Am I diverse yet? Why there are no Jews in diverse books

If you've been out of the loop in the world of children's publishing, you may not be aware that the big, huge deal right now is Diverse Books. The battle cry for this movement is "We need diverse books."  Diverse books are good because they show kids "people who look like themselves" in the pages of children's literature. Google "diverse books"...

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Why translation isn’t magical: What you MUST know before you translate your book into English…

The US market needs diverse books, and that includes the voices of those who live elsewhere, speaking other languages, and living different lives. It’s also great that authors are willing to invest money, time, and effort. If you believe that strongly in your book, there’s a chance it can succeed.But not if you rush into submitting it the second it’s...

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What the Cat taught me: Lessons for authors from yesterday’s book covers

Do you have a favourite book from childhood?  You can probably visualize its cover, right?  Just picture it in your mind's eye and maybe feel the nice, contented feeling that comes with curling up with a delicious book... Well, this morning, I came across one of my preteen favorites sitting open on the floor where my daughter had left it...

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Make Research Pay: Turn “leftover” ideas into nonfiction children’s magazine articles

Do you groan whenever anybody suggests that your story needs more research? Does the idea of diving into books and Wikipedia pages, old newspapers or archives bring back nightmares from high school, college, or some other period in your life? I've been doing a lot of research lately for a chapter book I'm writing that takes place in medieval Egypt. ...

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Finishing your book–the “nibbled to death” way

I'm working on a book.  I've been at it for a while, in fact.  Years.  And guess what?  I'm on page 11 already! So... okay.  Go on.  Say it to my face - exactly what you're thinking. Which is probably something like, "That's not much for years of work." "Page 11?  That's not very good." "Eleven pages?  I could...

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How to write more productively - by writing slower

Trying to figure out how to write faster?  Maybe you need to slow down. I know, I know... that probably feels like the exact OPPOSITE of the advice you're looking for. But maybe you've heard about the SLOW trend? It's epitomized by the Slow Food movement, but in general it's a trend towards handmade, artisanal, more authentic living. Last week,...

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How to create home-run stories with a perfect pitch sentence

I’ve talked before about the importance of the “pitch.”  This is a single sentence you can haul out whenever anyone asks you to describe your book.  Here, I’m going to give you my secret “formula” for creating awesome and compelling pitch sentences.But first – why do you need a pitch?For talking to agents or editors, if you ever get a face-to-face...

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If you want to write kids’ books–read, read, READ! (with 6 of this summer's favourites)

What’s the best way to ensure that you’re writing kids’ books that are relevant to today’s readers?  When I say readers, by the way, you can assume I also mean all the gatekeepers between you and your readers: editors, agents, publishers, and anyone else who gets to vet your book before it’s approved for publication.And the best way to make sure...

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Blog tour for SCRIBBLE & AUTHOR! by Miri Leshem-Pelly

I am so, so thrilled to be hosting today’s stop on the month-long blog tour for my real-life friend and faithful critique group companion Miri Leshem-Pelly… and her new book, Scribble & Author (Kane-Miller Picture Books, 2017)!  Check out yesterday’s stop at PUYB Virtual Book Club – as well as tomorrow’s stop, when it’s posted, at Interview...

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Becoming a writer: Why knowing your strengths and weaknesses MATTERS

Are you feeling discouraged and thinking of giving up?  Or maybe you’re thinking about writing something but you just can’t get started?  Maybe you figure it won’t come out right – so why even bother.  Does any of that sound like you? Maybe you just don’t know what you’re good at. I talk a lot on this site about not just writing a book...

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Be grateful for editors!

Yesterday, I got the phone call I was dreading – a call from my EDITOR.  I spent half an hour on the phone yesterday with the person in charge of editing my next children’s book, and I have to admit, I had been dreading her call for a while. I got an email from her when the book was first accepted by the publisher (yay – details to come, I promise!)...

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From Manuscript to Commercially-Published Book in 12 VERY Easy Steps

Have you ever asked the question – if I self-publish, does that mean I’m stuck self-publishing forever? A lot of writers think they’re stuck defining themselves as one or the other, either a “self-published writer” or a “commercially-published writer.”  I hope you haven’t fallen into that trap! In fact, you don’t have to pigeonhole yourself that...

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