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Look at this! A friend went to our local library and spotted my book, PRAIRIE STORMS, on display. A happy day! Oh. Or is it bad that it hasn’t been checked out?
Sometimes I write for other places or other places talk about my books. Here are some links for your reading pleasure. 2012 Writer’s Market This year’s market guide–the best in the industry–includes my article on Book Trailers. Based on my experience writing The Book Trailer Manual, the article talks about the pros/cons of book trailers, [...]
Connect with Authors Through Skype One site that quickly gained popularity this year is the Skype an Author, a Wetpaint site, billed at the key to Virtual Author Visits in Your Library or Classroom. Set up by Sarah Chauncey of the Grandview Elementary School Library in Rockland County, NY schools and author Mona Kirby, it [...]
Mysteries in a Picture Book Picture book mysteries are rarely for the pre-school set; instead, the audience is the early grades, K-3. For these kids, the core of the mystery needs to be something gentle, non-threatening. No murders here. But strange situations, natural disasters and chase scenes work well. Puzzles or Strange Situations. In The [...]
Within the picture book genre, there are certain sub-genres and I’ll cover some of these in the next few days. Creative Non-fiction Picture Books Non-fiction is about the facts. But those facts cannot be trite, boring, or presented in a cliched way. Not the for the picture book audience. Instead, you must find creative ways [...]
Within the picture book genre, there are certain sub-genres and I’ll cover some of these in the next few days. Picture book biographies are hot commodities these days, but are very hard to get right. How to Write a Picture Book Biography Remember that picture books are 32 pages and are usually written for kids [...]
Within the picture book genre, there are certain sub-genres and I’ll cover some of these in the next few days. First, the ABC books. How to Write a Good ABC Book Story Oriented Alphabet Books. If you want to write an ABC book, you should first read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, a rollicking story with [...]
The illustrator doesn’t tell YOU what to do, so don’t tell the illustrator what to do! Professional Respect You do your professional job with the text and the illustrator does his/her professional job with the art. Respect is the key here. If you want to dictate some of the art to the illustrator, please put [...]
UPDATE: See the 2009 List of Picture Book Topics to Avoid Dial editor, Liz Waniewski (ONE–es-key) spoke at the Arkansas SCBWI 2007 conference. For a couple months before the conference, she kept track of her slush pile pb submissions by category. Here are the top 12 picturebook topics that she received–thus, the top 12 to [...]
Page 32, the last page in a picture book is a chance to give the reader a twist, or emphasize an emotion. Page 32 The last page of a picture book is a left-hand single page. Consider ways to use this last chance to connect with the readers. Emphasize the emotional connection. In Officer Buckle [...]
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