Two blog posts about querying arrived in my Google Reader on precisely the same day. Both offered wise advice. Nathan Bransford at Curtis Brown, discussed the benefits of batch querying. Shelli Johannes at Market My Words hosted author and query master, Elana Johnson, who lists the top five query mistakes. Ignore these posts at your… Read more »
Tools for the Taking
A Primer on Book Production
Nicole Moulaison, Production Manager for Macmillan Feiwel & Friends and Square Fish imprints, provides a fascinating look at what goes into making a book. http://mackids.squarespace.com/mackidssquarespacecom/2010/1/15/behind-the-scenes-production.html
Writer’s Rap Video
Erin Dealey’s got the word on writing books! Love it.
What They Want: Editors Chiming In
Hear it straight from the horse’s mouth: Top 10 questions Dutton Editors ask Themselves When Looking at a ManuscriptA Diamond in the Slush: What Picture Book Editors Are Really Looking For
How is a Picture Book Like a Golf Swing?
One of my favorite golf pros practiced simplicity in his instruction. Rather than giving me twenty-minutes of pointers to think about during my five-second swing, he’d address just a few. One of his more memorable lessons was when he placed me in perfect body position at address, then backswing, then finish. He had me hold… Read more »
Michael Stearns on Picture Book Writing
Here’s a great essay from agent Michael Stearns at Upstart Crow. Let it guide you as you prepare for our next Picture Book Peek Week coming up on December 14th.
Talking about Titles – More Links
A few more folks are talking about titles: Jill Corcoran, Literary Agent – your title is your billboard.Editorial Anonymous – a fabulous title can move you to the top of the slush. See my original post for more discussion on the importance of titles.
Use Directed Freewriting to Flesh out Your Characters
I’ve found that my single most useful tool for fleshing out a character – better than any lists or profile sheets – is simply freewriting in the character’s first person voice. But rather than sitting in front of a blank screen only to fill it with details of eye color, hair color and family history,… Read more »
Maggie Stiefvater’s Pre NaNoWriMo Process
Maggie Stiefvater, prolific author of LAMENT, SHIVER and BALLAD is a NaNoWriMo success story. Maggie describes her novel planning process in detail in her blog. Check it out. Really good stuff!
A Thank You Gift for My Blog Followers
Since November is the month of Thanksgiving, I want to say thank you to my loyal followers with a: Private Picture Book Peek Week Coming November 2nd!A picture book manuscript critique contest for my blog followers only. To be eligible, you must be a member of my followers list in the sidebar of this blog.Enter… Read more »
My Books
