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aspiring authors Tag

30 Sep

Posted at 00:44h in about writing

Kersten Hamilton is the author of several picture books and many middle grade novels.

 

TYGER, TYGER, book one of THE GOBLIN WARS series, was her first novel for young adults, and was followed by IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT, BOOK TWO. 

We admire Kersten's craft and were happy she agreed to be interviewed.

Here's what she had to say.

Jennifer McKerley: The third book in your exciting YA series THE GOBLIN WARS was just released last month. WHEN THE STARS THREW DOWN THEIR SPEARS continues the fast paced fantasy series. Here are two reviews:

“This spectacular conclusion will satisfy fans and lead new readers into a complex world with fascinating magic and appealing characters.” —Kirkus, starred review

“Brimming with heroism,

23 Sep

Posted at 01:18h in about writing

 

How do you write a book that will sell?

 

Knowing the market is a key factor in producing a marketable manuscript. And part of being market savvy is knowing what category your idea falls into. 

 

There are various categories of children’s books, such as concept book, picture book, storybook, chapter book, reader and novel. On pages 15-16 of our workbook, Write a Marketable Children's Book, we explain the categories and the ages they target.

A writer should research the market to discover

09 Sep

Posted at 03:08h in about writing

 

An aspiring writer named Mike once wrote E.B. White and asked what he needed to do to get his book published.

 

The famous author took some time before he wrote back, but when he did, this was his advice:

 

"The principal thing (an author) has to do is to write a good book. Then he has to send the manuscript to one publisher after another until he finds one who wants to publish it. I'm glad you liked 'Stuart Little' and 'Charlotte's Web' and thanks for writing."

 

It may seem as if E.B. White were lazy and didn’t offer Mike much help. But his letter actually reveals exactly what a writer must do to get published.

02 Sep

Posted at 22:50h in about writing

 

I enjoy reading picture books for the fun of it, the art, and to analyze what makes a good story.

 

I would love to master the craft of writing wonderful picture books that become beloved favorites of children.

From researching and reading the masters, I’ve learned that most of the factors below are in stories that stay in our hearts.

 

A good picture book:

28 Jul

Posted at 00:22h in about writing

 

So deep down inside, you really want to write?

 

But you don’t know how or where to begin. Or you just have the “no-confidence” blues and can't seem to get back to what you started.

 

What can you do to make yourself get busy writing?

 

  • Forget about writing the story. 

26 May

Posted at 22:09h in about writing

Books are not necessary to life in the same sense that air and water are needed to sustain the body.

Yet a good book provides deep emotional and intellectual satisfaction—so much so that many adults and children cannot imagine life without the joy of great stories.

The following quotes about books show how universal this attitude is.

There is a Chinese proverb that states: "A book is like a garden carried in the pocket."

"Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own." ~William Hazlitt

"A book must be an ice-axe to break the seas frozen inside our soul." ~Franz Kafk

"Books are the bees which

19 May

Posted at 21:40h in about writing

 

Writers know that rejection letters are part of the business, and we try to brace ourselves for them.

 

The worst kind is the impersonal form letter or card that reads—

Dear Author,
Thank you for thinking of Only the Best Publishing, but your manuscript does not fit our needs at this time. We wish you success in placing it elsewhere.
The Editors

The form rejection letter is discouraging because if offers no suggestions for improvement. Of course, rejections only go to those who submit manuscripts, so you are further along than if you hadn't submitted at all. That probably doesn’t help, so try this one. Highly successful authors like J. K. Rowling, Dr. Seuss and Madeleine L"Engle got the same treatment. Madeleine L"Engle’s A WRINKLE IN TIME was turned down 29 times. Rowling first submitted 

13 May

Posted at 01:30h in about writing

 

On Mother's Day, we honor our moms for their love and lifelong support.

 

For writers, that includes encouragement for our writing dreams.

 

While we cherish such support, we need to remember that a mother's opinion is highly prejudiced. Remember the drawing you did at five? It probably ended up on the refrigerator door, not in a gallery. Likewise, just because Mom loves your kid's book doesn't mean an editor will. Editors know what kids like and what gives a book kid appeal.

In my workbook, Write a Marketable Children's Book,  there is a section called "Discover the Magic of Kid Appeal." In it, I show how you can appeal to kids today.

You do so with a story that:

  1. Has a sense of fun and joy.