|
edited by Jon Bard
Follow Me on Twitter for Links, News
& More!
http://twitter.com/write4kids_com
|
|
1.
Write4Kids TV is Live - And
We're Kicking Things Off in Grand
Style!
.
..
It's
time to reveal our super-secret project:
Write4Kids! TV.
It's a web video channel devoted exclusively
to writing children's books, and will feature video
interviews with authors, editors and publishing
visionaries. It's completely free and is
certain to become must-viewing for anyone
interested in creating children's books.
Right now, the very first episode is up, and it's a
doozy. Join me for an exclusive chat with Karen
Robertson, author of Treasure Kai and the Lost
Gold of Shark Island and creator of an
amazing eBook
called Author's Guide to
Book Apps.
Karen has a great story: about a year ago,
she decided to create an iPad app for her
book. She's a self-described "total
non-techie", but she taught herself how to do
everything. Her journey turned out to be more
fun and less expensive than she imagined. Now
she's become an evangelist for children's book
writers to create and sell their own apps and, to
prove that absolutely anyone can do it, she's
created a step-by-step roadmap that shows exactly
how to make it happen (and she's teamed up with us
to offer it at a special price).
Apps are super-hot right now and can offer exposure
and, yes, profit for writers, whether they've been
previously published or not.
In our chat, Karen shares exactly what apps are and
how they're sold. It's a meaty conversation
that will leave you feeling confident that, in
fact, you can do it.
Go check out the show at http://Write4Kids.tv
Karen has a free report about creating apps at
http://bit.ly/apps4kids
One more thing: Karen has
kindly written an article exclusively for
Updaters. Scroll down to item #7 to read
Why Book Apps are a Huge Opportunity for Kid’s
Writers... and How You can Create one Even if You
Don’t Have a “Technical” Bone in your
Body!
Advertisements
From Our Sponsors:
Study Children's Writing
at
Spalding University
Spalding University in Louisville, KY, is
offering a remarkable opportunity:
a brief-residency MFA in Writing Program with a
concentration in writing for children.
For information, request brochure FA80: email
mfa@spalding.edu or
call (800) 896-8941x2423 or visit http://www.spalding.edu/mfa
Join the eRevolution @
eWriting4Kids.com!
Our new blog Covers the Ins & Outs of
creating eBooks, apps and electronic
content. The revolution is here -- and
we'll help you be part of it! Presented by
the editors of Children's Book Insider, the
Newsletter for Children's Writers.
Visit now at http://eWriting4Kids.com
|
|
2.
Less Than 2 Weeks Away!
Children's Authors' Bootcamp is Coming to The Bay
Area
Spend an exciting spring
weekend by the Bay while learning exactly
what you need to make it big as a children's
writer.
Children's Authors' Bootcamp is
a children's writing weekend you'll never forget
-- a step-by-step journey to children's
writing success that's fun, fast-paced and packed
with advice you'll never hear anywhere
else!
Join Laura Backes, Publisher of
Children's Book Insider, and Linda Arms
White, Christopher Award-winning author of Too
Many Pumpkins, Comes a Wind and many other
great children's books, for the ultimate
children's writing workshop:
July 9 and 10
at the Holiday Inn
Express Airport, Oakland,
CA
Slots Still Remain -- But Time Is Running
Out!
CAB features two full exciting days of
world-class instruction and exercises on writing
fiction for children of all ages, with emphasis
on character and plot development, dialogue,
descriptive writing, point of view, writing
strong beginnings, editing your own work and
submitting manuscripts to publishers. If your
dream of writing children's books needs a shot of
adrenaline, this is the place to get it.
Because it's a step-by-step
program, CAB is great
for beginners! No
previous experience is needed to benefit from
this workshop, and you'll leave on Sunday with
everything you need to know to write your
masterpiece!
The Bootcamp
changed my life. Linda and Laura are
spectacular. They took me from a "wanna be..." to
a bona fide children's book illustrator and
author, working under major publishers. I still
use the literature and information from the
Bootcamp on a weekly basis. My writer's bookshelf
would not be complete without the notes and books
from their program. Laura and Linda continue to
be amazingly supportive of my efforts. I count
them as two of my most powerful colleagues in the
business. It's simple - Bootcamp works. I'm proud
to be one of their students, and their
friend.
J.H. Everett, co-author and
illustrator of the series "Haunted Histories"
from Henry
Holt.
For a complete
class outline and registration information
(including information on booking hotel rooms),
see WeMakeWriters.com, or contact
Linda White at (303) 747-1014, or CABootcamp@msn.com.
Reserve Your Spot
Now!
Visit
WeMakeWriters.com
for all the
details.
|
|
3.
Here's
an Idea to Borrow: Let Your Readers
Create Their Own
Books
I've been
harping on the notion that the book industry is
going through exactly what the music industry did
10 years ago. The good news there is that we can
avoid their mistakes.
The even
better news is that we can borrow some ideas from
music's more inventive artists about how to deal
with the new digital reality.
Here's one I
really like:
http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2011/06/03/from-ricky-wilson-of-the-kaiser-chiefs/
Basically,
the band recorded 20 tracks and lets fans create
their own CD -- and their own unique artwork --
by picking their favorite 10 songs. Neat idea,
and something
that can be copied by authors with either short
story anthologies or "create your own adventure"
stories.
Read the
piece -- it's well worth your time. And
then, visit the band's
website to fiddle around with the
technology -- it's really, really cool and would
fit wonderfully on an author's site.
|
|
4. Come
Hang With the Fightin' Bookworms -- and Get Our
Entire Step-by-Step Writing Course
Free!
The CBI Clubhouse
is rocking! We've got lots of new members
who are meeting one another on the message
boards, plenty of new videos and audios, our free
children's writing course (The CBI Challenge),
exclusive publishing opportunities just for our
members and much more.
And all
of it is free for paid subscribers to
Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for
Children's Writers!
Here's what
Fightin' Bookworm Irene Roth has to
say:
Before I joined
the CBI Clubhouse, I was completely lost as a
freelance writer. I knew that I wanted to write
for kids, but I didn't have the first idea about
what I should do to achieve this.
I sent out a few articles to magazines, and they
all got rejected. This went on for two years. I
was devastated and ready to give up! Then I was
talking to a friend of mine who suggested that I
check out the CBI Clubhouse. I did. And I
have never felt better in my whole life as a
freelance writer.
There are weekly instructional videos by Jon Bard
on different aspects of the writing process.
These are invaluable. There are also videos by
Laura Backes. She has become my personal
mentor. I listen to her videos every few days.
Some videos I listen to over and over
again.
Then there is the CBI Challenge. It is absolutely
chock full of information on finding your passion
in writing to the nuts and bolts of publishing. I
am on Module #2 and I have learned more than I
could have ever imagined.
Lastly, if you have any questions or concerns,
you can email either Jon or Laura at any time.
They are also willing to help and are
encouraging. Finally, I don't feel so alone as a
writer!
So what are you waiting for? Join the CBI
Clubhouse for a small, small fee every month.
Skip one latte and you have your monthly
membership which will give you a lot more value
that your latte.
Join The CBI
Clubhouse now (for less than the cost of a latte
each month) and you'll get:
-
a fresh issue of
Children's Book Insider, The Newsletter for
Children's Writers
-
audio interviews
with top authors
-
video tutorials
about every aspect of writing and submitting
children's books to publishers
-
a slew of
exclusive articles
-
free
ebooks
-
message boards
and chatrooms
-
The
Complete CBI Challenge -- our
exclusive step-by-step children's writing
course!
...and much, much more!
All 20 modules of
the CBI Challenge are online, and waiting for you
to explore, learn and master:
MODULE 1: Finding
Your Passion as a Children's Writer
MODULE 2: Developing Your Story Idea
MODULE 3: Making Time to Write
MODULE 4: Laying the Foundation for Your Main
Character & Plot
MODULE 5: Building Your Protagonist
MODULE 6: Creating Your Antagonist
MODULE 7: Ignite Your Plot with a Catalyst
MODULE 8: Perfect Your Pacing
MODULE 9: Build a Strong Middle
MODULE 10: Create a Strong Subplot
MODULE 11: Crafting a Powerful Ending
MODULE 12: How to "Show, Don't Tell"
MODULE 13: Working with Point of View
MODULE 14: Build a Writing Lifestyle
MODULE 15: Sharpen Your Strengths
MODULE 16: Get Feedback On Your Work
MODULE 17: Get Ready to Submit!
MODULE 18: Assembling the Perfect Submissions
Packet
MODULE 19: Sail Past Rejection
MODULE 20: Master the Art of
Promotion
If you're at all
serious about writing children's books and
getting them published, you really need to hop on
board with the Fightin' Bookworms of The CBI
Clubhouse. All the education and
inspiration you need to make it is waiting for
you for just pennies a day. Plus, we have
lots of fun while we're at it.
Here's the link to
the Clubhouse!
http://cbiclubhouse.com
See you 'round the
Clubhouse, future Fightin'
Bookworm!
|
|
5.
What's
in July's Children's Book
Insider?
If you're new to
the Update, you may not know that we publish a
monthly subscription-only newsletter for aspiring
and working children's book writers that's
jam-packed with market leads, advice, inside info
and much more.
It's called
Children's
Book Insider, and we've been sharing it
with subscribers across the globe since May,
1990! (And remember, every subscriber to
Children's Book Insider gets total access
to the incredible CBI
Clubhouse website AND
The CBI
Challenge step-by-step children's
writing course!)
Here's
a sneak preview of what's in the next issue of
Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for
Children's Writers:
► Two literary agencies
seeking new clients
► New Residency and Group
Workshops Offered from Published
Author/Illustrator
► Authors, Illustrators Needed
to Present Work at Major
Event
► Religious Publisher Seeks
Manuscripts
► Publisher Seeks Books for
Young Readers
► How to Organize and Pitch
Your Nonfiction Book
► Before You Submit, Use this
Self-Editing Checklist
► Ordinary Doesn't Get
Published. Here's How Not to Be
Ordinary!
► Mastering Internal
Dialogue
► The Art of Creating a Short
Story
If you enjoy the information offered in this
e-mail update, wait 'til you see what we've got
in store for you each month in the pages of
CBI!
A
subscription to CBI and full access to the CBI
Clubhouse and CBI Challenge costs about the same
each month as a
latte!
For more
information and to order, go to http://cbiclubhouse.com/non-members
"If you are
"thinking" about subscribing, DON'T!!! Just do
it. I waited for almost 2 years before I did, now
I'm wondering why I waited so
long" Frederick
Claus
"I won a
subscription to CBI at a conference few years ago.
I've been renewing ever since --
450
magazine and
4
book credits later!
Thanks for the best
information published. I rely on your
newsletter!" Lorri
Cardwell-Casey
"I knew if I was
going to keep getting published I'd need some
help so I did some research and discovered your
newsletter. It seemed made to order so I ordered
it! Five books and over thirty-five articles
later, I'm still subscribing and finding
Children's Book
Insider as
useful and inspiring as ever. "
Lynne
Stover
"If
you're not sure whether joining CBI is the right
move, consider this: I got a book contract from a
lead on the first page of my very first issue of
CBI! How's that for
results?" Marci Mathers
http://cbiclubhouse.com/non-members
|
|
6.
Writing Picture Books
101
Many
newcomers believe it's simple to write picture
books, but it actually requires a lot of skill to
pack a story into a few words. If your dreams
include writing a picture book, here are some
tips to consider before you begin:
-
Keep
it simple. You should be able to sum
up the plot of your picture book in three
sentences. Not every detail, of course, but the
broad strokes. Create one sentences to capture
the beginning (naming your main character and
the problem or conflict he’ll face in the
story), one for the middle (describing the gist
of the efforts your character makes to solve
his problem), and one for the end (how he
finally resolves the conflict and reaches his
goal). If three sentences doesn’t capture the
essence of your plot, then it’s probably too
complex for a picture book.
Note: You’re
concerned here on plot (the action of the story),
rather than theme (the underlying message). Don’t
get into describing theme while you’re
summarizing your plot. The theme shouldn’t even
be an issue at this point. You want to construct
the story so the character’s actions, and how he
transforms because of those actions, presents a
lesson to your readers.
-
Think
in pictures. The term “picture books”
says it all: the illustrations are equally as
important as the words. The average picture
book is 32 pages long, with about four pages of
front matter (title page, copyright page, etc.)
So you have 28 pages of text and illustration.
If you aim for 1000 words to tell your story
(the average length of picture book text), that
gives you about 36 words per page (some pages
will have more words, some less, depending on
the pacing of your story). While you don’t want
to obsess over precise word counts when you’re
writing early drafts of your manuscript, do
keep in mind that every page of your book needs
to inspire a different illustration. So count
out 36 words from your manuscript and note how
large a chunk of text that is on the page.
That’s about how many words you can devote to
each illustration. After that, your characters
have to do something— move around, change
locations— so the illustrator will have a new
picture to draw.
One way to
think visually is to convey the character’s
problem, and her efforts to solve that problem,
in concrete, visual terms. If your character is
having trouble memorizing facts for school, that
all takes place inside her head. But if she’s
embarrassed because she can’t swim, then her
attempts to learn are easily illustrated.
Note: Some
illustrations will span two facing pages, called
a two-page spread. In this case, you’ll have
about 70 words for that one illustration. But
picture books are a mix of single page
illustrations and two-page spreads, so keep the
action moving at a good pace.
-
Maintain
a childlike outlook. Picture book
characters can be children, adults, animals or
fantasy characters. But all main characters
must embody the sensibilities of a child
between the ages of 4-8. As a result, the
problem your characters faces needs to be
relevant and important to your target audience.
The way your character tackles that problem
must fit with the way a child would tackle it.
Don’t create an adult main character just so
you can impose some adult wisdom on your
readers. Grown-up characters using the
emotional, illogical and sometimes messy coping
strategies of children can be a very effective,
and funny, storytelling technique. Above all,
the character must be the one to solve the
problem, using methods that are accessible to
children. If readers see themselves in your
main character, then they’ll understand the
underlying message of your story.
|
|
7.
Why Book Apps are a Huge
Opportunity for Kid’s Writers... and How
You can Create one Even if You Don’t Have a
“Technical” Bone in your
Body!
by Karen Robertson, author of
"Author's Guide to Book
Apps"
What if you
could:
-Deliver your
story to a global market quickly and
easily
-With no
inventory to manage
-While keeping
your rights
-At
a lower cost than printing a book
-And at a
higher profit?
You
can, by creating a book app.
So
what’s a book app? Think of it as an “eBook on
steroids.” It’s a book that runs on a mobile device
like the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. (See video at
www.treasurekai.com). This market is exploding in
growth, and it needs good content.
I’m
a children’s author who recently turned my book
into an app. Here’s why…
It
was June 2010 and I was just about to reprint a
small quantity of my children’s book, at great
cost, for a limited market, when I saw a book app
on the iPad for the first time. I knew I’d just
seen a way to take my passion for interactive
reading to a whole new level, plus a way to reach a
global market without the cost and hassles of
inventory.
But
not having a ‘technical’ bone in my body, I had no
idea how to do it. I worked with a friend and
together we found a developer and produced a book
app that is now getting rave reviews.
As
soon as I launched the app, other authors and
writers started asking me how I did what I’ve done.
After writing a few articles and speaking on the
topic, I realized I had a lot to share with other
writers. So I decided to write the book I wish I
would have had before I’d gotten
started.
Here’s a brief
Q&A for some of the more frequently asked
questions I hear.
Q: Why the book
app is the biggest opportunity writers have had in
decades?
A:
Because in the Apple market alone, there are nearly
200 million devices in market and the average
number of apps downloaded per device is 60. The
number of iPads sold in 2010 was 5x higher than
analysts had predicted (nearly 15
million).
Q. Could my
book be made into a book app?
A:
If your book is illustrated and has the potential
to be accompanied by music, be narrated and have
interactive elements like little animations or
touch-triggered sounds, then it is.
Q: How do I get
an app developed?
A:
You’ll need an app developer (think “programmer”).
Luckily, there are now small companies popping up
that specialize in creating book apps. Or you can
source your own via networking or online freelance
websites.
Q: What are the
pitfalls to avoid?
A:
You need to make sure you have a tight brief when
you start working with your developer and you need
to make sure you’ve negotiated updates to the app
after it’s released, so that the app keeps working
even as Apple updates its software and releases new
devices over time.
I’ve been so
excited about the results I’ve had so far.
I’ve…
-Sold book apps
to people in over 20 countries in our first 3
months
-Produced an
app in less than a third of the time it took to
produce my book
-Have no limit
to how many book apps I can sell
-I’ve kept my
rights
-Production was
far cheaper than my printed book
-And I keep 70%
of the revenue from book app sales because Apple
takes 30%.
If
you’d like to know more, simply visit
http://bit.ly/apps4kids to
download a free report, “The Top 5 Things you MUST
know before Creating a Book App for Kids” or check
out my eBook, “Author’s Guide to Book
Apps.”
|
|
|
|
From Our Sponsors:
Writing for Dollars! the ezine for writers
featuring tips, tricks and ideas for selling what
you write. Get our ebook, 83 Ways to Make Money
Writing when you subscribe. Email to subscribe@writingfordollars.com
-*- www.WritingForDollars.com
Free Copy of Working Writer Magazine! Get your
sample copy by e-mailing workingwriters@aol.com
Copyright 2011, Children's Book Insider, LLC. All
rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced in whole, or in part, without the
express written consent of the author. This
publication is designed to provide accurate and
authoritative information in regard to the
subject matter covered. This information is
provided with the understanding that the
publisher is not engaged in rendering legal,
accounting or any other professional service. If
legal advice or other expert assistance is
required, the service of a competent professional
should be sought. Therefore, the Author and
Publisher expressly disclaim any liability for
the use of any information contained herein, and
this publication is provided with this
understanding and none other.
Additionally, Children's Book Insider, LLC is not
responsible for the availability of external
sites, offers or resources mentioned in
advertising or in editorial content, and does not
endorse and is not responsible or liable for any
content, advertising, products, special offers or
other materials on or available from such sites
or resources. Children's Book Insider, LLC shall
not be responsible or liable, directly or
indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or
alleged to be caused by or in connection with use
of or reliance on any such content, goods or
services available on such external sites, offers
or resources.
We make every effort to verify the legitimacy of
the publishers and magazines we include in our
market listings. However, we assume no
responsibility for any damage or loss caused or
alleged to be caused by or in connection with
readers' associations with such publishers. For
information about investigating publishers before
conducting business with them, see our special
report "How to Tell If A New or Small Press is
Legitimate" at
http://write4kids.com/legit.html
|
|
|
June 30,
2011
Children's
Writing
Update
Children's Book Insider, LLC
901 Columbia Rd
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-495-0056
mail@write4kids.com
http://write4kids.com
http://write4kids.com/blog
http://twitter.com/write4kids_com
http://www.facebook.com/write4kids
http://cbiclubhouse.com
|
|
"I feel like kid
in a candy store with permission to eat whatever
I want. This site is
extraordinary."
"Fantastic! This
is the best idea I've ever seen on the
web!"
"Simply Outstanding. This is the most complete
site I have ever seen on the topic of writing for
children. This is truly a blessing. Thank
you!"
Ready To
Experience The CBI Clubhouse For
Yourself?
CLICK
HERE!
http://cbiclubhouse.com
|
|
Sponsor the
Update!
Need
to reach working and aspiring children's book
writers with your marketing message? We've
got more than 44,000 of them! E-mail us
(mail@write4kids.com)
and we'll send you all the details.
|
|
We've Got Solutions to Aid Your
Resolutions!
Need
insider secrets and fresh markets for your
manuscript? Check out
Children's
Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children's
Writers + The CBI Clubhouse at http://cbiclubhouse.com/non-members
Just
getting started and need a friendly, step-by-step
guide to becoming a children's
author? Check out
Career
Starter, The Beginner's Guide to Writing for
Children at http://write4kids.com/starter.html
Want to
have an incredible amount of "How To" wisdom
right at your
fingertips?
The Children's Writer's Big Book of How To has
the solution to more than 100 of the trickiest
issues faced by children's authors. From coming
up with great ideas right through signing the
contract, this amazing volume is packed with
insight. http://write4kids.com/bigbook.html
Have you
written a story but don't know what to do
next? I've
Written a Story, What Do I Do Now? tells
you what you need to know about submitting your
manuscript to publishers efficiently and
professionally.
http://write4kids.com/nowwhat.html
Tired of
getting rejection letters?
Improving The
Odds reveals the manuscript-revision
secrets of top authors that help push them over
the top. http://write4kids.com/odds.html
And there's more. For a full listing, just go to
http://write4kids.com/collect.html
|
|
