I heard that writing a book was only part of the work an author does to get his or her book out into the world. Marketing and publicity are equally important! As I'm finding out, they're equally time consuming. What to Do Next? Each night I go to bed thinking about the jobs that for… Continue reading My First Interview and My First 5-Star Goodreads Review!
This post has been a long time coming. About 16 years long. There have been times when I thought I was ready to submit my middle-grade novel, HALF-TRUTHS. But now I KNOW it. IN THE BEGINNINGFrom the beginning, I imagined a story about a white girl and a light-skinned Black girl discovering that they were second… Continue reading On Submission
If you're reading this and have been pregnant for nine long months, or if you've been close to someone during that-seemingly-endless amount of time waiting for a baby, then you know how pregnant mamas look forward to their delivery date.Many people compare publishing a book to having a baby. So, when I contacted Rebecca Kurta, Elliott Kurta's mom (my… Continue reading "You're Almost in Labor!" A Celebration of Stages
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"What motivates you as a writer?" my pastor, Rob McCurley, recently asked me. "Are you fascinated with the characters? Do you like delving into the plot? Playing with the words?" His questions got me thinking. Image courtesy of Google images As a child I enjoyed putting together jigsaw puzzles. On many levels, writing Half-Truths is… Continue reading What Drives You as a Writer?
At our recent SCBWI critique meeting, aspiring picture book author, Dorothy Price mentioned she had read on Rebecca Sherman's Writer House profile and on Teresa Kietlinski's profile for Prospect Agency that each were looking for individuals who could both write and draw. I wondered if this was a new trend, so I asked Harold Underdown and… Continue reading Author Illustrators
This interview is dedicated to Harold Underdown and Ann Manheimer, who have pushed me to figure out what my main character in Half-Truths wants. *********As I read novels I try to uncover what the characters want and the obstacles that get in their way. In a well-written book this tension between goal and satisfaction… Continue reading Getting to Know Kate
In the spring I published two interviews with Harold Underdown, children's book editor and children's publishing maven. In Part I he answered general questions about writing and publishing for children. In Part II he answered questions from illustrators. Here in Part III, Harold answers questions specifically about crafting picture books. Question: Recently I heard Tracey Adams of Adams… Continue reading Interview with Harold Underdown- Part III
Two weeks ago on this blog, Harold Underdown answered general questions regarding writing and publishing for children. In this follow-up post, he answers questions posed by some Carolina illustrators. Question: I am worried about the ease with which people can download artwork/images from the internet. It seems as if it will be much harder to enforce… Continue reading Interview with Harold Underdown- Part II
Harold Underdown, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books, is my guest for today's blog. In this interview he answers a variety of questions about writing and publishing for children. In Part II he will address questions which illustrators have. If you are an illustrator with a publishing question, please leave me… Continue reading Interview with Harold Underdown- Part I