Kids Lit
How to Launch a Dinosaur
Back in 2021, I relayed the long, long trail to sell a 181-word board book manuscript for publication. And…
October 8, 2022-
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Kids Lit
Opening Lines for Picture Books
First lines make a promise. From “Call me Ishmael” (Moby Dick, Herman Melville, 1851) to “Happy families are all alike; every…
September 8, 2022 -
Kids Lit
More Meantime…
Things are getting more exciting for fall – real conferences in person with live editors taking pitches. But until…
August 16, 2022 -
Kids Lit
In the Meantime…
The clock begins the minute we hit “send.” We just launched a glorious new concept, never done before in…
July 8, 2022 -
Kids Lit
Of Adjectives and Illustrators
“So how do you feel about art notes?” This came up to a panel of editors recently, and it…
June 8, 2022 -
Kids Lit
What is “High Concept”?
After the fifth editor said, “I am especially looking for high concept picture books. I can’t explain that, but…
May 8, 2022 -
Kids Lit
Who’s Listening to Your Story?
We’ve all read picture books that just seemed not quite right – the subject matter was too obscure for…
April 8, 2022 -
Kids Lit
More Ways to Add Humor to Your Picture Books-Part 2
Kids love humor, and publishers know it. Face it—parents love humor too. That’s why knowing how to add a…
March 11, 2022 -
Kids Lit
Beyond Halloween, Christmas, Easter!
Flip through the 2021 calendar and remember especially happy times. Big annual events were special, but your best memories…
March 8, 2022 -
Kids Lit
Four Ways to Add Humor to Your Picture Books
Students in my second-grade classroom love reading funny books. There is a bit of science behind the attraction. Laughter…
February 8, 2022 -
Kids Lit
2022: Your Best Year Ever Starts TODAY!
What do you want to accomplish in your writing by Dec 31, 2022? From the perspective of January, everything…
January 8, 2022 -
Kids Lit
Have You Considered Writing Board Books
Board books have extra thick coated pages that small hands can turn and chewing babies can sink their teeth…
December 8, 2021 -
Kids Lit
How I Spent the Mesozoic Era
Does it seem to take FOREVER to get a brilliant (they all are!) book published for kids? Even as…
September 8, 2021 -
Kids Lit
Huff, puff…blow the house down! Engaging Children in Books
“Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down!” said the Big Bad Wolf. Children engage…
August 8, 2021 -
Kids Lit
What DO librarians want in a picture book?
Is there anything more fun than being in the library Children’s room at story time? I was the lucky…
June 21, 2021 -
Kids Lit
Know Your Audience
“Many books for children feature children. Your writing will be more natural if you are aware of the rhythms…
January 21, 2021 -
Kids Lit
Don’t Commit a Rhyme Crime
You might have heard that “Rhyme is a crime,” and that editors don’t like rhyming board books and picture…
December 21, 2020 -
Kids Lit
Writing Books that Matter
I was in the window seat, thumbing through my recent issue of “Writer’s Digest,” just waiting for the plane…
October 21, 2020 -
Kids Lit
Which Hat Shall I Wear Today?
In January, I had the privilege of speaking about being a writer at a large private school near…
April 21, 2020 -
Kids Lit
Get a New Perspective! Find a New Twist!
Once in a while, I come across a book so unique and wonderful that I think, “Wow, I sure…
December 21, 2019 -
Kids Lit
Three Tips for Successful Platform Building
If you’ve been to any writers conference lately, you’ve no doubt heard lots of talk about building a platform.…
September 21, 2019 -
Kids Lit
“B.I.C. Time”
Whenever I teach at conferences, I’m often asked the same question: “How do you write so many books a…
August 21, 2019 -
Kids Lit
While You Wait…
We’ve all said it before. You know, the old, “I’m just waiting on God to make this publishing thing…
July 21, 2019 -
Kids Lit
Who You Gonna Call? A Ghostwriter!
Eva Shaw, author of “Ghostwriting: How to Get Into the Business” beautifully sums up the heart of being a…
May 21, 2019 -
Kids Lit
Query with Confidence!
A query letter is your chance to make a great first impression at a publishing house or a magazine,…
April 21, 2019
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