by Melissa Abramovitz If you write fiction for children, you will probably need to do some research. If you write nonfiction, research is an absolute necessity. Many writers cringe at the thought of research, possibly because it reminds them of writing term papers in school. I’ll admit that research isn’t always fun. But most of…
by Nancy I. Sanders If you want to learn more about how to write a picture book, here are several basic steps you can take towards your goal: Step 1: Read a book about how to write picture books. Two of my favorites are: Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul The Nuts and Bolts…
by Melissa Abramovitz Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, for children or adults, knowing how to deal with rejection is something that is useful for all writers. Even for experienced writers. Many people seem surprised when I tell them that I still receive many, many rejections after being a freelance writer and author for nearly…
by Nancy I. Sanders, Contributing Editor Writing for a deadline takes many different shapes and forms for many different people. For me, I’ve learned how I work with that date marked in red on my calendar. I have very definitive seasons! It all starts when I get an idea for a book. When I wrote…
by Nancy I. Sanders, Contributing Editor Some time ago, I was under contract to write a brand new chapter book. It was a “first chapter book” and was geared to a second grade reading level. Think “Magic Tree House” series by Mary Pope Osborne and you’ll know what level of book I was working on….
by Nancy I. Sanders, Contributing Editor It’s easy to publish your children’s book these days. You can self-publish a chapter book or middle grade novel for free on amazon’s KDP. And now you can self-publish a picture book e-book with Kindle Kids’ Book Creator. All you need is content, right? Technically, yes. Lots and lots…
Attention: Aspiring Picture Book Authors! Are you an aspiring children’s picture book author in need of professional feedback on your manuscript? I can help! Hi, I’m Suzanne Lieurance, a children’s book author with over 40 published books and a successful writing coach. I was also an instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature (ICL) for…
While you’re submitting your picture book manuscript (your baby!) to publishers, so are thousands of other people. Think editors or first readers have time to read every word of every submission? Nuh-uh. So your first job is to create an opening that dazzles.
Here are a dozen ways to get your career started as a children’s writer.
by Nancy I. Sanders We had a new tile floor put in a few years ago. During the process, I was amazed at the number of similarities it had with the journey it takes in writing a picture book. The Idea Stage My husband Jeff and I walked into a local hardware store for new…
Writing instructors constantly emphasize several important rules related to using vivid, specific words rather than vague and ambiguous ones when writing both fiction and nonfiction. These rules are termed “show, don’t tell,” “paint a picture with words,” “banish boring verbs,” “bring the reader into the story,” and “use adjectives and adverbs sparingly,” but they all…
Many people hire a freelance editor to help with revising and polishing their manuscripts, especially if they are just starting out as a writer or are encountering difficulties with selling a particular manuscript. Some folks who are in local or online critique groups get this type of feedback from their critique partners, but some writers,…
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