May 10-16, 2010.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/457009-New_and_Familiar_Events_Headline_Children_s_Book_Week.php?nid=2788&source=link&rid=17392217

Questions to Ask a Prospective Agent

What you know about an agent before you sign up.
http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/10+Questions+To+Ask+An+Agent+Before+You+Sign.aspx

Rutgers One-on-One Plus Conference

Registration is open for this mentoring workshop (application deadline: June 15, 2010)
http://www.ruccl.org/

New Agent

Bree Ogden will be representing graphic novels, young adult, and children's books at Martin Literary
http://www.martinliterarymanagement.com/bree-ogden.htm

SCBWI - L.A. Conference, Jul 30-Aug 2, 2010

Registration is now open. Early registration ends May 31st.
http://www.scbwi.org/Conference.aspx?Con=6

Tips for Promoting Your Books

Publisher Simon and Schuster lists online tips and tools.
http://simonandschuster.biz/author-resources/tips-for-promoting-your-books

Winning Pitches

Tips on how to prepare and deliver the perfect pitch.
http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2010/03/29/insider-tips-for-preparing-and-delivering-a-winning-pitch/

Author Interviews

Over 100 author interviews on the Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast blog.
http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?page_id=1045

Picture Book Checklist

Author Lill Pluta gives 13 reasons why your picture book may have been rejected.
http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php?topic=43380.msg555682#msg555682

Writing a Synopsis

Kathy Temean gives helpful hints.
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/writing-a-synopsis-for-your-manuscript/

Skype Visits

Author Kate Messner gives tips about Skype author visits.
http://donnagephart.blogspot.com/2010/03/skype-with-kate-messner-top-6-12-list.html

New YA Agent

Sarah LaPolla of Curtis Brown will be representing YA Authors.
http://www.curtisbrown.com/lapolla.php

Query Letters

Agent Jill Corcoran gives the basic formula for a query letter.
http://jillcorcoran.blogspot.com/2010/04/formula-for-query-letter.html

Book Formats and Age Levels

From Harold Underdown's book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books
http://www.underdown.org/cig_3e_ch08a.htm

Making a Book Trailer

How to make a basic book trailer.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2008/12/03/book-trailers-11-steps-to-make-your-own/

Book Store Secrets

How you can market your book in bookstores.
http://internspills.blogspot.com/2010/04/guest-post-divine-secrets-of-brick-and.html

Free YA/MG Edit

Author Deborah Halverson is giving away a free substantive edit of one manuscript (submission deadline 4/14/10).
http://dear-editor.com/

Book Publicists

List of book publicists and the specialties they represent.
http://www.publishingtrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Publicists-2009.pdf

The Times/Chicken House Competition

The winner of Chicken House's (UK publisher) annual contest for unpublished writers will receive a publishing contract. (submission window - August 2 through October 29, 2010)
http://www.doublecluck.com/submissions

15 Days to Stronger Characters

Author Darcy Pattison gives ideas on how to strengthen your characters.
www.darcypattison.com/revision/15-days-to-stronger-characters/

New Canadian Children's Book Imprint

Toronto-based Cormorant Books is launching Dancing Cat Books, which will focus on literary fiction, nonfiction and poetry.
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/454264-Cormorant_Books_to_Start_Children_s_Imprint.php?nid=2788&source=title&rid=17392217

Children's Literature Across the Curriculum

Patricia Stohr-Hunt blogs about using children's literature to teach math, science, and social studies.
http://ow.ly/1fjlg

Chapters

Agent Scott Eagan discusses how to choose chapter breaks.
http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2010/03/question-from-writer_16.html

Author Blogs

Why it's important to have a blog if you're an author.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/01/24/authors-should-blo/

Carolrhoda Accepting YA submissions

For a limited time (until 4/30/10), Carolrhoda will accept unsolicited YA submissions as described in the link below.
http://carolrhoda.blogspot.com/2007/11/solicted-submissions.html

Pitching

Agent Scott Eagan gives hints on how to pitch your manuscript.
http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2008/06/art-of-pitching.html

New Canadian MG/YA Agent

Alison McDonald has joined Canadian Agency, The Rights Factory, and will be representing middle-grade and young adult authors.
http://www.therightsfactory.com/index.html

TweetChat

TweetChat allows you to easily participate in a single chat without seeing unrelated tweets.
http://tweetchat.com/

Great Kids Books

School librarian and mom, Mary Ann Scheuer, reviews books for kids ages 4-14.
http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/

Should You Self Publish

Agent Nathan Bransford gives a list of questions you should ask yourself.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/03/should-you-self-publish-ten-questions.html

Glossary of Publishing Terms

150 definitions from Harold Underdown.
http://www.underdown.org/cigglossary.htm

Online Platform

Do's and Don'ts from agent Mary Kole abuot your online presence.
http://kidlit.com/2010/02/26/online-platform-dos-donts/

Book Trailers Site

A site for teachers (and others) to find children's book trailers.
https://www.4shared.com/u/vgpvszst/15eb7f4e/Book_Trailers_for_All.html

Creating iPhone Apps

Author Tom Evans explains how to publish your book in multiple formats.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2010/03/13/podcast-creating-iphone-apps-for-your-books-with-tom-evans-the-bookwright/

Book Release Timeline

What to do and when in the months before your book's release.
http://lisa-schroeder.livejournal.com/320061.html

Rookie Query Mistakes

Agent Jenny Bent shares mistakes she's seen.
http://jennybent.blogspot.com/2010/02/rookie-mistakes.html

Critique Groups

How do you decide when it's time to leave your group?
http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/search/label/critiquing%2Fcritiques

How to Format E-Queries

Agent Nathan Bransford explains the proper formatting
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/03/how-to-format-query-letter.html

New YA Imprint

Carolrhoda Lab will publish distinctive, provocative, boundary-pushing fiction for teens.
http://ow.ly/1kn6O

After an Offer of Representation

Agent Elana Roth discusses who you should contact.
http://www.johnsonliterary.com/blog/2010/3/16/query-kerfuffles.html?currentPage=2#comments

Standard Submission Process

What happens after submission if an editor likes your manuscript?
http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2010/03/whats-standard-submission-process-like.html

NJ SCBWI Early Bird Pricing

Reduced prices for the NJ SCBWI Annual Conference on June 4/5 2010 expires March 31st.
http://www.newjerseyscbwi.com/events/100604%20early%20bird%20flyer.jpg

Video Promotion

Seven reasons to include video when marketing your book.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2010/03/08/7-reasons-why-writers-need-to-start-using-video-for-book-promotion/

New Agent

Natalie M. Fischer of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency is actively seeking new clients for pb through ya books.
http://www.dijkstraagency.com/meet-the-agents.html#natalie-fischer

Autographed Books

Author JA Konrath suggests drive-by booksignings to get more copies of your autographed books into bookstores.
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24549

Biographies of Women

From Booklist Online, "Telling Her Stories."
http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=4033490

Pitches

Get feedback on your pitch or synopsis.
http://pitchparlour.blogspot.com/

Publisher Email Addresses

Email address standards for many publishers.
http://www.publishingtrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/PT-Contact-Sheet-2010.pdf

Best Tweets for Writers

Every Sunday, Jane Friedman of Writer's Digest posts a list.
http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/

Copy Editors

Questions to ask a prospective copy editors.
http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1225116&postcount=16

Book Distributors and Wholesalers

What's the difference and why should you care?
http://accrispin.blogspot.com/2010/01/guest-blog-post-distributor-vs.html

Cost of Publishing Ebooks

How much is saved over the cost of printing a book?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/business/media/01ebooks.html

Book Bites for Kids

Host Suzanne Lieurance talks with authors about their books.
www.blogtalkradio.com/bookbitesforkids

Page Proofs

Editorial Anonymous explains the different types of proofs and what's involved in making changes to them.
http://editorialanonymous.blogspot.com/2009/02/definitions-for-perplexed-proofs.html

New MG/YA Agent

Susan Hawk has joined the Bent Agency.
http://jennybent.blogspot.com/2010/02/and-nowa-word-from-susan-hawk.html

30 Tips for Strengthening Your Novel

Author Darcy Pattison gives 30 one-minute tips.
www.darcypattison.com/revision/30-days-to-a-stronger-novel/

New Agent

Marisa Corvisiero is joining Lori Perkins Agency and will handle some young adult and children's literature.
www.agentinthemiddle.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html#4610786406226930237

New Publisher

Nosy Crow, a new U.K. publisher, will bring out both traditional print books and apps for smart phones and other devices.
http://nosycrow.com/

Independent Bookstores

List by state of independent bookstores in the US and Canada.
www.newpages.com/bookstores

Amazon Sales Rank

How does it translate into number of books sold?
www.fonerbooks.com/surfing.htm

Scary Books for Kids

Monster Library reviews books for the twelve and under crowd.
www.monsterlibrarian.com/horrorfictionlistkd.htm

Free Ebooks from Boyds Mills Press

Namelos is offering free ebooks of select titles through April 1, 2010. Enter the promo code given after each title. According to Kit (2ce4), City of Cannibals (d35f), The Dog in the Wood (3bd5), Warriors in the Crossfire (2ac4).
http://tinyurl.com/yz2owdr

Basic Picture Book Layout

Editorial Anonymous explains the pages in a picture book.
http://editorialanonymous.blogspot.com/2008/10/basic-book-construction.html

Ten Rules for Writing

Authors give ten (or so) pieces of advice on writing.
www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one

Twitter Chats for Writers

Use twitter and have discussions about writing.
www.inkygirl.com/twitter-chats-for-writers

Read Across America Day

On March 2, the National Education Association calls for every child to be reading in the company of a caring adult.
www.nea.org/readacross

Curriculum Standards

The Common Core State Standards Initiative will shortly release their K-12 standards for English-language arts and mathematics for public comment.
http://www.corestandards.org/

Short Story Competition

Words Magazine has a contest for short stories written for kids (deadline April 30, 2010).
www.wordsmag.com/compcal10.htm

Vanity Publishers

Writers Beware shows how to tell the difference between vanity and mainstream publishers.
www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/vanity

Writing Contests

Funds for Writers lists literary contests with no or nominal entry fees.
www.fundsforwriters.com/contests.htm

Kidlit

Agent Mary Kole blogs about writing children's books.
http://www.kidlit.com/

New MG/YA Agent

Author Mandy Hubbard is joining D4EO Literary to represent middle-grade and young adult books.
http://mandyhubbard.livejournal.com/216998.html

NJ SCBWI Annual Conference - June 4/5, 2010

Registration is now open for this two-day conference plus optional pre-conference intensives.
www.newjerseyscbwi.com/events/100604%20conference.shtml.

Permission to Use Copyrighted Material

What you need to do before using copyrighted material (song lyrics, poems, etc.) in your work.
http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2010/02/obtaining-permissions.html

Dear Lucky Agent Contest

Recurring online contest from the Guide to Literary Agents.
www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Dear+Lucky+Agent+Contest+Middle+Grade+And+Young+Adult.aspx

Prologues

Agent Kristen Nelson explains when and when not to use a prologue.
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-prologues-often-dont-work.html

Ten Query Mistakes

Agent Rachelle Gardner (with a little help from her friends) lists the top query mistakes.
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/02/top-ten-query-mistakes.html

Google Alerts

Get an email whenever Google indexes a mention of you or your book (or anything else you set up.)
www.google.com/alerts

Great Graphic Novels for Teens

A list of recommended graphic novels and illustrated nonfiction prepared by YALSA (Young Adults Library Services Association).
www.ala.org/yalsa/ggnt

New Agent

Rubin Pfeffer an East Coast office for East/West Literary.
www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6714451.html?rssid=192

Author Websites

What to include:
http://yodiwan.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/what-to-include-on-author-websites
and what not to include:
http://yodiwan.wordpress.com/2009/01/22/what-not-to-have-on-your-book-website

Jane Yolen's Writing Tips

Twenty tips from the NY SCBWI Conference as recorded by Kathy Temean.
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/

Online Applications

50 online applications and sites related to social media.
www.chrisbrogan.com/50-online-applications-and-sites-to-consider

Feminist Literature

The Amelia Bloomer projects released its list of feminist children's books for 2010.
http://ameliabloomer.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/2010-amelia-bloomer-list

How to Make a Book Trailer

Author Myrlin A. Hermes gives step-by-step directions.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/01/guest-blog-week-how-to-make-book.html

Book Tours - What to Bring

What you should bring with you on a book tour.
http://yodiwan.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/for-authors-on-book-tour-dont-forget-your

Ebook Promotion

Twenty-six ways to promote your ebook from The Publicity Hound.
http://publicityhound.net/promote-an-ebook-26-ways

Book Publicity Blog

A publicist at a large publishing house blogs on the ins and outs of book publicity.
http://yodiwan.wordpress.com/

Black History Month

28 days of children's books recommendations by and about people of color.
http://thebrownbookshelf.com/28-days-later/

Proofreader's Marks

Standard proofreader's marks from the Chicago Manual of Style.
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_proof.html

Creating a Website

From how to get started to how to be noticed, learn what it takes to make a good writer's website.
www.squidoo.com/writing-website

Independent Bookstores

Independent bookstores are a great place to market your book.
http://www.indiebound.org/

Selling Your First Novel

Statistics from the "tenners," a group of novelists debuting in 2010.
www.jennadolbooks.com/blog/?p=1158

Researching Comparable Books

Agent Jill Corcoran gives websites to use in researching published books.
http://jillcorcoran.blogspot.com/2010/01/researching-comp-books.html

New Agent

Brenda Bowen has joined the Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. agency.
www.greenburger.com/code/agents/brenda.htm

Dictionary Searches

One look lets you search multiple dictionaries using wildcards, abbreviations, phrases, and more.
http://www.onelook.com/

BookTour.com

Website of of author appearances, book events, and literary happenings.
http://www.booktour.com/

Acquisitions Process

Madeline Smoot of CBAY Books and Blooming Tree Press diagrams it out.
www.madelinesmoot.com/buriededitor/acquisitions.pdf

ALA Awards - 2010

When You Reach Me won this year's Newbery Medal.
www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/2010medawardwin.cfm

New Agent

Lauren MacLeod has joined the Strothman Agency and is looking for middle-grade and young adult novels.
www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/New+Agent+Alert+Lauren+MacLeod+Of+The+Strothman+Agency.aspx

Nonfiction for Kids

Community and information for nonfiction writers in this Yahoo group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NFforKids/

Picture Book vs. Short Story

Author Jan Fields tells how to tell the difference.
www.bksp.org/content/view/65/1/

SCBWI WIP Grants

Grants to help writers complete a specific projects. (Application timing 2/15/10-3/15/10)
www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/WIP-Grant

Picture Book Marathon

Join with others as you write 26 picture books during the month of February.
http://site.picturebookmarathon.org/Home.html

New Agency

Agent Jennifer Unter has started her own agency and is interested in representating all types of children's books.
www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/New+Agent+Alert+Jennifer+Unter+Of+The+Unter+Agency.aspx

Jewish Books for Children

Barbara Bietz, author and member of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, shares ideas ideas and reviews about Jewish Children's books.
http://barbarabbookblog.blogspot.com/

New Agent

Quinlan Lee, with Adams Literary, is interested in finding new authors.
http://www.adamsliterary.com/aboutus/quin/quin.html

Revision Stages

Author Natalie Whipple gives three steps for revising.
http://betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/2010/01/stages-of-revision.html

New YA Agent

Kate Epstein is now accepting YA submissions.
http://www.epsteinliterary.com/pdf/YAforEpLit.pdf

Top Ten Writing Mistakes

Author Suzanne Lieurance, an instructor at the Institute for Children's Literature, shares the top ten mistakes new children's writers make.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/specialty_writing/top_ten.htm

National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

Katherine Paterson was named to this two-year position created to emphasize the importance of literacy and education.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6713507.html?desc=topstory

Association for Library Service to Children

News, issues, conferences, resources, and activities for those interested in children’s librarianship.
http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/

Multicultural Literacy Conference - 3/19-21/10

First annual conference to promote books written by and about people of color. http://mlag.web.officelive.com/2010conference.aspx

Researching Agents

Agent Jill Corcoran provides links to sites that will help you find an agent.
http://jillcorcoran.blogspot.com/2010/01/researching-agents.html

The Horn Book's Best of 2009

Twenty-seven books on their “Fanfare” list that "respect and nurture children’s intelligence, talents, and imagination. "
http://ow.ly/OooK

2010 Bloom Award

Blooming Tree Press is looking for a young adult, light romance in its Second Annual Bloom Award. (deadline October 31, 2010)
http://apublisherslife.blogspot.com/2009/12/2010-bloom-award-submission-guidelines.html