Authors interested in doing school visits often wonder when they should contact schools to cultivate bookings. The answer is: as far in advance as possible. Many – if not most – schools plan their budgets and schedules anywhere from six months to a year ahead. So if you’re...
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I'm putting the final touches on School Visit Wizard, a step-by-step, customizable kit to help authors book, plan and deliver A+ author...
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Happy New Year! As a children's author, editor and writing coach, I spend a lot of  time talking about writing and/or publishing books...
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I'm thrilled to announce that  my good friend and colleague, author and 12X12 Picture Book Challenge Founder Julie Hedlund, and I have officially launched...
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Backstory can be essential to understanding a character and his/her journey. It can deepen conflict, reveal motivation and elicit sympathy for a...
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The middle grade and YA sections of your local bookstore and/or library these days are teeming with genres, styles and subject matters...
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Many middle grade and YA authors debate whether or not to include a prologue when beginning their manuscripts. Prologues are sections of...
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We've been zeroing in on the unique craft elements of beginnings - opening pages, scenes and chapters - in the Children's Book...
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What's the difference between a middle grade novel and a chapter book? The lines can often seem blurry - but the truth...
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You're writing a story with a teenage protagonist but very sophisticated themes and content...
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